The fall after I graduated high school, I went backpacking around Europe. One of the places I spent some time in was Vienna, Austria. To be honest, the main reason I decided to stop by in Vienna was because I love the song Vienna by Billy Joel. I am happy to say that Vienna did not disappoint. And I think Vienna waits for you too!
The hostel I stayed at was amazing but unfortunately is no longer open. But Vienna has so many great hostels to choose from, as do most big cities in Europe. I highly recommend staying in hostels if you’re on a budget and/or want to meet people while traveling!
As soon as I got off the train, I walked to the Belvedere Palace Gardens. The gardens themselves are free and gorgeous. The castle is a UNESCCO World Heritage Site, but you will need to reserve a ticket if you want to go inside and see the museum.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral is a beautiful showcase of Gothic architecture. The main hall is free to enter, but to go in other parts of the cathedral you need a ticket, which can be bought with cash only.
I usually wouldn’t recommend going to an amusement park while exploring a new place, but this park is an exception. My hostel mates ended up convincing me to join them, and it was a blast. The park itself is free, as you only pay for the rides you go on. There is plenty to choose from, and I loved the old-time feel of the park!
This museum is considered to have one of the most important collections in the world. I spent hours in this museum and honestly could have been there longer if I didn’t have to go. There are so many interesting artifacts and interactive activities! Directly across the square sits Kunsthishistorisches Mususeum Wien, which is an art museum. I didn’t get the chance to go, but I hear it is amazing.
You could easily spend a whole day here; the gardens are endless. I didn’t get to make it into the palace, but the exterior is beautiful, and tickets are available to tour the inside. However, the gardens alone are worth the trip. Even on a cloudy, drizzly day when I went, walking through the massive gardens was encapsulating and was one of my favorite experiences from my entire trip.
Across the street from the Museum of Natural History is Hofburg Palace. Another historical palace offering tours inside. Near Hofburg there are plenty of gorgeous parks I recommend walking through, such as Volksgarten, Burggarten, and Rathauspark. While walking around, be sure to stop at Zanoni and Zanoni, a popular ice cream chain, for something delicious.
Vienna is a world-renowned city for opera, and it is one of the things that I wish I had done while there. You can find shows at the Vienna State Opera.
Thank you so much for reading! In case you missed my last blog post, you can click here to read it.
Blog post author: Kiley Iveson
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