In the spirit of thanking those on the various RS forums, with special thanks to Emily and wmt1, I’ll attempt to summarize my recent trip.
PURPOSE: 1) I lived in and was married in Germany in the 70‘s and wanted to see how things had changed since then. I’ve been back acouple of times in passing, it was interested this time inreconnecting with old memories and old friends. 2) My niece is living in Vienna and I thought it would be fun to see her while there. 3) Since my trip coincided with the seasonal Christmas markets, I wanted to see what was there. I’d been to the Christkindlesmarkt many times while living in Nürnberg but hadn’t visited markets in other areas.
ITINERARY: I spent a week in Vienna, a day in Hallstatt on the way to Salzburg, three days in Salzburg and four days in Nürnberg. Despite the fact that I know many folks spend less time in Vienna, I felt like I could have stayed longer in order to see everything I wanted.
VIENNA: I stayed at the K&T Boardinghouse in the 6th district just off Mariahilferstraße. It was clean, convenient and I had a large room. Breakfast isn’t included in the price, but there’s Cafe Ritter on the corner and a supermarket nearby. I found it convenient to use the U-Bahn, which was less than a block away, and buses to get to everywhere I wanted to go. I bought a Gesamtnetzplan (entire transport system map) for 3€, which was invaluable in helping me find my way around. I also bought a weekly transit pass, which saved me a lot of money. During my stay I visited the main sites, with the exception of Schönbrunn, and also attended the Staatsoper (La Bohème), Sunday morning mass at the Augustiner Kirche, a Spanish Riding School performance and an afternoon concert at St. Peter‘s. One of my most memorable experiences was listening to the tour (offered only in German and only on weekends) at the Kirche am Steinhof by Otto Wagner. Not only did I learn a lot about Herr Wagner as a person as well as an architect, I also learned the many design features he incorporated to make the church function well in a mental health setting. And the church is simply stunning. The other thing I enjoyed that isnt often mentioned was to book a free walking tour with Global Greeters. I specifically requested a tour of areas in Vienna not often seen by tourists. My greeter was a retired UN social policy director, and we enjoyed a walk short walk around the Naschmarkt to see the Otto Wagner buildings, and then a bus ride to and a walk around the 19th district, which abuts the Vienna Woods. My greeter was informative and personable, and I enjoyed my three hour walk with him very much. Of course, I also visited many of the Vienna Christmas markets during my stay there. The only thing remarkable about that was my difficulty finding a Krampus ornament. Krampus is the one who accompanies St. Nickolas and punishes children who’ve been bad. He’s a scary fellow, resembling a devil with a long tongue, horns, a tail, one foot and one hoof, carrying chains and sticks. I thought it would be fun to send my grandson a Krampus for his annual ornament gift, but the vendors gave me a look or horror when I asked them for one. Apparently it’s just not done. Nevertheless, I was able to find one made in tin and handpainted in the Karlsplatz market, and a handblown one elsewhere. Tina, my hostess at the K&T, Shared a video from DEC. 6 on Mariahelferstraße, when many Krampuses roam the streets and scare passerby.
I also enjoyed spending an evening with a friend from Bratislava, who came to Vienna to spend a Saturday evening with me. We had coffee and Kuchen at Oberlaa and then roamed the Christmas market at Spittelberg, enjoying a Wurst and some Glühwein.
Edited to add: I found senior discounts available nearly everywhere in Austria but you have to ask. Usually only 1-2€ but it adds up.