salzburg vs vienna
Apr 10th, 2008 | 06:41 PM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
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The two choices are NOT equal.
Salzburg offers aboput 3 full days of attractions, perhaps only 2, depending on where you go and what you like.
Of course my first visit there I stayed 5 days because I just liked wandering the streets and seeing the sights.
Vienna is a major European capital and a crossroads where east meets west and north meets south. I think Schönbrunn Palace is the only major attraction I have visited where one could find information people wearing language badges that in toto covered Russian, Turkish, Hungarian, Romanian, English, French, and Spanish.
There were probably others as well that I did not see. Of course German was assumed.
As others indicated, your choice depends on what you like. Salzburg does not have a major art gallery, nor does it have full time opera productions. Vienna of course does.
At the other end of the spectrum other than the old town, Salzburg is a modern city. The charm lies in exploring the older part.
We stayed at a small hotel named Altstadt Hotel Zur Goldenen Ente, At the Golden Duck in the old town in English.
We could walk out of hotel and be on a narrow winding street near the major attractions except for the Mirabell Gardens and Schloss Hellbrunn, which is famous for its trick water fountains.
In Vienna we had an opera orgy, attending 3 operas in 4 nights. There was also an El Greco special at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, which is a marvellous art musuem if you like that kind of thing.
The bottom line remains, however, the two are not comparable in my opinion. We can only look at the differences because there are few similarities.
Salzburg offers aboput 3 full days of attractions, perhaps only 2, depending on where you go and what you like.
Of course my first visit there I stayed 5 days because I just liked wandering the streets and seeing the sights.
Vienna is a major European capital and a crossroads where east meets west and north meets south. I think Schönbrunn Palace is the only major attraction I have visited where one could find information people wearing language badges that in toto covered Russian, Turkish, Hungarian, Romanian, English, French, and Spanish.
There were probably others as well that I did not see. Of course German was assumed.
As others indicated, your choice depends on what you like. Salzburg does not have a major art gallery, nor does it have full time opera productions. Vienna of course does.
At the other end of the spectrum other than the old town, Salzburg is a modern city. The charm lies in exploring the older part.
We stayed at a small hotel named Altstadt Hotel Zur Goldenen Ente, At the Golden Duck in the old town in English.
We could walk out of hotel and be on a narrow winding street near the major attractions except for the Mirabell Gardens and Schloss Hellbrunn, which is famous for its trick water fountains.
In Vienna we had an opera orgy, attending 3 operas in 4 nights. There was also an El Greco special at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, which is a marvellous art musuem if you like that kind of thing.
The bottom line remains, however, the two are not comparable in my opinion. We can only look at the differences because there are few similarities.
Apr 10th, 2008 | 07:40 PM
#7
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,472
Likes: 0
Carly, what are your interests and what are you looking for in an Austrian city?
I've been to Salzburg twice and it is very beautiful - for 2 days or so - but I don't feel pulled to go back. I've visited Vienna 3 times, and could see myself returning many times.
Salzburg is thoroughly Baroque in its appearance (well, except for the Fortress above everything, which is definitely medieval), although many of the Baroque facades cover much older buildings. Also, some of the old buildings were demolished to make some of the squares during Baroque remodeling. Both times I've visited have been in winter and the snow on the city looked absolutely charming. I've heard it said that everyone who visits Salzburg thinks he(she) sees it at the prettiest time. The river running through the city adds to the visual charm. To me there is something that feels unreal about the city - like it's all for show and tourists, which the old city pretty much is these days.
Vienna has the hustle and bustle of a thriving center of business that has evolved over the centuries. Even in the city center, the new and the old buildings mix. There are plenty of stunning buildings, but you don't really find an uninterrupted streetscape of Baroque, or medieval, etc. There are some sections that are pretty uniformly art nouveau, however, such as the former Jewish quarter. There are plenty of tourists in Vienna - and plenty of world class tourist attractions - but there are also people on the street who live and work right there. There are enough art and cultural offerings to keep you busy.
My money would be on Vienna. For a first trip, and choosing only one, I'd say start with Salzburg. From what I've seen, the prevailing Fodorite view is not too positive about Vienna.
I've been to Salzburg twice and it is very beautiful - for 2 days or so - but I don't feel pulled to go back. I've visited Vienna 3 times, and could see myself returning many times.
Salzburg is thoroughly Baroque in its appearance (well, except for the Fortress above everything, which is definitely medieval), although many of the Baroque facades cover much older buildings. Also, some of the old buildings were demolished to make some of the squares during Baroque remodeling. Both times I've visited have been in winter and the snow on the city looked absolutely charming. I've heard it said that everyone who visits Salzburg thinks he(she) sees it at the prettiest time. The river running through the city adds to the visual charm. To me there is something that feels unreal about the city - like it's all for show and tourists, which the old city pretty much is these days.
Vienna has the hustle and bustle of a thriving center of business that has evolved over the centuries. Even in the city center, the new and the old buildings mix. There are plenty of stunning buildings, but you don't really find an uninterrupted streetscape of Baroque, or medieval, etc. There are some sections that are pretty uniformly art nouveau, however, such as the former Jewish quarter. There are plenty of tourists in Vienna - and plenty of world class tourist attractions - but there are also people on the street who live and work right there. There are enough art and cultural offerings to keep you busy.
My money would be on Vienna. For a first trip, and choosing only one, I'd say start with Salzburg. From what I've seen, the prevailing Fodorite view is not too positive about Vienna.
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