Dreaming of Vienna

Vienna is one of my favorite cities and I have some especially favorite spots, featured below. Check them out-xoxo darling, Hayden. No. 1 Tomato Soup at Cafe Landtmann The tomato soup at Cafe Landtmann is second to none. It hits the spot on a cool, rainy, Vienna day. I had mine at their Park Cafe location {inside the Schonbrunn Palace, next to the Tiergarten}. It is served with this sour cream mousse type deal. If you stir it in to mix the soup with the mousse it turns it even more delicious. Another item to order is the limeade. It is served in an adorable glass and it tastes delicious. 

No. 2 Schonbrunn Palace OH MY GOODNESS. LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT DIS PALACE. It was my absolute favorite thing in Vienna. It contains so much. History, art, animals, flowers, beauty. It is truly amazing. You must visit the palace itself, I had an amazing tour guide; then the Gloriette; all of the gardens, and of course you must attend the Apple Strudel Show. All of it is amazing and I really cannot say anything else about it except for the fact that you need to spend a whole day there to truly understand everything about it. 

No. 3 Grab a pint at 7 Stern Brau  We went to this restaurant after an extremely long day of learning and walking. We were starving, thirsty, and tired. My dad had read about the place on one of his craft beer websites and so we wanted to try their different types. I really enjoyed their Amber beer and had chicken schnitzel. We sat around drinking beer and eating for quite some time just enjoying not walking anymore. The food was delicious and the beer was even better, so it is definitely somewhere to check out if you are hungry in the Museum Quarter.

No. 4 Find old countries at the Globe Museum I have always loved globes, I used to play with one at my grandparents house for hours on end. It was so much fun to see different countries and where they were located in the world. When I saw that a Globe Museum in Vienna existed, I jumped on the opportunity to visit. My dad was also a huge fan and the globes in the museum were beautiful. There were gigantic globes, normal sized globes, and tiny little globes. There were extremely old, to new, to maps of galaxies. Some of the maps featured the old world with countries that don't even exist anymore. It was such an educational experience, plus we had the museum completely to ourselves because it is not common to visit apparently.

No. 5 Get a meal at Schweizerhaus @ the Prater & take a ride on the Ferris Wheel So the Prater, is a fun amusement park deal. Very different than the theme parks in America, much more like a permanent fair. When doing research I went on the Prater's website and saw a photo of the beer {shown below in my own photo} and decided that we must visit the Schweizerhaus for traditional German food, and beer with a head like that. I had rotisserie chicken {a little salty, but yummy} and my dad had...I wonder what? Wienerschnitzel. It was all very yummy and filling. We took a leisurely walk back through the Prater afterward and took a ride on the old, but classic ferris wheel. You can see for miles & it is especially neat at night because the whole city is lit up. 

No. 6 Visit the National Library Reading Room My dad found the Reading Room and I found the Globe Museum then we found out they were part of the same museum system. The Reading Room was...breathtaking. The painted ceilings and sculptures were something that left my mouth hanging open. Plus there was a World War I exhibit that kept my dad's attention. My mama and I just sat on a bench and looked at the ceiling, the artwork, and the various rooms.

No. 7 Get a slice of the famous cake at the Hotel Sacher My grand-mama told me about this famous Sacher Torte that I absolutely had to have when I went to Vienna. I had never heard of such a cake before {I know, I live under a rock} but I did some research and found the original hotel and every piece of information you could ever want to know about the rich cake. There are multiple restaurants in the hotel, but the Sacher Eck is where we took out snack. You can wait for a table or grab a spot at their bar. They have various beverages, my dad enjoyed some hot tea, and I had a coffee concoction that I might not suggest to anyone.ever. It had so much creme in it I could barely handle it {I drink my coffee black FYI}. But the chocolate, raspberry, cake was magic in my mouth. It hit all of my tastebuds just right & I enjoyed every bite. So please, do yourself a favor and go.

No. 8 Take a stroll through the Volksgarten My family and I were on the Ringstrasse tram {see No. 9} and we saw beautiful gardens peaking out from behind a fence. We decided to hop off and see what the flowers were all about. The Volksgarten is a gorgeous park in the middle of the old city featuring thousands of flowers {mainly roses} and little cafes. I took so many photos of all the flowers that I couldn't keep them all on my camera by the end of the trip. It is a must stop; my suggestion is to grab a cup of coffee and bring a book so you can relax for a while.

No. 9 A ride around the Ringstrasse This classic urban planning feature is key to seeing basically everything super important in Vienna's city center. But do not be fooled and get on the official "Ringstrasse" tram. Use the public transportation. You will have to change trams {1 & 2} but since you will most likely already have a public transportation ticket, the tram will be included. Make sure to get on one of the old trams for a serious feel; and pay attention to what is outside. My family and I discovered so many things and jumped on and off the tram because it is very difficult to find everything online. 

No. 10 Breakfast at Felber Bäckerei We discovered this little bakery by our hotel and it was so yummy! They have all different kinds of breads and sweets. The chocolate croissant was just like the kind you get in Paris, and the coffee was truly European. Plus look at those adorable dishes! It is perfect for breakfast, as Europeans do not eat the huge breakfast us Americans are used to. The girls who were working when we visited were incredibly nice and they helped us to understand the menu better.