Hannah Goodwin
The Vienna International Centre, entrance to the UN Headquarters in Austria.
Picture this: you meet a Finnish peace negotiator at a professional conference in Andorra. She offers you–free of charge–her apartment in Vienna, Austria, should you end up there in August, when she will be out of town.
Only three months later, you are in Vienna, in the woman’s beautiful apartment, wistfully gazing out from the balcony onto the lush, green courtyard it overlooks. You have a week in the City of Dreams and an unusually large budget for activities (you aren’t paying for a hotel, after all).
This was my bizarre and wonderful reality. Humming Billy Joel’s “Vienna,” I pulled out my laptop and booked an assortment of excursions. Here are my highlights of Vienna:
Schönbrunn Palace (and Zoo!)
From what I understand, not visiting the Schönbrunn Palace while in Vienna is like not visiting the Colosseum while in Rome. The first full day of my visit, I got up at 7 am to enter the awe-inspiring palace right at opening time–necessary, as this is one of the city’s most popular attractions. Admission is, admittedly, very expensive at 34€. However, I visited with the Vienna Pass, which I used to enter multiple sites and ultimately got my money’s worth.
Wandering through the gaudy hallways, you learn about the history of the building and the former royals (including the very complex Empress Sisi). It was a delight to study the baroque frescoes that sprawled across the building’s high ceilings, depicting gods and goddesses, men and women alike.
After touring the interior, I meandered to the palace’s ‘backyard,’ that is, the grand Schönbrunn Gardens. Incidentally, I discovered that the paths lead directly to the Schönbrunn Zoo, home to an impressive variety of animals. With the entrance fee covered by my Vienna Pass, I decided to do a quick detour to say “hi” to polar bears, penguins, giraffes, capybaras, and other critters.
Kunsthistorisches Museum
While I came for the paintings, I stayed for the architecture. The Kunsthistorisches Museum displays impressive work from the likes of Bruegel to Caravaggio. There is also a reasonably priced and beautifully located cafe–right in the structure’s principal rotunda–where I had lunch. The gift shop is also particularly wonderful. I bought myself a high-quality necklace inspired by the Art Nouveau movement for only 50€! My favorite artwork was “Summer” by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, one of four in a series of paintings by the artist. If you go to one museum in Vienna, it has to be this one.
Austrian Parliament Building
I was pleasantly surprised by this experience! The Austrian Parliament offers free guided tours (in English and German) of the imposing building, and it is certainly worth your time. Coming from the United States, I was most struck by the country’s approach to politics. The Parliament encourages everyday citizens to explore the building and speak freely with their Members of Parliament on issues of concern. The building even has an “agora” to encourage discussion and a restaurant/cafe, open to the public for dining!
My favorite part of the tour was visiting the Federal Assembly Hall. While once the main meeting room for the House of Deputies of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, it is now reserved for special events, such as the inauguration of the Federal President. Gorgeous, ornate, and wonderfully designed, the Austrian Parliament Building is breathtaking, to be sure.
Cafe Sperl
Cafe Sperl is a pleasant cafe tucked away near Vienna’s Museum District. I ordered the beef goulash as my main course, with “sachertorte” and a caffe latte for dessert. The service was good, the meal was affordable, and the place wasn’t too busy, despite my going at peak lunch hour! I do wish I had tried the Sperl torte, the house specialty, as my dessert instead.
The United Nations Headquarters
As someone pursuing a career in international relations, visiting the UN Headquarters was so fascinating. In Vienna, the UN has offices dedicated to atomic energy, drugs and crime, outer space affairs, and other focus points. The guided tour took us through the main buildings and walkways, where I noticed that the premise is decorated with meaningful works of art gifted by various countries, from Japan to Iran. While I was there, I even had the pleasure of briefly listening in on a conference!
Day Trip: Bratislava, Slovakia
While not technically in Vienna, I highly recommend a day trip to Bratislava if you have the time! There are many group tours you can take to the Slovak Republic’s capital; however, I went by Flixbus, which is easy and cheap.
I left Vienna around 10 am and arrived in Bratislava at 12 pm. I had lunch at Bratislava Flagship Restaurant, which was a wonderfully decorated, old-school tavern, before I hurried to my free walking tour, which started at 2pm. Sebastian, the tour guide, took us around the city’s highlights–past the UFO bridge, by the church, through the Old Town, and up to the castle–while giving recommendations for things to do and places to eat. I had to leave for the bus station almost immediately after the end of the tour, around 4:30 pm, but I highly recommend giving yourself more time to explore the city on your own!
Conclusion
While I was unable to touch on all the wonderful sites Vienna has to offer, if I could only visit a few attractions, these would be them. Vienna is, without a doubt, an expensive city, so it is definitely important to choose your itinerary carefully: it is hard to see it all without breaking the bank. Of course, thanks to the kindness of a woman I knew for only three days, I had the privilege of exploring the Austrian capital’s streets without worrying about the price of accommodation. Regardless, Vienna is a must-see in Europe, and in my opinion, it has something for everyone who considers themself artsy–whether you love music, paintings, architecture, or another form of fine arts.