Wonderful Vienna (Vienna)

Member Name: ultras67

Product:	Vienna
Date:	15/12/02 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful Culture, Great Architecture, Lots of things to do

Disadvantages: Capital City Prices, Potentially the weather

I went to Vienna in October 2001 and spent a week there with some friends who showed me some local bars and made me promise not to tell anyone about them so they arent spoiled.

I can honestly say that it is one of the nicest cities I have ever been to. Combining the efficiency with warmth and hospitality, every street radiates an atmosphere of culture and good living.

So here are the things they let me disclose to the outside world.

If you are a fan of architecture, then you will love Vienna, fortunately the war did not do too much damage and there are many buildings dating back to its glory days of the centre of the Austro Hungarian empire.

Of course you must see the Schönbrunn palace. The summer residence of the old imperial family, it is an enormous place, comprising a huge palace (two different tours available, fairly reasonable price with audioguide included), beautiful gardens, an enormous fountain and, at the top of the hill to the back of the palace and gardens, the Gloriette, a fine triumphal arch-type affair. The 10-15 minute walk is well worth the effort especially on a clear day as the view of the palace and the city is tremendous. Also here is a large zoo, palm house and various other features, all of which you must pay to get into. Highly recommended; allow a day to give it full justice.

Other historical locations that I particularly enjoyed in Vienna include St. Stephens Cathedral (Stephansdom), Hofburg Palace, the winter residences of the Hapsburgs, and the Kunsthistorische art museum.

There is also a newly opened ( at that time ) music museum Haus der Musik that is fabulous if your tastes are so inclined - everything from rooms dedicated to Brahms, Mozart and of course Beethoven and a few others to interactive exhibits with lots of hardware - you can conduct your own orchestra and get applause or sour looks from the orchestra !

The food is, well, somewhat Germanic, and the Hungari
an influence was less than we had recalled. As in Germany, street vendors sell a deliciously spicy "Doner Kebap," a Turkish wrap filled with spicy meat or vegetables. One of the best places to buy one is the Nasch Markt where there are two blocks of food stalls great for eating. Coffee houses aren't always that cheap, and indeed for a large coffee that won't break the bank you are better off going to McDonalds, but you can watch the world go by, write some postcards, or leaf through the selection of newspapers that are provided, and relax. A coffee shop with ambience beats a tackily themed bar any day of the week. Even if you dont like coffee ( and I dont ) a hot chocolate is always a more than pleasant alternative.

The public transportation system is fabulous (try to avoid rush hours) with several major U-Bahn routes and convenient connections to street cars ("Strassenbahnen") and buses (routes marked with an "A"). Hourly, daily, weekly and more travel pass tickets are available at good prices. I stayed at a hotel in a village just outside Vienna called Gablintz but never felt isolated with the bus service which connected to the metro.

Some people complain of too many tourists, to them I have a simple suggestion. Stay Home, one less tourist !

The city has it all. A veritable culture-fest, which is easy to get around in, and has plenty of things to occupy you. When (not if) I go back, it'll be for at least a week. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

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