48 HOURS IN VIENNA

I have never had such positive reactions from people than when I would tell them that I was going to Vienna. People would tilt their heads, affectionately sigh, and repeat the word back to me: Vienna. As if they were recalling the taste of a delicious chocolate cake or a fond memory of an old friend. When I finally made it to Vienna, I could see why people hold Austria’s capital in such high regard. Now I ADORE Paris, but this honestly felt like a cleaner, less crowded, wider-sidewalk version of it. If you were in Vienna for the first time and you only had two days, here is how I would spend them:

Day 1

Check into Hotel Am Parkring, where you can enjoy lovely views from your balcony. Start your day off on the right foot with breakfast at Café Landtmann. Café culture is quite celebrated in Vienna, so blend in with the locals by enjoying a newspaper and some coffee! (For further information about Viennese cafés, click on my article here!)

Then walk 15 minutes from the café to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Climb to the top of the South Tower to see a wonderful bird’s eye view of the city! Just a 10-minute walk away from the cathedral is Hofburg Palace. This building complex was once the imperial seat of the Habsburg dynasty, and now holds the Austrian National Library and the Sisi Museum (among other things). Spend time in these two spots until you get hungry. Head to lunch at Café Central to experience traditional Viennese cuisine at an even more traditional Viennese café!

Spend the rest of the afternoon wandering around parks like Volksgarten and Rathauspark. (Though if inclement weather occurs, perhaps an afternoon at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.) Finally, end the evening with dinner and a show, first at Huth Gastwirtschaft for dinner and then at the Vienna Opera House!

Day 2

Wake up the next morning for a day of palaces! But first, walk eight minutes from the hotel to Café Schwarzenberg for breakfast. Then take a leisurely 30-minute walk (or a six-minute cab ride) to Belvedere Palace, and spend the rest of the morning pretending to be a Habsburg royal (anytime between 1282 and 1918). Head back into the center of town for lunch at Weibel’s Wirtshaus and then dessert at Café Demel. Next head back out to another glorious site, the Schönbrunn Palace.

Grab an early-ish schnitzel dinner at Meissl & Schadn. This will allow you to have plenty of time to reach St. Anne’s Church to cap off the night with a bit of music. This baroque church specifically lends its acoustics to the rich sounds of classical music from the likes of Beethoven and Haydn, and while tickets should be purchased in advance, the seating is on a first come, first serve basis. Enjoy Vienna (and for more information on the specific sights mentioned in this article, click here)!

VIENNA MUST SEES