It’s hard to believe we’ve already spent a whole week in the Austrian capital. (To be fair, the majority of Tuesday–Thursday was spent in our apartment tending to sick children). Even still, the time is flying!
So far… we love it!!!
Vienna is an absolutely charming city, and we’re enjoying exploring everything on offer. It’s been easy to navigate public transit, and our Airbnb has been amazing.
I’ll do a summary post at the end of our month here that pulls everything together (like this one from our time in Munich), but until then I think I’ll just post things in the order we’ve done them!
Here’s what we got up to our first weekend in Vienna…
GETTING TO VIENNA
We took the train (Westbahn because it had the cheapest rates and best reviews) from Munich to Vienna on Friday morning.
While we waited for the train to arrive, John took the kids to find some breakfast and I quite happily sat down and supervised our bags while sipping coffee and reading a book. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, I had hot caffeine in one hand, a book in the other, and we were headed to Austria. Definitely a “pinch me” moment.
The train ride went smoothly, though we ended up being delayed at one point for nearly two hours. Oh well, the scenery more than made up for it. And thankfully we were on a train with bathrooms and snacks, not waiting on a platform somewhere.
The Alps peeked out at us between stretches of rolling green hills, and the kids alternated between climbing up on seats to get a better view… and watching mindless videos. (This travel day was when I managed to write most of my travel posts from our time in Munich.)
Two hours later than expected, we arrived at our apartment. It felt SO good to finally be “home”. The hotel in Munich was great, but definitely felt crowded and temporary. We all were excited to fully unpack and make the place our own.
A quick trip to the grocery store rounded out the day; we grabbed a few supplies for supper and some breakfast things for the following morning.
The density of grocery stores in a city is always a bit of a surprise to this rural-Canadian girl. So many options all within easy walking distance. I love it!
SATURDAY
We started with breakfast on the balcony. It was a bit chilly, but fun while it lasted! Our first “real” breakfast of the trip—toast, yogurt, fruit (coffee for me)—and still in PJs. Delightful.
By mid-morning, we’d navigated public transit into the heart of the city and just wandered around taking pictures and gawking at various things.
We stopped by the giant statue of Maria Theresia, outside the Natural History Museum. She was leader of Austria for 40 years and is one of the most iconic Habsburg rulers. She also had SIXTEEN children, including Marie Antoinette!
We had prepped a picnic lunch of sandwiches; eating them while basking in full sunshine was a nice way to start things off.
Side note: I’ve loved noticing all the “Elisabeth” references around town. This garbage can says, Elisabeth, be so kind/nice. No problem, Vienna. I will make sure to put my trash in its rightful place!
A few hours later, we spotted this little cafe. My kids call me Mama, and clearly I’m a saint, right?
Ha!!!
We headed up to the free viewing platform outside the Albertina Museum, which gives a great perspective of the Vienna State Opera House (though I didn’t actually manage to take any photos).
I did get this picture of Archduke Albrecht (he was a Habsburg… everyone was a Habsburg).
We strolled over to Michaelerplatz to see Hofburg Palace. Bonus: this square has some excavated Roman ruins dating back to a settlement (Vindobona) from the 1st century. It never ceases to amaze me that things that are so old have been preserved for all this time.
And, just behind the ruins, there was a GIANT St. Patrick’s Day parade going on. Bagpipes, marching troupes, people decked out head-to-toe in green. It was the real deal, and decidedly not Roman!
Some pictures of Hofburg Palace…
We also spotted the Column of Pest, which commemorates the victims of the 1679 plague.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral was impressive, though the interior was a bit hazy—probably from all the candles? I found it a bit creepy, to be honest, but there’s no denying it’s Vienna’s iconic church. You can pay to climb up the tower for aerial views, but we stayed put on the ground.
Nearby, we stumbled across a second-hand store and browsed for a few minutes (I was hoping to find some inexpensive books for the kids to read)! Everything was in German, but it was still fun to have a little thrifting adventure in the heart of the city.
A coffee/hot chocolate stop followed. Vienna’s coffee culture actually has UNESCO World Heritage status! Coffee arrives strong, on a tray, and with a glass of water.
The kids opted for hot chocolate.
We popped into Flying Tiger, a tradition in every European country we visit, and I found yet another look-alike—haha.
Speaking of horses… they are everywhere!! Horse-drawn carriage rides are hugely popular—you see, hear, (and smell) horses throughout the city.
We popped into Peterskirche (St. Peter’s church). They were practicing for a choir performance and it was lovely!
Random subway aesthetic tangent: I loved the tile work in one of the stations we passed through; I’d take that floor in my bathroom any day!
By the time we arrived back at our Airbnb, we were exhausted. John made a delicious pasta supper, most of us took showers, and we opted for an early bedtime.
SUNDAY
A slow start to the morning was in order. Eventually, we walked to Setagayapark, a Japanese garden tucked away in the outskirts of Vienna. It was very quiet (overcast, chilly weekend) but apparently this park becomes a busy spot when the cherry blossoms bloom. It’s definitely on my “return visit” list since the blossoms should be out before we leave.
