Austria: A city break in Vienna

Vienna is stunning. So a city break there is an excellent idea, especially if you love grand buildings. Though until you get there and see them for yourself, you're probably not going to comprehend exactly how grand and magnificent the buildings are. Seriously next level. Mooching and taking in all those lovely, historical buildings in Vienna is a must. 

How to get there and how to get around:
We came into Vienna from Bratislava (we flew to Budapest from London, took the train from there to Bratislava, then got an Uber from Bratislava to Vienna as there were four of us and it worked out easier than taking the bus). But there is an airport on the outskirts of the city, which we flew back from, if you're just going to Vienna. Flight time is around two hours from London. 

Must confess, when we went a bit further afield we just hopped in Ubers, which isn't really recommended as you'll be paying a premium price for them. So look into using the subway and trams. We did walk a lot as our hotel was in a good spot (museum quarter), and we also used electric scooters (both Lime and Voi), a first for me! They are an efficient and quick way to get around with the city's many cycle lanes. 

What to to do:
I've already told you about some musical things you can do in Austria's capital city, as well as some fun things, but here's everything else you should know about taking a city break in Vienna. Which, yes, is just everything else we did. First up, Schonbrunn Palace, once the summer residence of the imperial family of Austria. Which is not cheap if you want to go inside it, be warned. The gardens are free to mooch around though, and they are extensive if you don't manage to get tickets or decide not to pay the steep entry free (booking in advance a must). 

Next up, another palace: Hofburg Palace (pictured at the top of this post). We didn't go inside and view it, but we did mooch around outside, and also admire the grand buildings in this area. Hofburg Palace is historically significant as it's there on the balcony of the Neue Burg wing where Hitler declared Anschluss, which is when Austria became part of Nazi Germany. There's also the Spanish Riding School there, which is where they train Lipizzaner horses - you can also see them perform. And you'll find Burggarten, a lovely park. We had drinks a few times at Palmenhaus there and also mooched around the lovely gardens.

Finally, the Gothic Augustinian Church (Augustinerkirche) and Votive Church are two churches worth having a squiz at. The Augustinian Church is close to Hofburg and dates back to 1327 so worth popping into if you're exploring that area. But it's the neo-Gothic Votive Church that really is something else (pictured below). It's not as old as the Augustinian Church but it has two incredible towers and is full of really wonderful stained glass. 

Anything else? 
I've shared where to eat previously - really recommend Chinacy and their wontons and you, of course, have to have schnitzel at least once in Vienna. We stayed at Hotel Gilbert - aesthetically it had a good vibe but the hotel somehow felt a little off to me. x