Three Days in Vienna Austria
Relax and enjoy!
Congratulations on your choice to visit Vienna, it’s truly one of the brightest stars in the jewel box of European cities. Rich in culture, it also has clean streets, robust public transit, museums, and parks, saying nothing of the shopping and culinary scene.
For better or for worse, Vienna was the last stop of our Austria trip, which also fell during an Austrian post-new year holiday (like our labor-day), in which all but just dining and medical services were closed. Our short stay, being further constrained by the holiday observation, we consolidated our activities into just a day and a half (due to our first day also being a travel day). That said, not being able to fill every moment of your time with activities doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Three Days in Vienna
We arrived in Vienna after dark and while the train station was not very far from our hotel, our google maps directions had us walk through a park that was not lit, making the walk feel much longer and more treacherous. It wasn’t until the next day when we realized how unnecessary this route had been, and the walking distance that the route had “saved” us, was shockingly minimal.
Day Two -
For our first full day, our options for activity were limited but also a welcome opportunity for alternative options. The hotel at which we were staying, for example, offered a day spa with all the premium options one would expect. My husband is never one to turn down a massage and opted to spend a few hours enjoying their treatments and amenities, while I, on the other hand, chose a different route. After making some inquiries, I discovered a bookstore at the train station we had arrived in the night before, was open despite the holiday, so I decided to make my way there in search of children’s books to add to my collection.
In addition to my book hunt, I also made it a point to stop at a restaurant to try one of the many desserts that Austria is famous for. That evening, we ventured out of our hotel and walked around the elaborately lit and still festively decorated central 1st District (Innere Stadt). The shops were all closed, but we were delighted to get sausages from one of the many semi-permanent würstel stands, which we enjoyed immensely. We were also thrilled to discover, that a holiday market that was operational next to St. Stephan’s Cathedral, where I was able to purchase a locally made beanie from one of the purveyors, which I happily donned, due to it being much colder in Vienna than it had been during the rest of our trip.
Day Three -
Being our final full day and our only day on which to visit any museums or shops, we decided to prioritize just three things. The first was a visit to the Sacher Hotel Cafe, to try the famous torte bearing their name, which I had been anticipating for the entirety of our trip. The second priority was a visit to the private apartments of the Hapsburg royal family at the Hofburg Palace (otherwise known as the Sisi museum). Lastly, it was a priority for Sam to find a pair of shoes not available in the United States, but also in his larger-than-average size, which eventually caused us to visit multiple shoe stores. Ultimately, completing each of these items filled our day to the brim, but fortunately, culminated in a lovely dinner at one of the excellent restaurants back at our hotel, followed by cocktails at a pop-up bar on the rooftop.
In Summary
Vienna was very cosmopolitan, elegant, and full of things we didn’t get the chance to see or do. Fortunately, Vienna is well located in terms of serving as a jumping-off point for visiting that region of Europe, so we can envision many reasons to visit again in the future. In general, this city is a MUST SEE!
