Vienna, Austria

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I’m officially home from my autumn break and couldn’t be more thrilled with how my trip went! It was great travelling around by myself for most of the trip, but to then meet up with friends from back home and from here in Copenhagen in Budapest made it even better. Last time I made an update I was travelling on my way to Vienna, so here is what happened when I was there!

Vienna:

I arrived into Austria on a beautiful day, and it would remain beautiful for the majority of my stay in Vienna. A picturesque city, Vienna is home to some of the world’s most stunning museums, architecture, music, and the famous Wiener Schnitzel! The first day there I travelled around by myself visiting some sites such as Parliament, City Hall, the Hofburg Palace, the Opera House and a couple museums such as the Natural History museum.

The second day I travelled with a friend, Hannah, whom I ran into after having previously met her in our hostel in Prague. We started the day off by doing a city tour set up through our hostel. We learned a lot about the history of VIenna, the Hofburg Palace and Habsburg Monarchy, Hitler’s time in Vienna as a painter, and Vienna’s place in WWII.

The Hofburg Palace housed some of the most powerful people in European and Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria. It was the Habsburgs’ principal winter residence, as the Schonbrunn Palace was their preferred summer residence. Learning about the Habsburg dynasty was quite interesting, but I must say, a lot of history to take in. The tour was great though because the guide explained everything in the simplest possible way he could! At the end of the tour he told us of a traditional Austrian restaurant to go to in order to get a good Austrian beer and Weiner Schnitzel…so we did! That lunch went down real nice! Schonbrunn Palace was where Hannah and I decided we would visit in the afternoon.

Schonbrunn Palace was a masterpiece of beauty and offered up great views of the city. This was the palace that the famous Marie Antoinette grew up in. We did a tour of the palace, going room by room with an audio-guide. Learning all of the history that took place in each individual room gave you the chills, and all of the rooms were  still filled with original furniture and decor — a great place to visit if you are ever in Vienna! Schonbrunn Palace obviously turned into a tourist attraction after the Austrian dynasty collapsed, but it was still used for important events such as the Vienna summit meeting held on June 4, 1961 between President John. F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union.

Nightlife was not as exuberant in Vienna, but Hannah and I still went out for some great dinners at the famous vienna Naschmarkt, right outside our hostel doors. Vienna’s best-known market has around 120 market stands and restaurants for a colorful culinary offering ranging from Viennese to Indian, from Vietnamese to Italian.

Overall, Vienna was quite different from Prague. I found it to be just as beautiful of a city, but in different ways. I thought Prague had better architecture and more obvious tourist attractions. Vienna was filled with an abundance of museums and royal history. It was also a city that seemed to offer a better dynamic to older generations rather than for young people like me! 😉 I am still very glad I visited Vienna, however, and  I got to see places where Mozart, Beethoven and all the greats performed their fantastic compositions. If I could go again, I would make sure to bring suitable clothes for the Opera in order to be able to attend!

I had a great time in Vienna, but was excited about my next adventure, Budapest, Hungary! I took another bus on a very rainy Saturday and arrived in Budapest around 1pm. I quickly found my way to my friend Michael Crowley’s apartment, who happens to be going to school in Budapest for dentistry. I used to play tennis with Michael back at the Hunt Club when we were young and have kept in touch with him over the years. It was great seeing a friend from home! Stories and pictures to come when I have the time! I have school now which is weird…

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Fun Fact #8: Not to be confused, a Wiener Schnitzel is made only from veal and no other meat, this dictated and protected by Austrian law. Other types of schnitzel are free to be made from pork or turkey, but they may not call themselves a Weiner Schnitzel