Vienna offered me delicious schnitzel and beautiful architecture to feast my eyes upon. Whether we should visit the MuseumsQuartier or ride on the Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel was just one of the tough decisions we made when deciding what to do. A new city can be overwhelming, especially when you are trying to cram all the important sites in during a few days and also check out the nightlife. I never feel as though one weekend is enough time to truly get to know a city but doing my research beforehand always helps me get familiar with where I want to spend my time. My friend, Sam, is studying abroad in Vienna this semester and gave us a few pointers on where we should go. Here were some of my favorites from the weekend.
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- The Hofburg
The Hofburg was the principal imperial palace of Habsburg dynasty rulers and now it serves as the residence and workplace of the Austrian President. This baroque palace complex contains those buildings you imagine when you travel to Vienna. Underneath the stark white ornate designs, there are museums inside as well as imperial apartments.
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- St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Right in the center square of Vienna, St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the most famous cathedral in Vienna. It is a medieval place of worship and it considered to be the heart and soul of Vienna.
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- Vienna State Opera
An Opera is a must-do on the list of activities in Vienna. This particular opera house is one of the busiest opera houses in the world, producing more than 350 performances. Our tour guide explained that trucks go back in forth from the storage unit to the opera house all day in order to set up all the necessary equipment to put on a show that night.
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- Naschmarkt
This market has everything you could think of. An array of jewelry, clothes, books, food and trinkets were all within this long stretch of tents. Naschmarkt is a cultural experience and a perfect spot to buy souvenirs for yourself or family back home.
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One of the places we did not have time for was the Schönbrunn Palace, the living place made for the Habsburg family. I would highly recommend visiting this 18th century summer residence complete with rococo ceremonial rooms and lavish gardens.
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I also loved the Spanish riding school, Prater Wein and Stadtpark. I hope this list will provide some insight on what to do when visiting Vienna or encourage you to buy your flight ticket out there!