When you walk through the alleys of the historic center and if you like beautiful buildings – you will instantly fall in love with this city. Vienna is full of imperial highlights and one building is more beautiful than the other. In addition, you can learn a lot about the history of the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi.
Arrival
The S7 express train runs twice an hour in 30 minutes from Vienna Airport to Wien Mitte train station. Trains run on average twice per hour in 20 minutes to Vienna Central Station. You wait an average of 15 minutes for the next train. The ticket for the S-Bahn and the train is also valid for one change by subway, streetcar, or bus in Vienna!
There is also the CAT (City-Airport-Train) as a separate express train only for the airport transfer between Wien Mitte and the airport. The train reaches the airport in 15 minutes because it does not stop anywhere in between. The ticket costs twice as much as a trip by S-Bahn or train.
Sightseeing attractions
The most famous sights in Vienna date back to the Austrian imperial era. These include Schloss Schönbrunn, the Hofburg Palace and the Prater with the Ferris wheel. Vienna is additionally the city of classical music. Names like Mozart, Beethoven and Johann Strauss are known by almost everyone.
The center of Vienna is in the 1st district. This is the part of the old town that was once surrounded by the city walls. The most important sights are in the 1st district too. Therefore, the First with the surrounding districts is the ideal starting point for a city trip.
Schloss Schönbrunn
What should not be missed during a visit to Vienna is a visit to the famous Schloss Schönbrunn. You can easily get there by the S-Bahn. The trip takes half an hour from the main station.
In the Schloss Schönbrunn you can see the 22 rooms of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Sisi. The entrance fee to the palace is 29 EUR, if you want to do the Grand Tour. I can highly recommend this one. The rooms are very large, and you are not in each other's way. Per audio guide you walk through the individual rooms. This audio guide is available in 16 different languages.
If these rooms are not enough, there are several other tours that you can do. In general, I give you the tip to book the tickets in advance, so you avoid unnecessary queuing.
The Schloss Schönbrunn is also known for its beautiful gardens. Unfortunately, when we were in Vienna, they were closed. (Wintertime)
Sisi Museum
For those who are even more interested in the imperial family, and especially in Sisi, a visit to the Sisi Museum is worthwhile. The Sisi Museum reveals a multi-layered picture of Empress Elisabeth. In this "museum of emotions", the myth of Sisi becomes tangible like in no other place and the mysteriousness of this fascinating personality is also illuminated.
The ticket for the museum costs EUR 17.50. The history of Sisi was very exciting, but unfortunately the rooms in the museum are very small, so that there were sometimes very many people in the same place. You are guided with an audio guide. Sometimes you lost your orientation a bit, in the castle the tour was much clearer.
Wiener Riesenrad & Wiener Prater
We were told that we should go to the Wiener Prater in the evening, because it should be very beautiful. The Wiener Prader is primarily an amusement park, like a fair. There is also the famous Ferris wheel. I also read you were only in Vienna if you were on the Ferris wheel – so of course we have directly turned a round with it.
I didn’t like the Prater that much, but I think it was just because there were no people there at all and it almost seemed a bit like a ghost town to me. Apparently, though, it’s quite different when the weather is nice or in the summer. It must be lively there. On my next visit I will certainly try again.
Hundertwasserhaus
The Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna is one of Austria’s architectural highlights. Designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the residence attracts visitors from all over the world.
Those who live in the Hundertwasserhaus also have the right to design the facade around the windows according to their own taste. More than 200 trees and shrubs on the balconies and roof terraces make the Hundertwasserhaus a green oasis in the middle of the city. The Hundertwasserhaus can only be visited from the outside.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser is also considered as one of Europe’s first green masterminds thanks to his ideas on ecology and sustainability. He is appreciated and exhibited worldwide.
Shopping
Vienna is a huge city so has everything you might expect in terms of shops: from small ethnic grocery outlets to flagship stores for luxury brands. I like to go shopping but usually not much when I’m on a city trip. Nevertheless, we walked through the Kärtnerstrasse and saw the building from Swarovski who offer a special shopping experience. Everywhere it sparkles and there are quite beautiful things to look at.
Hotel & Restaurant
We spent the night at Flemings Hotel. The hotel is in the district "Josefstadt", right in the center. The famous landmarks of Vienna, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg and the State Opera are close to the hotel.
The room was very nice. We had a great terrace with a view over Vienna, a super glass roof where you can see the stars when you lie in bed and a great shower, which is in the middle of the hotel room.
Regarding food, I have no surprise now. What you must eat: Wiener Schnitzel – the classic tip. No meat eater leaves the city without having eaten a Schnitzel and the best one is in the restaurant Meissl & Schadn. You can choose how you want your Schnitzel to be prepared. What I didn’t know before, the people from Vienna don’t eat their schnitzel with fries, but with Erdäpfelsalat (Potato salad).
What should not be missing during a visit to Austria is to eat Kaiserschmarrn. As you may already know from previous travelogues, I love sweets. We were in the restaurant Heindls Schmarren & Palatschinkenkuchl and it was very tasty. Just be careful with the size of the portion. We should have shared a portion; it would have been enough.
Public Transport
In Vienna there are 5 subway lines, 29 streetcar lines, as well as 140 bus lines. This allows you to get to all of Vienna's major sights quickly and easily. When buying tickets, you can choose between one-way tickets, day tickets and multi-day tickets.
If you travel more often, it's worth getting a timed ticket, which allows you to travel on public transport indefinitely during the validity period. The following variants are available: 24 h-ticket, 48 h-ticket, 72 h-ticket and weekly ticket.
Currency and means of payment
In Vienna you pay in Euro (EUR). You can pay everywhere with credit cards. It is accepted as a means of payment in all shops, Restaurant or Hotels.
Tip
In gastronomy today, tipping is a form of appreciation. In Austria, the salary is already included in the bill, but an additional tip of 5 to 10 % is perfectly normal. At least in a restaurant the amount is rounded up or the coin leftover is left on the table.
Language
The official language is German.
Add comment
Comments