Austrian Adventure #8

This piece will be about one of the most aesthetically pleasing cities of my whole Eurotrip: Vienna. One of the two capitals of the old Austro-Hungarian empire, this city is one absolutely filled with history and culture. I spent an unfortunately short two days here. Although, I walked a few dozen kms each day. I had never walked so much in a single day although I was determined to see as much of Vienna as possible. Which is exactly what I did. I managed to see quite a bit. For this reason I can’t give a step by step story of of my whole trip as I had seen quite a bit haphazardly and can not recall the chronology of the events and sights I experienced and witness. I will be able to recall the introduction to my experience. One thing worth noting is that when you are walking the streets of Vienna you will find an incredibly large amount of statues and museums around. This city is truly one with saturated history. I hope by the end of this you will be motivated to check out Vienna for yourselves.

Getting around

I had been travelling for over thirteen hours from Rome all the way to Vienna. One thing I realised travelling by train is that delays are as widespread as breathing. At times the delay would last thirty minutes. In my case it did in the afternoon. However, this day was a travel day for me as I left Rome in the morning.

After the long mind numbingly boring trip, I made it to the Vienna Central station. By the end of the trip it was late evening. If you’re prudent enough to use an interrail (or eurail) pass then I would recommend you immediately head to the ticket vending reception and buy your seat reservation for your next trip. While my interrail pass would provide me with unlimited travel over the course of seven days spread throughout the month, this still means I have to pay for seat reservations. However, many trains do not require you to purchase a seat reservation. If you decide to travel around Europe through train then I highly recommend you order an Interrail pass. For non-EU citizens you will instead be allowed to purchase the europass. The latter is a bit pricier but will overall save you a great amount in your budget. I reckon I would have spent three times more than I should have if it weren’t for this travel pass.

(Source: https://www.wien.info/en/travel-info/to-and-around/stations)

Returning to the subject of seat reservation, this was something I had to do immediately as seats run out and I wanted to spend as little time travelling during the day as possible. I prefered travelling early morning or late at night. Also, short range trips tend to buy out quite quickly. The reservations would usually cost between two to sixteen euros for most train travel. Your pass will pay for the actual fare.

After successfully securing my seat reservations for my next three destinations, I made my way to the supermarket located within the station. At his point I was dying of hunger. If you’re starving or atleast feeling peckish the trainstation's minimarket provides a nice bakery where you can buy many local delicacies such as sausages, crumbed meatballs, cheese filled salty pastries and much more. They are also quite affordable. If you need anything else such as water or a proper dinner, then they also provide what you need.

Its normally cheaper to buy your supplies in a supermarket, although most were closed by the time I arrived. This makes shopping in the train station very convenient. Another bonus is that Austria is part of the EU and makes use of the Euro. So if you were previously travelling through different parts of Europe you wouldn’t have to convert your funds (In my case I was in Italy).

Another benefit of Austria being part of the EU is the fact that you could buy a sim card from a country within the EU and use it freely in any other EU country. This was perfect as I had several gigabytes on my phone which I needed to figure out where to go and what to see nearby.

Hostel

After enjoying dinner while sitting right outside the station in the warm Austrian night, I then decided that the long walk to my hostel, the Labyrinth Hostels Seven, was doable. It took me roughly thirty-five minutes walking northward till I finally reached my hostel. While it was quite a trek carrying my trusty travelpack with me, this experience had not been boring as I wisely spent the time calling one of my best mates who I would be visiting near the end of my three and a half week euro-trip.

The hostel is located just a walk away from the main part of the city. Just before reaching the hostel I had to pass Mariahilfer street. This specific street is a very popular shopping area. You can find clothes brands, Jewelry shops, pop-out stalls and many more different salepoints. If you’re looking to find something Austrian made, then this is a good place to do a bit of shopping. It is relatively cheaper than the shopping areas found further into the city.

After turning a couple of corners I finally made it to my hostel. What's important to note about this hostel is that it has very long functioning hours. So it isn’t much of an issue if you’re arriving late to the Labyrinth hostel as long as you give them a heads up. The main part of the hostel is actually located on a street parallel to this one. The reception area is its own thing. A nice feature of this budget hostel is that you can safely keep your backpack stored away in the reception area in case you want to travel through the whole of Vienna without lugging your stuff around.

