Will I like Vienna?

I don’t want to be the Debbie downer when my spouse is enthused about the palaces and the food and the overall elegance Vienna offers.

I can almost guarantee your spouse will enjoy Vienna immensely based on your sentence. You may end up a Debbie Downer, but I have never met or heard anyone say they did not enjoy Vienna.

I'm sure parts of Vienna have a "vibe", not that I actually found one. However, I was in Venice, FL just yesterday and if you enjoyed Venice, FL, I am 100% positive Vienna will blow you away.

Enjoy

Budapest came to my mind after seeing your list.

To echo Carol NR Budapest was the first thing that came to my mind as well.

I really dont mean to sound harsh, but give the large plurality of the number of places you either dont like or are meh about, compared to the places you do like, I have no idea whether you will like Vienna or not. However, if you go having already decided you are predisposed to dislike it, then dislike it you will. Everyone is different in what does and does not appeal to them. For me, Vienna rates highly among my favorite large European cities. Whereas Rome, Bologna and Cambridge are far down my list.

Too perfect? How can a place be too perfect. Your husband will probably love Schonbrunn palace. The Kunsthistorisches Museums ranks up with the very best in Europe.And Austrian food can be delicious. Especially the desserts. I'm sure the RS Vienna guidebook would be full of ideas that might appeal to you. Our frequent poster Emily , who lives in Vienna has posted a couple of very interesting looking self-guided walks that I would really like to try. And if life there gets too quiet for you, spend a couple of evenings at a Heuriger.

I enjoyed Budapest also! It had the best food! Lots of scenic buildings! You are close enough to do Vienna, too! Best Chocolate Cake! I think you might be able to connect by boat on the Danube River? Or Train? Or Fly? Bon Voyage!

I was going to skip this thread for fear of sounding like a broken record.

Okay. 5 days Rome for the whole connecting with my spouse thing. 5 days Vienna cause he wants it. With some planning you might enjoy it too. 5 days Budapest because it matches what both of you are looking for.

Check the Rome discount flights and either do Rome, Vienna, or Budapest (i think best for uncovering the truth in layers) or Rome. Budspest, Vienna (cause I know there are convenient discount flights)

Vienna is one of my favorite cities, but we typically go there in Dec for the Xmas markets. You dislike some of my favorites like Florence & Portland ME, so I have no idea if you'll like Vienna. You are very fortunate to have visited so many places. I'd like to think you'll like it since it's important to your husband. Salzburg is also amazing in Austria.

Thank you all for all the replies and helpful suggestions. I am very blessed to have such a great spouse and to have traveled widely as a young woman. I agree my husband will probably like Vienna. He’s a classy guy . I may like it too but I had some reservations based on my reaction to Munich. The suggestion of adding Budapest is one I was leaning towards and it’s interesting so many people suggested it over Prague. I’ll not sure if we can swing 5 days in each of Rome, Vienna and Budapest as suggested— I still have to line up a budget and make sure the kids are cared for — if concessions must be made for time, where would you make concessions for time? 4 days each? Thank you again for your patience and attention to my questions. :-)

Vienna is all class. Budapest is class surrounded by "real:. Oh, you find 3 cities that i have lived in to be so-so. Hmmmmm

Sure 4 days each. You will find Budapest is pretty reasonable and Vienna a tad pricey. So they balance. See if any of this helps then post something on each country forum. Budapest Travel Notes (Information on what to see and do) it’s a pdf file but if you have trouble downloading it email me and I can send it to you: https://1drv.ms/b/c/c9f4c533eb93d92e/ES7Zk-szxfQggMnY3wIAAAABQl80AO6R6nr1YlP_JERIfQ?e=C9Xt7g Favorite Tourism Video of Budapest https://youtu.be/1nd5AtZIrTk?feature=shared Anthony Bourdain describing how visually pleasurable Budapest is https://youtu.be/0nd9DuDGCz0?si=aa0c19KaJHEtabkX Favorite Guidebook because its small and does the essentials DK Eyewitness Budapest Top 10 https://a.co/d/6JD82mf

I loved many of the cities in your "I don't care for" list and also loved Vienna. So Vienna may not be for you.

