If you have culture, natural beauty, and good food all in one place what more could you ask for. Vienna as many would identify is an artist's paradise. Finding art students sitting and drawing buildings is as common as people eating and drinking at restaurants. Many Austrians we met say, there is Austria and then there is Wien. It is a country on its own and very different from other parts of Austria. The city is welcoming to all nationalities. The fact that we heard almost 6 different languages been spoken in a short metro ride was proof enough of the cultural cohabitants. It is well planned for tourism and convenience. So like many tourists who want to commute by public transport or walk on foot to truly enjoy Vienna, we ventured out for 4 days from Salzburg to make up our mind whether the hype is truly worth the mention. Covid restrictions slowly being lifted helped in planning a trip within the country and yet with such a stark difference. It was early June, the onset of summer yet unpredictable enough to always carry an umbrella is how I would describe the weather.
Our journey began by train from Salzburg to Vienna which allowed us the luxury to read, drink coffee and enjoy some picturesque landscape views. In just 3 hours we were in the capital of Austria and a short metro ride away was our place of stay. Interestingly, this Airbnb is right at the heart of the city and we couldn't have asked for more. It was worth mentioning just because the host was truly a super host and managed our goof-ups of forgetting the keys inside the house like a mom would (without scolding us). The apartment was in a perfect old building that had so much character that taking the spiral staircases with our mini suitcases seemed like an adventure.
Day 1
Filling up fuel in our bodies while enjoying the best views of Vienna was our very first activity. We sat at the Sparky's restaurant to bite into the yummy schnitzels and burgers the place had in store. Please make note that even tap water is chargeable which seems absurd but one gets used to it as it's just a servicing fee. The best idea is to carry a small bottle and fill in the free water coolers placed in the entire city. The best part was the relaxed atmosphere and the plethora of food options right in front of St. Stephen's cathedral. For those who have still not seen the church, its iconic roof design is as good a marvel piece as the interior. After food and beer in our bellies, it was time to wander around the area. Being a dry summer day, we decided to instead start with the tram tour (Rick Steve's who else) to radially explore the spots and be a little spoilt.
It was a hot summer day and nothing seems to better than a cold coffee and some yummy cakes at the Sacher hotel where there is a long queue on usual days but since it wasn't super crowded (only people from Austria could travel within the country) we just asked for a table and we got one! Coffee, cake and some sweet conversations made up for our Hotel Sacher experience. I genuinely did not like cake as much as I liked the way up to the bathroom, they have some serious family portraits (right from 1876) and a lovely room setup of the old days. In short, if you plan to spend time here, do visit the washroom and walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
After some lazing around the park opposite to the Hofburg Imperial Palace, we mustered up the courage to also goto Parters! Prater is a very old amusement park with some very cool rides that may have multiple versions in the same complex. Taking a walk around before deciding which roller coaster you want to ride will be helpful. We almost forgot to eat till 10pm because we all had our picks and wanted to cover all different rides. The lights and fun rides can notoriously make you spend more than you wished for, each ride ticket is bought separately and thus seem very less until you do a recon. Don't say I did not warn you.
Day 2
After a very late night home from Prater, we were looking for a relaxed but eventful day and thus came our idea of going to Schönbrunn Palace. This palace is known for not just being the Summer residence of the Habsburg rulers but also the massive beautiful parks and zoo which is nearby. Our vote was to chill and maybe hike up to the Gloriette Schloss which is on top of a hill and has panoramic views of the city. It is a good place to have a drink or enjoy some ice cream to feel like royalty.
Walking for almost half the day, we deserved some coffee and people watching time back near our much loved shopping street - Kärntner Straße (a name which I kept forgetting, all I remember was that reaching Stephenplatz station meant reaching our Airbnb).
People watching on the streets Kärntner Straße could easily become your favorite hobby if you are looking to immerse yourself in the Viennese way of living. The vibe of the newer version of the city comes alive here with people from all walks of life just trying so hard to either fit in or simply having a good time. My personal vote goes to the very elegant old ladies having their aperol or wine glass with their very cute little dogs. Nothing can match that classic red lipstick and pup next to an old lady to represent the unique match of old and new Vienna gracefully coexisting.
I relished the cusine here because of the options (I know I am repeating myself). Our dinner tonight was Asian at All Ries. This place was just below our building so we could freshen up to come back and enjoy our coconut concoctions made in the most delicious way. Damn, I wish they open a kitchen in Salzburg too.
Day 3
There was a prediction of rain and as any avid traveler would know (yes, I am gloating) these are the type of days you would want to keep for a museum. Our son chose the Technisches Museum Wien (please don't ask me to pronounce it, I am glad its a blog and not a Youtube video). Boys and their fascination with all thing technical, this museum turned out to be quite fun for me and my grown up husband too. Kids who are learning science can actually perform practical experiments to understand cause and effect of some of the basic laws of physics. The display of historic train carriages is also impressive if you haven't seen the train museum in York. After having lunch at the museum's cafe which was a good break we wrapped up our scientific selves to go and meet a local friend who has lived in Wien for far too long.
He showed us some spots that I would not have imagined covering in my 3-4 day itinerary. We went to Kahlenberg which a hill accessible by bus! It had splendid city views and lovely restaurants on the way. We then walked along the Danube near Alte Donau to appreciate the new coastal city that had emerged recently in the last 10 years and some very lovely properties boasting the river view are now part of modern Vienna. Our dinner next to the river at Das Bootshaus did not disappoint us. The desserts here get my vote. The best part about this city is that no matter what type of cuisine you like, there will be something that you can easily find to your liking and within your budget. Its a truly metropolitan city and the commute is also superbly comfortable and quick. I cannot recommend the 3 day or daily pass as much, it will let you be independent and take you to places like Kahlenberg too.
Day 4
Our final day was supposed to end just after lunch and thus our check-out was today. However, we were so much in love with the city that we just wanted to stay back a little longer. I knew our train ticket is flexible and our host was gracious enough to let our packed luggage be in the house so that we could take a later train. Sometimes you may be surprised how easy things become when people are flexible and all you need to do is ask. You may not like what we did next and no, it's not just shopping although I do think its a splendid way to spend your last day. We went to the Nashmarkt and ate olives and bought random touristy candied fruits because my son just loved the colors. There was a lovely Indian store right in the middle with a sweet lady from South India where we randomly picked up some spices. We ate falafels to our fill our hearts. I even packed some for the dinner back home; the entire pita bread, falafel, olives and hummus package. There was too much to choose from. We walked back and discovered a very cool store called Hannibals. Yes, the name was what caught our eye, and then the cute boutique decor stuff for home. We could have easily bought more things as we are still collecting new stuff for our new home in Salzburg but we had limited space in our luggage. The final part of our trip was spent just having wine in the Burggarten while our tired son ran around the park all fueled up probably by the chill Monday atmosphere. It was absolutely normal to have ducks and birds visit you when you keep little food around you but that's the charm of Vienna. A very chill late afternoon with the ducks. It does not have to be all touristy touristy. It could mean just parks for some while for others it is a city filled with art & culture. I cannot help but mention that 10 years ago Vienna meant nightlife for me. Travel the city at your pace and don't forget that you can pitstop when you see a very unique building (Kunst Haus) and then take the next bus or the one after it.
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