{"id":80431,"date":"2025-02-10T19:26:23","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T19:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/adventure\/5-things-to-do-in-vienna-that-will-make-you-fall-in-love\/"},"modified":"2025-02-10T19:26:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T19:26:23","slug":"5-things-to-do-in-vienna-that-will-make-you-fall-in-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=80431","title":{"rendered":"5 Things To Do In Vienna That Will Make You Fall In Love –"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Architecture\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

It\u2019s pretty easy to fall in love with Vienna, that magical \u2018City of Dreams\u2019 in Austria. And it\u2019s not because of the vast amount of things to do in Vienna\u2014the palaces, gardens, or world-class food. It\u2019s about the harmony of the city. The symphonic undercurrent of Vienna captivates locals and tourists alike. There are so many things to do in Vienna that have been written about time and again. Here are five highlights that made me fall for Austria\u2019s enchanting capital city.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Flowers<\/figure>\n

I\u2019ve come to Vienna for one thing\u2014to see my daughter, Ella. She\u2019s been abroad for four months and this is the longest I\u2019ve gone without seeing her. We decide to meet in Vienna. Because why not Vienna? If Billy Joel says it\u2019s waiting for me, who am I to disagree?<\/p>\n

Ella and I create a shared Google doc. Hahahahaha. Ella creates a shared Google doc. That way, we can add ideas to our week-long itinerary from opposite sides of the Atlantic. I add restaurants and she adds bars. I add palaces and she adds pastry shops. When we are face to face, we have enough things to do in Vienna to please us both.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t tell Ella, but I could care less about the sights, restaurants, or pastry shops. I\u2019ve come to Vienna for just one thing.<\/p>\n

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Click here for my Free Vienna Hot Sheet<\/a><\/h3>\n
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\"Cafe<\/figure>\n

Things to do in Vienna<\/h2>\n

Yet, we need to eat. No one wants to travel with a hangry teenager. In my food research, I noticed a Viennese \u2018must-eat\u2019 appears time and again: the Sacher Torte. I don\u2019t know what a Sacher Torte is. Does everyone else know? Surely Billy Joel does.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We also need to fill our days. Nothing says mother\/daughter<\/a> meltdown like too much idle time. I buy a Lonely Planet<\/em> guidebook (yes, guidebooks still exist) and start reading. I\u2019m not sure I know what I\u2019m looking for, but I\u2019ll know it when I see it.<\/p>\n

\"Belvedere<\/figure>\n

It turns out Vienna is a goldmine of a European city. Gustav Klimt notwithstanding, the city is practically paved in gold. Clean, wide streets, stately architecture, ornate cathedrals, and vibrant gardens abound. Finding things to fill our days (and our stomachs) won\u2019t be an issue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Having been responsible for Ella\u2019s travel upbringing, our travel styles are similar. We like a slow morning fueled by caffeine followed by some sort of activity. Strolling an artsy neighborhood, touring a palace, or sampling cheese at an outdoor market. \u2018Activity\u2019 is a decidedly loose term. Then we like to eat lunch, have more caffeine, and head back to the hotel<\/a> for downtime before our evening activity\u2014a kick-ass dinner.<\/p>\n

Knowing Ella\u2019s travel style makes our reunion much easier, and much more fun. Ella and I go deep and wide in Vienna, covering lots of ground in a week. What follows are five highlights.<\/p>\n

\"St<\/figure>\n

5 \/ Things to do in Vienna: Go underground<\/h2>\n

Speaking of going deep, figuratively and literally, we stumble upon St. Stephen\u2019s Cathedral.<\/a> Stephansdom, as it\u2019s also called, is a church with a haunting past. Above ground, the cathedral is a visual masterpiece that soars high above Vienna in its Gothic grandeur. With 230,000 multi-colored glazed tiles decorating its remarkable roof, it\u2019s likely the city\u2019s most iconic piece of architecture.<\/p>\n

Yet, below ground is a different world. A ghostly one. Beneath the cathedral lies a mass grave for the thousands of Austrians who succumbed to the Bubonic plague in the 1700s. Outdoor cemeteries were closed due to illness, and the only place for the dead to be buried was underground.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Click to book St. Stephen\u2019s Cathedral right here!<\/a><\/h3>\n
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\"St<\/figure>\n

