This past week Brian’s brother and his fiance (about to be sista #4 woot woot) visited us in Brno and then graciously let me intrude on their romantic Euro trip 2K17. It was sooo refreshing having our people over here if even for a short while. It can get really lonely here, not knowing anyone, not speaking the language and not being able to build community. So it was a breath of fresh air to have a slice of home in Brno.
After visiting cafes, castles and the weirdest yet coolest bar we’ve ever been to where the menu was a bunch of toys and my drink came in a baby bottle (but that’s for another post) to Vienna the 3 amigos went.
I didn’t know what to expect out of Vienna, but it ended up being a really nice city! If you’re in the market for designer shops, fancy stores, and some dang good wurst, Vienna is your spot. We were only here for 1.5 days, and according to our cab driver, you can’t even scratch the surface of this city in that amount of time! But I thought we did a pretty decent job, and was the perfect amount of time for me. If you’re ever in the area, here are a few tips on eats, to-do’s and getting around! Shout out to our cousin Kenneth for some of the recs!
Eats:
1) The best street meat stand in Vienna- Bitzinger. Don’t be intimidated by the line, there was one every time we walked by! It goes super fast, and is something that I always see as a good sign when picking where to eat
They have a plethora of different types of wurst, wrapped in baguettes accompanied by a side of pretzels and beer. Totally felt like a local after this meal.
2) Demel Cafe- one of the oldest cafes in Vienna, you are greeted by a window full of gorgeous cakes, enter into a glamorous entrance with even more cakes and pastries, walk through the bakery, and seated at a table with a view of the magic being made.
Only to be followed by a delicious breakfast, followed by an even more delicious dessert of your choice (Apfelstrudel is a local favorite). I can totally get down with making dessert after breakfast a thing.
3) Palmenhaus– a cafe seated right next to the grand library of Vienna, the inside is like a greenhouse and the cappucinos are heavenly and strong. Everything you could want in a cafe to get you through the rest of the day exploring.
4) 1516 Brewing Company– This brewery goes down as having the best beer I have ever had, the 1516 Shandy. I’m not being melodramatic it was THAT good (probably because it tasted more like lemonade than beer, but hey, to each his own).
To-Do’s:
Schonbrunn Palace– This place was unreal. To think that someone actually lived in this expansive palace with over 1,000 rooms is crazy. Dude must have had tons of friends.
The ground of the palace was stunning, full of beautiful, well kept gardens and trees surrounding this expansive home. Walk to the top of the hill for a view of Vienna and to experience the grandiose of the palace. You can pay € 25 to go inside, but we opted out of that for this visit.
Top of Danube Tower– The tallest building in all of Vienna, the Danube Tower is across the river and provides a beauteous view of the whole city. Go to the top for € 9.90 where there is an observation platform, a cafe and a restaurant.
In addition to walking around aimlessly, that was all we really had time for before catching our train to Italia!
How to get around:
From the bus station, we got a uber to our Air BnB because we hadn’t yet figured out the metro system and were running a tad late. The rest of our time here we took the public transit, mostly trams and the underground subway. It was super easy to navigate using their ap, telling you exactly what to take to get from point A to point B. The only thing we had troubles with was figuring out which direction to get on the subway, but if you get on going the wrong way, it’s an easily fixable mistake. My favorite kinds of mistakes. We bought a 48 hour pass and definitely got our money’s worth as the city is fairly spread out.
From Vienna to Italy, we took an overnight OBB train. Word to the wise: DO NOT GET A COUCHETTE ROOM! I had a ticket for a couchette and much to my surprise I get there, and realized it is a tiny bunk room with 5 strangers. What I wanna know is how you all decide on a bedtime??? I didn’t stick around to find out. Chris and Kellen again coming in clutch, persuaded the conductor to pull out an extra bed and let me stay in their room. PRAISE for that cause things could have gotten real awkward with my stranger roomies.
I’ve been #blessed with my dad’s genes of being able to sleep anywhere at any time, so I slept superb on the tiny bed and moving train. If you are a light sleeper, buyer beware, you may not have such luck. Sleeping, getting dressed and eating breakfast in this closet of a room with 3 people was quite comical, but may have been one of my favorite parts of the trip! #mems
Auf wiedersehen, Vienna. Next stop: Italy!!!
