Bachler Stuff

Vienna

Vienna April 19-23

Obere Donaustrasse, Number 6 Vienna

Train  April 19  11:40 Am Budapest-Keleti   Seats 24/91-93

Arrive 2:20 PM  Bécs Főpályaudvar (Wien Hbf)  $48 USD

Air BnB Vienna 1900 Art Apartment  Conf  HMEKC8JD2M  $512 – 60 CREDIT.  $452

Closest station U4 station Roßauer Lände

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/30139935

Interactive walking tour  https://www.city-walks.info/Vienna/Interactive-Map.html

Walking tour  https://www.city-walks.info/Vienna/Attractions.html

Good evening   Guten Abend  goo-ten ah-bent
Good night     Gute Nacht
Good bye     Gute Nacht
Yes       Ja
No      Nien
Thank you.      Danke
Thank you very much.     Danke schön
You’re welcome.    Bitte schön
Please.     Bitte
Excuse me.   Entschuldigung Sie bitte
I’m sorry.     Es tut mir leid
I don’t understand.    Ich verstehe Sie nicht
I don’t speak German.  Ich weiss nicht Deutsch sprechen

all you can eat Sushi  Hiro  (EU 17.00) Seyringer Strasse 6, Vienna 1210, Austria  closed Tuesday

Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn)

Built to rival the opulence of Versailles, Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn) was once a summer residence of the Habsburg monarchs.

Hofburg Imperial Palace (Hofburg Wien)

Formerly the winter residence of the Austrian royal family, the Hofburg Imperial Palace (Hofburg Wien) is now a lasting tribute to the glory of the Habsburg Empire.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom)

With its dark Gothic spires, intricately tiled roof, and imposing bell tower, St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) is one of Vienna’s star attractions. Centrally located on Stephansplatz square

Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper)

A masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world, the Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) is a hallowed venue for opera fans.

St. Peter’s Church

Also known as Peterskirche, St Peter’s Church in Vienna is the second oldest church in the city.

Belvedere Palace (Schloss Belvedere)

Built in the 18th century as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, the magnificent Belvedere Palace (Schloss Belvedere)

Historic Center of Vienna

The Historic Center of Vienna is the beating heart of Austria, and the home of top attractions such as Vienna’s city hall, Parliament, and the lively Museum Quarter.

Melk Abbey (Stift Melk)

With its ornate golden-colored facade and grand baroque church towers set against an idyllic backdrop of the Wachau Valley and the Danube River, Melk Abbey (Stift Melk) looks more like a palace than a monastery. Founded in 1089,

Ringstrasse

Marking the boundary of the First District where the old city walls once stood, the grand boulevard of the Ringstrasse traces a 3-mile (5-kilometer) scenic ring around the historic Innere Stadt (Inner Town) of Vienna.

Sisi Museum

See an intimate side of Empress Elisabeth of Austria—a fascinating 19th-century monarch often known as Sisi—at a museum that covers her groundbreaking life and death.

Rathaus

The spires and stonework of Vienna’s city hall have a commanding presence on the Ringstrasse, an impressive feat given the boulevard’s other landmarks.

Burgtheater

Founded in 1741 by Empress Maria Theresia, the resplendent Burgtheater is not only the Austrian National Theatre, but one of the most important theaters in Europe.

Vienna Musikverein (Wiener Musikverein)

Among the most striking neoclassical buildings in Vienna, Vienna Musikverein (Wiener Musikverein pays homage to the city’s music-infused past and present.

Kursalon Vienna (Kursalon Wien)

Vienna’s most beautiful concert hall, the 19th-century Kursalon Vienna (Kursalon Wien sits on the edge of the Stadtpark (City Park near the gilded statue of composer Johann Strauss, whose music is enjoyed in the concert hall each evening

 Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Museum of Fine Arts)

The royal Habsburgs were collectors, and their holdings—from armor to artwork—make up the heart of the vast Kunsthistorisches Museum. In this palatial building topped by an octagonal dome on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, explore the thousands of artifacts

St. Michael’s Church (Michaelerkirche)

A towering black spire stands above the Church of St. Michael, but the landmark’s biggest draw is below street level. Thousands of bodies have been laid to rest in the St. Michael’s Church crypt, whose cool conditions slow decomposition.

