Vienna

Time of year: April

Length: 3 nights

Approximate hotel and flight costs: £550–£650 for two

Good for: Grand architecture, rich history and a weekend with friends or your partner

Why Vienna?

Vienna had been on our list for ages. The grand buildings and stunning architecture looked right up our street, and I’ve always been interested in the Austro-Hungarian era—particularly Archduke Franz Ferdinand and how his assassination helped lead to the First World War. Vienna felt like a great place to explore that history.

We were also travelling with friends, one of whom has Austrian heritage, so it felt like the perfect time to visit.

Accommodation and travel

Getting to Vienna was easy, and we had no issues with the flight. Before landing, we were surprised to be offered free chocolates and a drink—a nice touch from Austrian Airlines. After passport control, we took the train into the city centre. The journey was quick, taking around 20 minutes.

From the station, it was about a 15-minute walk to our hotel, which gave us a chance to start getting a feel for the city. We stayed at Hotel Ruby Lissi, in a quieter part of the Innere Stadt, but still very central. The rooms had a modern feel. There was some exterior renovation work going on, but it didn’t affect our stay.

Discovering Vienna

As we walked through the central streets, I couldn’t help noticing the mix of grand classical buildings, each with its own style. There was striking detail everywhere, from gold-topped domes and statues to fountains. One fountain along a pedestrianised street really stood out, with its layers of gold leaf.

With the classical architecture throughout the city, it was easy to see why people compare Vienna to other grand European capitals. There were also murals and figurines tucked onto buildings, waiting to be noticed as we wandered past. The central areas had plenty of shops, restaurants and food stalls too.

At one point, the smell of fried onions from a food stall caught our attention, and we ended up trying Viennese hot dogs. They were similar to the German ones. I ordered a cheese sausage served in a hollowed-out baguette. I enjoyed it so much that I managed to wear some of the sauce down my T-shirt for the rest of the afternoon.

We hadn’t realised the Danube wouldn’t be right in the centre of Vienna. We’d been by the Danube Canal, which is a more central branch of the river, and decided to walk across town to find the main river. It took us around 30–40 minutes, and for a while we weren’t quite sure we were heading in the right direction. Seeing the Prater amusement park made us feel more confident.

We stopped for breakfast at Prater, where there wasn’t much going on beyond a few cafés serving traditional table service. After breakfast, we finally reached the Danube. The sheer size of it was striking. We took a break on the concrete bank, watching the river cruise boats pass and moor up. Seeing them in real life made me think I’d quite like to try a river cruise. Shortly afterwards, we took a taxi back to the Innere Stadt to save our legs.

St Stephen’s Cathedral

The cathedral is a focal point in the central district, standing beside a pedestrianised square. Looking up, we got a Viennese surprise: the Gothic stonework and mosaic-tiled roof were a complete masterpiece.

You can enter the cathedral’s entrance area for free, but there’s an extra cost to explore further inside. We decided to go in, and there was plenty to see. The pillars were some of the tallest I’d ever seen in a church. I especially liked the staircase spiralling around a pillar up to a preaching gallery. The intricate stone carvings must have taken a huge amount of skill and time.

Standing further inside, I noticed sunlight streaming through the side windows. It felt like a moment worth taking in, in what was an exceptional space.

Hofburg

The Hofburg is a huge castle complex in the centre of the city and a popular spot with visitors. At the end of a shopping street, it seemed to appear out of nowhere. The front of the building has good spots for photos and somewhere to stop and take it all in.

Through the entrance gates, you can look up at the impressive dome. The paths lead into inner courtyards and park areas, where it’s easy to imagine the Habsburgs going about their daily court life. We didn’t buy tickets for the museums on this visit, but found out that you can visit the chapel for free.

One morning, I woke up around 5 a.m. and decided to head out for a solo wander while everyone else was asleep. I wanted another look around the Hofburg and enjoyed exploring the grounds and parks before the city woke up.

Across the park, I spotted a tall spire that looked important. When I reached it, I realised it was Vienna City Hall, an impressive Gothic building. Next door was the Austrian Parliament, with its white Neoclassical facade. On the way back to the hotel, I passed the Vienna State Opera too—a bonus stop on my walk.

Schönbrunn Palace

We took the Metro to Schönbrunn. The fare was reasonable, and the journey took around 30–40 minutes. As we arrived at the gates, it became clear we were visiting one of Europe’s grandest buildings.

My friend told me that his grandparents had first met at the palace gates, which gave the visit an extra-special meaning. The front courtyard was enormous, with a direct view of the palace entrance and its twin staircases.

The grounds and gardens were extensive, with plenty of individual features to discover. We spent a couple of hours wandering around, taking it all in and stopping for photos. The Gloriette, on top of the hill in the distance, looked too far away to walk to in the hot sun. Instead, we opted for an ice cream and spent some time near the closer Neptune Fountain, enjoying the water and our surroundings.

Good to know

• Plan how you’ll get to the Danube before setting off. It isn’t right in the city centre.

  
  

• Most supermarkets close at 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and many don’t open again until Monday. We found one that stayed open a little later, but be prepared to walk around to find one.

  
  

• Much of the city is very walkable if you’re staying in the centre.

  
  

• I had a delicious chicken schnitzel at a restaurant one afternoon, and it turned out to be one of my favourite meals of the trip. I hadn’t expected to find a chicken version, as most of the schnitzel I saw in Vienna was pork.

  
  

So, how did Vienna score?

· Things to do — 9/10: Grand architecture, historic sights, palaces and gardens gave us plenty to explore, even over a short stay.

· Getting around — 9/10: The central area is very walkable, and public transport made it easy to reach places further out, like Schönbrunn Palace.

· Food and drink — 8/10: We found plenty of choice, from Viennese hot dogs to a chicken schnitzel that became one of my favourite meals of the trip.

· Value for money — 8/10: Our hotel and flights came to around £550–£650 for two, and the central hotel was a good standard for the price.

· Overall experience — 9/10: Vienna lived up to our expectations, with beautiful architecture, plenty of history and a relaxed long-weekend feel. We’d happily return.

What would I do differently?

We’d plan our days a little better to make more of our time in the city.

We also should have booked breakfast at the hotel. It would have saved us some time faffing about in the mornings.

Would I visit Vienna again?

Yes, definitely. There’s a lot to see and do, and we’d like to go back for another long weekend at some point.

What made me laugh

• My neck giving up after a day of constantly looking up at Vienna’s grand buildings.

• Standing outside the “Ohh Vienna” gift shop and thinking of the Ultravox song with the same name. I couldn’t get it out of my head for the next hour.

  
  

Favourite thing

I loved heading out for an early-morning wander before the day began. It was great to see a different side of the city and stumble across other points of interest along the way.

“The mosaic roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral will always remind me of my LOTR Rivendell Lego set—and of our time in Vienna.”