We tour the catacombs, sinking deeper into the church and thus into Austrian history. Then we walk beside the weathered stone sarcophagi of emperors, dukes, archdiocese, their wives, and children. Deeper into the catacombs, we peer into cavities of ancient walls and see piles upon piles of bones. Tall urns filled with the organs of the Habsburgs family are on prominent display. Being dismembered and dispersed was considered a post-life privilege. I would\u2019ve opted out of that royal perk.<\/p>\n

Ella and I love the dark, eerie catacombs. The air is thick with antiquity, and the effect is like a storm passing through our senses. We soon hear the church bells toll above us and are transported back to real-time. We resurface, exit the cathedral, and shield our eyes from the sun overhead. It\u2019s noon\u2014time for cake.<\/p>\n

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Click here for my Free Vienna Hot Sheet<\/a><\/h3>\n
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\"Demel<\/figure>\n

4 \/ Things to do in Vienna: Eat cake<\/h2>\n

I may have never heard of a Sacher Torte, but I will become its BFF by the week\u2019s end. If anything binds me and Ella, it\u2019s butter, flour, and sugar. I schedule my next dental cleaning and research the best places to have one.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Sacher Torte is a Viennese cake conceived due to an unfortunate event. Unfortunately, that is, for the official court pastry chef of Prince Klemens von Metternich. In 1832, the pastry chef fell ill just as his services were sought to prepare a one-of-a-kind dessert for royal guests. Enter backup pastry chef, 16-year-old Franz Sacher. Tasked with creating a masterpiece in record time, Sacher whips up an extraordinary chocolate cake. Before you can say\u00a0Weiner Schnitzel,<\/em>\u00a0the official pastry chef, is out of a job.<\/p>\n

As any baker knows, the key to confection perfection is using the highest quality ingredients. The original Sacher Torte\u2019s ingredients are deceptively minimal: flour, sugar, eggs, chocolate, butter, and apricot jam.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After the cake is baked, it\u2019s sliced in half, and a thin coating of warm apricot jam is spread on each layer. It\u2019s then reassembled and topped with a chocolate glaze. Traditionally, the Sacher Torte is served with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream on the side.<\/p>\n

\"Demel<\/figure>\n

Five Sacher Tortes, please<\/h2>\n

Ella and I have Sacher Tortes at five caf\u00e9s in as many days, including the one named after the original\u2014Caf\u00e9 Sacher. We\u2019re all about paying homage to Vienna\u2019s famous cake. To say we make sacrifices is an epicurean understatement. One wedge contains 53g of carbs, 18g of fat, and 398 calories. When I arrive home my jeans don\u2019t fit, my dogs fat-shame me, and my dentist is categorically disappointed.<\/p>\n

On a lighter note, Ella is easy to travel with and rarely gets annoyed. Unless she\u2019s hungry, or too full. Or if people are walking too slowly in front of us. Or, too fast behind us. If she hears bells gonging (which happens often). Or if I don\u2019t know where I\u2019m going (which also happens often).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other than that, she\u2019s a total joy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Pancakes<\/figure>\n

Demel, if you love fancy caf\u00e9s<\/h2>\n

A caf\u00e9 within walking distance to Stephansdom, Demel has been in the cake business since 1786. Demel Caf\u00e9 is textbook fancy with its gold touches and monogrammed napkins. What better place to sample our final torte of the week? But, when we see the other baked goods on display, we get greedy and decide to go beyond the torte.<\/p>\n

While we wait our turn to enter Demel, we notice another line forming to our left. Fancy Demel has a take-out window? We learn it\u2019s a line for\u00a0kaiserschmarrn<\/em>, a savory dish I can best describe as scrambled pancakes. Think of your favorite parts of homemade pancakes\u2014the drippy parts. Then lump them all on a plate with powdered sugar and serve with plum preserves. Now, it\u2019s clear why kaiserschmarrn needs its own take-out lane.<\/p>\n