There are very few cities that we've visited that I flat out didn't like, and we have taken many trips to Europe, some for a month at a time. I feel like I do a lot of research in guidebooks, YouTube, forums, etc. I think I probably weed out places we won't like before we even start serious planning.

I would admit to not loving Athens and London. We did, however, like both and were happy we went. We will even return to London to hit some of the places we missed.

Sometimes we do have to travel somewhere that a spouse/partner has on their wishlist and go with a positive outlook. We are going to Australia in a few months for tennis. Its going to be hot. I struggle with hot. I love Europe and the architecture, I wouldn't have picked Australia, but its important to my spouse. Now, as I plan for our trip, I'm getting excited. It's a unique place, different from anywhere we've visited.

Some times I feel people dislike a place because they didn't spend enough time, or do much research. Sometimes, there are extenuating circumstances. Arriving in London in the rain on a day of a tube strike didn't do much for our first impression. But, we gave it a chance, and enjoyed our time.

I am actually afraid to provide any advice on whether you'd like Vienna. I don't know you and I don't know why you like or dislike any of these places. Maybe you have been so lucky as to have spent a lot of time in Europe that travel to Europe no longer feels like a treat? Maybe you need to start visiting another continent?

Sounds like you are concerned Vienna is too polished and elegant and you like places more lived in, perhaps gritty?? But you didn't like Naples or Catania?

For the record, I've been to Vienna twice, and liked it very much. The architecture, the churches, the elegance, the history, so many things to like. Not my favorite place for food, but we knew that before we traveled there.

The long lists of places you dislike and are meh about suggest that Vienna will not be to your liking. Not because of any qualities intrinsic to Vienna, but simply because it's clearly very rare that anyplace meets your favor.

I didn't like Boston either but see the importance of going there especially for its important role in US history.

Paris and Vienna are 2 of my 4 top cities in Europe, never tire of going back to either, which I do anyway. I would say Vienna can be described as perfect in some ways. My first couple of times visiting Vienna were in the 1970s , found Vienna depressing, gloomy, on my first visit in 1971. Depressing or not, I went back anyway in 1977...still had the same feeling...gloomy, depressing, both times solo in Sept.

It is an elegant city, a safe one too, has a feeling of gentility . If that's what you're after, it's there. I go all over using public transport, ie, a combination of the subway lines and the trams., no ride sharing, no taxis, no rental cars.

Numerous reasons I like Vienna, the cuisine, the haunting and fascinating history, (good, bad and the ugly if you're deep into that), the architecture, the linguistic aspect, the cultural sites, ie, what is shown, revealed and what is not, etc.

I suggest seeing Vienna .

Vienna is a very classy city--in the continental style. It is really the music city for Europe. Great palaces of the Hapsburgs--inside and on the edge of the city. Great art museums. On the other side, it is a great city for young bohemians with a thriving club scene.

My first trip was in 1970 when I was living in Innsbruck going to college. One glorious night, we ended up in a park with a full orchestra playing waltz music, and I remember all the people out on the dance floor. Another night we went spent the evening in one of the Grinzing wineries drinking massive amounts listening to a great Austrian style band. On the way home, the bus' radio played Porter Waggoner and Dolly Parton singing "Forty Miles to Poplar Bluff."

We have returned a few times over the years, and I know a great B&B to stay at--where Rick Steves used to stay.

We also very much enjoy Bratislava which is less than 40 miles from Vienna. And we also love Budapest--visiting a few times in recent years. Last time we were there was February, 2025.

I agree with Kim, from your list you probably won’t like Vienna. But, since it is important to your husband I would visit.
My husband is from Croatia. Over the years we have gone many times, taking friends and family. Since retirement we visit every year for at least one month. Our apartment is up north, not in a touristy city.
Do I want to visit every year for a month, no.
Do I go every year for a month, yes. In fact we are here now till October 25.
Does he sometimes make a second trip without me, yes.
Can I pass next year? I could but he would be disappointed.
Do I want to disappoint him, no.

Make your decision and just enjoy even if it is only through his eyes.

