A couple hour drive from Czech Republic’s we found ourselves amidst the spacious and historic city of Vienna. The grand scale of Vienna is beyond what a person can grasp in just a single day.

With the help and recommendations from the Vienna tourism  we had a small culinary tour of the city.

We snacked on delicious, juicy sausage from a street stand and later went across the street to Hotel Sacher for the real Sacha Torte. I think unless you’re an avid fan of sacha torte and/or have been dying to taste the real thing, the long wait and expensive price may leave you feeling disappointed. The hotel and cafe themselves are outstandingly beautiful with their authentic decor. 

My love for opera since I was a little girl made Vienna’s opera house a natural must. Because I left this trip until the very last minute I had almost no time to plan anything and managed it all on a whim. Unfortunately there were no operas on the night we were there, BUT we were very lucky that the next BEST possible thing was; Swan Lake. It was a no brainer for us. The Vienna opera house, despite it’s prestigious, gaudy interior said that no matter your status EVERYONE should be able to enjoy music. This obvious mentality and love for music and dance made me fall even more in love with Vienna.

Tickets can range from private balcony seats for €320 to €3 for the cheapest standing tickets (we stood in line for a couple hours and purchased €3 tickets at the door). If you can’t afford that or if it sells out, no problem! You can join the crowd watching from the street where they play it from a huge screen LIVE.

We stayed for an hour in the (HOT!) Opera House watching Swan Lake before walking to Lugeck Restaurant  for a real wiener schnitzel dinner

and had desert just around the corner at Eis Greissler ice cream parlour made from organic milk from their very own cows.

Unfortunately I don’t think I’m the biggest fan of Austrian food, especially breaded meats, but the restaurant was very beautiful and in a great location so I’m happy we got to have the experience.

On our walk back to the car, we sat on the pavement shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the city and watched the emotional ending of Swan Lake.

I wish we’d had a pedometer with us because we walked miles and miles through the city, amazingly in 30C! We only noticed at the end of the day the lack of shade and trees in Vienna. The streets are much wider than most European cities with very large, mostly white buildings, and overall quite a simplistic architectural style.

The next morning we made a stop at the Schönbrunn Palace  before heading to Budapest with a quick stop in Bratislava on the way. I was very happy we made a visit to the palace for the amazing history and facts we learned. Choosing to take the audio guided tour, I was intrigued from room to room as they described the purpose and historic moments of each. Learning about Sisi, Maria Theresa and connecting the dots with Marie Antoinette. 

“You can’t give the word cozy to all those rooms,” Anita says as we walk through the huge, spacious palace. I could imagine it would be hard to feel at home with all that space surrounding you. My imagination was taken for a spin as I tried to envision the royal family listening to Mozart play at just 6 years old in one of the rooms we visited. History is so beyond fascinating, and travel really brings it to life.

We drank delicious ice coffee with a scoop of ice cream in it with a perfect view of the the palace before once again braving the heat in our NO A/C car in 32C degrees.

Savannah

Budget Tip: Even to just listen to the live orchestra and experience the Vienna opera house, you must stand in line when tickets are available a couple hours before the show begins. Tickets are just €3 and €4!

Be Aware of Dress Code (Opera House): There is a strict dress code to enter the opera house so PLEASE don’t say I didn’t warn you. After waiting an hour in line Anita was turned away at the door for wearing shorts and not following the dress code. They refused to let her in and they will only sell one standing ticket per person. While Anita ran back to the car to change we miraculously lucked out that the ticket booth guy sold me two tickets!