After grabbing some lunch at home, we headed into the city for a free walking tour. (These are tip-based and a fantastic way to learn more about Vienna’s history.) We went with Red and White Tours, which had smaller groups and the highest ratings but there are tons of free tour options in Vienna.
We met outside the Vienna State Opera House. It’s hard to get decent pictures because of roadway/traffic, but Belle came through with the only front-facing picture of the day!
We learned lots about the Hapsburg Dynasty and fun facts about Vienna’s history (for instance, when Mozart was a child, he declared he was going to marry Marie Antoinette; it might have ended better for both of them if he had!).
We walked through the Burggarten, which was lovely. There was an elderly gentleman who seemed very unsteady on his feet that was walking (with a cane) on the grass beside our tour group. All of a sudden he fell and I literally gasped “Oh no!” and we started moving to help him. As he fell… he went right into a push up, did another one (clapping his hands behind his back), then picked up his cane and walked off!!!
OH MY GOODNESS.
Talk about an adrenaline-pumping moment. It was… extremely memorable. The kids kept watching to see if he was going to do it again, but I suppose the element of surprise is key, so we didn’t spot him psyching anyone else out.
This is a monument to Empress Sisi’s husband, Franz Joseph. What a tragic life that family led, culminating in Sisi being assassinated.
We walked by the Beethoven statue; such a fun floral display!
This is the Hopburg Castle chapel; blink and you’d miss it.
We spent some time back at the Column of Pest. I really enjoyed heading the backstory behind the monument and the guide’s explanation of all the different themes depicted in the sculpture.
Once the tour was over we headed back toward our apartment, stopping to watch an incredible street performance (I’m guessing it was a brother and sister). Pictures do NOT adequately convey the contortions she was able to put her body through and her (brother?) was equally flexible.
And that’s a wrap on our first weekend in Vienna.
Your turn.
- Do you like taking guided tours when you visit a new city?
- Are you flexible?
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Great pictures- what beautiful weather you’ve had so far.
And I am decidedly not flexible!
We have had THE BEST weather. But this weekend it’s going to get cold and there’s risk of snow and ice. It had to happen eventually!!
I really need to go to Vienna! It looks lovely. That “pinch me” moment with coffee, sunshine, and a book while keeping an eye on the luggage sounds perfect. Those little moments are the beauty of travelling.
Your wandering style is spot on, history, snacks, and random discoveries make the best city days.
By the way, have you come across any of the Sissi film series? Romy Schneider (beautiful!) played Sissi and people loved her. I’m curious if any of that classic Austrian film has popped up during your adventures!
I think you would love Vienna, Catrina! It’s brimming with character and it’s a great city for running, too. We see people out and about constantly. Lots of parks.
I have never watched the Sisi movies, but I think San watches them each Christmas?? There hasn’t been any reference to the movies, but Sisi things are EVERYWHERE!!! She’s definitely very popular in the history of the country/city.
The pictures and your activities look great. Having never been to Vienna (if you exclude a 3 hour layover in the middle of the night on an overland bus to Budapest), I think I should really plan to go some time.
I am sorry to read that your train was delayed (luckily not very stressful for you). Did you know that you can apply for (and have the right to) partial reimbursement of your tickets for the delay? You can download a delay confirmation and exchange it into a voucher or also get it reimbursed.
Hopefully everyone is healthy again now!
You should come. It’s really a gorgeous city; lots to see and do.
I didn’t know about applying for a delay rebate… I’m going to look into this right away. Thanks for the tip!!
Aaaah you are bringing back memories of my semester studying in Austria. We were in Gaming, living in a 14th century monastary and it was the most beautiful and special place. I hope you all love it as much 🙂 And all the Elisabeths with an S – very exciting!
Wow- I cannot imagine LIVING IN A MONASTERY. The age of things in Europe continues to blow my mind. The architecture is so beautiful and iconic.
Well I’ll answer that question first before I forget- definitely NOT flexible!!! As for your other question- while I was reading this I remembered that when I was in Vienna, I had a travel guide book- it might have been Fodor’s- that had lots of walking tours in it. So it would tell you where to go, give a description and explanation of what you were looking at, and then guide you to the next spot. I had a lot of fun with those. So I guess I would say I prefer a self-guided tour, or at least a tour that I can do at my own pace.
There is SO MUCH to see in and around Vienna, and it’s such a beautiful city. I really loved it. I’m glad you guys have a nice long time there so you don’t have to rush through it!
Vienna is gorgeous; I can definitely see living here!!!
I haven’t done many guided tours, but I think on my next trip I would like to add one or two in.
Your pictures are so beautiful. Please include pictures of horses every chance you get, they make me happy. I like the one where the horse is giving its friend a little kiss. I doubt that it is good for them to be on cobblestones all day, but I love seeing them anyway.
Yay for Elisabeth with an S!
Those horses were so friendly with each other.