I made my way to the parallel street and unlocked the large door leading to the bedroom. The sleeping area itself was basically one massive room divided into three parts by a doorway. There were roughly thirty two bunk beds with most of them occupied. Two parts of the three were sleeping areas while the third is a shower room and kitchen. To be absolutely honest, I would not recommend this hostel. While it's quite cheap, this doesn’t make up for the fact that it's quiet noisy with people coming from outings late at night. Luckily, I’m a bit of a heavy sleeper so I managed to only be awoken a couple of times.

The day begins

After a slightly difficult sleep, I then woke up and packed my smaller backpack. Nearby this hostel there is a large Lidl supermarket. I stocked up on supplies such as snacks and a water bottle to keep me going. I also grabbed a nice apfelstrudel (apple pastry) from the store’s bakery to recharge my fuel.

Maria Theresia Plaza

As most days on this trip It was a gorgeous sunny day. Not too many clouds in the sky. I made my way to the city and began my adventure. I recall that the very first place I went to was the Maria Theresia monument located only a ten minute walk away.

The Maria Theresia monument is perfectly located between the two elegant Naturhistorisches museum and the Kunsthistorisches museums. I recall standing in between these two magnificent buildings while staring down at the Maria Theresia monument. It would take a few minutes of speed walking to get from one end of either museums to their other end. From what it seemed the Maria ‘Theresien Platz’ is the starting point of many tourist tours and other travelers.

(Source: http://www.fuenterrebollo.com/Heraldica2/viena.html)

Throughout the area you could find trees and plants of many varieties. Many intrinsically shaped trees and brightly coloured flowers of all types were strewn all around. There were also a few small fountains with sculpted figures incorporated into it.

The Natural history museum (the former of the two) was my favourite of the two due to its exterior design. While the two buildings are almost identical, the thing that seperates them is their entrance designs. The natural history museum showcased personifications of different continents including Europe, Asia , Africa and the Americas. I hadn’t really been able to tell without one of the nearby tour guides speaking in detail about the place. She explained how this museum would have ancient artifacts and animal specimens from all over the world including the Venus of Willendorf.

The Kunsthistorisches museum (Fine arts museum) on the other hand had works of different artists. At this point the tourguide had left so I had to look up background information along with the exterior plaques you could find right outside the building. It was built in the late 19th century by an Austrian-Hungarian emperor. It was used to contain the plethora of art treasures that the Hapsburgs possessed.

However, the main attraction of this is the sculpture at the centre of it all. Elevated above horsemen and nobles the proud Empress Maria Theresa who was the only female ruler of the Habsburg and the last of her house. It's quite incredible how many domains she was in charge of and I would recommend reading about her.

The plaza is also a great place to simply lie down in the grass and relax. There are plenty of trees to find some shade to enjoy a picnic or a quick doze off under. There are also benches located around.

Belvedere Schlossgarten

Nearby in the south you could visit a spectaculary large park to enjoy some sights and relaxation. The ‘Belvedere Schlossgarten’ is a very picturesque area to visit for an hour. Inside the large serene garden you could find a botanical garden with many different wonderful specimens. If you love nature I would definitely recommend this area. If you’re looking for a bit of history then you could find the Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee (war memorial) located in the section of the garden closer to the city. Both of the above I discovered by accident. The reason I had initially walked down this area was to check out the Palais du Belvédère (palace) since the receptionist recommended that I check it out. I didn’t enter the building as I was short on time. However if you find yourself with quite some time, then make sure to check it out.

Hofburg and other luxurious buildings

Another striking building to check out is the Hofburg (Imperial palace). This palace was one of my favourites so far in Europe. Inspecting the area made me fully understand how powerful nations and monarchies had been. The amount of treasures collected from their conquests to fuel their empires and build up their cities. You would have to walk to the heart of the city to reach this palace. You will most likely than not be in contact with many different tourists. Although the area is very large so you won’t feel overwhelmed by the amount of tourists in the vicinity. This structure was initially built in the thirteenth century and with several centuries of wealth increase and conquest it expanded in size.

Before, it used to house the wealthy Hapsburg family. Nowadays many ministers and the president of Austria lives and works here. Right across the building you could see the sculpture of Archduke Charles magnificently holstered on a horse. As I was taking a break from all the walking, I then decided to sit on the steps of the monument and read up about this man. He was apparently one of Napoleon’s most dangerous opponents and a great commander. He was a great contributor to the fight against the French revolution that would would change Europe. This statue is set in the Heldenplatz (Heroes plaza).

