Traveling is one of my favorite things to do in my spare time. Especially traveling around Europe. I like most of the cities in Europe because they have unique architecture and authentic history. Vienna is one of those countries that offer so many good things such as delicious food, great sightseeing, and beautiful architecture. But Vienna is also known for the famous Vienna Opera House and the delicious Sachertorte.
Hotels & transportation
While booking a hotel/motel/apartment it is important to consider the location. My recommendation is to book a hotel as near as possible to the center. In that way, everything will be closer to you. All the restaurants, shops and some of the attractions as well. I stayed in a hotel that was 10 minutes away from St. Stephen Cathedral. My advice is to you is to buy tickets for public transportation. In that way, you can see most of the parts of the city. The ticket price was not expensive at all and also includes a bus ticket and a free pass for some of the museums. There were tickets called “Vienna City Card” which were basically for unlimited rides through the city and also with these tickets you have various discounts in restaurants, shops, sight theatres, museums, etc. There were many different package options from which you can choose.
The food
Vienna like any other city in Europe offers different types of restaurants. But since you are there my recommendation is to try the popular dishes. You should definitely try the sausage with bread and beer. Then the most popular Wiener Schnitzel (veal coated in breadcrumbs and fried). And last but not least, try the Tafelspitz which is basically boiled beef. As for dessert, you should either choose the Apple strudel or the famous Sachertorte.
The Sightseeing:
If you book a hotel near the center of Vienna, the first thing you should go and see is the St. Stephen Cathedral. This cathedral is located on the Stephensplatz. The architectural style of this cathedral is Romanesque and Gothic. Near the cathedral, there are many restaurants, coffee shops & boutiques with famous brands such as Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Armani, etc.
Tour in the opera house
At the end of the main pedestrian street, you will see the magnificent Vienna State Opera House. The Vienna Opera House is one of the most well-known landmarks in this city. This particular building is known for many different events including The Vienna philharmonic New Year concert, different operas, ballet, and even balls. Every day, I think the Opera House is open for tours. If you visit Vienna, you should definitely make time to see a show, and also take a tour of the Opera. The tour of the opera is not expensive and you can hear many cool and real stories about the opera and about the performances. As I remember correctly some of the rooms of the Opera House can be borrowed for birthday parties. There was a story about one performance I can’t remember if it was an opera or ballet, but one of the performers had to “die” and jump on a mattress behind the scenes, but it came back up and all the people were surprised. The next day the whole city was talking about it, but the people accepted it well. It was a hilarious story.
Sisi museum
Next, you should go and see is The Hofburg Imperial Palace. Today this Palace it’s the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria. It is located in the center of Vienna. Here you can find the Sisi Museum. The Sisi Museum is about Empress Elisabeth “Sisi” of Austria. If you are a big history fan like me, this museum is the perfect place for you. I liked the concept of the museum every room is with photos, clothes, and other different stuff that belonged to Elisabeth. On every photo, there is a number that you can insert on your gadget, and with the help of a headphone, you can hear the story of that particular photo. It is a deep insight into Elisabeth’s life. It starts with her early life adventures, then the marriage, her life, her family, her thoughts, her traveling, and her tragic death at the end.
Other further places
The Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial summer residence. It is one of the most important cultural, architectural, and historical landmarks in the country. There is a beautiful garden between the palace and the Sun Fountain. Also, the garden contains a maze among other things. All in all, it is a magnificent palace and a must-see attraction.
On the other hand, there is the Belvedere Palace. This is a historic building complex of two palaces and a big park between them called: Upper Belvedere and Lower Belvedere, and also there is the Belvedere museum. Both palaces are magnificent, but since you are there definitely go and see the Belvedere museum. The world’s largest art collection of Gustav Klimt’s paintings lies in this museum located in the Upper Belvedere. The museum highlights are Klimt’s most famous paintings, The Kiss and Judith, and also other paintings from other painters as well.
In the middle of the day, you should take a break from exploring the city and go relax in the Vienna Naschmarkt. It is Vienna’s most popular food market. There you can find various restaurants and all kinds of cuisines, Austrian, Italian, Chinese.
And last, if you have spare time, go visit the restaurants, coffee shops near the Danube Canal and the Prater Park. If you are with the family the Prater Park will probably be a fun place for the kids. I personally wasn’t a big fan of the park, maybe because I’ve seen too many parks in my life. There was one thing that caught my attention and that was the Ferris wheel. So basically from there, you can see the whole city, it was amazing.
