Travel stories | Vienna, Austria

Vienna! It’s my fourth visit to this wonderful city in Austria. I could easily live here forever. There is so much to do and whether you have 3 days or one month here are a few tips to help you enjoy this pretty city.
Where to stay | Airbnb continue to operate in Vienna but check their ‘how long can you stay’ policies. We lucked in as we had a long stay of 30 days. Our students found accommodation for 3-4 weeks that they could share or as a solo traveller. There are plenty of hotels to choose from. My go to for accommodation is: Plum Guide for special places to stay at. Another one I’ve yet to use is One Fine Stay (it’s a bit expensive but you may find just the perfect stay).
Where to eat | oh! my! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so many cakes and pastries! Vienna puts on a show when it comes to the best of the best.
If you are on a budget I’d recommend Felzl Bäckerei cafe. Don’t be put off by the ‘chain run’ business. It’s all made by hand in Vienna and they do a good flat white.
Want old world charm! We have a regular Cafe Wortner which has been going since 1880! You can order a very nice cake with tea and later in the evening a meal with German beers and wines.
Something outside of the city like an outdoor garden restaurant - then head to Stiftrestaurant Leopold which is located within the Klosterneuburg Monastery grounds. Be prepared that English is not their first language so you may need to do some friendly hand signals.
What to do | Okay, I’m a walker and can do up to 14,000 steps daily. I walk everywhere but Vienna is designed for you to jump on a bus, tram or train to get you to where you need to go. We get a monthly transport card and you must have it on you at all times. They have inspectors on a regular basis and no ticket means an on the spot fine.
Vienna, like most cities, is designed with districts. Our stay is in Margareten which is the 5th district. It’s a mix of hip, multicultural and working-class. In our street are former textiles buildings and wonderful facades of pastel colours through to red brick patterns. You can get closer in say first and 2nd districts but the cost naturally goes up for anything.
Shopping | I’m a lover of little boutique shops that you wouldn’t find back home. While there are malls here, I much prefer supporting smaller businesses who support artists and makers. Spittleberg is the perfect place for cute lanes, coffee houses / wine bars and fashion / art / design shops. It’s been described as a romantic village in the middle of the city (but literally a hidden gem as I didn’t know about it till this time). It’s behind the Museums Quartier and you have to let yourself go as it’s lots of little lane ways and one popular strip called Neubaugasse.
Go to the parks to cool down | We are here in the heatwave again! I’m not complaining but when it’s 30 degrees at 10am that’s hot! It’s not like that every day as we are expecting 20 next week. There are plenty of gardens to visit and I simply can’t list them all. Volksgarten for roses and Schönbrunn gardens for palaces, the zoo and a Japanese garden!
What to wear | I normally don’t suggest this but given the heat, I’d recommend to pack light, loose clothing. Bring a wide scarf and broad brim hat to protect you from the sun - white is best as black absorbs the heat. Sunscreen is a no-brainer. I bought this fabulous firming mist toner which is small and handbag size perfect. When I was feeling the heat, I’d spritz this all over and it truly was a life saver! Also put in a nice evening outfit in case you go to the opera or orchestra. The Viennese dress very well.
Hidden Gems | I thought I had seen quite a few galleries each time I came to Vienna. Guess what! There were two we had completely missed and I can highly recommend visiting the Moebelmuseum Wien (Furniture museum) and Heidi Horton Collection. The first has a mix of furniture and objects from the Hasburgs and at 165,000 exhibits it’s one of the world’s largest furniture collections. They also have changing special exhibitions and we lucked in with 20th and 21st century furniture by well known designers.
Anne xx

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