The Dutch people make light of the fact that we spent 8 days in three wonderful cities, approximately 2.5 days in each. The Dutch say that we are typical Americans, breezing through several fantastic places in a short amount of time. It is true that we only scratched the surface of each city, and we are fine with that. We still saw the main sites and felt the vibe of each place.
We flew to Vienna, Austria first. We took a train from there to Zurich, Switzerland. And to cap off the trip, we flew to Venice.
I have so many pictures and so much to say about each place that I decided to document the vacation in three posts. This post will cover Vienna, Austria.
Introduction to Vienna
We used a tour company to plan our trips to Vienna and Zurich. We really had no idea where to start. The tour company booked our hotels and scheduled our excursions.
Vienna speaks mostly German, but of course they get a little of the other major languages there too. Some French, some Italian, some English.
This major city is known for its musical influence on the world. Vienna was home to Beethoven and Mozart, and still focuses on vocal and instrumental greatness. The world famous Vienna Opera House sits proudly in the heart of downtown.
Vienna was also home to the Habsburg Empire, the family of rulers from approx. 1270-1918. Also known as the Holy Roman Empire, this dynasty controlled other countries around Austria, but chose to settle mainly in Vienna. There are two castles still in Vienna that were inhabited by the Habsburgs.
Vienna was greatly impacted by World War 2. The town was taken over by the Nazi’s in 1938, Jews were persecuted, and about 20% of the town was destroyed by bombs. The are several monuments in town to remember this difficult period in history.
Here are a few pictures of our quirky little hotel room. I really liked it. We checked ourselves into the room, which was different. We just punched our info into a computer on the ground floor, and it spit out a key. Interesting but fun.
View from the lobby. They got a snow dusting.
Night One- The Cafe Central
Some friends told us to visit one of the oldest restaurants in town, the Cafe Central. The building has changed purposes several times. I think it was first a bank and stock market. It later became a meeting place for intellectuals, politicians, artists and poets. For a time, it was known as a place for professional chess players to gather. A few famous names that visited this building over the years were Freud, Hitler, Stalin and artist Gustav Klimt. Today it serves as a beautiful restaurant for tourists and locals alike to enjoy. I am told there is always a line up outside.
We took a walk down town after dinner to see some of the old town nearby.
Franz Joseph I and SiSi, Emporer and Empress of Austria, 1854-1898
The salmon was excellent
Jeremy tried the schnitzel, which Vienna is known for. it was pressed very thin. He enjoyed it!
City Hall with an ice arena in front.
A historic Vienna theater.
Day Two- Bus Trip to Salzburg
Our first full day in Austria, we took a day trip by bus to Salzburg. This is the area where the Sound of Music movie was filmed. It also hosts a couple famous universities and is just plain beautiful to take in. The bus ride alone had majestic views!
The scenery on the bus ride to Salzburg was breathtaking.
These small towns, or maybe just residential areas are tucked into the mountains everywhere.
Mozarteum University. Specializes in music, drama, fine arts.
Mirabell Gardens
Mozart Museum
View of Salzburg. The structure on top of the hill is an old Roman Fortress.
Years ago, when most people couldn't read or write, they advertised store fronts with pictures and statues. They try to continue that idea today.
Mozart's birth place
Salzburg Theater
Salzburg Cathedral, opened 1628. Mozart was baptized here in 1756.
View of Salzburg from the Abbey
In Europe, we have often seen people roasting chestnuts on the street. We decided Salzburg is the place to try them. Pretty tasty!
Sound of Music Movie Sites
You may recognize some of these pictures from the Sound of Music movie. We watched it at home before we left on vacation, so it was fresh in our minds when we saw the familiar settings.
Maribell Palace. I believe Maria and the children are singing here on the front steps.
Entrance from Maribell Garden to Salzburg. You can see the Roman Fort again at the top of the hill.
Cemetery where the nuns hid the Van Trap family.
Front entrance of the Abbey.
This is where the children came looking for Maria.
This is where the Van Trap family drove the get away car after the nuns pulled parts from the Nazi cars to delay them.
Just inside the front gate of the Abbey.
The Abbey church. Maria wasn't married here, but there are scenes of the nuns praying here.
View of Salzburg from the Abbey.
Day Two- Old Town Vienna
The second full day in Vienna, we hit the highlights in the Center. We took a Hop On Hop Off bus around to the most famous places. And we stopped for coffee along the way.
Just a general pic of downtown architecture.
Schonbrunn Palace. Summer home of the Habsburgs. There is a zoo behind the palace that has been there for hundreds of years.
Museum Square
Museum Square again.
World famous Vienna Opera House
Sacher Hotel, known for their chocolate apricot cake, believe it or not. There was always a line of people outside this place.
Archduke Albrecht. I just like the statue.
This is Maria Theresa, the only female ruler in the Habsburg dynasty.
Votive Church
Wiener Riensenrad Ferris Wheel. Built in 1897. Once the world's tallest and survived WWII.
View of the Danube River from Vienna.
The Aida Cafe was all in pink! I enjoyed this unusual atmosphere! The staff's attitude didn't really match the cheery surroundings, but we didn't mind.
Aaaaaaannnnnd… that was our Vienna segment! It was chilly most of the time, upper 30s and mid 40s, but that added to the Austrian experience. I felt there was much more that could be explored, but I also felt that I got a good feel for the culture there. Vienna is very clean, bright and historical. It is so fun to experience a part of the world that thousands of other people call “every day life”.
I can’t say that Jeremy and I are fascinated by the arts, or by musical history, but Vienna definitely makes you want to know more about what they offer! They are proud and rightfully should be! It is such a neat town.
And the surrounding area, is gorgeous. The snow capped mountains had us captivated.
And as usual, thanks so much for taking an interest in our experiences here. I appreciate every reader. There will be two more posts on this 8 day trip, one that talks about Zurich, and one that talks about Venice. Take care everyone!
How amazing!! The Architecture is unbelievable!!
See you soon!! ❤️