2 days in Vienna
Vienna was the second to last stop on our whirlwind Europe trip in the Spring. We really wanted to go (especially since it’s just a two hour train ride from Budapest, another stop), but could only spare two days. And we had a toddler with us, so we really had to prioritize!
Here are the main things we did and saw!
Hotel:
Hotel Imperial, a Luxury Collection Hotel - I can’t say enough good things. There’s no way I’d stay anywhere else in Vienna after this. I have status with SPG/Marriott, so they upgraded us to a huge suite once they saw the crib request (they thought it’d be nice for us to have more room with a baby - um, yes please). They had a pile of fresh apples in the room, baby toiletries, and a backpack that lit our daughter on fire, she was so excited. They brought up a carton of milk for her ON A SLIVER TRAY. We had two little balconies with great views of the rooftops and a massive marble tub to bathe her. There’s also a Michelin star restaurant on site, which we took advantage of twice - Opus. Fairly affordable for a restaurant of that stature with DELICIOUS gourmet food and great service. I could literally visit Vienna and not leave this hotel.
Now for things outside of that lovely former palace of a hotel...
St. Stephen’s Cathdral - in the center of town, the church is very impressive, as most huge cathedrals are. What set it apart for me, however, was a tip I got to turn left inside and look for the little door with a sign to go up to the roof. For a small free, ride the elevators up and take in the unique roof tile design up close, as well as views of all Vienna. We thoroughly enjoyed this!
We did lots of walking around the old town/city center - there’s the imperial palace, horse drawn carriages, tons of shopping, and cafés. This is the majority of what we did, just wandering and taking in the town.
Two cafés of note that we tried:
Cafe Sacher - we tried the Sacher torte here with a glass of champagne. It was low key, the cake was good, and there was great people watching, since the cafe is on a corner
Cafe Demel - I guess this cafe is more “impressive” with the dramatic ceilings and it’s huge. However, the food was eh, the service sub par, and it’s very loud and impersonal; I would not return
Vienna Naschmarkt - really long market that’s fun to stroll through (and maybe get some food to taste).
Bier and Bierli - we stumbled upon this place for lunch and it’s basically the world of beer! Tons to choose from and we had some really good schnitzel and goulash - really yummy Viennese food on a cold day
Things we skipped, due to time constraints/having a toddler :
Taking in a show at the Vienna Opera and/or attending a Viennese ball
Heading out to Schonbrunn Palace - I know this is a must do, so next time!
It was March, so there weren’t Christmas markets, but I hear they are great there
Have you been? What were your favorite things you did??
