A Weekend in...Vienna
A Weekend in...Vienna
“Vienna, to me it was the tuning fork for the entire world. It was how I tested people. If there was no response, this was not the kind of person I liked. Vienna wasn’t just a city, it was a tone that either one carries forever in one’s soul or one does not. It was the most beautiful thing in my life.” ⎼writer Sandor Marai
Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It’s total sensory overload, from opera to modern art to historical masterpieces, there’s something for everyone. Best of all, it has the cool aspects of upcoming cities yet it has the history and culture to satisfy any history buff.
Getting there
Flight from Luxembourg to Vienna is just 90 minutes direct.
Where to stay?25Hours hotel
Lerchenfelder Strasse 1-3, Vienna 1070, Austria We stayed in this fabulous hotel in the heart of the Museumsquartier and I would highly recommend it. The hotel itself is well situated, you’re walking distance to all the major museums and attractions. They provide free bikes for guests and there’s even a Mini Cooper that can be rented for free on a first come first serve basis! It’s a typical quirky boutique hotel, every room was different and every corner had a little unexpected surprise. The rooftop bar of this hotel is a popular hotspot at night and the perfect place to enjoy your nightcap with a gorgeous view of the city. The cool rooms and funky furniture makes for a really nice stay, and the decor is a fun circus theme! If you would like to take it to the next level, they even have a room with a bathtub on the balcony!
Things to do.
Vienna is this wonderful amalgam of old and new. At a glance, the entire city is beautiful. With regal historical architecture everywhere you look, the past is well preserved and maintained here. Yet as you walk around the city you discover quirky hidden shops and restaurants tucked away in every corner. If you are partial to a palace or two, then make a stop at the State Hall of the Austrian National Library, containing over 200,000 books dating from 1500. We also explored the Sigmund Freud Museum, where Freud spent a large part of his life. Vienna is also an art lover's paradise, home to some of the greatest masterpieces of all time, it was also home to the famous artist Gustav Klimt! We particularly enjoyed Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Schloss Belvedere where you’ll see famous piece: The Kiss by Klimt. Don’t despair if art is not for you, because there’s a mile-long open air market waiting to be explored. The century-old Naschtmarkt has everything from baked goods, spices, cheeses to some of the freshest seafood you’ve ever seen. There are also restaurants in this market too so feel free to while away the afternoon with a nice plate of oysters as you people watch in one of the busiest spots in town. Shopping tip: there are unique boutiques all over this city but you can pick up maps in the Seventh District which show which stores sell locally made products. When in Vienna, you cannot leave without enjoying some classic Viennese musical culture, at the infamous Musikverein concert. We went for the Mozart performance, 10/10 from us!
Where to eat?A Viennese insider told us that Motto is one of the coolest edible secrets about Vienna, they weren’t wrong. We will let you see for yourselves. Not to be confused with Motto am Fluss which is a beautiful bar on the Danube Canal (great cocktails too!) If you’re looking for something more classic, then you can’t go wrong with a traditional Kalbbutterschnitzel (veal butter schnitzel) at the Purstner. For a scenic lunch, a must is the Schmetterlinghaus, The Imperial Butterfly House. The glasshouse restaurant is a converted palm house which has a tropical rainforest interior and overlooks the gorgeous Burggarten park and as the name suggests, it’s right next to a beautiful butterfly house, great afternoon activity for kids!