I used to love Vienna, but not so much after my recent visit (having not been there for 30 years). Gone were the cobblestone streets in the city centre, the MacDonalds and Starbucks certainly did not add anything to the charm. On two occasions I found the waiters (one at Demels) to be extremely rude, reminding me that in Vienna ‘tipping is expected’ and the taxi drivers outside of the train station were as sketchy as hell. However, the museums are lovely and there is still an old world charm to the place. We did the Hitler Historical Walking Tour, which we felt white washed Austria’s role in the war - probably only of interest to history buffs. Or you could do a wine tour to the Wachau Valley or a cruise on the Danube to Melk or Salzburg. After a few wines, most cities can have a certain charm

Emily here in Vienna.

I can only say that there is the Vienna that most tourists see that is shiny and pretty, and then there is the real side to Vienna. Vienna can be very gritty, very hip, very sporty, very festive and very drunk. I think there is a little for everyone here if you ask the right questions.

Hello again everyone and thank you each for the gift of your time and advice.

I tried to send each of you a private thank you, but after about 3 private messages, I was unable to send more today. Maybe tomorrow!

I appreciate the travel advice, as well as the general marriage advice from Barbara. Well taken, Barbara!

Until I went back into my profile to try to send thank yous, I had forgotten that last year I had asked the forums about spots in Europe that might have the same "vibe" as our honeymoon to Paris/Pays de Loire, which we both loved. Vienna was one of the suggestions (for all the suggestions, see, https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/italy-or-elsewhere-in-europe-with-a-parisian-or-pays-de-loire-vibe). This potential anniversary trip has been through several rough drafts. Part of embracing Vienna means letting go of other destinations considered.

I'm confident I will find experiences to enjoy while in Vienna. At a minimum, I like coffee, cake, museums, and homes/palaces that showcase the lifestyles of the formerly rich and famous, just like my spouse. Even if I don't fall in love with Vienna, I love spending time with my husband.

Vienna sterile? I didn't feel that at all. By way of comparison, as a native of the Midwest, cities like Indianapolis feel sterile to me (apologies to those from Indiana with the note that I got one of my university degrees in Indiana). Vienna is not sterile. It's very vibrant. After renting a bicycle there, I biked about 10 miles, finding some gritty areas of the city. If you do go, take a walk along Mariahilfer StraBe and enjoy the vibrant parade of people. Vienna has tremendous high culture, but it's not sterile. Also, I note two cities in your list of favorites: Rome and Paris. Both of those cities have high cultural offerings, but aren't sterile.

Based on that, my guess is you'll love Vienna.

Two suggestions if you go to Vienna. See an opera at the Wien Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), making sure to buy tickets head of your visit. When I visited in 2015, I went to the Staatsoper, though I'm not a fan of opera. I love orchestral music, not opera, but I thought, "How many times will I be in Vienna? Why not try the opera for once?" I loved it! I enjoyed seeing the upper crusties of Vienna in their minks and finery! Second suggestion: Read the nonfiction book Mozart in Vienna 1781-1791 by Volkman Braunbehrens while you're there. It's a book intended for a general audience. It'll transport you back 225 years to Mozart's Vienna.

Thank you very much for taking the time to make some concrete suggestions about what to see and do in Vienna, Craig, including the people-watching along the Mariahilfer StraBe, and the Staatsoper (Opera House).

I haven't seen an opera live since I was a teenager visiting NYC. I'm pretty sure my husband has never seen an opera, so it would be an adventure. I've also not really seen anyone gotten very dressed up for the theater since I was a child visiting Boston (the first time I saw a grown man in white tie unironically and not for a prom date). I'll have to look into what is appropriate to wear. I'm all out of mink!

Thank you also for the suggestion of reading Mozart in Vienna 1781-1791 by Volkman Braunbehrens. You anticipated my next step! I was going to try to do some reading and maybe sneak in some films to get a sense of Austria's history. I've seen the recent Netflix drama about the Empress Sisi, the film "the Woman in Gold" with Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds about Maria Altmann's legal battle to reclaim the painting of her aunt by Gustav Klimt, and we've all seen the Sound of Music. I should probably watch "Amadeus," since I've never seen it though I hear it takes some artistic license with the history of Mozart's life. I'm familiar with a bit of Austria's history but mostly through its contacts with its political rivals (e.g. Frankish/ Merovingian rivalries between Neustria-Austrasiaand the bloody history of Fredegund v. Brunhilda in the 7th century ; Franco-Austrian relations from Louis XVI & Marie Antionette- French Revolution -Napolean & Marie Louise in the 18th-19th century; the Anschluss in the 20th century).