Demel earns the distinction of serving us our favorite Sacher Torte. The wedge is so precisely cut that it looks like it\u2019s been sliced by a surgeon. The balance of tangy apricot jam to rich chocolate is heavenly. The cake itself is dense but not dry. While hard to crack, the whipped cream offsets the bittersweet chocolate shell.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is the moment I realize my daughter is a metaphor for the Sacher Torte. Dense, layered, tangy, and bittersweet with a shell that\u2019s hard to crack. I don\u2019t tell her this of course. And by the time she reads it, I\u2019ll be thousands of miles away.<\/p>\n

\"STEIRERECK<\/figure>\n

3 \/ Things to do in Vienna: Dine like royalty<\/h2>\n

The Sacher Torte may have been created by an angst-ridden teenager for kings and queens, but we didn\u2019t need titles to dine at the world\u2019s 12th-best restaurant. Steirereck is the first restaurant I\u2019ve visited that boasts an \u2018urban-rural\u2019 setting. This riverside dining utopia lies in the heart of the city yet also in the heart of leafy Stadtpark. Originally built in 1904, a more recent mirror-clad addition makes the restaurant look like an apparition of nature.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The interior of Steirereck is minimal, with warm wooden tones and abundant space between the round, white-linen-topped tables. In a brilliant design move, each table is set within a semi-curved wooden slatted wall which conveys the illusion of privacy. But, just a touch of privacy. We all like to people-watch while we eat, don\u2019t we? The curved walls are separated by floor-to-ceiling windows so diners feel connected to the outdoors.<\/p>\n

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\"STEIRERECK<\/figure>\n

Steirereck, if you love destination dining<\/h2>\n

I make a reservation at Restaurant Steirereck the moment Ella agrees to meet in Vienna. Before I even book my flight. Before I even tell my husband I\u2019m going to Vienna. <\/p>\n

San Pellegrino describes the tasting menu as having \u2018rare breeds, unfashionable fish species, and near-extinct fruits and vegetables\u2019. Ummmm, is that little write-up supposed to be tempting? I shake off my reservation reservations and put my faith in Saint, I mean, San Pellegrino. <\/p>\n

Ella and I enjoy every dish, Even the unfashionable catfish, which is served with beans and calamansi. I have no idea what calamansi is, but my guess is near-extinct fruit.<\/p>\n

There was a time I couldn\u2019t imagine taking Ella to a multi-course dining experience like this. Her first 17 years, to be precise. Until then, Ella swore she would never eat fish. Swore she would never eat sushi. At 19, she now eats everything from squiggly calamari to tuna tartare. I don\u2019t dare say I told you so. But inside I\u2019m smiling with the kind of satisfaction only the parent of a stubborn teenager can understand.<\/p>\n

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\"STEIRERECK<\/figure>\n
\"STEIRERECK<\/figure>\n
\"STEIRERECK<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

Other highlights of our 7-course, wine-paired dinner are seasonal asparagus with poppy seed, apricot, and lamb\u2019s lettuce. Piglet\u2019s tail with Swiss chard, shiso, and black currant. We learn that Viennese cuisine is the only one in the world named after a city. Bravo, Vienna, for the well-deserved culinary accolade.<\/p>\n

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Click here for my Free Vienna Hot Sheet<\/a><\/h3>\n
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\"Schloss<\/figure>\n

2 \/ Things to do in Vienna: Go Baroque<\/h2>\n

Bravo, indeed. There appears to be no end to Vienna\u2019s allure. An inherently walkable city, our step counters reach never-before-seen numbers by the end of each day. However, if there\u2019s one Vienna sight worth walking over 20,000 steps for, it\u2019s Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace.<\/p>\n

The former summer palace of the Habsburg monarchs, Schloss Sch\u00f6nbrunn, corners the market on empirical decadence and luxury. Built in the 17th century and named a UNESCO World Heritage Sight in 1996, there is perhaps no better example of Baroque architecture in Europe than Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gloriette<\/figure>\n

Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace, if you love imperial life<\/h2>\n

