2 Days in Vienna

The Hairy giraffe… IN VIENNA

This two-day trip to Vienna was the third leg of our Central European capital tour (which began with Budapest a few years ago). It was also, for us, an opportunity to get back into traveling after our eight-month round-the-world trip.

We decided to take our time. Although two days are enough to visit Vienna, we actually stayed twice as long. This allowed us to maximize our chances of taking photos in the sunshine and avoid being too bothered by other tourists. We’re telling you everything about this trip to the Austrian capital!

How long? We stayed two days in Vienna.

When? Mid-May. We weren’t very lucky with the weather. During our entire stay in Vienna, we had only partly cloudy skies, wind, a few showers, and a high of 16 degrees (except for one peak at 22 degrees).

Ease of independent travel: 5 giraffes Vienna’s tourist area isn’t very large. A good number of the main sights are within walking distance. In any case, public transport in Vienna is plentiful, efficient, and easy to use. It’s also not overcrowded: we always managed to get a seat, even during rush hour. What’s strange, though, is that no one seems to validate their ticket, neither at metro entrances, nor on platforms, nor on the trains themselves. Only single tickets need to be stamped. Even though ticket inspectors seem to be rare, we recommend always carrying a valid ticket with you.

On that note, it’s possible to buy transport passes valid for 1, 3, or 7 days. These give access to the entire urban network. Since a single ticket is quite expensive (€2.40 per ride), it quickly becomes more economical to buy a pass.

Costs: 5 giraffes (or even 6 or 7). Everything is horribly expensive in Vienna. Accommodation, restaurants, groceries, and souvenirs are about twice as expensive as in Paris. A meal at a restaurant will cost you around €30 per person, and even the smallest trinket in a souvenir shop will set you back €5. By the way, if you plan to eat Mozartkugel (Mozart balls) or Manner wafers, buy them in supermarkets (Billa, Lidl). They’ll cost you much less than in official or tourist shops.

In Austria, tipping is not mandatory. Some very touristy restaurants or cafés will remind you of it every time you pay and suggest adding at least 10% to your bill. To avoid this, choose restaurants away from tourist areas and popular with locals, no one will bother you about tipping there.

Ease of communication: 4 giraffes German is the official language. However, you won’t have any trouble making yourself understood in English in Vienna.

Safety: 5 giraffes We didn’t experience any safety issues or feelings of insecurity. Pickpockets can sometimes be found in very touristy areas, but it’s nothing like the situation in Paris.

Health: 5 giraffes This is Europe: health risks are low and the healthcare system is excellent. Don’t forget to bring your European Health Insurance Card.

Gay friendly : 5 giraffes LGBT rights are excellent in Austria. Marriage, adoption, and IVF are all allowed. Blood donation by men who have sex with men and gender change are also permitted. Rainbow flags are everywhere. There are even traffic lights featuring same-sex (and opposite-sex) couples.

Travel ease: 5 giraffes Vienna is an easy destination and perfect for a short getaway.

Highlights: the omnipresent culture, the architecture, the many green spaces in the city, the walkable size of the city, the low level of crime, the Mozartkugel (Mozart balls)

Letdowns: the very high costs to visit even the smallest museum or monument, the flagship pastries (Sachertorte, strudel) are often dry and don’t live up to their reputation, the complete absence of any information about Hitler and Nazism

Find all our other articles on Central European Capitals:

Benjamin’s Travel Reflections (coming soon)

François’ Travel Reflections

2 DAYS IN VIENNA

Since it’s a bit difficult to talk about an itinerary when spending just two days in the same city, here’s a list of sights and activities to see or do to help you prepare for your visit to Vienna:

Day 0: A direct four-hour train takes us from Prague to Vienna, where we arrive in the early afternoon..

What to do in 2 days in Vienna?

The historic center

At the heart of the historic center stands Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral). Recognizable by its glazed tile roof, the cathedral is a true architectural masterpiece. While entry is free, you’ll have to pay to access the pulpit, towers, and catacombs.

Not far away is the Hofburg, the imperial residence of the Habsburgs for over 600 years. The palace is enormous and takes up 20% of the total area of the city center.

Not far from the Ring

The Karlskirche (or Church of St. Charles Borromeo) is well worth a visit. This church was built to celebrate the end of the 1713 plague and to attract God’s favor. The columns, sculptures, bas-reliefs, and massive dome seem to have done the trick, as no other plague outbreak has swept through the city since its construction. You can visit the interior (entry fee), which “proves just as breathtaking [as the exterior],” according to the Routard guide.

The City Hall is the most imposing non-religious building in neo-Gothic style in the city.

The Belvedere Palace is about a twenty-minute tram ride from the center. Inside, it now houses a museum featuring works by Kokoschka and Klimt (including The Kiss). The exterior of the building is also lovely to admire, and you can relax in the terraced gardens.

If you’re tired of Viennese architecture, go check out the Hundertwasserhaus. It’s an architectural “experiment” that combines art and ecology by growing dozens of trees directly on the building. It’s colorful, anarchic, and fairly anecdotal. If you enjoy this kind of eccentricity, there’s a museum about the architect nearby.

