Austria

On our last day in Vienna, we followed a walking tour through Wieden, the city’s fourth district. A little less touristy, the area shows the side of Vienna that sprouted up after 1900 vs. the older historic city center.

After filling up on apple pancakes at Heindl’s Schmarren and Palatschinkenkuchl, a classic Viennese diner, we walked through Stadtpark. The 28-acre park opened in 1862, becoming Vienna’s first public park. A few locals spent a lazy Saturday morning sitting around the pond reading newspapers and feeding the pigeons. We did a loop, then headed north toward the Danube River.

The Kunst Haus features some of the graphic works of 20th-century artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. But the outside with its funky curves, patterns and colors are really where Hundertwasser shines. Often compared to Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (whose works we saw in Barcelona), his masterpiece is located just down the street.

Hundertwasserhaus was built using designs suggested by the artist and contains 53 apartments as well as four office spaces. The floors are undulating, providing what Hudertwasser called a “divine melody to the feet.” The roofs are covered in soil and grass. Some of the homes have trees growing inside with limbs winding out of the windows.

We ate lunch in Arenbergpark under the shadow of a flak tower. The concrete anti-aircraft towers were built by the Third Reich during Germany’s World War II occupation of Vienna. Russian forces attempted to demolish the towers following the war, but the potential damage to nearby residences forced them to abandon the plan. Today they’re considered historic monuments. Kids played soccer on a small field nearby, the towers absorbed into the background of the park.

We grabbed a quick dessert at Cafe Neunteufl, a very local konditorei, then continued into Schwarzenbergplatz. The public square has a large monument celebrating the 17,000 Soviet soldiers who were killed in the liberation of Vienna at the end of World War II. The monument is still divisive as the post-war occupation of the Soviets was difficult for many Viennese. Yet, as recently as 2011, the city has paid for major refurbishments to the memorial.

Just up the street from the memorial, we entered the gates of the Belvedere palace complex (pictured above). Built during the Habsburg dynasty around the same time as Schönbrunn Palace, the grounds feature a long courtyard with two impressive Baroque palaces—the Lower Belvedere and Upper Belvedere—at either end.

That evening, we boarded an overnight train bound for Rome. A young man and three Italian high school girls joined us in our six-bunk compartment. The bumpy ride made for a long night, but while unable to sleep, I watched the Austrian countryside roll by. A floodlit castle sat majestically upon a hill bidding a fond farewell to our time in Vienna.

More Photo of the Day posts from our January-March 2016 trip to Europe

Our last day in Prague started early—although not London early—as we caught a bus for Vienna. The four-hour bus ride to the Austrian capital was much less eventful than our last bus from Amsterdam to Prague as we had our own seats and Czech language versions of 70s AM radio hits played over the bus speakers.

Our apartment was just over the Danube River from Vienna’s historic city center. Established by the Celts in 500 BC, the city has seen the Romans, Hungarians, Ottomans and Germans control the area over the last two millennia. As a result, Vienna is a rich mix of culture and architecture and the Historic Centre of Vienna was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2001.

Just looking for a place to have lunch, we found ourselves in the courtyard of one of the city’s oldest churches. Built in 790, the small St. Rupert’s Church in the old Roman quarter of Vindobona was once the center of Vienna. It still hosts services for an active membership every weekend.

One of the best ways to get a quick overview of Vienna is a tour of the Ringstrasse. The Ring Road replaced the medieval city walls in the late 19th century and runs in a circle around the inner part of the city center. Many of Vienna’s most popular tourist sights are found here, including the State Opera house, the University of Vienna and the Hofburg Palace complex.

The Ring Tram makes the loop in about 30 minutes, but we decided to walk the circumference to get a feel for the city. It also allowed us to pop into one of Vienna’s many cafes for some of its famous cake and coffee! Hanging out in a cafe isn’t just a cool thing to do, it’s actually a UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage.

In the 19th century, homes were often overcrowded, so coffee houses offered an opportunity for some personal space. The coffee—always served on a tray with a glass of water—comes in a dozen preparations, but typical Viennese style is called Melange. It’s similar to a cappuccino, but made with a milder blend of coffee. The cakes are beautiful, plentiful and delicious.

The Votive Church, a 19th century neo-Gothic cathedral, is currently undergoing refurbishments. The advertisements of the companies supporting the remodel are plasted across the front, including a giant banner of a woman holding a box of juice that covers much of the facade. Fortunately we’ve already seen some great Gothic churches.

Vienna’s City Hall, the Rathaus, was hosting a Special Olympics ice skating event in its courtyard. The skating rink was epic, beginning with a large corral in the front with a lane leading to a winding maze on the left. Those who found their way through the maze arrived in the main rink near the front of the building. We watched the kids, decked out in neon yellow safety vests, whiz by.

After a short rest, we took the metro to the Margareten district for dinner. Rupp’s touts itself as an Irish pub, but unofficially it’s one of Vienna’s most popular vegetarian restaurants. The menu is full of meat-free versions of Viennese classics. We went with the goulash and wiener schnitzel and were not disappointed.

More Photo of the Day posts from our January-March 2016 trip to Europe