What was originally built as an imperial hunting lodge for Crown Prince Josef in the 7th century later became the glittering focus of court life when it was replaced with a chateau for Dowager Empress Eleonora Gonzaga. Today, visitors can tour the buttery yellow Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace, its opulent staterooms, and lavish fountain-filled gardens.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We get much more than we expect at Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace. I expect to be wowed by the private apartments of Franz Josef and his wife, Sisi, with their elaborately decorated walls, intricate parquet floors, and extensive art collections. I expect to drool over the well-kept gardens. I don\u2019t expect the grounds\u2019 sheer size, the added architectural marvel, The Gloriette, the children\u2019s zoo, the rosarium, or the enclosed botanical and desert gardens.<\/p>\n

Ella and I returned to the Orangerie for a classical music performance the next evening. If there\u2019s one top ten sights to craft an entire day\u2019s itinerary, it\u2019s Schloss Sch\u00f6nbrunn.<\/p>\n

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Skip the Line! Click here to get Schonbrunn Palace tickets in advance<\/a><\/h3>\n
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\"Picture<\/figure>\n

1 \/ Things to do in Vienna: Uncover Clandestine Cocktails<\/h2>\n

I can always count on Ella to be on the pulse of what\u2019s trending and TikTok-ing. No matter how hard I try, I\u2019ll never have access to her adolescent algorithms. My Instagram feed is populated with accounts called @tillytheblacklab, @mytherapistsays, and @momsbehavingbadly.\u00a0Her social platforms are filled with hidden bars and clubs around the world. She told me about one such place, a speakeasy called The Chapel Bar, and asked if I wanted to try to find it.<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

The Chapel Bar, if you love absolving your sins in alcohol<\/h2>\n

The Chapel Bar is a highlight of our trip. Part of me doesn\u2019t want to spoil the hunt for those who may end up in search of this hidden spot. The other part wants to spill all the details. The Chapel Bar makes you work for your cocktail. Suspend your disbelief. It\u2019s worth finding.<\/p>\n

A touch of biblical theater adorns the cocktail menu at The Chapel Bar. Think sins, plagues, and 80s Top 40 hits with drinks like \u2018A Snake in Paradise\u2014Adam Always Blames Eve\u2019,<\/em> which combines Bacardi Anejo Cuatro Rum, cloudy apple juice, lime, and Old Judge Falernum. And the \u2018Phil Collins\u2014I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord\u2019<\/em> concoction made with Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin, elderflower liqueur, pink grapefruit, and club soda.<\/p>\n

The artistry of the drinks lives up to the wild descriptions. Ella\u2019s drink is enclosed within a mini-birdcage and we see someone sipping from what looks like a red Christian Louboutin stiletto. Although it was <\/em>pretty dark, it could\u2019ve been a Jimmy Choo. Whoever is responsible for creating these clandestine cocktails, I need to meet you. You are my creative god. <\/p>\n

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First time in Vienna? Discover the best of Vienna (including Sacher Tortes, of course) with this self-guided walking tour of the city!<\/a><\/h3>\n
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\"Baroque<\/figure>\n

Falling for Vienna<\/h2>\n

Vienna is a city that inspires harmony. Whether it\u2019s the delicate balance of apricot and chocolate in a celebrated cake or nymphs floating above in a magnificent palace mural. An under-the-radar cocktail bar or the combination of unfashionable ingredients served at a world-class restaurant.<\/p>\n

It may have taken me half a century to get to Vienna, but as Mr. Joel promised, it was waiting for me. Vienna is waiting for you, too. Just don\u2019t forget to sample a Sacher Torte or two while there. Your dentist will forgive you.<\/p>\n

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Check out Vienna\u2019s most luxurious hotel here. It\u2019s my top pick.<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Click here for my Free Vienna Hot Sheet<\/a> (including shhhhhh, The Chapel Bar)<\/h3>\n
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Interactive Vienna Map with All Of My Favorite Spots<\/h2>\n

(Please note a few affiliate links above for which I may receive a small referral fee. But rest assured, I only highlight products I fully stand behind.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Best Of M\u00e9rida: Mexico\u2019s Newest Hot Spot<\/a> <\/div>\n
How To Find The Best Hotel For Your Next Adventure<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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