I was surprised to find out that this plaza was the exact place where Hitler had announced Austria’s anschluss with Germany. Finding out about this definitely changed my perspective of where I was standing. After some more reading and dawdling I decided to continue making my way to my next destination.

While many parliaments design their buildings to be something to be in awe of, the one in Vienna surely takes the cake. Located in the north western part of the inner city, this Greek-esque style building is a marvel to look at. The white marble pillars holding up the iconic triangular roof. During my visit it had been under construction although it is a very pretty sight. At some points during the day you are allowed to visit inside and take a look at the luxurious interior.

The State Opera House is another destination worth paying a visit.  This opera house is able to house 2,400 people. It is a strikingly beautifully designed structure. I had written it down on a note to make sure to visit it at night as that is when it comes to life. The exterior is illuminated with lights making the Opera house look divine.

During the second World War, the Opera house had sustained damage from American bombings and was set alight. The tragedy doesn’t end there. During its initial construction in the mid 19th century, the design had been unpopular with the Emperor and much of the public. This caused much distress with one of the two main architects that he later committed suicide.

Inner city

Now, one of my favourite sites of Vienna and a must see: the St. Stephen's Cathedral. I recall when I was heading there I passed many different beautifully designed streets. The deeper you go into the town the more polished history you find. There were statues of many kinds perched either upon fountains or free standing. Many roof corners of buildings had regular or even gold plated statues on their corners.

After much walking I broke into a massive open plaza with an immensely large cathedral before me. This gothic style church with certain romanesque elements similar to what I found around Italy make this not only striking due to its behemoth size but also its majesty. I continued walking around it in amazement. It was stunning how large this cathedral was. The scene around it was pretty hectic as you had many tourists and Austrians going by their lives or taking as many photos as their phone would allow them.

There were many horse carriages around in waiting ready to whisk off any enthusiastic passengers. It's as if you replaced the usual line of taxis with horse carriages. The coachmen and coachwomen were all smiling and cracking jokes in the sun. It was a charming scene. This plaza was filled with street performers of all types. There is also an information store selling maps and giving advice of all the great local areas. The few carriages I had seen touring tourists around seemed pretty fun. You'll be able to experience how noble citizens of old would travel through the city's tight roads and cobblestone floor.

As the State Opera house, the Cathedral suffered its fair share of damage during the second World War. While it had not sustained direct damage from bombings, the local buildings had caught fire from aerial bombings which jumped onto one of the towers of the building. Engulfing it in flames. Luckily, it had not spread throughout the whole cathedral.

Food galore

Cakes

I recall at this point that I decided to grab some food to eat. I ate in a bit of a strange order. I wasn’t really thinking about lunch at the time. I was more concerned with tasting some of the famed Austrian chocolate cakes they sold. I went to the cafe Sacher Vienna to sate my sweet tooth. I made the trek to the place and passed its busy doors. The interiors of the place looked like something out of a fairytale. When you think of a cafe you may think of someplace hip looking or polished and white. Usually nothing too extravagant. This place is the complete opposite. The interior looked like something fit only for royalty and nobles. It looked like the sort of place to enjoy fine dining of the highest quality. I soon realised that was exactly what I was getting into.

(Sourec:http://souvenirfinder.com/2014/03/14/best-cafes-vienna-coffee-cake-schnitzel/)

I can’t tell you what was the name of what I had ordered as it was in Austrian and had quite a long name. What I do recall was the whole experience. The slice of cake I had had several different layers to it. Some layers were as think as my thumb while a couple were as thin as a pin. The surface of the slice was a deep hue of chocolate with some creamy circular lines designed on top. I took a forkful and tasted it. The flavours exploded in my mouth. The layers had their own unique taste and the chocolate itself tasted of high caliber. I savoured every bite and realised how cheated we were with the flavours of cheap cakes that taste like sponges with chocolate powder. It was all a sensational experience. I highly recommend you taste the cakes here in Vienna. There are many great places to visit. However, the cafe I had went to gets a big thumbs up from me. However, don’t expect to be filled with the slightly small portion size.

Schachtelwirt

For that reason I decided to turn to the internet to look for the best budget restaurant Vienna had to offer (us students aren’t the wealthiest of folk). I found a specific place that is an easy ten minute walk from the central cathedral. The name of the place is Schachtelwirt; Its very well known for its takeaway boxes (the ones similar to noodle boxes) filled with soul-filling goodness. I recall trying to get to this place and getting lost. It's quite hidden away so when you visit the area make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the place. It isn’t advertised in a very flashy manner such as the chocolate cake cafes of earlier.

