Vienna

One of my favourite destinations on my recent Euro trip was Vienna, or Wien as the locals call it. I fell in love with the architecture, the regal palaces and the culture of this city in the heart of central Europe. Here’s what I saw on the first two days.

I fell in love with these twin buildings near the winter palace.

I’m wearing a purple leather jacket from DNA, purchased in Utrecht and a floral printed jersey dress from H&M.

Vienna is home to the world famous Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School, and I was upset I missed them… but all the more reason for another visit. These horse-drawn carriages are common in any city, but for some reason, they fit Vienna the most.

St. Stephen’s cathedral was a beautiful church, right around the corner from Mozart’s house which I unfortunately missed on this trip.

This library inside the University of Wien was so gorgeous! I loved the bookshelves on the second level as well.

Viennese coffee is world-famous. I love their cappuccinos and the unsweetened whipped cream. Even though it’s still bad for me, the creamy taste and texture is enough.

Schnitzels are a staple in Viennese cuisine, and this g-free version was grilled pork with ham and cheese on top. Even without bread crumbs it was tasty.

Manner wafers are all over town, and I indulged in some chocolate myself.

Of course, a visit to Vienna wouldn’t be complete without taking in some culture. I went with Nicole to the State Opera to see Tosca for her birthday! It was an impeccable performance in a stunning opera house.

We got standing room tickets for only four euros the day of the show. Be prepared to get scoffed at by stuffy old people, but it was definitely worth it.

Right around the corner from the opera is the famous Sacher Hotel with the Sacher cafe, which is where you can taste the original, overrated, Sacher Torte.

It’s a dry chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jelly, covered in chocolate. I couldn’t taste it this time, but I remember my father bringing home one of these cakes in a carefully-wrapped wooden box. It was dry then, and still dry now, but worth having.

A slice in the cafe is only 5 euros, but a box set will round out to 40 euros! The coffee is divine though, I regret not bringing home a tin.

This does exist. An opera by Mozart was playing. Since you have to pay for public restrooms in Europe anyways, why not have an experience!?

There are many parks in Vienna, where people can have picnics, walk their dogs and just lay in the sun in a field surrounded by stunning Baroque buildings.

The magnolia trees in bloom added some extra magic to the pastel-coloured city.

In the shopping streets, there was a strange street performer dancing to music.

Watch the video for yourself below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS1woxxGL0g

There are fountains and sculptures all over the city, but this modern work of art stands out against the neo-classical sculptures that are everywhere.

The Belvedere gallery was an old palace with the Prince’s apartments, but is now a gallery of Austrian art, and houses one of my favourite paintings, the Kiss by Gustav Klimt. Klimt’s work is all over the city in celebration of his 150th birthday.

The gardens were landscaped and will look even prettier in bloom.

Keep in mind this is only an art gallery… a post on a palace will be coming soon.

They even had Klimt torte! The Kiss was printed onto the icing and looked like a work of art on its own.