Where to Go
Ah, first time in Vienna. Such a famous place. I'd never been to Austria before this, but I grew up with its beautiful hills and streets burned into my mind from The Sound of Music (one of my favorite movies to watch when I was young).
It was so exciting to finally be able to visit Vienna last fall (yes, another business trip tag-along). Below is a brief summary of major places we visited. It should serve as a good starting point if you are trip planning.
Vienna Opera House
The Vienna State Opera is one of the most famous opera houses in the world, known for its stunning architecture and rich musical history. With performances almost every night (over 300 per year!), it’s a great place to experience great opera and ballet in a beautiful setting.
Bryan had been to Vienna prior to this trip, and he watched an entire opera here. We didn't have a chance to watch an opera this time, so we just strolled around the neiighborhood and admired the historic building.
Just around the corner from the Vienna Opera House is the Sacher Hotel, where they sell the world famous Sachertorte. Scroll down to the Sweets section of this post to learn more!
Schönbrunn Palace (Palace in the outskirts)
Schönbrunn Palace is one of Vienna’s top attractions. It was the summer home of the Habsburgs, the powerful empire that ruled Austria for over six centuries. On the palace grounds you can enjoy ornate hallways, grand halls, and beautiful gardens showing the grandeur of imperial life.
Hofburg Palace + Sisi Museum
The Sisi Museum, located inside the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, was interesting largely because of the fascinating story behind the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (known as Sisi). I highly recommend getting the audio guide. I found it particularly interesting because of how the exhibit tried to capture the truth and complexity (tragedy) of her life, versus trying to paint an ideal image of her (which is what was previously done).
To see more photos and read more in detail about our visit to the musuems in Vienna, please check out the full post.
Imperial Treasury at Hofburg Palace (crowned jewels)
On our last day in Vienna, we visited the Imperial Treasury at Hofburg Palace, which houses the treasure of the Habsburg dynasty. It's quite interesting to see what kinds of treasures a 600 years long empire can collect. It was amazing to see ornate crowns, sceptors, regalia, and more from the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Empire. There's also a lot of holy relics, and some incredibly beautiful jewels.
To see more photos and read more in detail about our visit to the musuems in Vienna, please check out the full post.
What to Do
Watch a Lipizzaner Show at the Spanish Riding School
Watching a Lipizzaner Show at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna is a unique experience that's hard to find elsewhere. Founded in the 16th century, the school teaches a highly disciplined form of horseback riding that involves graceful movements, almost like a dance involving both the rider and the horse.
We got to see horses at various levels of training, starting with the younger horses (who were just learning some of the basic steps), to the most advanced ones, who could hold very artistic poses.
They did not allow photography during the show, so I just have a few photos taken before the event began. It's a really good show, and I highly recommend going! Ticket prices vary from 55 EUROS to 200 EUROS. There are also standing room only tickets. The arena is not huge, so you can probably see quite a bit from any of the seats, though some of the seats may not be able to see all the action all the time.
Listen to a Concert at St. Stephan's Cathedral
St. Stephan's Cathedral and beautiful and certainly worth visiting. It's also very centrally located, so you can also just explore the area around the cathedral to get a feeling of some of Vienna's more bustling neighborhoods.
We bought tickets to hear a Vivaldi Quartet at the cathedral. The event was well organized, the performance was fun, and it was quite nice to enjoy such a fun concert in such a unique space. It's a lovely way to spend an evening in Vienna. The only caveat was that we had to eat dinner quickly that night, since the concert began at 8PM.
Lunch + Shop for Souvenirs at Naschmarkt
I love food markets, no matter what country I'm in. If I can, I like to experience what daily life for a local is like. Now Naschmarkt is pretty well known and many tourists visit it. You can tell by the amount of tourist-oriented souvenirs and free samples that are available.
Still, I really enjoyed walking through the market on weekday afternoon.
