I already wrote about our adventures the first weekend in Vienna, so now it’s time to get into the days that followed.
Despite both kids getting clobbered with a horrible stomach bug (which, miraculously, both John and I seem to have managed to avoid), we still fit in lots of sightseeing and adventures.
Here’s how our first full week in Vienna played out.
MONDAY
Time to get into the habit of school work! I supervised Indy on spelling and geography, he did some IXL Math practice on his own, and Belle worked on science homework (meiosis) and pulled together most of her slideshow with an overview of Germany.
I did a bit of blogging, some banking and other admin work, and then the kids and I headed off (John was sequestered in his makeshift office in our bedroom for the day).
Public transit for the win!
We started out at Karlskirche/St. Charles Church. The exterior is beautiful (though you can’t see from this picture that one half is under construction, definitely impacting the current aesthetic). I planned to go inside… but opted to suffice with outdoor views when I realized you had to pay to enter! I’m hoping to go here to see Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and a ticket would include free entry into the church.
From there we walked over to the Hochstrahlbrunnen Fountain. It was a few days shy of being open (all the fountains are shut during the winter due to freezing risk), but it was a great spot for a snack and Indy enjoyed watching for fancy cars.
This is home to the Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee (Heroes Monument of the Red Army) which honours the thousands of Soviet soldiers who died while helping to liberate Vienna from Nazi control.
We walked up to Belvedere Palace (actually a series of buildings) next.
The grounds are lovely. We didn’t pay to go inside, but it’s now an art museum (most famous for housing Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss).
There are bathrooms on site, but they are pay-per-use, cash (specifically coin) only.
If you can’t beat em, join ’em, I suppose.
For some reason, sticking the tongue out is a go-to pose for this age category of teens, so I joined in the fun.
Then we had what was nearly an EXTREMELY expensive snack break. Belle dropped her retainer on the ground (unbeknownst to us); we miraculously managed to backtrack and find it on the ground over an hour later.
After the kids and I got home, John and I popped out to a grocery store. We didn’t actually buy them, but I was excited to spot Ketchup chips (something typically unique to Canada) on store shelves!
A few minutes after we got back from the grocery store, Child #1 got sick.
All over the floor. All over clothes. All over sheets.
SUCH A MESS.
The night was a constant parade of laundry and showers and rubbing of backs and tending to a very sick child.
TUESDAY
I cooked some food. I had some tea. I did more laundry. The vomit had stopped and Sick Child #1 mostly slept while Child #2 kept their distance and watched videos.
But by evening, Child #1 was stable, so the healthy crew went on a little walk in and around our Airbnb. It was very picturesque… and we spotted the Danube!
So many quirky sights to behold on European streets.
It clouded in and started to rain by the time we were almost home…
By late-evening (12:30 am, to be exact), Child #2 was sick.
It was another long night…
More laundry, more showers, and more back rubbing.
WEDNESDAY
I went to the grocery store.
That’s about it.
I bought a watermelon at the grocery store. It was on sale.
THURSDAY
Everyone was back to full(ish) health. Indy was content to stay home and listen to audiobooks and rest, but Belle was keen to explore.
She and I headed to St. Francis of Assisi (also known as the Emperor’s Jubilee Church). It’s a bit of a trek outside the central heart of the city, but it is stunning!
The first thing we said when we saw the church was: We HAVE to come back here at night.
The outside was grand and looked like a Disney-castle. The interior was modest, but I really loved the clean lines and simple aesthetic.
I loved the reflection of the stained glass window…
From there, we wandered over to Shakespeare & Company. Such a cute bookstore, tucked away on a hidden little street. A must-visit for any bibliophile!
Some random things spotted en route to our final stop of the morning…
… which was Ferstel Passage (Palais Ferstel). This is an indoor shopping “arcade” from the 1860s full of boutiques and cafes. In a large atrium there happened to be an a cappella group singing (songs in both German and English) which was a fun little bonus.
Belle and I stayed and watched them sing for a while and it was lovely. Then we navigated home for lunch (salad, sandwiches, and leftovers).
After John was finished with work calls for the day, we left the kids contented at home and walked to the downtown core to explore a bit more on our own.
The first stop was Strudlhofstiege, a famous staircase that reminds me a lot of the Spanish Steps in Rome. One of the things I love most about older architecture in cities is how it’s seamlessly integrated into everyday life. While we were at the stairs, we saw probably a dozen kids leaving school and schlepping backpacks and scooters up the stairs on their way home.
