Danke schön Vienna
Incredible street views
If you love good food, incredible history, and beautiful architecture, then Vienna is the city for you. I was lucky enough to be able to travel to this magnificent city, and I can’t wait to go back. I took the train out of Budapest (Budapest-Kelenföld) which was just over an hour long. A few things to know about train planning.
The train runs every hour with a few stops in between.
You’ll know that you’re in the correct terminal when you see the escalators. The terminal for non-international trains does not have them.
I recommend downloading the MAV+ app for accurate pricing, timing, and more. It also assigns you a seat, which is important to follow.
Keep your ticket out since you’ll need to show it to the train inspector once on board.
I stayed at 25hours Hotel Vienna which is centrally located to all of the major attractions in town. It’s a very art centric hotel with a great pizza restaurant on the first floor. Vienna is also a very bike-friendly town, and 25hours provides free bike rentals to guests.
My first day in Vienna, I ventured over to MuseumsQuartier home to numerous art museums. I was particularly interested in visiting the Leopold Museum, featuring one of the largest collections of modern Austrian art. Here, you can find works from Klimt (a must see!), Schiele, Kokoschka, and Gerstl.
If I’m in Vienna, I’ve got to visit Belvedere Palace to see Klimt’s The Kiss. The museum sells tickets in blocks, and you’re allowed into the museum at your designated time slot. I recommend wandering the beautifully manicured grounds, which are stunning. You’ll be able to buy tickets to Lower Belvedere, Upper Belvedere, and Belvedere 21. Tickets can be purchased online, or in-person. I chose to buy tickets for Upper Belvedere due to the Klimt collection, but each building has their own highlights.
Upper Belvedere: A baroque palace with over 800 years of art masterpieces. Klimt’s The Kiss can be found here.
Lower Belvedere: From the Middle Ages and the Renaissance periods to women’s artists and modernism, Lower Belvedere is a separate building within the grounds.
Belvedere 21: A venue for contemporary Austrian and international art, film, and music.
From my hotel, the walk was about 45 minutes. Walking throughout Europe is one of my favorite things to do when I’m abroad, so this walk didn’t seem so daunting.
On my last day in Vienna, I trekked over to Prater Park which was about an hour from my hotel. I hadn’t been to the other side of the Danube River during this trip, so I was excited to see that neighborhood. Prater Park features its famous ferris wheel. There’s an amusement park in the area, which wasn’t open when I went. But I’m sure that young families would enjoy. My favorite part about the park was that people of all ages were exercising, and in general, enjoying the large common areas.
I almost forgot. The food in Vienna is some of the best in the world. Below are a few my favorites:
Figlmuller - A must for classic schnitzel.
Schnitzel Wirt - Expect a huge double portion of schnitzel.
Plachutta - Classic Austrian cuisine
Ulrich - Fantastic restaurant for really fresh ingredients, and a lively patio.
Erich - Beautiful patio, and the service is incredibly quick and friendly.
Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities that I’ve ever been to. It’s culturally historic, has an incredibly rich history, and is one of the birthplace of the croissant (I know, I thought it was Paris too). A few things that I wish I had seen, but will definitely make a point to visit on my next trip back.
Coffee house culture: Vienna is known for its unique coffee houses, which are UNESCO recognized. I tend to have coffee at the hotel I’m staying at, and don’t drink it after breakfast.
Day trips: I’ve heard incredible things about Salzburg and Bratislava, so I would recommend taking a day trip to visit.
If you’re an early riser, you can see the horses from the Spanish Riding School getting their morning exercise Monday through Saturday in Burggarten park. I didn’t realize they didn’t exercise on Sunday mornings, when I visited.
Schonbrunn Palace: I wish I had planned better so that I could spend the day exploring the grounds.
It’s sounding like I need to plan my return trip:)