Another reason I chose to come was that I'd read great reviews about an Israeli restaurant called NENI. Their falafels were supposed to be amazing, and everything was made from scratch.
The falafel was indeed amazing, though word of caution: this restaurant is CASH ONLY, so make sure you have enough EUROS on hand.
Manner is a well known wafer shop, and you can get some souvenirs to take back. (Or, if you prefer not to carry it around, you can find a pretty good selection of Manner gifts at the airport, even if it costs a bit more.)
Sweets, Sweets, Sweets
Guglhupf at Landtmann Cafe or Cafe Mozart
All, one of the most popular things to do in Vienna is to enjoy coffee + cake. There are soooo many places in which to do this. Cafe Landtmann is one of the most well respected cafes in the city, and they have locations throughout (including the Mozart Cafe). They call themselves the "epitome of the period-style Viennese coffee house." Try the Guglhupf cake (an Austrian classic) or an apple strudel.
Kaiserschmarrn at Demel
Kaiserschmarbn literally means "Emperor's Mess" or "Emperor's Scramble". It's a light fluffy pancake (usually with raisins) that has been shredded into pieces, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and served with a tart jam.
Demel, which is very centrally located near the Spanish Riding School, always has a long line of people waiting to buy a bag of freshly made Kaiserschmarbn.
Sachertorte at Sacher Hotel
Sachertorte is a rich, chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam. Another Austrian classic, this cake was originally invented by Franz Sacher for Prince Metternich around 1832. According to the Sacher Hotel, the original Sachertorte at the hotel is "still hand-made using Franz Sacher's original recipe."
If you don't want to wait in such a looooong line, you can usually walk right into the store and purchase the sachertorte to go. They'll even let you try a free sample. I have to say, I found it to be waaay too sweet. I almost couldn't finish it. Perhaps after living in Hong Kong for some time, my palate has adjusted to become more Asian (which means less sweet!).
If you're a real sweet tooth you might like it. Otherwise, I think don't think it's quite worth lining up to enjoy the cake. Instead, go to the shop and buy one to share. Then you can get a taste before deciding if you want to buy a larger amount.
Restaurants
Brasserie Palmenhaus
If you're looking for a place with good, Austrian cuisine that is centrally located and has a really wonderful atmosphere, I think it's hard to beat Brasserie Palmenhaus.
The Viennese restaurant is right behind Hofburg Palace, the former center of the Habsburg Empire that now houses three of the main museums you'd visit in Vienna. Furthermore, it's so beautiful inside. The "indoor" dining space is this HUGE tropical greenhouse (complete with full palm trees inside, thus the name). You can read about our entire dining experience here.
Mast Weinbistro
Mast Weinbistro is a farm to table restaurant that very much emphasizes seasonality and locality. I first discovered Mast Weinbistro through the Michelin guide, where it boasts a Michelin Bib Gourmande designation and also Green Star. Prices are very reasonable, and the food is thoughtful, refreshing, and delicious! You can see my whole meal here.
Steirereck
If you're looking for a lovely high-end dining experience in Vienna, Steirereck is certainly the natural choice. Located inside a large park called Stadtpark, you feel a bit like you are getting away from the city (even though it's really quite centrally located).
Steirereck received THREE Michelin stars just a couple months after we visited. I'm not surprised. Everything from the dining environment to the service and the food were excellent, and I'm so happy for them.
You can see details of our multi-course tasting menu at this post.
Meierei im Stadtpark
Meierei im Stadpark is the more casual cousin of Steirereck and the two restaurants are right next to each other in the park. Meierei faces the river (which is lovely) and has a wonderful a la carte menu. Choose from Viennese classics (Kaiserschmarr‘n! Weinerschitzel!) as well as their creative takes on other dishes.
You can read about our entire meal here.
And that's a wrap!
Despite the rain the first half of our trip, we really enjoyed our visit to Vienna. Tons of fascinating history, lots of beautiful cafes, stunning buildings, and so much culture. I hope to be able to come back again!
