Hello everyone!
This is the blog post about our trip to Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava.
Part 3. Vienna.
Make sure to read the introduction and Part 1. to find more details about the trip!Â
Vienna!
Vienna in a Day: Exploring Historic Landmarks and Savoring Local Café Culture
- Cafe Central/Café Prückel
- Stephansplatz and St. Stephen’s Cathedral
- Hofburg Palace
- Museumsquartier
- Naschmarkt – food market
- Vienna State Opera
- Hundertwasser House and Museum
- Schönbrunn Palace
- Maria Theresia Platz
- Belvedere Palace
- St. Peter’s Church
- Kugelmugel Republic
- Wild im West
- Albertina Museum
As you can see, the plan was a bit ambitious for just one day! I’ll be more precise and say that these were the places we wanted to visit, but it would have been quite challenging to see them all in one day! 😀
- Cafe Prückel
- Stephansplatz and St. Stephen’s Cathedral
- St. Peter’s Church
- Hofburg Palace/Sisi Museum
- Maria Theresien Platz
- Museumsquartier
- Naschmarkt – food market
- Erholungsgebiet Wienerberg
- Belvedere Palace
- Vienna State Opera House
- Neuer Markt street
- Stairs of Albertina Museum
- Hundertwasser House
- Kugelmugel Republic
- Prater Park
Seeing this list, I can’t help but think, “Wow! We really did a lot in Vienna!” 😀
So so so we took the early bus from Bratislava to Vienna, and it took approximately an hour and 15 minutes to get to Vienna. We immediately downloaded the WienMobil app and bought the 24-hour tickets for 16 euros, so 8 euros for one ticket. That is a really friendly price for budget travellers 😃
So the first spot we visited was Cafe Prückel. We were choosing between Cafe Central and Cafe Prückel, and after reading the recommendations on the internet, we decided to go to the Prückel since it was written that it is a more local cafe with a nice vibe. Let’s go!
We usually never eat breakfast, but the Viennese breakfast in Vienna was a must! When we came to the Prückel, it really surprised with the mid-century interior! Felt like we travelled back in time and it was not 2023 😃 The food we got was a simple Viennese breakfast with eggs, Viennese Bread Rolls (Kaiser Semmel), apricot jam, and coffee. I chose the hot chocolate, and Donatas went for coffee 😃
These goodies cost 18 EUR for us both, so it is really a cheap one! And the Bread Rolls, the perfectly cooked egg, and the jam… it was just a fiesta in our stomachs 😃 The worst part was that they don’t accept credit cards, they only accept cash, so I went to find the nearest ATM to get the cash.
We are so used to paying with credit cards nowadays, but NEVER FORGET TO TAKE CASH FOR A TRIP! YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU WILL NEED IT! SO IT IS BETTER TO HAVE IT THAN NOT! You won’t need to run to find the ATM and pay lots of money for cashing out, so be smart! Honest advice 😃
Vienna's Architectural Gems: Stephansplatz and St. Stephen's Cathedral
After breakfast, we went to Stephansplatz and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which were really nearby. The Stephansplatz is named after the Cathedral, as you see, and the Cathedral itself is really huge, and its inside is mostly in Gothic style with Baroque fittings, and it also has a multicoloured tiled roof! The visit to the cathedral is free, and the views there are really stunning, so be sure to go there when in Vienna! See it for yourselves!
As the vibe after this cathedral was rather holy, we decided to go straight to St. Peter’s Church, which is nearby the Cathedral. And oh wow, what a view the Church presented to us! This church has a Baroque style, and the greatness of it can be felt right when you enter it. We sat there for a bit before heading to the next place.
Vienna's Royal Past: A Journey Through Hofburg Palace and Sisi Museum
And the next place wasn’t a church 😃 We then went to check out the Hofburg Palace and decided to visit the Sisi Museum. The Sisi Museum provides an authentic portrayal of Empress Elisabeth’s life, going beyond stereotypes and showcasing her personal experiences. It explores Elisabeth’s rebellion against court customs and her pursuit of beauty, athleticism, travel, and poetic inspiration.
The museum traces her journey from carefree Bavarian girlhood to her unexpected engagement with the Austrian emperor and ultimately her tragic assassination in Geneva in 1898. It was nice to see the apartments she and the Emperor lived in, and it was a pleasant visit there because we got audio guides and got to know more about this prominent lady! Unfortunately, no pictures could be taken on the inside, but here are some views from Hofburg Palace and the stairs to the Sisi Museum! It cost 35 euros to visit the museum.
A Refreshing Escape in Vienna: Volksgarten and the Joy of Beer
This day was really hot. After the museum, we went to Volksgarten, which is nearby the Palace, to get some refreshments! I think you already know what it is… THE BEER!! It was not as cheap as in Budapest – we paid 11.80 EUR for two beers 😃 but we needed it, the vacationers were kicking inside of us since it was already time to get the beer!
Later, we visited the Maria-Theresien Platz on our way to Museumsquartier. The square is really huge and has some museums to offer! But what we were interested in was the Museumsquartier. It is one of the largest cultural quarters in the world. There are lots of galleries, museums, and cafeterias there. The space is nice and clean, and there were people who were just sitting and painting the buildings! It felt good being there!
