Two weeks ago was our weekend trip to Vienna, Austria. Friday morning, one bus driver, our two AIFS (American Institute of Foreign Study) advisers, and 38 students meet at the bus stop at 7:45 am. The fog was so thick that you couldn't seen more than a few yards in front of you, so being collage students we spent most of the drive there sleeping. The fog began to lift right as we were arriving in the Vienna. After a quick stop at our hotel to unload our things, we were back on the bus for a tour of the city.
The tour, a combination of both riding and walking, took us throughout most of Vienna's city center. By the time we were done we had not only seen most of Vienna's key sights but were also somewhat accustom to the city. Once the tour was over, everyone broke off into smaller groups to explore the city on their own. Natalia, Will, and I decided to grab a quick panini at a stand and then climb to the top of the St. Stephen's tower. 342 steps up a small, dark, spiral staircase. Needless to say I reached the top winded and dizzy, but the view was definitely worth the climb.
We spent the rest of the day wondering around the city. We didn't look at our map and decided to just walk which ever way we wanted. For the next few hours we walked though parks, past museums, into churches, down streets, and up alleyways. Not being concerned with where we were going or how fast we needed to walk to get there made the afternoon stress free and enjoyable. We got back to our hotel in time to rest a bit before going out for supper.
St. Stephen's Cathedral and our climb to the top.
Outside Hofburg Palace (former resident of the Hapsburg family and now the National Library) is a beautiful garden.
Toward the end of the day we ended up in Stadtpark.
We ended our evening by walking by Parliament and the circus that was in front of Rathaus.
On Saturday morning we had a tour of the Kunsthistoriusches Museum (National Art Museum). Before being let out into the city for the rest of the day. Vienna has the largest flea market in Austria but as it attracts a lot of locals and tourists we only spent a little time there before leaving. We decided to find a hole-in-the-wall cafe that wasn't a tourist attraction to get some food and coffee. We walked for a while before coming to a cafe and bookstore called Phil. We decided this was the perfect place to get some coffee before we went across the street to a traditional old Austrian coffee house for a pastry. Both places were great and we spend most of the afternoon there talking and people watching.
Next came my favorite part of the whole weekend: Shakespeare and Company!!! I have known about the Shakespeare and Company in Paris and I knew that there were a few others around the world but I had no idea that there was on in Austria. We happened to turn down a random street and there it was. Being the avid book lover I am, I immediately freaked out. I had a great time wandering through the rooms, taking pictures, browsing the shelves, and hyperventilating from pure joy.
Philip bookstore and cafe:
Shakespeare and Company!!
Final day in Vienna started out with an early breakfast at the hotel before loading ourselves back onto our bus. We drove for less than 15 minutes before arriving at, Schönbrunn Palace, a trip that would have taken the Hapsburg family a 2 hour carriage ride when it was one of their summer homes. We had an audio tour of the inside and then spent an hour or so wandering around the gardens. Pictures were not allowed inside and the best description would be "Big, elegant, regal, over the top, almost everything was either gold or silver, lavish, and simply walking through it made my head hurt.
Our last stop before returning to Salzburg was Melk Abbey. The abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 and belonged to the Benedictine monks.
Melk Abbey:
Vienna was beautiful and amazing but it was also crowded, fast-paced, dirty, and overwhelming. I had a great weekend there but I am glad to be back in Salzburg.
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