Already in the stone age people settled on the banks on the Danube and started what woud later on become one of the most beautiful capitals of the world. The Capital of Austria is a City littered with history and packed with fine arts and music. To say that Vienna in itself is a museum is not completely wrong. From The Habsburghe emperor days, to composers like Mozart and Beethoven and modern musicians like Midge Ure from ultravox, Vienna has inspired and housed artists.
We are used to seeing concerts January 1 from Vienna, focusing on classical music and always keeping tradition playing Strauss, both the younger and the older.
A keyword when you visit Vienna is tradition, they are very careful to always keep tradition, whether you are talking food, music, wine or coffee, they love their coffee in Vienna and many small bars and pubs serve coffee, Vienna actually has a long history with coffee dating back to the 1683.
Coffee houses like Café Braunerhof, Café Landtman or Café Hawelka are worth a visit, here you can feel the coffee history and enjoy a really good cup of coffee, and along with that a sachertorte, a traditional cake from Vienna and Austria.
Food and wine also has a special place in the capital, actually it is the only capital in the world that has wine production within city limits, a short trip by bus or train to the 16 or the 19 district and you will see something you will not see anywhere else in the world. When you visit a vinery and they all take in visitors, you will be able to buy food from a buffet and sparkling white wine to drink and you just sit outdoors and eat pork and drink white wine and water and let stress and everyday life behind. How many of us would not enjoy a day where we relax, drink wine, and sit in nature and do nothing.
Vienna has many small restaurants, many of them serve the traditional Wiener Schnitzel, but many make it from pork, if you want the real deal made from veal, you should try and go to Plachutta’s “Gasthaus our Oper” in Walfischstrasse 5-7, it is where the locals go to eat a real wiener schnitzel and enjoy themselves, the price is higher but it is certainly worth the extra money.
We already mentioned that Vienna is a city of tradition and there are many traditional places to see, like Schönbrunner Castle and surrounding gardens, the many churches and museums for art and music and of course the opera houses. But there are many other sights not usually so crowded, like the museum of Sigmund Freud and a walk through the Jewish part of Vienna, se the historical buildings and museums.
A visit to the Spanish equestrian school in Vienna is something that not only people fond of horses will enjoy, it is a perfect way to spend a day and you will not find horses so skilled anywhere else in the world.
In Vienna you can find history everywhere and a walk in the old part of town is a sight you should take time to do, the many old houses, narrow streets, parks and boulevards all paint a picture of an old city with a rich history.
We briefly brushed music and fine arts, but we have to mention it again. If there is something Vienna is known for it is music, many classical musicians have lived in Vienna and We all know Wienersængerknabben, the boy`s quire famous all over the world. Vienna has some of the finest symphony orchestras in the world and an opera house where the biggest stars come to sing.
Vienna has many museums and the Museumquartier Vienna has one of the largest complexes of art and recreation gathered in a small area, more than 70 cultural sights packed under one roof.
Vienna has one of the finest museums for art and natural history in the world, but also a museum for Schnaps and other fun traditional things. A common thread is that many of the museums is located in old buildings and castles and many of these buildings are in themselves a piece of art.
If you want to go shopping in Vienna, you will find many international chains on the big boulevards, but if you stray from those boulevards you will find the real Vienna, the many small shops where you can buy more traditional local art and food. Vienna has every year a food and wine festival, if you are near Vienna when it happens it is most certainly worth a visit.
If you are looking to combine fine arts with food, many of the big museums and other sights has food combined with classical music, like a four course dinner with the music of Mozart to keep you happy, often held at the castles and other historical places.
If you are looking for an active nightlife you can find it in Vienna, but it is not what Vienna is best known for. There are bars and clubs where you can party all night and you will easily find a place where you can listen to jazz and music, but if you are looking for a city of party we would not recommend Vienna.
Hotels in Vienna range from very cheap to pricy, but you can easily find a good bed and breakfast where you can stay at a reasonable price. Food and drink in Vienna is not expensive compared to many other capitols around Europe. If you compare what Vienna has to offer compared to price, Vienna is a perfect as a weekend stop or a longer vacation whatever you prefer.