It also had lots of beautiful passages that just caught us by surprise for sure! These were just stunning, and I will leave you with the pictures to check them out! I don’t know whether these passages have changed or whether they have been present for a long time, or whether they will be present in the future because I didn’t even read that these exist 😃 but just WOW! See it for yourselves!
Chasing Vibes at Vienna's Naschmarkt and Escaping Sunburn
Then we decided to visit Naschmarkt or the food market. As the attempt to visit Central Market Hall in Budapest was not successful, we knew that we must do it in Vienna 😃There were lots of various foods to choose from, some souvenir shops, and clothes, so if you are interested in markets, I recommend visiting it 😃 It was not a huge or really impressive market, but we wanted to feel the vibe of the market, you know 😃
Then, something unexpected happened! Or maybe it was expected, but we were not fully prepared for it?! As the day was scorching hot, with temperatures reaching 31 degrees outside, it was not the most ideal time to explore Vienna, I must say 😃 We felt the need for a break and decided to take the tram to Erholungsgebiet Wienerberg – a place Donatas randomly chose from the map because it had a lake 😀
The trip to the park took a bit longer since it’s not in the central district, and when we finally arrived, I was too exhausted to walk any further to reach the lake, which was not exactly at the entrance of the park 😃 Moreover, I was sunburned!!! A valuable lesson learned: if you’re going out in the summer, don’t forget your SPF, unlike me, who ended up regretting it and shedding a tear or two 😀
So we just sat in the park and listened to a somewhat eccentric lady making weird noises as she was drinking and listening to music. I couldn’t quite figure out the language she was singing along to. We jokingly imagined that she was recently divorced and now trying to heal her heart with this unique therapy 😃 It was a bit strange, but she is free to express her feelings however she wants, right? 😃
After some much-needed rest, we decided to head to a nearby McDonald’s (well, 1.2km away, not exactly close by 😃). Ah, long time no see, our beloved McDonald’s! We treated ourselves to 20 nuggets, big colas, regular and fancy fries, and two burgers. It cost us 22.30 euros for this fancy lunch 😃 Our wallets were definitely thanking us for choosing this budget-friendly option!
As the sun’s intensity had mellowed, we resumed our exploration of Vienna. The next stop on our list was Belvedere Palace and boy, was it grand! We admired its majestic exterior and took a leisurely walk through the beautiful gardens, offering us stunning views of the city panorama!
Vienna Opera House and Albertina Museum: Art, Pride, and the Monet-Picasso Exhibition
Afterwards, we made our way to the Vienna Opera House. Actually, we had been near this iconic building before going to the park, but we just didn’t have the energy to visit it at that time 😃 Instead, we admired its impressive facade from the outside, as the entrance fee was around 9 euros, and we decided to skip the interior tour. Nevertheless, the exterior alone was worth a look, and we soaked in its beauty.
Later on, the wandering souls strolled along Neuer Markt Street, relishing more of Vienna’s beautiful architecture and fountains. Oh, and I just realized that I never mentioned that our trip wasn’t all about drinking alcohol – we also had water too, of course, 😃 Vienna is great for this because you can find many water-filling stations throughout the city, allowing you to easily stay hydrated during your explorations.
Eventually, we arrived at the Albertina Museum, where we heard that the museum’s stairs are always colourfully painted. I wasn’t entirely sure, but it seemed that there was an advertisement painted for an exhibition featuring Monet and Picasso paintings. Additionally, there was also a Transgender Flag painted on the stairs, serving as a tribute to pride month.
So, with time ticking away, there were still a few places left on my must-visit list! Despite Donatas feeling tired and not too thrilled about more walking, I insisted on exploring these last spots that had captured my interest. The next destination was the Hunderwasser Haus.
The Hundertwasserhaus stands as one of Vienna’s most popular attractions and holds a significant place in Austria’s cultural heritage. It was designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, an Austrian artist known for his unique architectural style reminiscent of Gaudi’s work. Hundertwasser was a true rebel, seeking to create something entirely new and distinctive in Vienna’s otherwise neo-classical landscape 😃 And he did just that; it was fascinating to witness something so different!
Kugelmugel Republic - Vienna's Quirky Micro-Nation and Prater Park
Next on the list was the Kugelmugel Republic, an unrecognized micronation located in the Prater. It felt like a continuation of our time in Copenhagen, where we had encountered the Republic of Christiania 😃 This curious place consists mainly of a spherical building, and as I later read, it boasts 600 citizens, although their citizenship is more symbolic than legally recognized. Checking out this quirky building adds a unique touch to the Vienna trip 😃
With the Kugelmugel Republic situated in the Prater, we took the opportunity to explore the rest of the park as well. Prater is a lush green area filled with various attractions, including the famous Madame Tussauds Museum and an amusement park. We were tempted to try one of the rides, but time was not in our favour, and we had to make our way to catch the bus back to Bratislava.
And now, we finally move on to the next chapter of our adventure in Bratislava! You can find it right here!
See you there!