Highlights and Other Comments: Vienna: Mondail Apartments, very helpful staff short walking distance from Franz Josepfs Bahnof with easy bus, tram options and walking to center of city, lots of grocery choices. Highly recommend the Fischer Brau great local brew pub/atmosphere very short bus ride or walk from Mondail - Wein 19, Billrothstr.17, their pork knunckle was delicious and can certainly feed more than two adults; Naschmarkt and lunch at "I Love this Fish" odd name but fabulous seafood not inexpensive, will need dinner reservations so lunch easier, great location to watch people; DEFINITELY take the short bus ride out of the city center and find a Heuriger (See Rick's recommends or ask locals) we did this late one evening and got a little lost after finding the Schubel closed for a private party but that was part of the fun experience of talking to locals on their pm walk and stumbling into another great find; as Rick recommends, eat finger sandwiches at Buffet Trzesniewski near St. Stephens or at another, cutest and smallest stein of beer (Pfiff) you'll ever experience; if there during the summer, DEFINITELY visit the open air movie night, every night of the summer, in front of Parliament with seating (metal chairs) for 4000 in front of an enormous screen, great open stall food options, beer gardens, families, dogs, and all the merchants serve their food on real plates, beer and wine in glasses, No Plastic silverware, everyone puts their items into the easily found bins, everyone comes on foot via the many transportation options. What Fun! These food merchants are open for lunch too - lots of locals there all day.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA, USA
12 posts
More Vienna late August 2012
These food merchants are open for lunch too - lots of locals there all day. We thought that the Opera House tour was just okay; Hofberg Imperial Apartment tour tiring - lifestyle of the uber rich, royally famous and not happy; there was an huge open air market on the grounds of the palace filled with locals, tourists, food, music, etc all promoting Austrian travel opportunities; we enjoyed the Museum of the History of Vienna in Karlsplatz and short walk from the Naschmarkt - agree with Rick that it is definitely underrated; also Belvedere Palace with an excellent Klimt collection, Egon Schiele and others from the Secessionist movement, nice home of Prince Eugene of Savoy who was the general that shooed the Turks away from the city, his summer palace is right down the road... I haven't been back to Vienna since the early 70's - amazed to see so many little Mom and Pop sushi shops everywhere... The Viennese are very friendly and helpful!
Posted by
Missouri City
252 posts
While they may have been uber rich and not very happy, royalty helped shape the history of Europe for many years. Besides, happiness wasn't at the top of the list for most royals. Marriages were usually arranged to solidify relationships between countries and not for love.
Posted by
Denver, CO
731 posts
Naomi - thanks for your report! We are going to Vienna in November and were wondering about the Wien museum in Karlsplatz - looks like we'll add it to the list! Too bad the movies won't be showing, that sounds like a blast.