Sunday 13 April 2014

Vienna











My mum and i had been planning to go to Vienna together for over two years now but somehow, something always got in the way. As we're not going on summer holidays together this year because it was too difficult to find a week where we'd all be free, we decided to take a 5 day trip to Vienna instead. 
Something about this city has just always drawn me to it, i love how long of a history it has (plenty old buildings to admire!), Austrians are some of the friendliest people i've met (in general) and i swoon just thinking about austrian food; Kaiserschmarren, Wiener Schnitzel, Apfelstrudel,...

People definitely aren't exaggerating when they say that Vienna is like an open-air museum, the buildings are just too gorgeous to be true and i honestly couldn't find a single "ugly" street.
We went to all of the touristy sights such as Schönbrunn palace, the Spanish Riding School and the Hundertwasser house but also went to a few museums which aren't quite as popular. 

I particularly loved the Hundertwasser house it is just so different to any other house i've seen before. It looks as if it was straight out of a fairy tale, trees are growing on the roof, not a single line is completely straight and there are mosaics incorporated everywhere. The people in the small cafe where you can watch a movie about the house were so incredibly friendly and seemed to be living in a whole different world. I love how dreamy and carefree the whole house looks and that the apartments aren't expensive at all and are only rented to people who don't earn too much money.

They have this thing where you can rent a bike for only 1€/hour and there are drop-off spots almost everywhere across the city, so when the weather was nice on tuesday we drove along the Ringstraße with our bikes. There are bicycle paths all across the city so it is very easy to get around that way, i would definitely recommend renting a bike if you visit. You see so much more of the city that way and it is perfect to go to the Danube Island, which we did on the last day we were there. That was probably my favourite day, we had breakfast at noon, drove around for a bit and got a Würstl (sausage) for lunch. Then we still had a few hours left before we had to leave so we just strolled around the Mariahilferstraße, which is probably the longest shopping street i've ever seen, it is huge! We also had some of the best ice cream i've ever tasted at Eis Greissler, and i am not an ice cream lover at all.

In general, the food was a definite standout for me, i honestly didn't have a single bad meal while we were in Vienna. The breakfast at the hotel was ok but other than that, everything was crazy delicious.
Even the sushi my mum and i had on sunday night when no other place was open and we were starving was pretty good and by the look of the restaurant, i was seriously scared i'd get food poisoning.

Food

Neni am Naschmarkt

You can see my meal at Neni on the 4th picture, it was sooo delicious, the hummus was super creamy and the falafels tasted amazing. Their pita bread was really tasty too and don't miss the homemade ice tea. We went back there for breakfast on friday which was pretty good as well, but nothing compared to their lunch and dinner menu.

Heindl's Palatschinkenpfandl

If you're looking for a good Kaiserschmarren, go to Heindl's Palatschinkenpfandl. We went there twice, just because it is so good, the best Kaiserschmarrn i've eaten in my life, and i've probably tried it at every restaurant on skiing holidays. They are technically known for their Palatschinken, the austrian term for crêpes, which they offer with what seems like a hundred different fillings, both savory and sweet. We tried some of those on our first visit nut while they were really good, the Kaiserschmarrn was the highlight for us and i can't have two crêpes and a Kaiserschmarren, that's just too much.

Zweitbester

We only went to this restaurant because there weren't any tables available at Neni but i'm so glad we did. The athmosphere is really relaxed as it is both a bar and a restaurant at the same time, the waitress was incredibly friendly and answered to all of our questions and the food was out of this world delicious. You can watch the chef prepare your plate which he did with such devotion, it was admirable. I had a rubarb and rocket salad with pear and grilled goat cheese, the flavours were really different and interesting and played perfectly together. For desert i had their sticky date pudding with caramelized bananas.so.delicious. The cake melted in your mouth and the bananas were the perfect addition to make the dish a little different. My brother had their creme brulée which was huuge, honestly, and it seemed to be quite delicious too. Overall a definite winner in my books.

Cupcakes Wien

We discovered this shop by accident as i had to go to the bathroom so we went into the MUMOK (museum of modern art) and had to walk past this little cafe where they serve -as if the name didn't tell- cupcakes. They looked just too pretty to pass by so my brother and i both got one. I had the blueberry-chocolate one which was really yummy. The frosting was very fruity and not too heavy as it was made out of cream cheese instead of buttercream and the cake was moist and rich, with bursting blueberries all through it. They have two other shops in Vienna too but this is probably the one where you're most likely to walk past as it's right in the Museumsquartier.

Bitzinger Würstelstand

It really is a must to have a sausage at one of the numerous sausage stands while in Vienna, so finally, on the last day we did just that. The Bitzinger is one of the oldest and most popular ones and as it is right next to the Albertina museum, it is right in the centre of town. I wasn't all too excited about our lunch plans that day (there are many many things i prefer to eat than sausages) but i was positively surprised. I ordered the Bosna which is just a regular sausage in one of their huge bread rolls, topped with mustard, cilantro, onions and curry powder. The cilantro was just perfect on there and i'd very much recommend you try this slightly more unusual sausage if you get the chance too.

These were definitely my highlights in terms of food places but as i've already said, everything i ate in Vienna was really good. I didn't even get to all of the restaurants and bakeries i wanted to try so i guess i'll have to go back some day.

Vienna is such a relaxed, beautiful city and i can imagine it to be even better during the summer when you can just lay around in one of the numerous parks, enjoying the sun and perhaps some of that delicious ice cream. While it can't compete with the love i have for Berlin and Melbourne, Vienna definitely holds a place in my heart.







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