Thanks again!

I don't really have anything to add. Just wanted to say...

Interesting question. Interesting comments.

I enjoyed this thread!

It's your anniversary, and your husband wants to see Rome and Vienna. What would you like to see that is neither of those?

Vienna has an extraordinarily rich slate of museums, especially art museums. There are also interesting historical museums. The Wien Museum is quite good; there's even some art upstairs. I think you'll like Vienna more than you anticipate. Whether it will end up on the list of places you really like, I cannot say.

I wonder whether one explanation for the presence of quite a few of the places on your "I didn't like it" list is that they have lots of neoclassical architecture. That's not my favorite, either, and I actively dislike palace interiors unless they've been converted to art museums. Vienna does have quite a lot of buildings whose exteriors I find uninteresting, but it also has a great deal of Art Nouveau architecture. If you happen to like that, you are in for a treat. I booked an 8-night visit to Vienna in 2024 and ended up staying 17 nights so I could work my way through most of my To See list, which was primarily museums plus architecture from the last 150 years or so.

I think Budapest could be a good add-on for you. It's another city with a lot of good Art Nouveau architecture, and it feels a bit more different from home than Vienna does. (I live in Washington DC.) And I'd say the food is a better value than you'll get in Vienna, plus (to me) more interesting.

For future trips you might do some research on the Baltic capitals of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. They are quite different from each other.

Lindy asked about other itineraries I had proposed prior to my spouse up voting Vienna.

Here are a few.

1. Fly into Paris and train/stay in Fontainebleau (we didn’t see it when we visited Paris and chateaus before), train to Dijon, see Dijons art museum, Auxerre, drive to the Museopark Alesia (where Caesar defeated Vercengetorix) and/or Guédelon (the experimental archaeological site to make a castle), then on to Annecy (I hear it’s romantic), then Lyon (I heard the food was good!then fly out of Lyon (or skip Lyon and fly out of Geneva from Annecy) and see Rome. This was probably over packed— but something in this general concept. I liked the notion of seeing these sights. If Rome were not on the agenda I’d propose adding Colmar above and/or continuing from Lyon to the south of France and Carracassone. It would be a very frenchy trip. I can read French pretty well and try to speak with a lot of enthusiasm even though my accent and grammar is very poor. It seems to carry us through.
2. Fly into Rome, see Rome, then a driving tour eg, bologna and Emilia Romagna, or Turin and the Piedmont, or the northern lake Como area and Milan, fly out of Milan. I would probably enjoy seeing Bologna again and I haven’t explored the north of Italy. My Italian used to be pretty solidly conversational.
3. We flirted with the idea of visiting personal connections in Albania or Ireland but will likely leave that for a separate trip. We also flirted with Croatia which I have wanted to see since I was young. The south of Spain or Portugal would be cool too.
   

Hi acraven, thanks for proposing a hypothetical try to pin down my taste! I hadn’t considered that neoclassic architecture may not be my jam! I like it in small doses. Federal style homes in New England for example can be quite pretty and comfortable but they are often on a smaller scale than their European counterparts and in rural New England are they spread out over a wide area. The Georgian doors in Dublin are pleasant but do get a bit repetitive. Perhaps you’re right that too much neoclassicism can be too much of a good thing for me. Which is funny because I was a classics major and I do enjoy a Roman ruin. Go figure. Something to ponder.

I do like Art Nouveau a lot. So perhaps the trick as you suggest is to seek out that style on a visit to Vienna. Good advice. Thank you!

Thanks for the suggestions regarding Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius! :-)

One more thing: The comment about neo-classicism really was spot on.

Neo-classicisms iconic color is WHITE.

When reviewing hotels in Vienna, my spouse started to have a negative reaction to the white walls, and white ceilings, and white bed covers, with white pillows, dominating many Viennese hotel bedrooms.