The inside of the place is a dim and cozy lit room. Eating areas are divided by glass panes. The venue itself is pretty small. You’ll be face to face with the three chefs bringing life to their food. This place also tends to get pretty busy during lunch time. If you make it here, I recommend any of their pork based options with sauerkraut finish. They have many local meats and products and the meal itself is very satisfying. The food here is particularly rich in texture and taste. I was stuffed by the end of lunch here. You could grab yourself a very satisfying lunch for about eight euros. Do yourselves a favour and avoid subway or McDonalds and head down to this place.

While we’re on the topic of foods, I would like to make some honorable mentions of delicious meals I’ve had while spending my two days in Vienna which I recommend you try them out. If you’re looking for a tasty and hearty meal, then I would recommend you try some Viennese goulash. You can order it as an entree or a full meal. They serve these vegetable and meat soups in most restaurants I checked out. Another common item to taste in many different restaurants and even pop-out stalls are the sausages. There are many different types of ‘Weiner’ you could try from.

An iconic dish you could try that is known all over the world: the schnitzel. In Austria they are particularly proud of their schnitzel variety due to its great flavour and quality. In specific they have the ‘Wiener schnitzel’. While I was looking at different restaurants’ menus to eat I saw quiet a variety of schnitzels. I unfortunately didn’t have the time to try it as I was busy trying foods I  could barely pronounce. The reputation for them is still high as my Austrian mate who brag about them quite often when we’re comparing Wiener schnitzels and a good ol Aussie schnitty. An apfelstrudel would go perfectly with a good schnitzel.

The last of the meals that I would highly recommend is the ‘Tafelspitz’. This one's a bit of a strange one. Its veal boiled in broth with a side of horseradish and and minced apples. This dish is popular all over Austria. I personally enjoyed it well. The meat had an interesting texture although it was very succulent. The sides were interesting but not too bad either. If you’re visiting Austria and enjoy eating meat, then I would highly recommend you have a go at this.

Places of interest

That's enough about the food, back to the monuments and sights to see. Only a few places left to go. Take note that whenever you visit these places you should spend a bit of time to admire the history behind them. This capital is a treasure-hold of the past where many actions and documents were declared that changed Europe and affects it to this day.

Many countries around Europe have their own version of markets and flee markets. Austria is no exception. Vienna has several markets where you can shop for trinkets, souvenirs and gifts of all kinds. The most popular of all these markets is the Vienna Naschmarkt (Ash market). Here you’re able to find many unique objects for sale at a decent price. You can also grab a nice snack to eat or a drink if you’re looking to have some proper Austrian culture in you. If you’re not keen to do any of those, then I would highly recommend you simply walk through the market and see everything that there is to offer. You could find many different types of meats, cheese, exotic spices, seafood and much more You never know when you’ll find something you’ll want in your future house. It's also a great way to chit chat with the locals and better involve yourself in the local culture.

The market derives its name from one of its first products, milk bottles made out of ash wood. The market has also been around for quite some time. It initially started around the 16th century and generations upon generations have been selling their goods there for the past five hundred years. It's a bit humbling thinking how far humanity has come from space travel to medicine. The human race is always changing but some things never change. Such as the tradition of running this market.

Another favourite of mine is the winter palace of Prince Eugene. This palace is a spectacularly beautiful place to visit. It also makes use of Greek-esque style of exterior architecture. I did a bit of background research on the place and found out that it had been auctioned off and bought by the Empress of the time who helped convert it from a residence home to what it is today.

The interior is quite beautiful with its marble walls, pillars and steps. There are many bronze and marble statues inside to admire and many fine art paintings. It also offers many more attractive sights in its gallery which have quite a bit to do with the military accomplishments of the initial owner.

My favourite monument of Vienna and arguably the most awe-inspiring is the Rathaus. This gothic style building is the seat of the local government and is located on Rathausplatz. What I love about this monument is how beautiful it is close up. The amount of detail and elegance of the spires and surfaces makes it stare worthy. During the time of my visit there was a festival going on right in front of it.