In the mood for a culture fix? No problem! Head to the MuseumsQuartier, one of the largest cultural spaces in the world. Getting around it, however, is quite the challenge: its streets are a real labyrinth, and we had a hard time finding our way out.

We still took the time to visit the Leopold Museum, which features works by Klimt (though not The Kiss, if you were paying attention earlier, you know where that painting is) and Schiele. A temporary exhibition on the final years of Schiele’s life was also on display. The visit is quick, but we were left a bit unsatisfied, as Klimt’s major paintings are not present and the temporary exhibition mainly includes drawings and sketches rather than actual canvases.

Feel like exploring your unconscious mind? No problem. Vienna is the birthplace of psychoanalysis. The Sigmund Freud Museum lets you step into the actual office and apartment where the famous doctor practiced and lived for nearly 50 years. The site is filled with explanatory panels about Freud’s writings but sorely lacks personal belongings. Freud fled to London to escape the Nazi regime, taking all his possessions with him. Except for a few rare items (on display in the Vienna museum), everything is now in the Freud Museum in London, including the famous couch. In Vienna, of all the accessible rooms, only the waiting room has been faithfully recreated. In the other rooms, you can see black-and-white photos of how they were arranged and some remnants of the original wall coverings.

We were genuinely excited about diving into Freud’s world. However, the visit left us feeling a bit unsatisfied and made us want to head to London instead. A few more artifacts and reconstructions, along with more explanations about psychoanalysis (its origins, key concepts, etc.), would have made the experience more engaging.

Schönbrunn Palace

Built in the 17th century, the palace served as the Habsburgs’ summer residence. A visit to the palace immerses you in the world of Maria Theresa and her children. Several ticket options are available. The most comprehensive (and of course the most expensive) allows you to visit 40 rooms, including the one where Franz Joseph died, Sisi’s dressing room, and the Hall of Mirrors where Mozart gave his first concert.

The visit, which lasts about 90 minutes, is done with a French audio guide (included in the price). You can complete the tour by exploring the French-style gardens and climbing up to the Gloriette for a view of the entire complex. It’s hard for a French person (or a Canadian living in France) not to compare Schönbrunn to Versailles. The former, although very beautiful and interesting to visit, remains a pale imitation of the latter. The gardens at Schönbrunn also don’t compare to those of Versailles.

All in all, we had a good time there. We arrived shortly after opening and were able to avoid the crowds of tour groups that started arriving as we were leaving. However, we were disappointed by the lack of information about Marie Antoinette. Even just mentioning that she would become Queen of France at the time of the Revolution would have been a welcome addition.

What to eat in Vienna? Feeling a bit hungry? Here are some ideas to satisfy your appetite.

– Sausage stands. They’re found all over the city and offer huge sausages in various flavors, served either sliced on a plate or in a bun like a hot dog. Prices are similar from one stand to another, although some charge extra for the bread. For the hungry, extras like pickles, sauerkraut, and more are available.

– Wiener schnitzel. The Wiener schnitzel is on every restaurant menu. It’s a piece of meat (usually pork or veal) pounded very thin and breaded. It’s served on its own on the plate (with a slice of lemon) and comes with a small side salad.

– Pastries. The star of Vienna is without a doubt the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot jam. You’ll find it in every café. Two of them claim to have the original recipe: Sacher and Demel. In reality, it’s a basic chocolate cake, dry and dense. Among other must-try Viennese desserts are strudel and Viennese coffee. Everything is very expensive in Vienna, including desserts. Just keep in mind that for the same price in Paris, you could get a pastry made by a top chef.

– Ice cream. We’re not in Italy, but clearly Austrians love ice cream. It’s everywhere.

If you have time (and a lot of money), here are some other points of interest:

– Mozart’s house. The composer’s only surviving residence, he lived there from 1784 to 1787. It’s where he composed The Marriage of Figaro. The house is now a museum that traces Mozart’s life and work. It has been completely renovated and modernized, and none of Mozart’s personal belongings remain. Only go if you’re a true fan.

– Kaisergruft. This is the Imperial Crypt. Habsburg fans can see the coffins of Maria Theresa and Francis of Lorraine (Marie Antoinette’s parents) there.

– The Sisi Museum. Located in the Hofburg, it tells the story of the empress and features a collection of her personal belongings. For hardcore fans, be aware that, for the price of a kidney, there’s a combined ticket for the Sisi Museum and Schönbrunn Palace.

– Also in the Hofburg, the Imperial Treasury displays the jewels of the Habsburg monarchy..

– Still in the Hofburg, the Spanish Riding School will delight horse lovers. You can photograph the Lipizzaner horses during their morning training or see them in action during a performance.

– Schönbrunn Zoo. Located on the palace grounds, it is said to be the oldest zoo in Europe still in operation.

– The Riesenrad. This is Vienna’s giant Ferris wheel. Ride it for a view over the entire city.

– A cruise on the Danube. Just like in Paris, discover the city’s history and architecture from a different perspective by sailing along the river that runs through the capital.