A Wintery Weekend in Vienna | Part Two

For part one of A Wintery Weekend in Vienna click here

3 days in Vienna – Part Two

Our second day in Vienna began with a hearty breakfast in our hotel and once suitably stuffed, we ventured out into noticeably colder air. Wrapped up in our thick coats and cosy scarves, we set off away from the inner city, along various residential streets and through the Embassy quarter towards Schloss Belvedere.

On our way we passed magnificent doorways, quaint shops selling antiques and elegant light fixtures, an Anglican church which looked rather out of place surrounded by grand imperial buildings, and around one corner we were even more surprised to see the bright colours and multiple domes of a Russian Orthodox Church. Feeling a need to investigate we made our way along the street and finding the church open to visitors, ventured inside.

After satisfying our curiosity (and admiring the decoration, the various icons and the architecture), we retraced our steps and continued on our way. We soon found ourselves at the lower entrance leading into the vast grounds of Schloss Belvedere and enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the terraces leading up to the palace.

A fair few photos later we made for the tram stop and had only a short wait before our transport rumbled over the hill and was ready and waiting to deliver us back into the city.

Some few stops down the track we decided to jump off and head for Vienna’s most popular market, Naschmarkt. The huge semi-covered market has its origins back in the 16^th century and is made up of over one hundred food and vintage stalls, in addition to restaurants and cafes.

It seemed as if we had picked our time to visit well as we were able to saunter through the market without having to negotiate our way around hordes of people buying their groceries from the various stalls.

Leaving Naschmarkt, we headed back into town via the Opera and Graben, once again taking in the magical sight of the shopping street transformed into a winter wonderland with Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes, not to mention the huge chandeliers hanging overhead.

We eventually made it to Demel and this time made no excuses for stopping off and enjoying a slice of cake. I had no choice but to order a generous slice of Apfelstrudel and a pot of English breakfast (you can take the girl out of England..!)

Once the cake was demolished and our appetite had been (temporarily!) sated we circled back around to Stephansplatz where I made the decision to climb up the north tower and brave the stairway up to the lofty heights (the things I do for a good picture!!).

I must say, that although not being a fan of heights and, despite the fact that my legs were trembling for the entirety of my time up the tower, the view was fantastic and gave a different perspective of the city and its surrounds. I was also mesmerised by the intricacy of the cathedral’s tiled roof – who knew it was so beautiful?!

I finally plucked up enough courage to retrace my steps back down the metal mesh steps to the lift and was soon (thankfully) back on solid ground. Reunited with my Mum, who couldn’t be persuaded to join me up the tower, we made our way to the tram at Schwedensplatz and travelled down the line a few stops to see the funky architecture of the Hundertwasserhaus.

This curious, colourful building is in fact an apartment block which was built after the idea and concept of an Austrian artist and architect duo. The expressionist building has become one of the city’s most visited attractions and has become part of Austria’s cultural heritage.

Just across the street is the aptly named Hundertwasser village, which following some research, I found to be on the site of an old tyre factory. The area was transformed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser to hold shops, cafes and a rooftop forest. We had a quick walk through to see the unusual yet appealing interior before hopping back aboard a tram back into the city as dinner time was fast approaching (and stomachs were rumbling again).

We did have some time, however, to check out the inner city and Christmas markets by night – illuminated by the many colourful lights and market stalls. Naturally we stopped for a pre-dinner beverage which also provided a much needed boost to our core temperatures (a good excuse!).

After a good wander around and a quick browse through the markets, we made our way to one of the city’s so-called ‘Stadtheuriger’ where we met up with my friend Fiona for a spot of dinner. Our ‘Heuriger’ of choice was the Esterhazykeller, a cosy old wine tavern situated in the basement below the grand Esterhazy Palace where we all settled ourselves in for an hour or two’s tasting of hearty, classic Viennese cuisine.

Yet again another day was quickly at its end so we bid Fiona a goodnight and goodbye, before making our way back to our hotel for one final night.

Day 3

Our final morning in Vienna was upon us and we decided to spend the last few free hours before our midday flight exploring a slightly alternative side of Vienna and one you would probably not associate with the city’s classic imperialist buildings.

From our hotel, it was just a short walk along the water to the Donaukanal, the only place in Vienna where it is legal to make your mark with graffiti and produce street art. On our arrival in the area, it was also clear that there was some sort of ‘bohemian’ atmosphere and that this was a place where people were free to express themselves, their thoughts and their ideals.

 Although in mid-December the banks of the canal were pretty desolate, with the exception of one or two joggers or dog-walkers, there were plenty of signs that during the summer months this is the place to be for the trendy crowd; summer stages, bankside cafes etc. (Note in the diary!)

We walked a short distance along the canal and then aware of the time, sadly had to head back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and head for the airport.

So long Vienna, I am sure I will see you again very soon.

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I really hope you enjoyed reading about my time in Vienna. If you’ve visited the city before, I would love to hear about your experiences! If you have a trip planned and have some questions, then do feel free to ask me in the comments below or send me through an email!