Vienna, Austria March 2018
March 30- April 2 2018
as it was a long four day weekend we decided to make a trip to vienna, i had never been but i had heard good things about the city.
Day 1 March 30
it was quite busy on the roads as it was the start of the holiday weekend, so we arrived in the late afternoon and after a couple hours in the car, we then took a walk around the hotel, which was right next to the stadtpark. the sun was still shining and people were enjoying being outdoors. then back to the hotel for a little rest then off to our fancy dinner at silvio nickol gourmet RESTAURANT. Please click on the link for more details on our dining EXPERIENCE.
Day 2 March 31
we started the morning off with a very healthy and hearty breakfast at Ullman's. It was already quite busy at 9AM on Saturday but we were able to get the last seat. the breakfast menu is quite extensive, they also have plenty of pastries and cakes to either eat in or take out, so it is also good for some kaffee und kuchen (afternoon coffee and cake break).
After a FULFILLING breakfast we then walked around the famous wiener prater, an enormous amusement park. we were there quite early as some of the rides and stands were not open yet but people were already enjoying the ones that were open. it reminded me of the summer county fairs in the states but just the austrian version that is open all year round. there are many varieties of attractions and rides, but the most famous would be the Wiener Riesenrad, which was once the tallest ferris wheel in the world and the prater turm, which is still currently the tallest chain swing ride in the world. even if you don't like the rides or games it is an interesting place to wander around.
Ullman's
walcherstrasse 11A, 1020 wien
www.ullmanns.at
we then tried to go to the schönbrunn palace, however it was so crowded that it was about a three hour wait to get in. So we decided to wait in line to book tickets for tomorrow morning at a scheulded time. it was probably more busier than normal because of the holiday weekend, but to avoid waiting or queueing up to buy tickets i would recommend that you buy tickets in advance online or get there really early in the morning as it is a very popular tourist destination. on the way back to the hotel we quickly stopped by the naschmarkt, a large food market with many food stalls and restaurants. it too was really crowded so we didn't stay long, but it is a nice place if you want to buy some meat, fish, vegetables, herbs, and spices and to eat some ethnic food.
then a long break at the hotel as we did quite a lot of walking. we meet up with some friends for some traditional viennese food. as we were in vienna i had to have a wiener schnitzel, it is one of AUSTRIA'S national dishes. and the real deal did not disappoint, but anything battered then cooked in butter can't taste too bad. with a side of potato salad and a glass of local HOUSE BEER, a perfect VIENNESE meal. this restaurant also serves other traditional austrian dishes, i definitely would recommend checking it out.
Fromme Helene
Josefstädter Straße 15, 1080 Vienna
http://www.frommehelene.at/
Day 3 April 1
in the morning we headed back to SChönbrunn palace to take our tour. to note they have three types of tours, the imperial tour which takes you through 22 rooms or the grand tour which takes you through 40 rooms, or the classic pass which includes the grand tour, plus visiting two of the gardens, the maze and labyrinth. we decided on the grand tour as it lasts about an hour and that was the amount of walking we could do. what a beautiful and interesting palace. i would RECOMMEND if you have the time to do the classic pass as i have heard and seen that the gardens are lovely. and as we were there on easter sunday they had a little easter market in the courtyard.
as i very quickly learned, vienna is crazy and proud of their cakes, there are so many famous ones that we had to try a few. the one above is the trüffle torte or truffle cake, chocolate on chocolate can only be delicious and yes it was. maybe i'll try even making my own truffle cake soon.
as we didn't have a real breakfast we had a bit of an APPETITE after the palace tour, so we decided to have an early lunch of schnitzel. we headed to the famous figlmüller, which some claim to not have the real WIENER schnitzel as it is made from pork not veal. well we had to give it a taste test to really know what the difference is. as we were actually there early enough we got a place in the original house from 1905, but they do have a larger RESTAURANT just down the street. the SCHNITZEL was hugh large so glad we decided to share one with a side of potato salad and potato and mushroom soup to start. i don't know how someone could finish a whole one, but the guy managed to do so however struggling towards the end. the schnitzel was delicious! a bit different than last night, it was thinner and the breading on the outside was finer, it was served with a side of lingonberry jam. you could also have ketchup, but i heard it's a no no from the Austrians. a very satisfying meal and to end it we each had a schnapps which i learned in austria is TRADITION. not my favorite but when in austria do as the austrians ;)
Figlmüller
Wollzeile 5, 1010 Wien (original location)
Bäckerstrasse 6, 1010 wien
https://www.figlmueller.at/en/welcome.html
after a very enjoyable lunch we walked around the city to see some more of the sites and to burn off some of that food.
St. Peter's Church
Hofburg Palace
St. Stephen's Cathedral