This would make a stunning spot for wedding photos!!
Next was a stop by Vienna City Hall...
And the iconic Votive Church (Votivkirche). After Emperor Franz Joseph was nearly killed by an assassination attempt, his brother started work on this church as a monument of thanks to God for saving Franz Joseph’s life.
It reminds me of a mash-up between Notre Dame and Sagrada Familia.
We popped by Theseustempel (this is open periodically to showcase modern art).
And it’s right cross the street from the Austrian Parliament building.
FRIDAY
Friday morning, the kids and I headed to Prater. It houses Riesenrad, the oldest Ferris Wheel in the world (1897) and featured heavily in the Orson Welles movie The Third Man (based in post-war Vienna).
It’s also home to Kugelmugel, a “micronation.”
In 1971 an artist built a spherical house… but it was deemed illegal. To get around this, he went about creating his own town (including setting up a post system and currency!!). After some jail time and lots of publicity, the Austrian government suggested it get moved into the amusement park, where it stands to this day.
It’s open as an art gallery at various points in the year, but it was closed when we were there.
We were only doing reconnaissance work as we plan to celebrate Belle’s 15th birthday by visiting here! It’s free to enter, so we wandered the grounds of the amusement park and made a mental list of what attractions we were keen to try.
In the afternoon, I was… completely spent. Between the kids being sick and various other things I hadn’t had nearly enough sleep since coming to Europe. So I took the chance to stay home and nap (Indy stayed with me and watched some shows), and Belle and John went off on a walking adventure.
They got a great view of the city from Cobenzl Aussicht, visited Sisi’s Chapel in the Vienna Woods, made a new feline friend, and wandered around some vineyards. It sounds like an intense uphill climb on the way there, but rewarding views.
That evening, we watched The Boy in the Striped Pajamas as a family, as a follow-up of sorts to visiting Dachau.
And that’s a wrap on Week #1 in Vienna!
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Gorgeous churches! I love the clean lines in that one church. It’s cool how both elaborate(out) and simple( in) can come together for incredible beauty.
And you just pleased. a good portion of your readers with the cat picture! What a lovely fluffer!
The cat was so fluffy and they spent all sorts of time petting him (her).
Ahhh it’s so beautiful! Vienna is definitely on my list of places to visit!
You would LOVE it here!
Ha ha, I was also delighted by the cat photo! Reading this recap reminded me of all the things I saw in Vienna, and also made me realize how many things I missed! I wish I could say I’ll go back someday, but it’s very unlikely, which is kind of sad. As much as I loved Vienna, there are so many places I’ve never been- if I’m going to travel to Europe, it would be silly to repeat a city. I’ll just appreciate it through your eyes!
There are so many places to go in Europe, it’s true. I’ve been to Paris twice (and want to go again), DEFINITELY want to go back to Rome, and I’d certainly be open to returning to Vienna. There’s something special about going back, I think, because you see it through a different sort of viewpoint?
On the other hand, I’ve been to Florence once and never need to go back! It was lovely, but didn’t make me want to return. Honestly, I feel the same about Munich. It was nice, but once it probably plenty for me in terms of a visit.
Vienna has so much charm! I’ve been told that even the people there are charming.
That moment at the Ferstel Passage sounds absolutely magical. Just wandering in and then suddenly finding an a cappella group singing in that space! That’s the kind of experience you can’t plan.
I hope you get to see that Jubilee Church at night!
It’s so charming. You really must come some time!
Oh my, I love all the cute details in those cute streets and the stunning architecture. Thank goodness the retainer was found. It would have been a bummer to lose it so early in the trip. I’m glad you and John didn’t get sick as well. I also love finding little bits or rural life in a city especially a vineyard. I’m loving your recaps—keep them coming!
It really would have been such a nuisance to lose it, especially so early.
We’re both still healthy!!!
Okay, as someone who takes a LOT of photos when I’m on vacation and then gets overwhelmed the minute I’m home by everything I need to sort through (and all the duplicates I need to delete), I need to know if you’re doing some sort of photo triage on a weekly basis? I don’t know why I’m getting stressed out about this, BUT I AM. All of your photos are SO BEAUTIFUL, and I imagine there is just a lot happening in that photo album on your phone now!
Also, thank you for the cute photo of the kitty cat! SO ADORABLE.
Oh Stephany, we deal with pictures DAILY. There are so many pictures and the thought of dealing with it once a week is almost giving me hives.
It’s mostly fun, occasionally stressful, and it will be an EPIC photo book at the end of this <3