Vienna – 3 days in Vienna, Austria. Things to Do

It’s been a while since my last post, I wouldn’t say I was actively occupied, a concoction of lack of disciple to write and laxity is responsible for the missing posts. But I should do better and actively engage on this platform, so this is going to be the first post of 2023 even though I traveled to Europe in 2022. Most of my real-time travel updates are documented on my Instagram page.

Let’s start with Vienna, to be followed by Salzburg, Innsbruck, Hallstatt, Venice, and Rome

There is no weekend that goes without Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and Chopin playing in every corner of the home while the husband is gardening, reading, thinking, or indulging in the treasured leisure activity of staring at the ceiling for answers to life’s conundrums. His propensity to music and mine to arts meant that our maiden voyage to European shores would include visits to museums, galleries, art collections, and symphony orchestras.

And what better place to start than the capital of music – Vienna. Vienna also known as “wein” in German is a UNESCO world heritage site. Vienna was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Habsburg Empire, it is a place where you will encounter artistic splendor at every corner.

We arrived at about noon time in Vienna via a connecting flight from Frankfurt (Muscat to Frankfurt and Frankfurt to Vienna), and by the time we checked in into our hotel, a good part of the day was gone, but the sun was out till 9 pm (in May) giving my diurnal rhythm some extra hours.

Days were unusually warmer but as the sun went down, a cold breeze swept the city, making the evening strolls seem like a “hot chocolate with almond croissant” on a cold day kind of experience.  We were in Vienna for 3 nights which we felt was not enough for a city that’s immersed in baroque architecture at every corner. There’s so much to and not to do in Vienna, you can spend days visiting the art galleries, and palaces, indulge in a symphony orchestra, or just lie down in public parks and admire the co-existence of contemporary and historical buildings. The bustling city has a plethora of parks, cafes, pubs, and markets and well-connected public transportation that makes it easy to explore the city.

Most of the sightseeing tourist attractions are concentrated around the inner city and main square giving you easy access to many cafes, pubs, parks, and museums; we stayed near the Kettenbrückengasse station and preferred walking to all the museums and galleries from our hotel except to Schönbrunn Palace that was five stations away from our nearest metro station (Green Line – U-Bahn). Vienna is pedestrian friendly and a great walkable city, you can save money by simply walking and exploring the city like a local. Honestly, I enjoyed walking in the city (averaging 15 km every day), it was engaging to rummage through the city lanes, admiring the architecture.

Top things to do in Vienna/Tourist stops we covered in our 2-day stay

St. Stephen’s Church (Stephansdom) – The predominant gothic Stephansdom (St. Stephan’s Cathedral) stands tall at the heart of the main square in Vienna and can be reached through many of the lanes bifurcating from the main square similar to a spider’s web. Take any lane and you will eventually reach the main square. All-inclusive tickets to the south tower are available at a counter adjacent to the main entry, for the south tower (cost us EUR 5.5 per person) you need to climb up 343 steps to an observation chamber that gives panoramic views of Vienna, particularly of the central district.

Orchestra

On every corner of Stephansdom and the main square, you will find men dressed in costumes selling tickets for Barrock & Klassik orchestra, and on a whim, we bought the tickets for an evening show at Palais Schonborn. It wasn’t the palace Schönbrunn, this venue is about a km from Stephansdom, this was our first concert experience, so we really didn’t have a parameter for comparison, I won’t say it was something that made my jaws drop but the violinist was impressive with her skills on the violin as well as her theatrics of reprimanding anyone who tried to take videos of her performance. I didn’t even glance at my phone, I didn’t want her to even assume that I was remotely contemplating recording her beautifully tearing down the violin with the bow. Nevertheless, the opera singers and the musicians of the chamber orchestra put up an entertaining evening.

Schönbrunn Palace – The former summer residence of the Habsburgs impresses with its lavish gardens, architecture, and imperial rooms. We took the tram to the palace and it’s fairly easy to commute in Vienna using public transport. You can buy tickets for a tram/bus from vending machines outside each station or bus stop.

The palace tour takes you through different stylistic eras of the imperial monarchy, through state rooms and private apartments of Franz Joseph and Sisi. You can buy tickets for different tours from here.

Albertina Museum – hosts the world’s largest and most valuable collections in the world with masterpieces from Monet to Picasso, Baselitz, Michael Schmidt, and more. In addition to Albertina, there is MuseumsQuartier near the inner city with museums, restaurants, galleries, cafes, theaters, and an open courtyard with colorful sitting blocks. If you are an art lover, then apart from Albertina you can visit Leopold and Mumok, both of which have a display of contemporary and modern art.

Food to try

Vienna has some delicious distinctive dishes, the most prominent and beloved is the Weiner Schnitzel. Figlmüller Wollzeile, just around the corner from St. Stephen’s Cathedral is Vienna’s best spots for schnitzel.

Other popular dishes to try in Vienna are Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel) from any local bakery, Erdäpfelsalat (Potato Salad) from Figlmüller, The Sachertorte, Austrian Goulash at Cafe Mozart, and Spargel at any local restaurant.

Three days is not enough to explore Vienna, the city is brimming with art at every corner, and to experience it beyond Sisi and the known tourist places, you need more time in the cobblestone alleys of Vienna.

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You can follow me on Instagram (tinastint) for more pictures from the Europe trip and of Oman in general.

How to reach from Oman– connecting flight from Muscat to Frankfurt and then to Vienna. From the airport, you can take the city line, a bus, or a taxi to commute, Vienna is well-connected and boasts of great transportation – buses, trams, metros, and trains.

Visa from VFS Global (From Oman)

Apply for a Schengen visa at the embassy or visa application center. VFS Global is the visa application center in Oman for Austria. You can download the visa application form, complete it, print the completed form, book an appointment, and submit it at Visa Application Centre.

P.S. – Shopping centers and even grocery stores open by 9 am and shut down by 6-7 pm and stores are closed on Sundays by law, except the ones in train stations. On Sundays, you will find many cafes and restaurants closed, which came as a surprise for us, as we are used to malls and shops being open till late into the night and on weekends.

Credit, as well as debit cards, are accepted everywhere in Vienna, from bus tickets to tickets for museums, galleries, palaces, and any other tourist attraction.

Buy the audio guide at the museums, galleries, and other tourist spots. The guides are detailed and you won’t feel the need to pay extra for the guided tours.

Get your guide is a great option to book tickets in advance.