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Vienna

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Destination facts

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Where is located

How to get there

Car, Airplane, Bus, Train

Local public transportation

Suburban Train (S-Bahn), Metro (U-Bahn), City Airport Train, Bus

Time Zone

(GMT+1:00) Europe/Vienna (Central European Time)
Local Time in Destination: 07:04

Elevation

544 m

Top 5 landmarks

  • Schönbrunn Palace
  • Historic center of Vienna
  • Rathaus (City Hall)
  • Donauturm
  • Stephansplatz

Personal Rating

Food: 9 / 10
Nightlife: 7 / 10
Landmarks: 10 / 10
Activities: 8 / 10
Mobility: 9 / 10

Weather in Vienna

Vienna: A capital full of history dated back to the Roman Empire

If you think that only cities like Athens or Rome have a great history then you might want to reconsider that. The history of Vienna (or Wien as it is official German name) begins approximately before 4.000 years. The ideal position of the city in the Danube River made it an excellent location to be incabitated from the people making the city one of the most important centers of commerce and an important military role as well.

History of Vienna

The first offiical references of the city of Vienna, appears at the year 881. The first reference of the city is by the name "Vveniam" that is translated to "to Wenia" in a proclamation of the archbishop of Salzburg.

The time that the city really expanded was during the end of the 12th Century. This time in the year 1200 the city walls of Vienna was completed.

There was after that a period of decline for the city with different dynasties controlling the city of Vienna and the areas around.

An unfortunate event took place in 1529 where half of the city got destroyed by fire. And if that was not enough for the city the same year Turkish armies tried to conquer the city leaving behind them ruins when they withdrew as the couldn't take control of the city.

The 19th Century begun for the city of Vienna with some turbulences. The city was captivated from the Napoleon in 1805 and 1809. However the occupation of the city was short termed as he was finally defeated in 1814.

The city started to shine again one year after as Klemens von Metternich made some great reforms having as a result the increased prosperity of the middle class.

By 1910, Vienna, with a population of 2 million, was the fourth-largest city in Europe.

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What to do there

There are many things that you can see in Vienna. It depends of course of what type of travel Person you are.

Here are some of my personal favorites on my last trip in Vienna:

  • Donauturm: This is the highest tower of Austria. On the Cafe and Restaurant Area you can enjoy delicious foods and drinks. For the Restaurant a Reservation is required. Additionally there is a general admission fee. The Restaurant is 170m above the ground and rotates. This means you have a 360 Degrees Panorama view in the city of Vienna.
  • Schönbrunn Palace: The Schönbrunn Palace or Schloss Schönbrunn which is its German name also is worth a visit. However be advised that for the most areas of the Palace there is an admission Fee. Check the official Website of the Schlodd Schönbrunn for the uptodated ticket prices.
  • Stephansplatz: This is where the heart of Vienna beats. The central Square of Stephansplatz is the geographical center of the City of Vienna. It has many shops, cafes and activities. One advice I can give for the square is that it has many street sellers that are selling concert tickets. Be advised that they are not officially sellers of the Vienna Philharmonic and most of these tickets are for low cost productions. So it is advised to avoid these sellers in the streets of Vienna.

What to eat there

As we said previous Vienna has a very big history. Of course this History goes together with the food and beverages history of Vienna.

  • Vienna coffee: If we can choose a middle name for Vienna that would be coffee of course. The citizens of Vienna love coffee and this shows also the numerous coffee houses in Vienna
  • Wiener Schnitzel: The most famous of course food of Vienna making this dish worldwide popular is the Wiener Schnitzel. There are many places you can get a good portion of Schnitzel and Vienna history. My advice is to avoid the Restaurants around the Stephansplatz, many of them are overpriced and choose Restaurants outside the historic center. It really makes a difference.
  • Gulasch: Although not a 100% original food of Vienna it tastes really good. The food consists of cubes of cattle, together with onions, paprika and different spicies. Choose the variant with Sauerkraut or the Fiakergulasch.

Where to stay there

One of my personal Favorites there is the ibis Wien Mariahilf Hotel.

It is located on the West Side of the Old city.

How to get there

There are many ways to get in Vienna the capital of Austria.

By train: Vienna is very well international conntected having direct connections with Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands, Italy, France and other central Europe countries.

By car: Vienna is using the international European Route E60 that begins from France and ends in Romania. Of course as a capital in the middle of Europe it has an extensive highway network around the capital. Please note that a Vignette is required to drive in the highways of Austria. You can buy one before entering the country or just in the first available sales point. Please be advised that there is a fine if you are not equiped with the Vignette and you are using the highway.

By bus: There are many companies that operate to and from Vienna. Vienna International Bus Terminal is located in the south East part of the city.

By plane: The Airport of Vienna ist located 18km southeast of the center of Vienna. It is of course the largest airport of the country with a passenger movement of more than 31 Million Passengers for 2019.

Arrivals inside the last hour in Vienna Airport

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