I realized retrospectively that it was when I was reviewing hotel photos that I started entertaining the heretical though that I might not like Vienna.

Now that we've identified something new about our subjective tastes, we're better prepared to focus on getting out of whatever hotel we book - no matter what its color palate - and enjoying the many things to do in Vienna.

Thanks again everyone!

Based on your list of cities you DIDN"T like and cities you are indifferent about. You will HATE Vienna.
I think you should get a guide book or do some internet research on what there is to see and do in Vienna and then Ask yourself IS THIS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE?
If nothing in the guide book or internet research appeals to your sense of wonder and wanderlust, then DON'T GO THERE.

Vienna is sedate, clean, cultured and when I first visited it while backpacking through Europe- sterile and a snooze.
50 years later, as I am now older and wiser, I found Vienna to be a wonderful city to visit.
Lots of Musuems, royal history, Royal Castles, the Spanish Riding School, great cafes, wonderful desserts to try.

I would suggest Budapest or Prague as an alternative, but you may hate those also.

Yea, not much white here. Too much soot.

What a fun post! Your list is interesting, I agree with some, I disagree with others.

I think some of what we like often depends on outside factors:

Was it very crowded?

Was it hot or rainy?

Did you have an unfortunate hotel or noisy neighbors?

Did you visit it first with all that "we're here" adrenalin or at the end when you are dragging and wanting to go home.

We just returned from Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Vienna. In order of what we liked best, Budapest, Prague, Vienna and then Berlin. We loved the charm, history and setting of Budapest. We liked many things about Vienna, but did find it to be formal, expensive and aloof. Prague was a close second, and definitely the most budget friendly.

I get the impression you will not like Vienna, but your husband will. Because it is an anniversary trip, I would suggest Rome, Vienna, and Budapest, that way everyone gets a taste of what they prefer. Congratulations!

Sorry, I didn't proofread well. We went to Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Berlin. Berlin was a convenient gateway to head home and we were interested in the history of the city. We liked it a lot more than we thought we would, and disagree with those who say it is grey and gritty.

Sunny22, thanks for chiming in! I'm glad it's been a fun thread to read. Thank you for sharing your impressions of Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and Berlin, and for the kind congratulations you offered us. You are correct to point out a lot goes into "liking" or "disliking" a certain place or a certain trip. When I reflected later on the list I compiled, I realized how imperfect it was due to some of the factors you listed probably affecting my estimation of various places (e.g., weather, crowdedness, tiredness/exuberance, accommodations, expectations).

I'm still in the process of thanking the contributors privately and I want to take the opportunity to state publicly how impressed I am with this forum and the civility of the participants. This forum reminds me of what we all hoped the internet would be like: a place to share information and ideas, to collaborate and to grow in wisdom and knowledge so we can each make better decisions and be better people. Congratulations to each of you to the administrators of the Rick Steeves travel forums for fostering a place where the dream hasn't died.

Hi,

You can read French very well...bravo ! That comes in very handy in reading the explanations on historical plaques and maps.

I'll comment on your plans to see Fontainebleau. If you are into the history of France as I see from your historical references above, in particular, that of Napoleon, that's the place !

I heartily recommend seeing the Chateau de Fontainebleau, look up the YouTube videos on past Napoleon reenactments taking place on anniversaries of Napoleonic history at Fontainebleau...very interesting and the extent of the turn-out at these events.

The Chateau now houses the Napoleon Museum, can't say enough of Fontainebleau historically connected to Napoleon, and since Paris is on your agenda (yes, who gets tired of Paris? ) , another site is the Chateau de St Cloud. (take the Metro line from Gare St. Lazare)

To add to Vienna I would suggest seeing , obviously depending on your time constraint, the elegant, genteel sites plus the non-tourist, gritty side. Taking the S and U-Bahn subway lines along with buses gets you far and wide in seeing the rest of the city, where you find yourself as the only foreign visitor amongst all the diverse locals, regardless of their ethnic origins. I listen for the different languages other than the Viennese dialect.

I do a lot of walking in Vienna both in the Ring and in the outlying areas, quite fascinating historically and sociologically.

This summer and last summer I spent a week or more each time in Vienna, changing hotels this June to be within walking distance from the Schoenbrunn palace.