(Source: http://about-eastern-europe.com/rathaus-vienna-primaria-vienei/)

The festival had not been going all out with their planned DJ and live bands as I had visited this Rathaus during the day. Instead, there were more than a dozen stalls of foods from all over the world. Mexican, Austrian, America steaks and burgers, even Australian cuisine and much more. They had a couple of ice-cream and milkshake shops in a bid to beat the Austrian august heat. They also had a stall with crepes, waffles and a few other pastries. My favourite stall was the hot dog pop-out stall that sold very divine tasting sausages from local farms. At the centre there were several tables placed around for any of the patrons. I recall listening to languages from all over the world, this is including the local Austrian. The area felt very relaxing as we were surrounded by large trees of all types

Walking about

As I had previously mentioned, I had spent most of the two days simply walking around and relaxing in very scenic routes. At one point I had gone deeper into the city until I reached the ‘donakanul’. Along the area there was a large sectioned off part that was covered in sand. It was a mini beach within the city. It had been late in the afternoon and I decided that I needed a good rest and headed there. There is a restaurant and large tiki style bar on the edge of the beach. You could go to one or either to have a drink or a meal. They also provide beach lounging chairs in the sand to laze about while soaking in the sun with the canal nearby. The canal itself is pretty large and surprisingly clean.

I decided to relax in the nearby grassy area as the lounge chairs were used up at this part of the afternoon. It was very relaxing simply absorbing the atmosphere of sereness and relaxation. Even though the roads are located nearby, the beach area was well protected from the sound of traffic. I can’t say for sure about most areas, but this beach area provided several changing rooms and bathrooms free of charge. So make sure to pack your lounging clothes if you want to head to the beach to switch from adventuring to comfort.

If you’re looking to enjoy some music culture in the form of classical music then you’re in luck. Austria has produced many great composers of the likes of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Gustav Mahler and many more greats. Throughout the city you could find small music halls and concert stages. You don’t necessarily need to go to the State Opera to find good classical music. You could even visit Mozart’s home in Vienna to take a look into Austrian history.

As I was walking back to my hostel, I noticed that around the edge of the western part of the city you could find many nice small pubs and restaurants which were filled to the brim with mostly locals. I would recommend checking out the western parts of the city if you’re looking to go pub-hunting or want to seat,eat and drink with the locals.

Overall, Vienna is definitely one of my favourite cities due to its richness in history and culture. It would take more than a week from opening to closing hours  just to explore all its different museums fully. This city has much to offer and will definitely keep you entertained. I recommend that you do quite a bit of planning before coming here as it might feel overwhelming with the amount of things to do. The food and the desserts are definitely something to look out for. The famed Austrian chocolate cakes reputation lives on. It is also worth noting that Vienna is one of the few cities that has so much architectural and cultural beaut in almost every corner you turn. Its as if Vienna had been given a blank check and had built the city from the bottom up.

It is worth noting that Vienna is a bit of a pricey city. Its cheaper than most cities in Switzerland although more expensive than Italy, from the Italian cities I have been to, I had concluded. However, if you’re looking for a budget trip then I would follow the guide above as most of those things I had done are picteresque and free. The places I went to eat were also relatively affordable (including Lidl, excluding the cake). However, since you’re on holiday I would recommend you don’t miss out some of these culinary experiences due to budget constraints. This whole trip took only two days although you could easily spend more than a week in Vienna.

After the long two days of travelling I returned to my hostel for my second night of sleep. My calves were almost numb from walking dozens of kilometres on concrete and cobblestone floors. The next day I packed up my stuff, still sore from the two days, and make my way to Lidl. It's always prudent to grab some snacks from a supermarket rather than some mediocre quality and overpriced cafeteria food on the train. I picked up some biscuits, snacks and a water bottle. I then made the thirty minute trek to the train station I had come from. I continued my rule of walking as much as possible to see as much as possible.

Getting to the station was an experience of its own. It felt pleasantly cool and crisp while walking to the station. The intense summer heat hadn’t hit its peak yet. As it was a weekday I was able to spot some locals prepping up their cars for a long day of work ahead. There were some children entering their parents car to be dropped off for another day at school. It's these types of moments where you get to witness how everyday life in another unfolds. It reminds me how similar people are, The same habits, the same commitments and many of the same aspirations. People walking their dogs and work vans passing by. These types of moments feel very surreal. It's something worth thinking about when you travel from country to country.

After about thirty minutes of my semi-dazed state I finally make it to the train station. People were rushing back and forth to catch the right trains to work or wherever they were heading to. I made my way to the right train and sat down in one of the cabins. This next adventure is particularly exciting as I have heard many good things about it. I was one short train ride away from Budapest.

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