Vienna, 1st time, tennative trip plan
 

What do you think of our agenda for Vienna? Please give us your feedback. Thank you.


ARRIVE SATURDAY
Spend the day wondering around, visit the Viktaulien Market

SUNDAY
Vienna Boys Choir, attend mass, arrive early to get a good seat, composers homes (beethoven, haydn, etc), cemetary where composer are buried, Demels, Café Hawelka

MONDAY
Schonbrunn Palace, Musikverein Mozart Concert, Augustinerkeller (accordian player) and glass of gruner veltliner in a mug

TUESDAY
St Stephans, Figlmuller's (wiener schnitzel), Cafe Sacher (dessert "coffee mit schlag")

WEDNESDAY
To Prague

The Viktualienmarkt is in Munich. Perhaps you would like to visit the Naschmarkt in Vienna?

Some further suggestions:
- Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Palais Liechtenstein: museum in a completely refurbished baroque palais with gardens
- Schloss Belvedere with museums (Klimt paintings)
- Karlskirche
- around the Ringstrasse in a tram with architecture on the way: Rathaus (town hall), Burgtheater, Parlament, Kunsthistorisches and Naturhistorisches Museum, State opera, Hotel Imperial...

Where do you plan to wander on Sat?

Do you know where the composers homes are located? Are they worth the time and effort to get to them?

Fill your days in with top attractions that viennese gave you.

Hi donna,

You might find the museum at the Judenplatz interesting. I think that Mozart lived in a house on that square as well.

http://info.wien.at/article.asp?IDArticle=11221

If you've never been to Vienna before, I suggest after settling into the hotel, you catch a tram along the Ringstrasse (Tram 1 or 2). It will go around the Ring and you can get an idea of the layout of the old town and architecture. The trip takes about 20 minutes. Then, you can take the other tram going the opposite way for a different view of the Ring.
You will see A LOT in a short period of time.
If you have the time, take tram 38 out to Grinzing, then bus 38A as it winds up the hill to Kahlenberg. You will have a nice view of all of Vienna in good weather.
I also suggest purchasing the 72 hour Wiener Linien ticket for 12 euro, good for unlimited use of all subways, trams and buses in Vienna.

Degas, our first day is hard to plan. We are going to wonder around the Ringstrasse area, go to cafes.

Do you have any suggestions on what we should do. We arrive in Vienna around noon from a 12 hour flight. We don't want to waste the day.
Thanks.

THANK YOU ALL for your help in planning our trip.
We will go to the tourist office right after we check into our hotel. They are very helpful with helping us map out our destinations.

We toured the catacombs beneath Stephansdom, which you might consider. Creepy, but very interesting.
You will love Vienna. Just wandering around is delightful in itself.
Are you interested in seeing the Lipizzaner stallions? Being horse people, we enjoyed their morning exercise with music.

I see several aspects of your tentative itinerary that are subject to question.
You do not mention the Hofburg, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Prater(with the Riesenrad), Wienerwald, or the Belvedere. Had you not considered these attractions? Or is it a question of no interest?

Even my vegetable loving wife did not need much more than an hour for the food market. It is interesting to say the least, but you will not be buying much food will you?

Of course we had seen the ones in Paris, London, and Munich previously and all of them begin to duplicate each other. For a first timer, the timespan of interest might be longer.

I agree, Vienna is interesting to wander around. It is a crossroads of many cultures and often it is unique.

Perhaps it is my own perception, but all of the major cities of Europe have a "feel" of their own. London is vastly different from Paris, which is most unlike Vienna, and so on. I think each person will develop their own perceptions, and form their own conclusions.

One thing about Vienna getting around via bus, street car, and subway is fairly easy. The subway system (U-Bahn) is on the honor system.
You are required to cancel your ticket in a machine before boarding unless you have a pass. There are periodic inspections, but I have never seen one in progress.

I usually purchase a Vienna Card which also serves as a U-Bahn Pass and does away with the need to buy individual tickets for a period of time. I suggest you investigate the card because if you are exploring, you can hop on and off the street cars when you wish. And it yields discounts when buying museum tickets.

I know the US did away with the trolley tracks in most all cities years ago, but in Vienna the street cars are very efficient. They often have separate areas in which to operate so that they do not impede traffic. (Not always true.) But the system operates well and it is above ground so you can see while you ride.

Other destinations, such as Schönbrunn Palace can be easily reached by U bahn.
There is a short walk from the station to the front door of the palace, but getting there is fairly easy.

I think my biggest letdown was Das Haus der Musik. I expected more than I got for some reason. Perhaps I had my hopes too high; that I expected to be bowled over. Some comments by others would be interesting on this observation.

And, perhaps, the exhibitions have increased in size and scope since I was there. For example, I asked why there was nothing on Anton Bruckner. I did not get a real answer. Brahms was under represented also, but that could be for many reasons. Acquiring memorabilia for these composers might be difficult because the artifacts are elsewhere and not readily available.

