Austria will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was the first country outside of North America I visited for a second time. I was lucky enough to spend 10 days in high school on a whirlwind tour of Venice, Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague, and immediately fell in love with the bright architecture and the blooming countryside.
Vienna itself is filled with a rich history, good food, and an art scene that’s second to none.
Hot or cold, there’s a lot to love about Vienna!
While my first trip was during the summer, my most recent trip to Vienna was for the New Year in 2018. Luckily, the Christmas Markets were still set up for us to enjoy. There are a handful of different markets to go to running from mid-November to late-December. Christmas Market Schönbrunn is even open until the first week in January.
The markets are the perfect place to warm up with a cup of mulled wine and a good pastry. (Trust me, you’ll have plenty to choose from) It’s also a great spot to meet people, as both locals and tourists alike gather to enjoy the food, music, and ice skating.
Looking for an excuse to stay indoors? In Vienna, you’ll have a large variety of museums at your fingertips with a large focus on art. The MuseumsQuartier offers a large campus of different art museums including the Leopold Museum, the mumok, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
If you can brave the height (65 m/212 ft), Vienna’s Giant wheel is a fun way to catch a birds-eye view of the city. As a history buff, I highly suggest taking a spin around the exhibition on your way in. Here, you can learn about the rich history of the festival grounds while you wait to get in your car.
Feeling fancy? You can reserve a wagon for a private brunch or dinner for a meal with an amazing view if you’re willing to shell out the dough. Be warned though, while you’ll have the car to yourself, anyone riding in other cars may still be able to see you enjoying your meal.
One of my favorite parts of traveling (aside from the food) is aimlessly wandering the city to admire the different architecture. Vienna has a beautiful combination of Baroque and Gothic buildings with narrow roads and cute little squares that you could spend hours exploring.
While on your walk you’ll find cute cafés and wine bars that you can duck into for a break. A personal favorite of mine being Kleines Café. It’s a great way to hunt for some authentic local flavors while exploring the city at the same time.
As of November 1, 2019, Austria has now banned smoking in pubs, restaurants, and cafés. As it is a recent ban, you should probably still be prepared for a the lingering smell in many of the old locations you may visit.
We spent a lot of time in the area of the Hofburg Palace. In fact, we were lucky enough to spend the night of New Year’s Eve at the Silvesterball. While I didn’t do any waltzing, seeing the inside of the palace all decorated for the New Year was beautiful. There are a number of tours you can take to see the inside of the palace for yourself.
Right outside of the palace, at the edge of the Burggarten palace gardens, is the Schmetterlinghaus (Imperial Butterfly House). Built in the early 1900s, Emperor Franz Josef I and his wife used to very much enjoy the peace and quiet of this greenhouse. Stop by to look at the butterflies and enjoy the tropical plant life right in this year-round summer oasis.
