Vienna

---

We arrived in Vienna (last) Thursday afternoon. The train ride from Ljubljana was just over five hours. One of the first things I noticed about Vienna is how incredibly clean the city is, which is especially impressive considering its size---around 1.8 million people. It is a great city to just stroll around in and you could spend several days just wandering and taking in the city's impressive architecture and numerous parks and gardens. Vienna is definitely more commercial and there is a more modern influence here than most of the places I have visited in Eastern Europe. Another general point on Vienna---the public transportation is amazing. The government must pour money into the subway system here---it's nicer than anything I've seen in the states. It was really the first place that I felt like I could live and I definitely could have spent a lot more time there. We really just scratched the surface.

I also want to recommend the Hostel Ruthensteiner if you are ever in Vienna. It's by far the best one we stayed at so far and it is still very reasonably priced! There is a bar inside the hostel that is great for meeting fellow backpackers, but the rooms are still quiet and have private baths with, get this....hot water! That has been a rare find on this trip.

On Thursday afternoon I justed walked around and got oriented with the city. I had my obligatory slice of sachertorte and ate wiener schnitzel for dinner. That night Kip and I went on a pub crawl with roughly 50 other backpackers and we had a blast!

Friday we just hit the streets again and took in some of the sights. We stopped at a couple popular cafes---Cafe Central, where Trotsky, Freud, Beethoven, and many other intellectuals were known to frequent, and Cafe Pruckel, a 1950s style cafe.

On Saturday morning I, again, just walked around. That afternoon we went to Schonbrunn Palace and Saturday night we went to a Mozart concert at the Staatsoper, one of the most famous opera houses in the world.

Sunday we went to the Vienna suburb of Grinzing, which used to be a community of wine growers. There are many wine fields in and around the Vienna city limits. In Grinzing the streets are lined with Heurigen (wine taverns), which sell wine produced on site. We just jumped from place to place and had a relaxing afternoon. Sunday night I took off for Amsterdam and arrived Monday afternoon. I'm starting to run low on time, but I'll try my best to get an Amsterdam update and some pictures up soon!

---

Photos

Pub Crawl
We were excited because this guy was wearing a Priest Holmes jersey

Pub Crawl
With some fellow Americans

Staatsoper
Opera House

Comments

[Felicia Fisher]

Hey Ryan, wow what an amazing experience you are having! I hope you keep those pictures coming they are fantastic, they make me want to travel so bad! Anyway take care and I hope you enjoy the rest of your travels safely!!!

[Diane Chapman]

Memories
Hey Ryan, Your parents were telling Perry and I about your trip. I was in Vienna in 1993...the Schonbrumm, Staatsoper, and Stephensdom are just a few of the memories I have from my trip. I was in Vienna for 17 days, so I had the opportunity to really explore the city. I also spent 7 days in Salzburg. Your trip sounds amazing...soak up every site, sound and smell...because those memories will be just as important as the pictures you bring back with you. Thanks for sharing your journey...be safe and God bless. Diane