From Budapest, I arrived in Vienna mid-afternoon and was only able to give myself 2.5 days in the city. However, it definitely deserved more time and I will be going back!

Vienna is a beautiful, classic city that has so much history, so many educational institutions, and places of historical significance. I was in awe when I arrived in the huge, well-organized but busy Vienna Central Train station after a 1 hour train ride from Bratislava. My hotel was a 5-minute walk from the station, so I checked in first and then I was on my way to the first stop!

1. Vienna Evening Walking tour– Like I’ve said before, these free walking tours are my favorite way to get to know the city better! We passed by beautiful palaces, the national library and important sculptures. One of the sculptures that stood out was one of Jewish man cleaning the street, which is what they were forced to do around WWII. The Nazis rounded up the Viennese Jews near the main plaza and forced them to start cleaning the streets. After such humiliation, many were shot dead on the spot. It was a humbling sculpture.

The guide explained that we can usually enter the Vienna national liary for a fee but it was closed until after my stay because they were currently shooting a Hollywood film there 😦 Overall, the tour lasted for 2.5 hours and it ended at the gorgeous St. Stephen’s cathedral.

2. Dinner at L’ Osteria: I’ve dined at this Italian restaurant franchise when I visited Germany before and the Austrian version did not disappoint! They are known for their pizzas and pastas and this one was conveniently located right by the Vienna Central station.

Day 2

3. Belvedere palace: One of Austria’s prized gems, the Belvedere palace houses amazing art pieces. I chose to visit the Upper Belvedere (there’s a lower one too) because many travelers online recommended that it was more worth the time and money compared to the lower Belvedere as it contains more art pieces. One of the most famous ones was “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt, which was really a cool sight to see in person. If you’re a Monet aficionado, you can see some of his paintings here too.

4. Cafe Frauenhuber: If you come to Vienna and you don’t have the infamous sachertorte and coffee with an apathetic waiter serving you, did you really come here? Coffee and cafe is a Viennese tradition! This cafe has existed since 1824 and it definitely has the old time-y feel with waiters dressed up in tuxedos. I had the Einspanner coffee with my sachertorte (chocolate cake), which is espresso, milk and whipped cream. It was such a great afternoon treat!

Day 3

5. Schonbrunn Palace– This UNESCO Heritage site is huge and consists of tours of the inside rooms of the palace that was the Hapsburgs’ summer residence. The history of the palace and its gardens spans over 300 years. I chose to book the “Grand Tour,” which cost about 32 euros and came with an English audio guide that explained the significance of each room. The architecture and decor are absolutely gorgeous and I love that the Hapsburgs drew their inspiration from other cultures because some rooms have East and South Asian motifs.

6. Schnitzel for lunch: Austria and Germany have this infamous meal in common. Schnitzel consists of simple breaded meat—either pork or chicken usually devoured with a pint of local beer. I went to a nearby cafe to have some schnitzel but honestly you can’t go wrong with any place you pick because it’s such a well-known traditional meal!

7. St. Stephen’s Cathedral: Entering the cathedral and having a look around is completely free, so I decided to do just that! It’s known for its tour of the catacombs, but I was honestly fine to check out the interior of the church. The high ceilings and dark, gothic architecture made it stand out compared to other cathedrals I’ve visited before.

8. Vienna Jewish museum: There are two different locations to this museum and one ticket can be used for both admission tickets. Adult admission ticket is 15 euros, and although both museums were small, I truly enjoyed the artifacts and historical explanations of the Jewish history in Vienna and in Europe in general. I’ve always enjoyed learning more about different cultures and museums like these always satisfy that yearning!

9. Language exchange and social meetup: I love the Meetup app because it helps me meet other travelers and locals at cool events/venues. I went to this social that was held at a quirky hostel located above the IKEA. I met travelers, students and working adults from Iran, Egypt, Norway and Turkey. It made me realize how much of an international city Vienna truly was!

I really enjoyed my time in Vienna more than I thought I would. The food could’ve been better (haha!) but the architecture, the history, and the art blew my mind. I would revisit Vienna in a heartbeat and hope that I can visit the National Library next time 🙂 I highly recommend this classy, European city for your next adventure!