Two friends from Wisconsin, USA came to visit me in Vienna, Austria and stayed for 8 days. Both are teachers (English teacher & a Spanish teacher) and wanted to make the best of their visit in Austria’s capital. They had a fun and busy schedule involving the Essential Sights to See, good food, and much more. Check out what they did below. Enjoy!
Day 1 – Vienna for Teachers
- Arrive in Vienna and check in at the AirBnB apartment
- Walk around and grab dinner at the Danube Island, a fun and relaxing recreational area with the Danube River, restaurants, paddle boats, etc
- End the night with a treat from Eis Greissler, a popular ice-cream shop in Austria with organic, home made ice-cream
- Keep walking until you see St. Stephan’s Cathedral and admire the grand cathedral with Gothic-architecture
- Walk through Maria-Theresien-Platz and the Museums Quarter before heading back to the apartment
Day 2 – Vienna for Teachers
- Visit the Volksgarten
- From the garden, walk to the Burgtheater and across the street to City Town Hall (Rathaus)
- Stop by the Parliament building
- Walk to Hofburg Palace where Heldenplatz — ”Heroes Square” — and the massive National Library are
- Walk down to Michalerplatz to checkout the Roman ruins and take look inside St. Michael’s Church
- Take a peek inside Demel, a famous bakery in Vienna known for their sweets, cakes and strudel and watch the chefs prepare cake through the glass windows
- Have lunch at the french bistro Le Bol with delicious tartines and salads
- After lunch, walk down Kärntner Straße to see the Opera House
- Have a little dessert at Cafe Landtmann — with apple strudel and sweet tortes galore!
Day 3 – Vienna for Teachers
- Breakfast at Ulrich, a popular restaurant in Vienna
- Visit to Belvedere Palace and gardens, the summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, consisting of two palaces — Upper & Lower Belvedere
- Walk down the palace to the Hochstrahlbrunnen – Hochstrahl fountain and cool off with the fountain’s mist
- Walk over to Karlsplatz with St. Charles’s Church and take photos of the large Baroque church
- At night, indulge in some cake at Aida, a chain bakery in Vienna before heading back
Day 4 – Vienna for Teachers
- Breakfast at Motto am Fluss
- Take the #58 Tram to Schönbrunn Palace and walk around the summer residence of the Hapsburg dynasty
- Head over to Prater Amusement Park to walk around one of the world’s oldest amusement parks
- Enjoy a traditional Bavarian dinner at the Luftburg with pork knuckle, stuffed pretzel, coleslaw and sides of mustard and horseradish
- Go on the Prater’s famous Ferris Wheel (the oldest in the world!)
Day 5 – Vienna for Teachers
- Visit to the State Hall, part of the National Library, a MUST for teachers! An incredibly elaborate library, more than 200,000 volumes are here, and the entire place looks like it was inspired for the famous dancing scene in Beauty and the Beast
- Head over to a cafe for an Einspänner, a Viennese classic double espresso with whipped cream
- Visit the Hundertwasserhaus, where whimsical and artistic apartments by artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser are featured, along with gift shops and cafes to enjoy
- Have some unique bean burgers at Said the Butcher to the Cow near the State Opera
- Head over to the MQ for the opening performance of Vienna’s International Dance Festival
Day 6 – Vienna for Teachers
- Visit the Albertina and get excited over art by Monet and Picasso
- Have lunch at the sausage stand next to the museum and enjoy the Käsekrainer, a must eat if you’re into meat/sausage
- Take the Tram D all the way to Grinzing and get lost in the wine tavern village before stumbling upon the Heurigers (wine taverns) to taste and enjoy local wine and snacks
- Make it in time to have a Bosnian dinner at Galaxie, one of the best and authentic Balkan restaurants in Vienna
Day 7 – Vienna for Teachers
- A full day in Salzburg, about a 2 hour train ride from Vienna
- Having fun with the Sound of Music Bike Tour
Day 8 – Vienna for Teachers
- Sleep in!
- Check out the Naschmarkt, the farmer’s market open on Saturdays and have lunch
- Climb up 343 steps to get to the top of the South Tower of Stephansdom
- Do laundry and pack for tomorrow’s flight
- Indulge in gelato at Zanoni to top the last night in Vienna
- For next time: To go to a Mozart orchestra concert!
