I Followed My Heart & It Led Me To The Airport | Travel Diary: Vienna, Austria

Did I hear someone say city trip? You can count me in! When it comes to traveling, I am always in because through traveling I learn the most about myself and get to relax at the same time. After New York last October, I was so ready to go somewhere new. So at the beginning of this year Lotte and I booked a trip together. Before we actually booked the trip, we had the (luxurious) problem of not knowing where to go. After some research (and personal stories of others) we decided our trip would go to Vienna, Austria! In this travel diary I share all about where I stayed, what I saw, where I ate and what I recommend in this beautiful city. Enjoy! ♥

➳ Where I stayed

While we were in Vienna, Austria, Lotte and I stayed in K+K Hotel Maria Theresia. We found this hotel just by browsing through Expedia. We actually chose this hotel because it looked good (duh!), it was located nearby the U-bahn and Spittelberg (where it was in the centre of) looked very promising and interesting.

After traveling a big part of the morning, we were so glad when we finally arrived in K+K Hotel Maria Theresia. The staff greeted us nicely and we were able to stow our luggage until we got to check in. After exploring Vienna for a little bit, we came back to the hotel and got the key to our room. We thought it was very thoughtful and fancy that they actually brought our bags to the room. The room was pretty big, with a nice view (the room was at the front of the hotel) and a large bathroom. There was also so much space to store our luggage and clothes (which is always a big plus). Definitely a good hotel to stay when you want to explore all parts of Vienna, Austria.

➳ What I saw

First things first, Vienna has so much to offer. So many different sights, beautiful buildings and unique places. Upon our arrival in Vienna (and when we found our hotel), we started walking towards the city center and that’s when we found MuseumsQuartier. I didn’t know this at first, but MuseumsQuartier is over 90,000m2 and encompassing 60 cultural institutions. Oh, and it is one of the largest districts for contemporary art and culture in the world. We didn’t spend much time there, but the museums already looked very interesting from the outside, so I can’t imagine from the inside.

One of the biggest (and most well-known) sights in Vienna has to be Hofburg. You might not think it but it’s actually a palace. I really got palace vibes because of all of the horse carriages. Downside to many horse carriages: horse shit haha. It was smelling so bad… Anyways, the palace itself is really beautiful and in it is also located the Spanische Reitschule (hence the many horses around Hofburg). A bit random to add this in here, but I am very happy with the photos I got at Hofburg and I can’t wait to see the analog photos I took. While walking into the shopping streets, away from Hofburg, we stubbled upon St. Peterskirche and actually entered the church. The inside is so beautiful (as you can tell from the photos above). Like we always do, Lotte and I burned a candle for everyone who needs it and our loved ones. Then we also walked a bit further and ended up at Stephansplatz with the huge Stephansdom in the middle of it, which we also entered.

The architecture of the buildings in Vienna reminded me a lot of Paris. Sometimes we would walk in a random street and I would feel like it was in Paris. So weird! Anyways, if you’re into crazy architecture, visit the Hundertwasserhaus. The Hundertwasserhaus is a colorful apartment building built after the idea and concept of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (where the name comes from). It looks really unique and feels like a street out of an old animated movie.

Just outside the city center of Vienna, Austria is Schloß Schönbrunn. We divided our trip to Schloß Schönbrunn over two days. If you plan on visiting Schloß Schönbrunn as well, I would recommend getting the Classic Pass Plus ticket, because this includes: Grand Tour of the Palace, Zoo, Privy Garden, Maze & Labyrinth, Orangery Garden and Gloriette. On the first day (Tuesday) we took the Grand Tour through a part of the palace and we also went to the Zoo (Tiergarten). On the second day (Wednesday) we mainly walked through all the different gardens and discovered a lot of beautiful photo spots. Even though it’s an uphill hike, you must climb to Gloriette because this is where you get a stunning view over Schloß Schönbrunn and the whole city of Vienna.

Another church Lotte and I saw was Karlskirche. At first, when we left the metro station, we didn’t see the church quiet yet. But after walking across Resselpark Karlskirche couldn’t be missed. Karlskirche is such an impressive church. Lucky for us, the sun was shining bright and beautifully upon the church so the golden details were definitely visible.

If you think of Vienna, you think of the Wiener Staatsoper (or Vienna State Opera). Wiener Staatsoper is seen as one of the best opera houses in the world. Outside of the opera so many people are selling tickets to performances. When I return to Vienna, Austria, I definitely want the full experience and go to a performance in the Wiener Staatsoper.

