See Vienna with GetYourGuide
I hadn’t expected to like Vienna as much as I did. Most of what I knew about the city I had learned from The Illusionist with Edward Norton. I’m sure Vienna is thrilled to have that as their flagship ambassador. Nevertheless, my interest about this city has been stoked slowly for many years. Our arrival felt more like a dream coming true than I ever expected.
I’m going to jump right in and say that the first thing that stood out to me about Vienna was the food.
This was my first foray into the bold new world of pork knuckle. It’s much more appetizing than the name. That delicious looking tender pork, smooth bodied treat in the lower left is a game changer. You cut off a piece, dip it in mustard, and then dip that into a pot of fresh ground horseradish. Life changed. I also thought that I knew about wiener-schnitzel before this trip. How wrong I was. Wiener-schnitzel, for those of you who were as curious as we were, is a thin slice of pork that is deep-fried and served with a lemon wedge. It’s no doubt the inspiration for half of Mozart’s work.
Another big highlight for me was the tap water. I know it sounds odd but Vienna has some of the best (if not the very best) tap water in the world. Due to a brilliant bit of social engineering, all the water in Vienna is piped directly from springs in the Alps. You quite literally get mountain spring water, unadulterated, when ever you turn on your sink.
An interesting side note is that all coffee in Vienna is served with a small glass of water. This is a tradition of hospitality that dates back to the dawn of coffee in city. It’s also a nice way to brag about their water a little more.
The highlights of Vienna for me were:
The food, obviously.
The Prater. Sure, it’s an old theme park, but that’s just what gives it so much charm. This is one of the last places in the world that you can ride a burlap sack down a wooden slide. If you really want a memorable experience that you can’t get anywhere else, then put on your vintage frame of mind and take your sweetheart to the Prater. Snuggle up as you ride through the haunted house and try to win her a prize at the archery stand. Way too legit to miss.
The history is still alive. It doesn’t take long to realize that Vienna came out on top in the shuffle of European cities. It managed to modernize while keeping its charm and character. If castles, hot springs, dirndls, and all the decadent food you can dream of is your thing then make Vienna a priority.
Anybody else been to Vienna recently? We’d love to hear about it. We missed out on the royal hot spring spa at the near by castle, but we won’t make that mistake next time.
Psss…
We received a complimentary walking tour with Get Your Guide for an honest review and a shout out. Our opinion, as always, remains our own and unsullied.
Oh the food! Cracking up over the way you guys just go for it with the big pieces of meat! 😀
looks like a beautiful place to visit!
God this city is awesome. I missed the pork knuckle though. I just loved the coffee and cigarette culture.
vienna looks so delicious!
This post makes me VERY, VERY hungry
Ah Vienna, so beautiful! That Pork Knuckle looks delicious…must return soon. Oh and I forgot The Illusionist was filmed there.
Love the blog, Kind Regards, Si
ps. We would love to invite you to TheDepartureboard’s Most Travelled Club it’s FREE and fun! Details here: http://www.thedepartureboard.com/can-you-become-thedepartureboards-most-travelled-you-might-win-prizes A great opportunity to promote your site as well!
Love that they still have the old burlap sack….that is too fun! Love your face on the food highlight pic…I think that just says it all!
Vienna is so on my hit list – and you brought it up a lot of places! I mean it! Fab photos, guys!
I have been wanting to visit Vienna ever since seeing the movie “Before Sunrise” – loved your video tour too guys. Maybe I’ll make it there this summer.
Guys, I love Vienna for pretty much the same reasons: food, drinks and history. Two visits and I think may be I am due for another!
I’m with you – I didn’t think I’d love Vienna as much either when we first arrived. I love everything about that city especially the food!
I loved the food in Vienna! I’ve never had so many little cakes and tiny cups of espresso in my life. I still don’t think anywhere else makes a sachertorte nearly as good.
Vienna stands as one of the most beautiful places of the world. If you want to refresh your mind you can visit this wonderful city. It will leave you in awe because of the breathtaking sights it owns.
i think i’d enjoy Vienna a lot more had i done a tour with Get Your Guide too. looks like you guys had a blast.
I remember spedning a few days here as i cycled through Europe – Brings back happy memories, especially when it comes to the meat feasts!
I had been traveling to the Vienna, and was fortunate to enjoy many foods writing here. Hopefully next time I will be back to enjoy all.