Blogs from Vienna, Austria, Europe - page 2

No alarm set for this morning as we'll be in Vienna well before our check-in time. We have a very leisurely breakfast and have a chat to two Americans who are riding the length of the Danube. They're thinking about coming to do some riding in Australia and asked if Darwin was a good place to start. Hopefully we've set them straight. We ride out of Tulln just after 9am and make our way to the river which will take us all the way to Vienna. Just after we leave Tulln behind we see a girl riding in front of us with a jersey that says Australia on her back. We both look t each other and think, great an other Aussie to talk to. Leena was actually German and her friend had given her the ... read more

This is our second day in Vienna, and perhaps we should have planned our time better, but this morning instead of venturing into the city center, we are embarking on an ebike ride along the Danube into the countryside. Neither of us had ever ridden an ebike, but earlier this summer we did a 26-mile ride on our regular bikes, so we figured we could handle it. Our group consisted of 14 passengers including us, and 3 tour guides with Wolfgang taking the lead and the others following in the rear to make sure no one got lost. Having never seen an ebike, I assumed it was some sort of electric motorcycle, but it was not. It’s basically just regular bicycle, in our case it was an 8 speed with a selection knob on the right ... read more

SUN, 28 AUG 2022 – Day 16: Vienna: Optional Free Day - Enjoy a free day to explore Vienna! Awash with imperial splendour, Vienna was once the centre of the powerful Habsburg monarchy, which dominated central Europe from the 16th-18th centuries. History fans should check out the incredible palaces of the era - Schönbrunn Palace and the Belvedere. Classical music lovers can enjoy a concert by one of the greatest composers of the Viennese classical period, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Overnight – Hotel Roomz Vienna Gasometer... read more

We arrived in Vienna and were treated to a private concert at the Palais Liechtenstein. Greeted with a glass of sparkling and we were treated to a program of Strauss and Mozart including music, opera and ballet. A very polished performance in a stunning building. The Garden Palace is owned by the Princley Family of Liechtenstein and the Golden Carriage was one of five commissioned in 1738. It is the only one to survive as it was dismantled and stored until being brought to Vienna in 2003. The following day we opted for a bus tour to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. We travelled out of Vienna past a series of government owned green houses that are heated by the energy output of the nearby incinerators. Our guide gave us a brief rundown on Slovakias history. ... read more

I decided to take a lazy morning and have brunch in a cafe, then walk in palace gardens. It is lovely walking along cobbled streets or sidewalks, watching people go about their day amongst finely decorated buildings. There is something comforting about the size and stature of these buildings, they seem eternal, as if nothing could knock them down. I strolled around picking out the cafe with lots of people, in shade, serving lots of proteins as well as sweets and caffiene. Along the street I saw the chocolate maker shop and popped in. I bought six round chocolates (am eating them now....OMG, so good) of various flavours; chili, hazelnut, salty, layered nugat. Window shopping is a delight. Finally I sat in a cafe and ordered a cappuchino and omlette. There is no rush to take ... read more