Austria... no kangaroos here.

The first thing that struck me about Vienna, Austria was how clean it was. Indeed, compared to Budapest and even to France, Vienna was conspicuously spotless, despite the multitudes of horse-drawn carriages that drove its streets. It is also a very well organized city, especially by European standards. All of the main tourist attractions of Vienna lie within or on the “ringroad,” the main circular ring that runs around center city. From there everything moves in a pattern outward, like a bullseye, making traveling around very simple.

Perhaps the other most impressive thing about Vienna are the sheer number of impressive buildings, museums, parks, castles and churches that lie within the city. At every corner, the unsuspecting tourist is confronted with yet another beautiful façade to photograph, or and additional museum boasting treasures they simply must discover. In a sense, Vienna can be very tiring, with so much to do at all times.

The Belvedere.

 The fabulous gardens of the Belvedere, which also serves as a summer palace.

The Belvedere is perhaps one of the better known museums in Vienna, housing the famous Klimt painting “The Kiss.” Indeed, it is well worth the visit, and not just for its rather impressive art collection, but also for its wonderful gardens. The Belvedere is housed in the summer palace of one of the princes of the Austrian monarchy, and as a consequence, its ground are impressive. The expansive garden is done in the French style, with ordered hedges, fountains, and long walkways of gravel and stone. Admission to the museum costs, but exploring the gardens is a fantastic, free way to see part of Vienna.

A fountain outside the Hunderwasser.

Not far away sits Vienna’s Museum Quarter, which houses several of Vienna’s other museums, Natural History, Modern Art and so on. For the avid museum goer, Vienna can be a mecca of museums of all types, but be prepared to pay, nothing is free in Vienna. One museum, though not in the Museum Quarter, is the Hunderwasser; a museum and building designed by the artist Hunderwasser himself. Both the buildings the man designed, and his art, display a disrespect for traditional line, shape and color. All in all a very modern museum, it is well worth one visit. 

 The Hofburg.

Another of the main attractions in Vienna is the Hofburg palace, which, surprise, surprise houses more museums. Inside lies a museum of Paper and Letters and the Imperial Chambers of Austria’s most famous Empress, Elizabeth, commonly known as Sissy. Her state chambers contain old dresses, possessions, writings and an unnervingly deep look into her life. Sissy was a brilliant woman haunted by her demons. She was obsessed with thinness, and hated her court life, yet managed to convince her husband, the Emperor, to create the great Austro-Hungarian Empire.

 One of the horse-drawn carriages of Vienna.

Just across the courtyard from the Sissy museum, lies the Spanish Riding School, the last existing school of traditional riding in Europe. It is most famous for its Lippanzaner Stallions, magnificent horses that take over six years to train. The School holds weekly shows on Friday and Saturday, but also allows visitors to observe morning warm-ups for about a quarter of the price of the actual show. For anyone who loves horses, this is a must see. The Stallions are truly works of art, they can dance from one set of feet to the other, grapevine diagonally, jump nearly vertical and otherwise do things no ordinary horse will ever do. Their riders are nearly equally impressive, stoic and controlled, guiding their 1000 pound beasts through complicated patterns and never colliding inside the small riding hall.

Exiting the Riding School, one will hit the main shopping drag of Vienna, where shops and cafes cram readily into beautiful renaissance style, stone buildings. The cafes of Vienna are another wonderful way to pass time in Vienna. All the cafes have their own style, ranging from older formal style parisiennesque cafes, like Café Demel, or grungier, pub style cafes, such as Café Hawelka. At each location, the Viennese specialties of Apple Strusel and Sacher Torte will be served. Try them both, along with the Viennese Melange coffee, similar to a mini latte.

 Swan Lake playing outside the Opera house.

The last major attractions of Vienna are multitude of shows that are constantly taking place there. Every night, one can easily find standing room tickets to an Opera or Ballet, an inexpensive, (if a bit painful) way to enjoy a show. For those who plan ahead, stated tickets can range from 20 to 100 euros, depending on the quality of seats. Also, at the main Operahouse in Vienna, the shows are occasionally broadcast on a giant television outside the Opera. Hundreds of people with gather there to watch the show, sitting on chairs and blankets, like an outdoor concert in the middle of the city.

For a final note on Austria, try to eat a few traditional meals there as well; the boiled beef and Weinershnitzle are popular and common dishes, often served with some form of potatoes. The food in Austria is quite good, especially considering it is very closely related to German fare. It is also a relaxing way to take a break from the jam-packed days you most certainly will be spending in this fabulous city. When you leave, I guarantee you will want to go back, because all you will be thinking about are all of the things you didn’t make it to, like the Schonbrunn, the new hot Vampire musical, or to Salzburg to see the sound of music tour.

One of the beautiful Viennese churches.