Wow, Vienna looks incredible! I’ve never been but would love to visit someday. That is wild about having 16 children and one of them being Marie Antoinette! I love how gorgeous European cities are. It’s fun to just walk through the streets since the architecture is so gorgeous! I love doing walking tours. I learn way more than I ever could on my own! I have done several in Paris and they have all been excellent!
I am fairly flexible. Hip dysplasia runs in my family so I think that’s part of why I have more flexibility than the average person. My sister’s was so bad that she had to be in their harness things as an infant to correct it. Mine is not as bad. I have lost a lot of flexibility as I’ve gotten older of course. And despite being fairly flexible, I’ve never been able to do the splits, so my flexibility is more targeted to certain joints.
I think you would LOVE Vienna. It reminds me a lot of Paris. In some ways, I think I like it even more which I did NOT expect to hear myself saying.
Coach arranged a guided walking tour when we visited Vancouver and I didn’t believe him that it was free. We’ve done them in most other cities we visited. The woman who did our tour in Vienna a few years ago was very good. Your photos are reminding me of our trip. Did you leave your luggage in storage at the train station when you arrived? Um, I’m not as flexible as I once was and was never THAT flexible. Goodness. The guy dropping to do a push up? How bazaar. Beautiful photos. The buildings in Vienna are gorgeous. I hadn’t noticed all of the Elisabeth references. 😉
We haven’t stored our luggage… ever! We went right to our apartment, so lugged our luggage right along with us!
Vienna looks beautiful! How nice to spend time there, wandering around, enjoying all the beautiful sights. The coffee/book break would have been my ideal activity! The little elephant statue is so sweet. I was quite flexible when I was young, but never like that! I wonder if contortionists stay flexible throughout their lives, or if that takes a toll on their joints.
(I looked it up, and the answer I found was – it depends. If they’re trained properly and don’t overuse their joints, they’re usually OK, but like any sport, overuse (too many performances) poor training, poor habits, and accidents can cause problems later in life. I mean, that makes sense. I don’t know why I felt the urge to write it all down here, but there you go. 🤣
I’ve wondered the same thing! I know that many gymnasts have lifelong issues with joints and such from overuse. There’s always a tradeoff with these sorts of things!
Vienna is a beautiful city and I loved the vibe. I do like a mix of guided tours and doing it on my own when visiting new places. Having a good guide makes all the difference to the tour and I’ve been lucky when travelling to have good ones.
I asked a waitress at one of the cafes I went to in Vienna why coffee came with a glass of water. She said it’s to cleanse the kidneys. Interesting!
To cleanse the kidneys! I had no idea! I like to have a bit of a palate cleanser.
You should try visiting Salzburg as well, if you get a chance. It’s really beautiful there
I want to go; I don’t think it’s going to happen this trip, but it’s good to leave som fun things to come back to.
Elisabeths! Is there a special meaning behind the word (other than being special for being your name?) Like, why is it on a garbage can? I mean, I would take it – it’s pretty fun to see your name everywhere!
Eeep that plague memorial!
Vienna looks beautiful. I do like guided tours – in Europe, not every day. But we had a guided tour of the Vatican and one of the Pantheon in Rome, and I enjoyed both of those. We have also had guided tours in Asia and Morocco, and I loved both.
I am flexible! But not as flexible as I used to be. In my 30s I could backbend from a standing position, hands to the ground, and then stand back up. I could also grab my ankles in a backbend and put both legs behind my head (not at the same time as the backbend, those are two separate things.) Alas, that is out of reach for me these days, but I am still quite flexible. Yoga!
I don’t know why it’s…everywhere!!! Maybe because of Sisi, which made Elisabeth a popular name???
I have seen some pictures of your flexibility and am in awe!
Wow! What a great first few days in Vienna, and love that pinch me moment – you are finally doing it, and now get to have coffee and read and relax. Amazing! Vienna is beautiful, I would love to visit. Love any place with so much history, even Roman ruins! Yes I’ve always gotten a walking tour in a new city, usually free (well, you do pay a generous tip so there is SOME cost), and they are always so informative. I love doing this first to orient me to the city . I can’t believe that so much of the fresh produce is pre-packaged in plastic in the supermarket – so much waste. But handy that everything is walking distance from your accommodation, very handy! Hope you and John have escaped the kids illness, fingers crossed!
Vienna is really gorgeous; I’d never thought about it much before, to be honest, but I think it should shoot up the list of must-see places in Europe!
Yes, a lot of waste BUT we’ve been using all the plastic packaging to store food for transport so we don’t throw it out immediately.
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I am NOT flexible, and especially not flexible now with all my joint issues! I wish I was more bendy!
I love doing guided tours when I’m in a new city, but even more than that, I love doing ghost tours! I find they give such a great history of a city in a much more engaging way.
You’re really selling me on Vienna!
I did a ghost tour in Australia and it was excellent; I think the kids would enjoy that. What a great idea… I should definitely look one up.
Vienna is LOVELY.
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