Just fancy! I
used to say ‘I’ve never been abroad’, and beat around the bush talking about my
real life experience about travelling, but 5 summer days rocked my world…
Why Vienna?
The city is
ideal for strolling, as every major museum; the Hofburg Palace complex;
Austria's grandest cathedral; and the top shops, restaurants and world-renowned
Viennese cafes are all close together and easily visited on foot.
Vienna is also one
the most beautiful musical cities in the world. Visiting Austria's capital therefore
means experiencing the works of great number of composers and musicians who were
born here or lived and worked here, such as Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven,
Strauss and others.
A city of
sausages and schnitzel, proud palaces and peaceful parks, – just wander amidst
the maze of cobblestone streets and architecturally rich buildings…
Warm
Hospitality: Altwienerhof Hotel
Altwienerhof offers 3-star
accommodation in Vienna located just a few minutes from a subway station (which
is a bonus after a day of walking). Reasonably priced place surprised us with
huge rooms and good service. Everything is very comfortable and almost
spotlessly clean. The staff is polite and attentive, friendly and helpful. Free
buffet breakfast is excellent, fresh, tasty and plentiful, with a good
selection of cheese, ham and bread, juices and teas. While having a breakfast
you are enjoying soft classical music.
It was a
pleasure to talk to the hotel manager Panus, who spoke in English, and
patiently helped us with directions and Internet access. We loved every minute
of being here, because our stay in Vienna became more memorable due to this
hotel. Highly recommended!
Austria’s architectural highlights
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Wanna be different from the imprisoned, enslaved, standardised man who lives the next door? Welcome to the Hundertwasser House – the first house with window right. The Austrian artist designed eight window types, which are of varying height and width and which are mounted irregularly in the walls, so that one gets the impression as if the windows were dancing of their own free will.
A gorgeous and
majestic building with mixed Gothic and Roman architectural styles is one of
the city's most recognized symbols: a spectacular cathedral treasure with
crowds of tourists coming and going... I can hardly be able to describe its unreal magnificence and impressiveness. This is a bit of wow moment, when you first
see it.
Schoenbrunn Palace
We enjoyed spending about four hours walking around this really a royal place. I’ve got a taste of an over-the-top palace and garden literally fit for a king (and a queen). It's very peaceful and there's a good view of the city up the hill behind the palace. Just the photographer's delight! We didn’t visit the interior but decided to enjoy the sights outdoors walking along the gardens and maze. It was a fantastic day I would never forget.
Belvedere Palace
Unbelievably
wonderful palace! You may walk between upper and lower Belvedere, visit both
and enjoy the loveliest relaxing gardens with their awesome fountains and
statues. Not to forget the Galleries where you can admire the work of the
iconic Gustav Klimt and Van Gogh, but that's another story!
Hofburg -
Imperial Palace
A breathtaking
and huge place to wander around and check out the amazing architecture. You
simply cannot avoid it walking through the city centre. Lots of things to see
and learn of the Austrian royals. It almost feels as if you are in that period.
The Hundertwasser House
Wanna be different from the imprisoned, enslaved, standardised man who lives the next door? Welcome to the Hundertwasser House – the first house with window right. The Austrian artist designed eight window types, which are of varying height and width and which are mounted irregularly in the walls, so that one gets the impression as if the windows were dancing of their own free will.
Uneven floor, beautiful
columns, colorfully decorated exterior facade and the hanging gardens are the
contrary of the modern emotionless and cold buildings.
Many
monuments & sculptures of artists, composers & writers scattered
throughout the park like the most photographed gold plated bronze statue of
Johann Strauss playing his violin, along with Schubert, Hans Schindler &
Bruckner etc.
Green Vienna: delightfull walk
Stadtpark
Green lush meadows, flowers, plants, exotic shady trees to sit under & a large pond with ducks & swans swimming, make it an oasis in the center of the city. It was nice to see people relaxing, children playing & feeding the ducks.
Stadtpark has
two large playgrounds, one for younger kids and one for elder.
People's Park (Volksgarten)
Beautiful and well-kept
gardens near the parliament building and Hofburg Palace.
You would feel like
you are in a different world. No noisy cars and traffic, just the rose garden,
grass, fountains and monuments.
There are chairs and benches everywhere to sit
and enjoy the colours and smells.
Magical roses were
in full bloom…
Vienna Woods
Just a few kilometers
out of the city of Vienna, we took the tour that drives besides the woods with
breathtaking landscape with little villages, monasteries, and churches. If you
are visiting the Vienna Woods, you need to stop near an ancestral home of the
Liechtenstein royal family. It is extremely photogenic from a distance.
You are also very close to the Seegrotte,
a beautiful underground lake with the crystal-clear water. The boat ride, taking
you through the cave openings and passing a lovely fountain, is the highlight of the tour. It’s only +9 °C throughout
a year in the mine, so dress appropriately or you can take a light blanket for €0,5
entering the mine.
Heiligenkreuz
Abbey, the oldest continuously occupied Cistercian monastery in the world, is
located in the place filled with interesting history and picturesque artwork.
Kurpark, Baden near Vienna
Pretty
flowerbeds and trees, cozy places for relaxing, a memorial to Mozart and Beethoven,
lawn areas and paths to wander along, and gorgeous views over the town.
Tiergarten Schoenbrunn - Zoo Vienna
Vast range of
animals; great; very roomy and natural enclosures made us love every minute in
this picturesque zoo, that is wonderfully located near the Schoenbrunn Palace and
is equally interesting for both children and grown-ups. The stuff takes care of
the animals in a very adequate way. Take comfortable shoes, camera, and enjoy!
The place is a much bigger than I thought it would be, with a large selection of attractions and rides that took me somewhat back to my childhood, excitement at the fair. An old-fashioned Ferris wheel is its highlight. We visited Prater after getting dark, which in my opinion is be the best time as the attractions are lit up very nicely.
Viennese food
Traditional
Austrian food and a brewery, affordable price and truly huge portions – it’s
all about Salm Brau, extremely recommended if you are in the neighborhood of
the Belvedere Palace. The service was excellent and the multilingual staff with
English menus made it all very easy.
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Apple Strudel
("Apfelstrudel"), that gained prominence in Vienna,
is a beautiful
dessert: feel the satisfaction of sweet,
baked apples in thin dough (buttery), served
with whipped cream.
The drinks and
food are reasonable in Biergartl im Stadtpark, however, my husband wasn’t satisfied with ribs served in
10 minutes (which we found a little bit suspicious) – not bad but not too good
either. I guess you pay more for the location, that is really nice there.
Although small
and with undistinguished entrance, restaurant Mini with European,
Austro-Hungarian kitchen is just amazing. The portions were generous and the
quality of the ingredients was excellent. It was a surprise to get a meatball
on the house before our meal!
A city of surprises/ Ready for Freddy
Vienna is
incredible city. You can simply turn on the tap and enjoy mountain spring
water. Make sure that trees are particularly respected there: most of them are
numbered. It's ordinary in Vienna to see Russian street musicians, dog parks,
bicycle parking, or have your haircut for €30. It was rather strange for me as
a person who got used to annoyed crowd in Ukrainian subway that carries you on
and out from the train, to face just the opposite thing: people in Vienna are
quiet and easy, you can hardly see somebody hurrying up outside.
Crazy about
cars? Just fancy: the most extraordinary hot Viennese cars are just in front of
you!
It was really the most amazing gift in my life - I
would like to thank my Honey for it!
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