When we left Italy for Vienna, Austria, I expected two things. First, I anticipated a change of scenery from Renaissance to Baroque architecture. Second, I assumed we were leaving the peak dining experience behind in Italy. To my belief, the architecture did, in fact, transition from painted fresco facades, weathered with the passage of time to elegant pastel carved buildings with swirling trims and Baroque charm.
To my surprise, veal Wiener schnitzel with a side of creamy cucumber salad and fresh, vinegar-based potato salad became my new favorite meal of our whole trip. Yes, I am admitting that I enjoyed fried, thinly pounded Viennese meat over all the Italian food I ate.
However, here is my case: Our journey in Italy featured very scenic, touristy destinations; therefore, tourist-trappy restaurants lurked at every corner. While those dishes were good, the food I ate in Florence and Rome last summer was significantly more of a flavorful journey that still stands as the best pasta I have ever had. My main takeaways from our Italy trip lie in the natural beauty, history, and architecture we saw.
I also normally don’t reach for fried dishes at restaurants, but I had to try Vienna’s national dish. “Pleasantly surprised” was an understatement. A magical bite consisted of Wiener schnitzel paired with the creamy dill flavor of the cucumber salad or the fresh, vinegary flavor of the vibrant yellow potato salad. The meal was the perfect balance of filling but refreshing. Of the schnitzels we had, Dom’s was the best. Dom Schnitzel, located in the heart of the city center just a short way from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, gave off a tourist-trap vibe due to its location. However, its 4.8 stars and 9,000 reviews pulled us in. I’m so glad we gave it a try!
Moving on from Wiener schnitzel (pronounced veener schnitzel, FYI), our trip to Vienna was filled with other fun surprises. Our Airbnb was near Vienna’s 7th district, which was filled with unique, curated thrift stores. With each turn, we would run into new vintage shops with alluring window displays. I wish we had more time to explore them, but my hungry teenage brother was running low on fuel and needed to fill the tank (eat food, and lots of it).
We came to learn that, unlike Italy, things begin to quiet down and close around 8:00 or 9:00 PM. We learned that dinner at 10:00 PM is not the norm, and most shops close around 7:00 PM at the latest. If you are ever in Vienna and like thrifting, please visit the 7th district and show me what you got – I will live vicariously through you! All that said, our trip featured many other exciting moments that made the lack of vintage shopping time an afterthought.
We explored Schönbrunn Palace, which was the summer home to the Habsburgs. Here is what stuck out to me:
- Vienna LOVES Sisi. She had a lot of merch at the gift shops. I am talking Sisi magnets, soaps, totes, liquors, mugs, etc. Why do they love Empress Elisabeth (aka Sisi) so much? Apparently, her rebellious nature and defiance of court etiquette set her apart as a historical icon. From my tour of the palace, I remember that she did not get along with her mother-in-law, was indifferent to her husband, rarely ate dinner with her family, and had really, really long hair.
2. Marie Antoinette’s Childhood: Schönbrunn (the summer palace) and the Hofburg (the winter palace) are where Marie Antoinette grew up. For some reason, I find this fascinating. I watched Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette last year and was very intrigued by the glamorous film. Therefore, walking the halls of the infamous queen’s childhood felt very surreal. Remember, she never said, “Let them eat cake!”
3. The 1,441 Rooms: The palace was beautiful, and each room was a work of intricate detail. Our audio-guide tour featured 40 different rooms; however, the palace itself boasts 1,441 rooms. I am unsure what goes on in the other thousands of rooms, but what I saw was quite impressive. The motif of each room varied. One was reminiscent of blue porcelain china, another was a ballroom of mirrors and opulent gold carvings, some featured rich velvet, while others had silky, patterned wallpaper. Overall, the palace screamed wealth and made me reflect on the generations that lived there.
In Vienna, we also discovered one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. It was called the Jesuit Church, and it featured curved pink marble columns and a stunning altarpiece. The whole sight was simply breathtaking.
I also really enjoyed the Gothic masterpiece that was St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It featured a dark interior lit by stained-glass windows. The limestone columns were tall and grand. Once again, I felt small looking up at the vaulted ceiling. Overall, the cathedrals of Vienna did not disappoint.
We also enjoyed walking through the Naschmarkt open-air market. There were vibrant displays of fruits and vegetables, a wide variety of cheeses and meats, and an aromatic array of lively restaurants. It was “lively” also because it turned into a downpour during our walk through the vendors! Fortunately, the awnings covered us, so we did not get super drenched. The vendor workers were quite demanding that we try things and would then be pushy for us to buy. I learned to just keep walking because, while I would love to buy your cheese, I have nowhere to put it!
Finally, we really loved our trip to the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (gotta love long German words!). It featured our favorite kind of history: ancient to Renaissance. From mummies and Roman busts to weird-looking medieval-era babies and animals to stunning Renaissance landscapes, the museum was the perfect historical mix. My favorite painting I saw was the Adam and Eve piece that the Desperate Housewives intro animates! My brother, a Gladiator movie fan, really enjoyed seeing the busts of real-life characters such as Marcus Aurelius. My mom enjoyed looking at the ancient jewelry, and we noted how gold statement jewelry has been trending since the beginning!
Our Vienna trip was marked by welcomed surprises. Have you ever been surprised by a cities food scene? Let me know in the comments!
If you have yet to go to Vienna, it waits for you!
Bis bald!
Madeline in Prague 
Leave a comment