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Vienna, Austria

How long were you there for?

5 days

What was the single highlight of your trip?

The Belvedere - the best palaces and art gallery in Vienna. At the moment there is a major exhibition on Klimt and Hoffman (until early March), which is a must-see! It's open daily so can fill a Monday when other galleries close.

Any lowlights/cautionary tales?

Any lowlights or cautionary tales learnt?

Any absolutely MUST see sights/activities?

Any of the old palaces are worth a visit - we did not have time for Schoenbrunn as my partner had a leg injury and we also spent time with my stepson who is a student at the Diplomatische Akademie. Also do travel the Ring by tram, but use public trams 1 and 2 - cheaper than the sightseeing special!

Any absolutely DON'T see sights/activities?

Unless you're VERY heavily ninto cutting-edge contemporary art, the Secession will disappoint. I thought it would be a highlight but it is much smaller than the original building and overpriced at €8.50! The outside of mthe building, though, is a must-see!

If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don't waste money on taxis - the public transport system is very good and value for money. This advice also includes the transfer to and from the airport if making independent artrangements as we did.

Any other comments?

It is always appreciated if you mspeak German but there are some differences from standard German - "Gruess Gott" rather than "Guten Tag" will score plenty of Brownie points. However, English is widely spoken, in most hotels and other places tourists visit.

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Comments

3 comments

26th November by steve48

I really love Vienna. It's one of the few cities I've been back to a number of times - although my last visit was on honeymoon in 1981.

I love the cafes, the cakes, the sausage stalls, the music, the Art Nouveau architecture and the Wiener Werkstätte, and most of all the Central/East European cosmopolitan atmosphere. I hope it is all still there.

Schönbrunn is definitely worth a visit - a gob-smacking baroque overkill. But I preferred the Belvedere. That exhibition you saw there sounds interesting.

Cheers.

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29th November by Liz Cleere

Me too, Steve. I used to visit a lot, back in the 70s when my Dad lived there for a while. I remember getting plastered in the bierkellers (my brother and I were under-age, but got away with it) the showy-offy regal architecture and the great transport system. We saw Emerson Lake and Palmer in concert there. Random.

I guess it hasn't changed much ;-)

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29th November by Paul_M

Still plenty of all you love, Steve, although all cities change and there were plenty of cranes in evidence. The Wiener Werkstaette (sorry, this space doesn't let me do umlauts!) can be seen at the MAK Museum on the east side of the Ringh - go on a Saturday when it's free! There is also a showroom in a shop on Kaertnerstrasse where you can also buy Werkstaette-styled products.

Café Museum is still very popular and with locals as much as with tourists. An English menu is the only concession to tourism. Unfortunately, though, Vienna like most European cities has fallen in love with the espresso machine so the coffee tastes justt he same as in any large city (or small town). Perhaps I should have plumped for the Turkish, but it seemed pricey at €5.50 for an ibrik. The supermarkets also did not have the wide range of coffees I would have expected from a city famous for its love of the bean!

We will save Schoenbrunn for another visit, maybe combining it with a visit to the graves of Klimt, Dolfuss and Alban Berg and a look at some of the Jugendstil architecture in Hietzing (so says my guidebook!).

Liz, we found some decent places to drink as well. I particularly recommend a home-brew place, the Wiedner Brauerei - does a good menu too, which is a bit off the tourist beat and popular with a wide age-group from students to middle-agers like Carole and me. You must have been young - legal drinking age in Austria is 16, as plastered around the walls of anywhere selling alcohol! I hope you are enjoying your trip to India!

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