From Budapest, we had a two hour train ride to Vienna. We arrived in Vienna around 6pm and it was freezing. We were so happy to have brought winter coats, gloves, and scarves because we would need them during most of our trip.
Our hotel in Vienna was a few blocks from the main city square that is filled with restaurants, cafes, and shopping. After checking into the hotel we had an amazing dinner of wiener schnitzel and walked around the town. On our first full day in Vienna we decided to go out to Schonbrunn Palace. The palace served as the summer residence of the Habsburg monarch. The palace grounds also include beautiful gardens, playful mazes, and a zoo. We spent several hours exploring everything and enjoyed a late lunch in the restaurant at the gloriette before returning to Vienna for dinner and more wine. The second day we spent exploring the Hapsburg Palace and Treasury Museum in Vienna. We also got to see a practice session of the Lipizzaner Stallions from the famous Spanish Riding School. In the afternoon we walked through the Volkgarten before following Rick Steve's tram tour around the city. For dinner that night we tried a traditional Heurgerian (wine garden) in the city. We enjoyed delicious gruner veltliner wine and a traditional meal of spreads, meats, potatoes, and vegetables. On our third day in Vienna we visited Saint Stephen's Cathedral which has been in that location since the 1300s. We then did a little shopping in the town and stopped at a cafe for espresso and hot chocolate. For lunch we went to a sausage stand that P had been eyeing for some delicious currywurst. That evening we headed out of the city to a Heuriger (wine tavern). It was about a 35 minute train ride and we spent a few hours enjoying the atmosphere and wine. Since it was cold we stayed inside but imagined in the warmer months the gardens would be filled and lively with more customers. We finished the day with dinner at a restaurant near our hotel and then complimentary wine in the executive lounge at the hotel.
Vienna was one of my favorite city's on our trip. I had no expectation of it and really loved everything about it - the history, culture, food, wine, etc. P and I agreed that we could have easily spent another few days there and will definitely be going back.
 |
| St. Stephens' Cathedral at night |
 |
| Schonbrunn Palace |
 |
| P playing in one of the gardens on the palace grounds |
 |
| Me in front of the zoo entrance at Schonbrunn Palace |
 |
| Us at the top of the gloriette with the palace in the background. |
 |
| A view of the palace and grounds from the top of the gloriette |
 |
| Beautiful flowers at one of the stands in the city square |
 |
| P with Habsburg Palace behind him |
 |
| Taking a break outside of the Treasury Museum |
 |
| View of City Hall from Volkgarten |
 |
| View of Stadpark from the Marriott Executive Lounge |
 |
| Enjoying a traditional dinner and wine at the Heurgerian in the city. Our waitress insisted we wear these hats for the picture. |
 |
| Inside of St. Stephen's Cathedral. |
 |
| Tiles on the roof of St. Stephen's. The original tile was destroyed during World War II but were replaced with ceramic tiles by the people of Vienna. |
 |
| Patrick outside of the Heuriger. |
No comments:
Post a Comment