Following my trip to Jaipur, India, with American Express, I decided to visit Vienna, Austria. After hearing so many great stories about the impeccably constructed city, I planned my visit with very high expectations that would soon be met.
Having arrived a little late, we only had six to seven hours to roam the city and visit all the touristic sites. By the end, we realised that was all we actually needed. So if you are planning a trip to Vienna anytime soon, an overnight stay is plenty of time.
One of the busier areas of Vienna was around Saint Stephan’s Cathedral and Stephansplatz. I highly recommend you begin your day here as all the main streets lead to this tourist dominated area. It’s surrounded by retail stores, cafes, restaurants and a couple of incredible statues.
One of theses statues was the remarkable Pestsäule. Built during the late 17th-century, Holy Trinity column sculpture commemorates victims of the plague.
To be honest, I was hoping to come across a store like this. The Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe is a gentleman’s accessory paradise. No, literally, this place is incredible. From tailor made suits, coats and shirts, to cravats, ties, scarves and pocket-squares. These guys had hundreds of different colours and styles. I could spend a week in here without ease and certainly wouldn’t get bored.
We kept hearing all the fuss about “The Famous Sacher Cake” and how it was a must. So after asking a few tourists and locals, they all recommended we try the cake at the hotel that’s actually famous for it, Hotel Sacher, Wiem…duh! Personally, I wasn’t a fan. But you should definitely try it regardless.
Something that I really took note of was how impeccably clean the streets of the city were. Not a single piece of garbage was to be seen.
Austrian National Library – Burggarten, Palace Garden & Art Nouveau Palm House.
We fell in love with the Museum of Natural History Vienna & Maria Theresien Platz. A huge central park surrounded by perfectly trimmed hedges, statues, street lamps and historical buildings. This place of serenity made me fall asleep on the grass…
We didn’t want to catch any trams, buses or taxis. Europe is all about walking! Next we passed the Austrian Parliament Building with the Parlamentsdirektion Nationalfond Statue standing guard inf ront of the building.
I must say, the cleanliness of this city is confounding. I don’t think any other city can compete!! This walkway was opposite the University of Vienna.
One of Europe’s most gorgeous cathedrals in my eyes, the Votivkirche Cathedral. What made this cathedral stand out was the variation of colours surrounding the building.
If you are swinging past the Schwarzenberg Square, be sure to check out Hochstrahlbrunnen, what we called the Giant Fountain. We spent hours searching and finally discovered it. It was defiantly worth the search!
All-in-all, our several hours in Vienna were outstanding. We slept like babies on the speed train to Prague, but it was totally worth it!
