your top ten in vienna?

My number one would be the Kunsthistorisches Museum (the "KHM"). It's one of the greatest art museums of the world, and the building itself is magnificent.

Rick's one day Vienna suggestions are pretty darned good (having never read them til after I'd been there a few times). Must sees:

1) Opera House Tour
2) Opera (you can get very cheap standing or partial view tickets)
3) Schonbrunn if you like palaces
4) Stephandsom cathedral, and the entire area around it
5) Hofburg Imperial Palace
6) The Vienna Boys Choir (Concerts during week, Mass on Sundays)
7) The 'Ring'. Just going around the ring once is worth it
8) Several nice parks to check out.
9) Zentralfriedhof - central cemetery, outside the city core, but easy tram ride. Worth it.
10) The "Vienna Woods" is an OK side trip. Sigmund Freud's house is interesting..

Could go on, but there's food for thought. Rick's Vienna sections are particularly good.

My top ten...

1) The Kunst Museum

2) The Sisi Museum

3) The Treasury
* these top three are all located in the Palace

4) Finger sanwiches and tiny beers at Buffet Trzesniewski - a welcome break from goulash.

5) Schnitzel and Sturm at Figmuellers (you can only get Sturm in the fall)

6) the Cathedral

7) the produce market (cant remember the name)

8) the free opera's that are projected outside the opera house

9) Desserts at the very famous Bakery just down the road from the Palace, and I apologize - I don't remember the name. Very famous though (crowded too). I could look it up if you are interested.

10) Beers in the basement of the hostel "Wombats"

Special note, trumping all of this would be the day trip we took away from Vienna when we did a biking wine tour of the Wachau Valley. Best day of the trip.

And also, it may have been me, and I may have been over tired and in a bad mood - but the Opera House tour underwelmed me.

Oh and the bus tour of the Ringstrasse has recently changed - so make sure you have the most up to date information in order to get on the correct tram/bus.

Many of these are 'second' or 'third' time recommendations... and it sounds as if Amy and I would be compatible travel partners...

Here's my 10 things --

1) KHM.

2) Sisi Musuem.

3) Treasury.

4) Opera.

5) St. Stephen's -- preferably for a pipe organ concert.

6) Schonnbrun gardens (but not the long tour inside).

7) Hofburg palace.

8) The Ring.

9) The horses.

10) Roman ruins... showed how their 'radiant central heat' worked... fascinating.

I've intentionally left off "food sights" as I'm going to do that next... as it's own Vienna top 10... (Amy inspired me....)

I'll add Schonbrunn Palace (I liked the inside tour) and Cafe Hawelka!

Top 10 gastronomic delights in Vienna...

1) Schnitzelwirt Schmidt -- on Neubaugasse. Most meals less than 15 Euro -- and has a Schnitzel bigger than your head -- if you've got a big appetite, order the Bauernschmaus ("Farmer's Feast"). Lots of great beers on tap, too.

2) Tichy Eis. Reumannplatz metro stop. Possibly the best ice cream in the universe. Most order one of the fancy items -- Eismarillenknödel (small scoops of vanilla ice cream with an apricot core) and Himbeereisknödel (raspberry core, vanilla ice cream, coating of ground poppy seeds) -- but I usually just get the 15-scoop super-cup, with whatever flavors strike my fance (coffee on chocoloate on butterscotch on almond is a delectable delight!)

3) Doner Kebap from a street vendor on Naschmarkt. (Remember that Viennese culture is as eastern as western! This is a Turkish/Greekish sandwich thingy.) And... this is the market Amy mentioned. Metro stop (I think...) Kettenbruckengasse gets you closest to the middle of the action.

4) Buffet Trzesniewski (...seconding Amy...) -- Stephansplatz metro stop, toward Dorotheergasse.

5) Hofzuckerbacker Demel -- Pastries near the Hofburg palace. Is this the one you were talking about, Amy? Fair notice that this place is upscale -- and I stick out like a sore thumb in my work boots, worn kakhis and leather jacket -- but is a must-stop when I'm in Vienna.

6) Cafe Gloriette, near Schonnbrunn. The building is part of the attraction, but the Hungarian/Czech influenced foods (e.g. goulashes) are superb.

7) A Kasekrainer from a Wurstlstand -- cheese filled hot dog thingy from a street vendor... any vendor will do... ones nearest Stephansdom claim they are best... they are certainly most expensive...

8) Any Huerigan. That's a wine bar, selling this year's vintage.

9) Figlmuellers (...good one, Amy...) -- Staatsoper might be closest metro.

10) Cafe Restaurant Landtman -- at Berg Theatre. Traditional Austrian.

...I'm hungry.

LOL! Yeah Jim - it looks like you and I would have been compatible. I wish I had had your food list when I went...your #1 and #6 sound awesome!

And yes, it the bakery was that "Demel" place. Their counter is a delicacy for the eyes alone! The coffee and strudel were great!

yikes. so many great ideas. thank you. nancy