One thing I love to do in a city I don’t know is get croissants and something to drink and go to a park in the center of the city. For example, Lotte and I went to Stadtpark in the morning, just sat down on a bench and had our freshly bought breakfast. It’s so much fun to watch people, tourists or just locals. Besides that, Stadtpark is the biggest park area in the center of the city. In Stadtpark you’ll find more than just grass and trees, like the Kursalon and many monuments. There’s another park/garden you must visit: Volksgarten. All of the flowers in the park make it so colorful. It’s located near Hofburg, so take a little of a detour and take a walk through Volksgarten.

➳ Where I ate

On holiday it can be hard to find food places that are actually good. Well, if you’re going to Vienna, Austria, I’ve got you covered! Lotte and I discovered so many food places you need to try.

Sacher Cafe | Philharmoniker Str. 4, Vienna

When you go to Vienna, there’s one thing you have to try: Sacher Torte. Everyone I talked to before leaving on this holiday told me about their signature Sacher Torte. I have to be honest. I am not a big chocolate cake fan, so Lotte went for the Sacher Torte and I got the Apfelstrudel. Besides the very tasty cakes, it’s a total experience to sit in the beautiful Sacher Cafe. Btw, the bathroom is pink so even if you don’t have to go, just go in there and see…

Erich | Neustiftgasse 27, Vienna

On our first morning in Vienna, we still needed to get some breakfast, so we walked around Spittelberg and ended up sitting down at the terrace of Erich. Here we had a crazy breakfast. I got the plait in the photos underneath with a croissant, bread sticks, a lot of different jams and so much more. As you can see, Lotte of course got avocado toast, which also looked very good so definitely a place to consider in Vienna.

Amerlingbeisl | Stiftgasse 8, Vienna

If I had to choose one place I loved the most, it has to be Amerlingbeisl. Oh my… Beforehand I had looked up some places in our area but I also love to browse through Google Maps and see what restaurant are near us. Thank god for that feature because that’s how I found this amazing spot. The garden is magical. Plants everywhere, cute umbrellas and lights. It’s just breathtaking. Besides the spot itself being cute, the food was delicious and inexpensive as well. I give it… ☆☆☆☆☆!

Sneak in | Siebensterngasse 12, Vienna

Sneak In was literally around the corner of our hotel and we had walked past a couple of times. I was very interested to see what it was like, so on our last morning, we had a lovely breakfast there. It’s a combination of a concept store and food place at the same time. The homemade ice teas are not only great to look at, they are very tasty. My french toast was so delicious and Lotte enjoyed the sandwich she got (with avocado of course) as well.

➳ What I recommend

I know, I know. I have already mentioned so much in this travel diary BUT there are a couple more places or things I want to recommend. Do you want to the best view of the Wiener Staatsoper? Go to Albertinaplatz. From here you’ll have a stunning view of the Wiener Staatsoper and of course get to take a cute Instagram photo (wink wink). Whenever I was looking for places to go in Vienna, Austria on Instagram, Palmenhaus would always pop up. Palmenhaus is a café, brasserie and bar in a greenhouse. As everyone knows, I LOVE plants so this place was the place to be for me. This is also a very photogenic location (I mean, just look at the photos below) and they have a very tasty Apfelstrudel here.

What’s the ultimate must when you’re going to Vienna? Well, for me that has to be to get the Vienna City Card. With the Vienna City Card you are able to use all options of public transport for 24, 48 or 72 hours AND you also get discounts when buying tickets for different sights. Since we bought the Vienna City Card beforehand, we were ready to use it on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (for 72 hours) during our trip. Btw, if you need a cheap and good option to get from the airport to the city center (and the other way around), consider the Vienna Airport Lines. It’s only 13 euros for a return ticket (!) and there are many different bus stops throughout Vienna to get on or off the bus.

So, that’s it. That rounds up my trip to Vienna, Austria. When Lotte and I first came up with this location for our city trip, I didn’t know what to expect. I actually thought of this location because I found old video clips of my grandma and grandpa while they were in Vienna. These videos were so funny. Them walking around Hofburg and my grandpa complaining about the smell (sounds like my family right). Them sitting at Sacher Cafe and enjoying their Sacher Torte. So funny how I was just exploring the same city as them so many years ago. As you are probably able to tell from this travel diary, it was a very successful city trip and I bet you’ll also love Vienna. Have you ever been to Vienna? Or are you planning on visiting Vienna soon?

Love,

Neeltje