Vienna?

[finchpar]

Hi all, we are looking a short trip to Vienna, 4 nights at the start of December. I’ve read the 1st district is the best as a newbie, could anyone share their experiences, must dos please? 🙏

Schnitzel, sacher torte and Xmas market!

We did a walking tour which was a great way to learn about the city, as well as orientating ourselves. The ferris wheel at the Prater was good, and a walk by the Danube. We went to a light show at the Votive Church which was excellent, and I loved visiting Mozarts apartment - there was not much in there from the time of Mozart, but I found it fascinating thinking that we were walking the same floors that he did, and seeing the same views from the windows that he viewed. The Schonbrunn Palace was lovely as well. And yes to Sacher torte, schnitzel and the Christmas Markets. Although, as our tour guide told us, don't ever have the Sacher torte without cream - it's quite dry without it, and he wasn't wrong!

We also took a day trip to Bratislava, quick and easy on the Flixbus, and did a walking tour there - very interesting day out

The Austrian National Library is amazing.

Second the Prater ferris wheel - you can get there easily on the metro. Also the trams are a fun way to move around the centre if the weather's grim (we were there in early Feb and it was FREEZING) It might be worth buying a pass in advance if you think you'll use the metro and the trams enough.

Definitely check out Demel's cafe and Cafe Central, although there's usually a queue for the latter.

We stayed here: https://www.hotel-rathaus-wien.at/en/hotel-rathaus.html

It was easy to get everywhere but on a quiet street so peaceful to come back to at night.

Hudertwasserhaus
Kunsthistorisches museum
Schonbrunn palace
St Stephen's Cathedral
The cafes
Basically most of the architecture inside the Ringstrasse is beautiful
Walking tour

Unless you are really interested in horses I would give the Spanish Riding School a miss. We found it underwhelming and dull.

Have a great time.

We enjoyed the Spanish Riding School, you can visit the stables and see rehearsals if you don’t fancy the show itself. Schnitzel at Figlmueller, all flavours if huge! Hofburg and Belvedere palaces. Butterfly house if weather is bad. Volksoper if you want to see less expensive opera than at the Opera house. Watch your valuables in the underground.

Schonbrunn palace is stunning
Prater ferris wheel.

Public transport system is excellent and easy to navigate - excellent city centre to airport train option too.

It was the rehearsals we watched and just found them rather dull. I'm not a horse lover though.

Classical music at the Schonnbrun, see Klimt’s The Kiss at the Belvedere, the Sisi museum ( if you can, watch The Empress on Netflix).

Do you like art galleries? Vienna has more than its share of world class art!

Prater ferris wheel
Fabulous food market - the cheese and wine cafe is good
Klimt at The Belvedere
Loads of palaces and art museums - take your pick
We went to a beautiful concert in a candlelit church with original instruments being played.
Amazing schnitzel at Skopik and Lohn

We diid a lovely walking tour of places Beethoven had lived on the outskirts of the city then up into the vineyards where you can sit among the vines and have a glass of local wine.

Forgot -Hundertwasserhaus is fun if you are in the area.

Another vote for Schonbrunn. We spent a day there and also went back over there one evening for the classical music concert in the Orangery. https://www.palaceconcertsvienna.com/en/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20944066216&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuJLWBhD_ARIsAIBcRUxDRrudKcDjo_ZdPw4yT_ANlNR-G-MHggSkv7JGXKFhMfApJsXQVNwaAgckEALw_wcB It was fab. We booked to have dinner first.

However, I was very jealous recently when a friend told me she had been over the summer and had gone to a Mozart concert in the Golden Hall at the Musikverein, i e. the place where the New Year's Day Concert is done. That would really be worth seeing I think. https://www.mozart.wien/the-concert-halls/golden-hall/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuJLWBhD_ARIsAIBcRUxNM4qSsuPvge1Qz498ToO7-CQBvcuH5HGzRAp5fvNKkSjFT_FiRXsaAud-EALw_wcB

We also loved the Belvedere.

The very traditional Zum Leupold https://www.leupold.at/ was very near our hotel so we ate there on our first night. We enjoyed it so much we also went back there on our last night

Really enjoyed Vienna- we went for new year 2 years ago - great food market, lovely record and wine bar, fabulous ring road of very very grand old buildings , terrific fun fair (3rd man) and amazing park/cemetery ( 3rd man again)

I think you stayed where we did!!

Did you eat there too?

Yes