3 Days in Vienna
 

Hello friends - Two weeks from now, my wife and I will be visiting Vienna for 3 days. I have been before for a weekend, but I was much younger. It is my wife's first time visiting. We are art and architecture lovers. We love a good meal and would like to attend one of Vienna's famous symphonies or operas. If you have suggestions on what are must-sees when we are there, I would really appreciate. I've tried to give you an idea as to our interests to help guide suggestions, but please don't feel limited as I consider us generally open minded when it comes to travel. Thank you!

One night trek out by tram or car to one of the famous Heurige- lively wine taverns featuring wines from local grapes - on the edge of the Vienna Woods:

https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wi...wine/heurige-2

The Kunsthistorisches Museum is wonderful.

+1 for the Kunshistorisches Museum if you are art lovers (truly a must), and I would add the Belvedere Palace + Winter Palace for architecture, plus all the Otto Wagner/Secessionist sites that you can fit in. The National Library is also stunning.

I was less taken with the Albertina (although the also have special exhibitions if that interests you) and the Leopold museum, but if you are especially attracted to the collection there, then of course you might want to include it.

It's possible that if you are leaving in two weeks that you will have a difficult time getting tickets for the quality music performances. If you want to go, you need to jump on buying tickets now I think. Be careful because there are lots of toursty concerts that are not quality.

Bookmarking

Thank you, all! I am looking forward to the museum. Are there certain music performances you would recommend in particular?

With only three days, plan your museum time well, or you'll never see Vienna. Want the entire Hapsburg experience? Touring Hofburg and Schönbrunn will take two days. An entire day could be spent in the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History). If you aren't into contemporary art, then skip MUMOK. Currently the Albertina is exhibiting Pointillism, if you like that; bonus points is that the palace museum also showcases the Hapsburg Staterooms. Aren't into Klimt, but still want to tour a palace that won't take all day? Skip Belvedere and consider Prince Eugene's Winter Palace or the Liechtenstein City or Garden Palaces. Want to see the Chinese contemporary artist and activist Ai Wei Wei's reconstruction of a Chinese temple? Then make the trip to 21er Haus. And so forth. Really, it pays to do your museum homework to see what YOU want to see.

If the weather is cooperative, take the 38 tram from Schottentor to its terminus in Grinzing for a heuriger (wine tavern) evening. While I don't know how you define a "good meal," you will be afforded delicious traditional tavern fare (Brettljausen boards, Backhendl, Aufstriche (spicy and savory spreads served with brown bread)); and of course, Schnitzel all in lovely garden settings and often surrounded by vineyards.

September is also "Sturm Zeit." Sturm is the new wine, still fermenting. Though it is of low alcohol content (4%), it tastes like grape juice and can go to your head rather quickly. :)

Thank you, fourfortravel!

There are tickets to the Vienna State Opera to see La Fille Du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti. The tickets are 181 Euros. This seems rather steep (even though I do love the opera and the opera house seems beautiful). Does anyone have any insight on how to get discounted prices?

Any other operas or orchestras that you would suggest? Thanks!

don't they have SRO tickets? 181 euros - wow!

http://www.traveldudes.org/travel-ti...te-opera/62514

standing ain't fun but for a savings of about 170 euros I'd stand for that!

I am actually leaving this Thursday to Vienna. If you're a foodie, my neighbor recommended a visit to cafe Demel (old world coffee/patisserie shop) and to get the apple strudel with whipped cream (they call the whipped cream-schlag). And Sacher Torte, preferably at the Hotel Sacher where it was invented.

Sacher torte = overrated. Dry, not tasty

Cafe Demel = same

buy what sounds good, not what's traditional

Kunsthistoriche = +10 it ignited an interest in art within me

I did SRO at the Vienna opera recently (May). I chose the Parterre - it's like being in row 15 of the orchestra, dead center. 4 euros. What a blast! There's time after you get in and get your spot to go to the bar and get (reasonably priced) wine and canapes, which is a good thing because you are waiting quite a while before you get in.

Before my first trip to Vienna I was largely unacquainted with Klimt. On my first trip, I went to the Belvedere, and was appropriately wow-ed there by his massive talent. On the second trip I went to the Leopold largely to see more Klimt. But oh what a remarkable experience, both for the quality of the collection, the curation, and the building itself. If you appreciate a very fine, small museum you should definitely consider this one (unless you really don't like Schiele - there's quite a bit).

Also, if you are in the Kunsthistoriches Museum, there's a very lovely, relaxed cafe on the top floor, where you can get lunch or a snack.

The other thing I stumbled onto was Vienna's English Theater. Plays in English, in a very small theater. It's quite an intimate experience, and the productions are of the highest quality. Tickets can usually be had at the last minute, and seats are very reasonable (~$40). I'd go back there again anytime.

Have fun. Vienna is such a delight, so easy to get around, so clean and safe, so much art and architecture. Perfect city for three days.

tsar,
Sacher torte at Hotel Sacher $$$$ > $$ at Demel
Sacher torte at Hotel Sacher taste < taste at Demel
# of tourists eating Sacher torte at Hotel Sacher = at Demel :-)
Read the history of Sacher Torte to decide which one fits your definition of where it was "invented."
The torte I liked the most was from the Oberlaa Konditorei.

3 days in Vienna should be good time. We also recently visited Vienna in July for 3 days. Did quite a few museums and also a day trip to Salzburg. Have written up a blog. https://avidtravellers.net/2016/08/0...ud-and-mozart/ hope it helps you.

Thanks, all!

@roshniray - It seems like you enjoyed the Mozart concert at the Musikverein. Did you the dinner and show combination that they offer? I was hoping to spoil my wife with a fancy night out in Vienna. Would this fit the bill? Great blog post.I will definitely use it for reference.

Also, thanks Pal!

Sacher Tortes are sold at many other cafes, right or only at the cafe they are named after?

I'd recommend going to the Prater and riding the Big Wheel - from around the turn of the century and then one of the highest Ferris Wheels in the world - an now an icon of Vienna. Moves slow so fine for all.

Tomboy and Greg - thanks for your thoughts on the Sacher Torte. I am vegetarian; I am afraid I have to depend on desserts. And I am very excited about that :))