I know if I owned something that belonged to Beethoven, I would not willingly give it up. I don't care who wanted to buy it.

But review what you are visiting. You will probably find that your alloted time is too short.

Regarding your arrival day, I'd to the trolley ride around the ring to get an overview of the city. Then spend the rest of the day exploring the city center, starting at the Stephansdom, followed by a stroll along the Graben and Kärntnerstrasse, the two main pedestrian shopping streets in the center. Then relax at a café before going to dinner.

Like bob-brown, I wondered why you did not intend to visit the Hofburg, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Prater(with the Riesenrad), Wienerwald, or the Belvedere. To me, that is the core of any visit.

I also felt my biggest letdown was Das Haus der Musik. I kept looking for more interesting displays and left unfulfilled. I'd rate it a c+ attraction and only good for a rainy day.

I have added several things to our trip based on your comments. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Donnae

I also expected more from the Belvedere. It no longer has the regal furnishings it had when it was a residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, one of the monarchy's greatest war heros. Long story as to why the luxurious furnishing were scattered to the winds. It is now a museum of modern, and I thought rather pitiful art. But that is probably my uninformed assessment of art.
The gardens are worth the viewing, but the building's interior is typical museum now days.

One other place that some people dote on while others, like me, have limited interest: the war museum. Some like it because it gives a view of the wars with the Ottoman Empire that threatened Western Civilization at the gates of Vienna as well as other imperial wars of the Hapsburgs before their reign came to an end in 1918.

I am not a fan of such museums, so I avoid them in favor of other attractions. But that is a personal choice. For those who have an interest in warfare, it is a good museum.

Message: Bob brown

I do not know when you visited the Belvedere but you should know that it hosts ever- changing exhibits of fine art. It is not a museum of modern art as you claim.
A recent Impressionist exhibit was very interesting.The crowds of visitors speak to the quality of the art.
It also is a special place for all austrians as the Treaty to return freedom to the country was signed there in 1955.

Some places are CLOSED on Mondays in Vienna. We walked to the Belvedere in June on a Monday, for instance, only to find it closed. Be sure to check on schedules before finalizing your agenda, so you won't be disappointed like we were.

Please explain what is there to see at the Hofburg.
Thanks

The Hofburg complex is within old Vienna. It houses the Spanish Riding School (the Lipizzaner stallions) and its Winter Riding School (a gorgeous historic arena w/chandeliers, plasterwork and fireplaces). Also at the Hofburg are the Imperial Apartments (the impressive residence of the Hapsburg dynasty for 600 years), the empress Sisi Museum, and the Imperial Silver Collection. Entrance fees for these last three places are 7,50EUR for adults. If you are also going to see the Schonbrunn Palace, which is a very worthwhile trip, you can get an adult ticket that covers all four attractions for 19,00EUR. That ticket is good for one year, so you can visit over a few days. A third location houses the Imperial Furniture Collection, but we didn't go there.

My wife and I recently went to Figlmullers for Wiener schnitzel because it was recommended in this web site. It was a huge disappointment. In a word, it was crass. Our schnitzel was, without a word of a lie, 22cm(14 inches for our American friends) across and hung far over the end of the plate.By the time you get near the end, it is cold. Believe it or not, you can get a doggie bag there and I would say that 50% of the people that I saw leaving had one. We had schnitzel at another restaurant and it was excellent by comparison to Figlmullers. Also, our waiter had us in and out of there in 40 minutes. I'm sure the guy is a Euro millionaire. Give it a miss. There are many better places that deserve your custom.

Just want to make sure you are aware that you need tickets for the boys choir, you can't just show up for mass without having a ticket. Vienne is great and the fodors guide book for it is very good at highlighting the sites to see.

Here are a couple of websites that give some info on what to see at the Hofburg Palace. It's very easy to do a search on google.com for Hofburg Vienna and find lots of worthwhile info.

http://www.hofburg.at/en/hofburg/hofburg.htm

http://www.aboutvienna.org/sights/hofburg.htm

Like MaureenB said, do keep in mind that some things are closed on Monday. And, if I remember correctly, it was on a Tuesday that we tried to go to the Schatzkammer (royal treasury), which is in the Hofburg and holds the crown jewels, and it was closed. Because you are only there a short time, plan accordingly to make sure that the places you want to visit will be open.

Vienna is one of my favorite cities, and just exploring it is a delight. I agree with everyone else; hopping on a tram on the Ringstrasse is a great way to orient yourself with the city, especially after a long flight.

Tracy

almcd,
Do you remember the name of the other retaurant where you got the Wiener schnitzel.
Thanks
P.S. Leaving this Friday any last minute advice?
.

Is Figlmullers taking credit cards yet?When I last went there 4 years ago, they only took cash. I had to make a quick Bancomat trip after I'd already had a table.

My good Wiener Schnitzel was in the village of Grinzing on the outskirts of Vienna. It was an easy trip by U-Bahn but I doubt if you have time to get there. My wife and I had many meals out on our recent trip and we never had a bad one.(Figlmullers was the worst, however)