Albertina Museum

Housed in former residential apartments in the vast Hofburg Imperial Palace complex, Vienna’s Albertina museum is home to an incredible 1.5 million prints and over 50,000 drawings. The permanent collection of graphic art is considered the finest in the world,

Hundertwasserhaus

One of my favorite exteriors (potentially that I’ve ever seen) is Hundertwasserhaus. If there is one place you absolutely have to photograph when in Vienna then this is it. Colorful houses

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Vernoika

  1. St Stephen Kirche (the main cathedral), Stephenplatz, and the whole center (Inner Stadt) around it. There’s a museum inside the cathedral and possibly you can go on the roof, but we haven’t done that.
  2. The church architecture is very rich in Vienna, so these seem to be recommended to visit too:Karlskirche  Votivkirche   Franz von Assisi Kirche
  3. Sisi Museum in Hofburg – the very famous wife of the Austrian emperor, https://www.sisimuseum-hofburg.at/en/tickets/tickets-prices. It’s right next to the Inner Stadt, easy to walk to.
  4. Belvedere (https://maps.app.goo.gl/zSjZBaWzoMN4essd6) – it is about a 30-minute walk from the Inner Stadt or take the tram no. 1.
  5. Prater – a must to visit, one of the oldest amusement parks in Europe. It is reachable by tram no. 1 (it’s the final stop – Prater Hauptallee – from the city center). Probably a half to a full day, definitely get on the big Ferris wheel, it’s been there for over a century. Other attractions, sure if you like them. There’s a massive park, in length of > 3M, nice for walking around.
  6. There is a new Prater Museum which seems to be worth visiting (which we must visit when we are there in May). Very close to the amusement park is a great coffee shop (Viennese Coffee Roastery). For lunch in Prater, I’d recommend   Schweizerhaus , it’s a “factory” worth watching the waiters as they bring out tons of food 🙂 make sure to have cash on you as they don’t accept cards.
  7. Catch the Lipizzaner horses from the Spanish Riding School in Burggarten from Tuesdays to Fridays between 7:30 Am and 9:30 AM.
  8. Also, you can go and watch their morning rehearsal session (Morning exercise with music) which is less busy and cheaper than the evening shows. You can buy them online in advance (which I just did for our trip in May 🙂 ).
  9. Kunsthaus Wien Hundertwasser – reopened after a major renovation, it’s a very different type of architecture, kind of weird but supposedly fun to see.
  10. Vienna State Opera – you can book a guided tour
  11. Palais Daun-Kinsky in Freyung Square (very central)
  12. Burgtheater
  13. Rathaus (town Hall)
  14. National Library

For more nature sights:

  1. Japanese Garden Setagayapark – it is a bit out of the city (still ~ 30 minutes on public transport from the Inner Stadt)
  2. Butterfly House (Schmetterlinghaus) at Burggarten
  3. Donauturm (Danube Tower with observation deck)
  4. Walk around the Donauinsel

What to eat

  1. What to eat
    1. Eat Wiener Schnitzel in Schweizerhaus in Prater
    2. Mozart Kugeln (or Mozart balls) are a chocolate & marzipan specialty, a nice thing to try.
    3. Sacher torte (Sacher cake) in the Sacher hotel café in the Inner Stadt. There’s usually a queue.
    4. Appfel Strudel – apple filled pastry
    5. Eat Schmarren & Palatschinkenkuchl – www.palatschinkenkuchl.wien

    Some unusual places to have a coffee & cake

    1. Gloriette Café  in Schloss Schoenbrun (https://www.gloriette-cafe.at)
    2. Aufzug Café, Wiedner Guertel 4, 1040 Vienna – a historic coffee shop in a museum of elevators www.aufzugmuseum.at
    3. Café in the Art History Museum (Kunsthistorischemuseum)
    4. Café Schwarzenberg
    5. Cafes recommended for their cakes:
    6. Café Central https://maps.app.goo.gl/FqoGftXtmciMCpSWA
    7. Café Am Hof (allegedly it has one of the most delicate cakes in Vienna)
    8. Café Diglas – try Scheiternhaufen
    9. Crème de la Creme

 

Shopping

  1. The whole Inner Stadt is amazing shopping with brands you won’t see in France or elsewhere in Europe. There are plenty of nice cafés and restaurants. We saw only a small part.
  2. Ferstel Passage – in the heart of the city, a unique shopping experience, in a Renaissance style architecture
  3. Discover Nashmarkt and Kohlmarkt
  4. Supermarkets – Julius Meinl and Billa. They are all over the town, and I am sure Austrians being Austrians do like their organic produce hence you’ll find many smaller organic shops if you want to.

More live culture

  1. Vienna Mozart Concerts keep coming up for me, so maybe check the website out and have a musical evening. The artists perform in historic costumes.
  2. Wienerphilharmoniker – the philharmonic orchestra of Vienna

 

Getting around

Tram no. 1 is great for seeing many sights as it travels in a ring around the city center. They have a multiday ticket for public transport (info here). Validating the ticket is obligatory as soon as you board a tram/get into a metro station, the same story as in Prague and Budapest.

 

If you are on Instagram – you can check out two accounts which I follow:

  1. Vienna – the official account of the Vienna Tourist Board, has fantastic pictures and suggestions for activities
  2. Vienna_austria – a community, that also posts great stuff about things to do and see in Vienna
I might remember something else or see more on Instagram, in case I do, before you travel to Vienna,