So, as per the rules, this year we found ourselves heading to Austria. Vienna, to be precise.
Now, Vienna isn't somewhere that had ever really cropped up on my radar. Other than The Sound of Music, Austria in general had passed me by a little bit and it was never somewhere I would have considered going but I am sooooo pleased I did.
I fell head over heels for this city.
Everything about it was so clean and tidy, the people were so welcoming and the streets felt safe. As usual, we rented an apartment through Air BnB that was in the centre of the city, so we didn't have too far to walk to the main sites.
We landed late in the day so, with no time for sightseeing, we made our way for our first wiener schnitzel (when in Vienna...!). Just up the road from where we were staying was a lovely little restaurant called 'Phoenixhof'... It looked a little less than inviting from the outside but the staff were very friendly, there was a nice atmosphere and they certainly served traditional Austrian cuisine! I upgraded my schnitzel to a 'Phoenix Schnitzel' which was pork, ham and cheese (traditional wiener schnitzels are made with veal) which, in retrospect, was a bit of a mistake as it was a bit too 'chicken kiev' but it was nice all the same. No pics I'm afraid because I'm a terrible food blogger!
The next morning we had our 'orientation' tour (DH insists on booking one wherever we go) and quickly visited some of the sites. This was my first proper view of the beautiful white buildings and stunning architecture in the city.
And then, in between these (comparatively) modern buildings, there's the remains of the Roman Empire...
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Just outside the Spanish Riding School, in one of the busiest parts of the city, were these excavated remains of the Roman City walls. It caused serious Rome flashbacks seeing something so ancient sitting in the middle of modern civilisation!
We spent the rest of our first day wandering around the city, doing a little shopping and taking in some more sights. We visited St Stephen's cathedral, which is currently in the process of being deep cleaned so the black walls are slowly turning back to their original white! It's a stunning building and well worth a visit inside too.
That evening we had a Michelin Star meal at Palais Coburg. No photos, unfortunately, but I can assure you it was gorgeous food. I somehow managed to end up with a glass of champagne that cost £25 but it just added to the experience! We had an awkward moment where the maitre'd introduced us to Chef Silvio Nichol and he genuinely looked like he had no idea why but it was nice to be able to say a proper thank you for the amazing food and to see he was in the kitchen himself.
The next morning started with more food (as if the 9 courses the night before hadn't been enough!) and we went for brunch at the Donauturm.
826 feet high, with a revolving restaurant pretty much at the top. My equilibrium is usually non-existent during things like this but I managed not to feel too dizzy. It was quite an experience and gave some great views out over the city.
There were a few people (much braver than me!) bungee jumping off the platform while we were eating, so there were a few 'hold my breath' moments on their behalf!
We spent an hour or so wandering around the park underneath the Donauturm before jumping on the metro back to the city centre. We spent a couple of hours sitting in a bar watching the F1 (we have to do this, even on holiday!) before we continued our wander round the city. The main thing I found in Vienna is that it's very easy to fill a lot of time just doing nothing. We just mooched around the various districts, stopping for a coffee every now-and-then and totally and utterly relaxed. It was exactly what we needed.
On our third full day, we made up a little bit for all the food we'd eaten over the past few days with an early morning hike to Schonbrunn Palace. Okay, so 'hike' might not be quite the right word but we did walk 4 miles across Vienna to get there from our apartment. Obviously, the Metro and other transport would have been a suitable alternative but for some unknown reason, these were vetoed.
It would have been perfect, if it wasn't for the fact that I had packed for cool weather (it was forecast to be relatively cold and we hadn't been having the best weather in the UK before we left). It looked cool when we set off in the morning, so I dressed (so I thought!) accordingly for the weather. Fast forward an hour or so and it was 22 degrees, scorching sunshine and I was wearing jeans and ankle boots. I was sooooo warm!
Irrespective of the ridiculous choice of outfit, I loved seeing the different parts of the city. We crossed the railway line and walked through a less 'well-kept' area before we turned a corner and saw Schonbrunn. The walk and the heat became worth it...
If you happen to find yourself in Vienna then you have to visit this place. Even if you do nothing else. The gardens are stunning, it's like a fairytale.
This first picture isn't even the real palace... It's just the Prince's Palace & Gardens. Like a baby version of the real thing!
