2005 was a great year! I needed something special to celebrate the end of this year. Austria has long exerted a particular fascination on me, so my choice was a city that is famous for its Sacher cake, Shubert’s waltzes and Klimt masterpieces – Vienna!
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I was studying in Germany, and I decided to make my trip to Austria by train. At first I wanted to visit Salzburg as I had to meet my friends there and after that we wanted to go to Vienna together. In the early morning I left rainy Hamburg and set off for my little tour. I had Goethe’s “Italian Journey” with me and it was the best traveling companion for this trip. His route starts in the south of Germany and goes to Italy through Austria. It was captivating to read about his impressions of Austria; I had a feeling that we travel together. But already in the middle of my trip, somewhere around Kassel I closed my book and started looking at the window. I was completely fascinated by the landscape. Small mountains and hills replaced valleys and there was snow everywhere. Vienna was the capital of Habsburg Empire for almost seven centuries, and you can still feel its imperial past. Although there is an entwinement of different architectural styles in Vienna, to my mind it is a Baroque city.
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| Favourite spots: |
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One of my favorite spots in Vienna is Stephan’s Dom. I was impressed by its grandeur and dignity. There is a legend that Mozart’s wedding took place in this magnificent church, but I am not sure. The inside is breathtaking. It is definitely a symbol of Vienna! Near the Stephan’s Dom you can find carriages; and I would recommend you to take a ride around the city! I also loved to have a beer near the Stephan’s Dom, there are plenty of nice cafes where you can stay, enjoy a beer and a wonderful view on Stephan’s Dom. The nice cozy private bookshops also amazed me – it was snowing the whole day and suddenly I found this bookshop “Shakespeare and company”. The owner of the shop is a charming Englishwoman, she was full of stories.
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| What's really great: |
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The atmosphere of the city – nice coffee places where you can spend the snowy or rainy morning reading newspapers and having a cup of the best coffee in the world. Viennese cafes are a very special thing in the city! During the last century they were the center of the cultural life. My favorite café is Griensteidl! Vienna is a city of music and the famous musicians, it’s a city entrancing and captivating as music it’s a city with coffee flavor and horses’ clop.
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| Sights: |
Vienna is a city of magnificent palaces and majestic squares, small picturesque streets and beautiful parks! Walk around the old city, visit Parliament, Burgteater, Rathaus, the Vienna State Opera, Maria-Theresien monument, the Museum of natural history, Belvedere.
You should definitely visit Schoennbrun Palace – the summer residence of the emperor, to my mind it is one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. Vienna is not just a city; it is a city with a certain lifestyle! It’s not the city for a quick tour, it’s a city where you should live at least for a while!And as my friend says: It is so glamorous to live in Vienna!
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| Accommodations: |
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There are plenty of hotels in Vienna! I stayed in a budget hotel Etap. The price is 40 euros per single room and 50 euros per double room. The location is very convenient, not far from the city center.
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| Nightlife: |
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It’s impossible to get bored in Vienna. In the district Guertel you can find clubs and pubs for every taste.
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| Restaurants: |
Vienna is famous for its culinary traditions. The interesting thing is that Viennese cuisine is the only cuisine in the whole world which name comes from the name of the city and not from the country. We all know Italian cuisine, French cuisine and Viennese cuisine!
When you are here you should definitely eat Wiener schnitzel (I prefer it with Erdaepfelsalat), Grillteller, well known Apfelschtrudel, of course Sacher cake.
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Published on Thursday October 12th, 2006
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Sat, Oct 14 2006 - 11:06 PM
 by gloriajames
| Nice report on a country i would like to visit some day. |
Sat, Oct 14 2006 - 04:45 AM
by st.vincent
| Vienna looks like such a magical city, especially during the Winter months when there is some snow about. |
Fri, Oct 13 2006 - 03:43 AM
by terje
| Mmmm. I think I need a trip to Vienna! :-) |
Thu, Oct 12 2006 - 11:09 AM
by mistybleu
Vienna in winter seems fun. A nice report and really liked the picture of Rathaus in the snow.
Amanda |
Thu, Oct 12 2006 - 09:16 AM
 by mrscanada
| Nellie this was an interesting report. |
Thu, Oct 12 2006 - 08:39 AM
by eirekay
| Nellie, great tip about Goethe's "Italian Journey". This report would move up to a 5* with a little more detail filled in. You catch a lot of the ambience! |
Thu, Oct 12 2006 - 07:15 AM
 by marianne
Nellie,
Nice read. Maybe you can put the full address of the Etap hotel in 'travel tips'. That way it is esy to find for anyone looking for a hotel in Vienna. |
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