Suggestions please for 2 nights with 1 afternoon, a whole day and a morning in Vienna. We have a central hotel but need to know what not to miss. We don`t HAVE to do the museums and art galleries. More interested in the unusual, quirky and out of the way places to eat and drink. We are in our fifties and Scottish.
We had less than a day in Vienna. Our favorite thing: Schonbrunn Palace.
Try out every bakery and cafe! Wonderful desserts and coffee.
Don't miss eating one of these:
Punschkraphen or Punshkrapferl.
They are the most wonderful, but under-rated Austrian pastry. Personally, I think the best are the ones at the little bakery/shop at the train stations. Even the ones that are the cheap version at grocery stores and look like Twinkies are good!
Pete
The number-one, not-to-be-missed stop in Vienna: the Dremel chocolate & pastry shop!
We enjoyed the Capuchin Crypt aka Kaisergruft. No recommendations on restaurants, though. They were all so thick with smoke (I'm allergic), we had to get our food from the grocery store.... Looking back, we should have eaten at the restaurant in the Kunsthistorische Museum!
I would agree that Schoenbrunn is super. Plan to get there early in the AM so that you avoid the crowds and have time to see something else. The gardens are lovely if you're there at a time of year to enjoy them. I also liked the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The art was fantastic. We also visited the Hofburg Treasury. I was blown away by the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor. There is a lot to see in the treasury and you'll want to look for ways to pick your shots. I also visited the Haus de Musik and found it great fun. It's very interactive and if you are interested in music it would be a good choice. When I first went to Vienna as a student I really wanted to see the Lipizzaner horses. I saw a rehearsal which was great. I also wanted to see an Opera and I managed to do it in the Standing Room spot.
I agree about the pastry, but don't miss the music.
Pam
The Lippanzer horses are really something to see. Sorta a once in a lifetime thing. Tickets can be bought on-line (not cheap). It's a maybe one hour+ deal but the skill involved by both horse and man is something else. I'm not a real big horse person but it blew me away.
Schonbrunn Palace.