We spent hours just wandering around, getting lost and climbing up to the Gloriette to get an amazing view of the palace grounds and the city. We ate lunch at the top of this hill, basking in the sunshine to prepare ourselves for the long walk back down.
Yes, this Gloriette is at the top of a big hill (which I forgot to photograph!) and yes, it does seem even bigger when you're dressed for Arctic conditions and it's as hot as the Sahara (I'm exaggerating again but what I'm trying to say is; I was very, very hot!).
There was an actual maze and two labyrinths to get properly lost in too. We also did the tour of the palace (no photos allowed) and learned a little bit about the history of the city.
On our final day, we spent hours in the Imperial Treasury. We genuinely thought this would fill an hour or so but we were there for 4 and a half hours!
There were gems and clothes and pieces of imperial furniture dating back to the Roman Empire and so much to learn. Aside from the complete prettiness of everything, it was also very educational. We finished our learning just in time to head back to the airport and catch our plane home.
That evening we had a Michelin Star meal at Palais Coburg. No photos, unfortunately, but I can assure you it was gorgeous food. I somehow managed to end up with a glass of champagne that cost £25 but it just added to the experience! We had an awkward moment where the maitre'd introduced us to Chef Silvio Nichol and he genuinely looked like he had no idea why but it was nice to be able to say a proper thank you for the amazing food and to see he was in the kitchen himself.
The next morning started with more food (as if the 9 courses the night before hadn't been enough!) and we went for brunch at the Donauturm.
826 feet high, with a revolving restaurant pretty much at the top. My equilibrium is usually non-existent during things like this but I managed not to feel too dizzy. It was quite an experience and gave some great views out over the city.
There were a few people (much braver than me!) bungee jumping off the platform while we were eating, so there were a few 'hold my breath' moments on their behalf!
We spent an hour or so wandering around the park underneath the Donauturm before jumping on the metro back to the city centre. We spent a couple of hours sitting in a bar watching the F1 (we have to do this, even on holiday!) before we continued our wander round the city. The main thing I found in Vienna is that it's very easy to fill a lot of time just doing nothing. We just mooched around the various districts, stopping for a coffee every now-and-then and totally and utterly relaxed. It was exactly what we needed.
On our third full day, we made up a little bit for all the food we'd eaten over the past few days with an early morning hike to Schonbrunn Palace. Okay, so 'hike' might not be quite the right word but we did walk 4 miles across Vienna to get there from our apartment. Obviously, the Metro and other transport would have been a suitable alternative but for some unknown reason, these were vetoed.
It would have been perfect, if it wasn't for the fact that I had packed for cool weather (it was forecast to be relatively cold and we hadn't been having the best weather in the UK before we left). It looked cool when we set off in the morning, so I dressed (so I thought!) accordingly for the weather. Fast forward an hour or so and it was 22 degrees, scorching sunshine and I was wearing jeans and ankle boots. I was sooooo warm!
If you happen to find yourself in Vienna then you have to visit this place. Even if you do nothing else. The gardens are stunning, it's like a fairytale.
This first picture isn't even the real palace... It's just the Prince's Palace & Gardens. Like a baby version of the real thing!
We spent hours just wandering around, getting lost and climbing up to the Gloriette to get an amazing view of the palace grounds and the city. We ate lunch at the top of this hill, basking in the sunshine to prepare ourselves for the long walk back down.
Yes, this Gloriette is at the top of a big hill (which I forgot to photograph!) and yes, it does seem even bigger when you're dressed for Arctic conditions and it's as hot as the Sahara (I'm exaggerating again but what I'm trying to say is; I was very, very hot!).
On our final day, we spent hours in the Imperial Treasury. We genuinely thought this would fill an hour or so but we were there for 4 and a half hours!
Just in case you were wondering (although I'm sure you weren't!), we did visit the Spanish Riding School. We went for the morning exercise and I was desperately looking forward to it but I was so disppointed! The 'exercise' session was just that... The horses trotted and cantered round the ring for 2 hours and once or twice they did the odd jump or dance but it was very boring. I think the actual show would be amazing to see but I wouldn't recommend the exercise. The horses were, undoubtedly, very beautiful and great to watch for a few minutes but definitely not worth the price (around £15).
Such a long post but there we have it, my few days in Vienna. I truly did fall in love with this city and would recommend it to anybody looking for culture, relaxation and great food. If you do go, please take me back with you! ;)
Aimee x
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