Vienna..a place where greatness is all around!!

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Vienna..a city i always wanted to go and when i wanted to go, wanted to go with my father and so did we!!

It was just a long weekend for the kids..my husband cud not join us as he cudnt gets way from work..me, my two boys and my father....we started our journey from Netherlands landed in vienna at 5.30 pm on Thursday and after picking up our vienna passes at the airport, we reached our hotel by 7..and were out again by 7.30..

We headed to the Naschmarkt as i had checked beforehand and the timings were till 9pm and it was barely 2 kms from our hotel...we reached there by a local bus but only the food markt was open..a little disappointed as we were looking to spend a nice time in a huge open market.....so we further went to the Royal opera in the same bus again and looked for a macdonalds around us on google..found one and had a good time with kids always happy at a macdonalds!! and there ended our first night!!


Next morning we started early and took the 9.15 hop off hop on bus which was included in our vienna passes. We took the Red Line of the vienna sightseeing tours..the Red Line is the main line which goes to the Museaum square, hofburg palace, Saint Stephen Cathedral, opera house and everything cultural!! This is the route which took us the most time but i was happy to do it bcz i knew this is what my father wud enjoy the most!!

We got down at the hofburg palace..and walked in..there were these beautiful vintage cars standing with these good looking drivers..all for 30 euros for 25 mins!! to take u around!! We wanted to do it but we didn’t bcz i knew we didn’t have the time and also bcz our bus wud anyways take us around the same sights in the city.

We kept going in and stumbled upon the royal treasury entrance and since it was free in the vienna pass, we went in and man! we were glad we did! it was beautiful..the royal crown, the royal cutlery, the clothes!! they even had a pot and flowers which were made in gold!!

Saw the whole thing and came out..my younger one by that time (he is 3.5) was a little bored and was wanting something to munch or to play or something else..managed that somehow😞


After that, we got down at the national theater..and there’s a beautiful rose garden even before u can see the national theatre..sat there for sometime..clicked some pix..and came out..also bcz it was sunny and hot (27 degrees)


After this stop, we got down at the Saint Stephan Cathedral stop (no 12) which is also the old town (inner stadt)..saw the cathedral..a nice little street market and a kids carousel and probably the most beautiful part of vienna..

Our agenda was also to go and see the mozart house which was supposed to be near the Cathedral so we navigated to that thru google and reached it and went inside and it was worth it! very organised! very detailed! free audio guide with the entry which was also included in the vienna pass..all in all a fabulous experience!!


Came out of that and walked around the entire old town..beautiful it was! many street performances were happening and it was a pleasure to watch them!

By then we were hungry and on popular demand ( of both my boys!!), macdonalds once again!!

Post a nice and heavy lunch, we headed out to rest our legs and take the 75 mins danube cruise which was included in our pass..navigated to the boarding stop and hopped on!! beautiful ride and a nice restaurant inside but the service was really slow and my younger one drove me a little crazy (ok! not a little, a lot😊


My father told me that what’s the point of these cruises..relax or see the city!! bcz we cudnt do either in between his tantrums??!!


Anyways, headed back to our hop on bus after the cruise and got down at the opera house..admired it from outside and navigated our way to the “House of Music ”, which was by far the one of the best measeaums we have seen! bcz it was so interactive that the kids had a blast and cudnt get enof of it!

A little Souvinier shopping and we were out! just about 200 meters, was the “House of Literature” and i knew my father being a professor in literature wud love to see it!! Me and my little one relaxed with an icecream and a cappuccino near the museaum while my father and my elder one went in and had a peaceful stroll!

Walked back to the opera house which is also the main bus/ metro station and got into the metro to reach the prater (an amusement park in vienna with the famous giant wheel- The Wiener Riesenrad)

Got out of the underground metro (underground metro in prague had actually scared me for life for some reason but vienna was much better and much easier!!) and saw the beautiful giant wheel right as we came up! no navigation needed..just walked towards it and scanned our passes and we were in!! It was a long queue which was expected since it’s such a famous landmark of vienna but line moved quickly and i think we were in within 15/20 mins..


It was nice and it was high but most importantly it was slow, not scary!! the views were fabulous and exciting!!

Came down and both my boys had their heart set on whatever roller costers they cud do!

My father found a nice place to sit and relax and i took the boys around..did whatever i cud do with them or whichever rides/ cars they cud do alone ( they cudnt do much bcz they r 3 and 9)

After about an hour, we were done!! Ate some fresh boiled corn and chocolate fruit sticks..absolutely heavenly!! started our journey back in the metro and reached our hotel and day one was done!! and i think we did a lot for 1 day!!


Started out at early the next day too...and i think thats the catch if you are somewhat like me and want to see a lot when u travel to a new place! Reached the hop off hop on bus stop at opera house at 9.15 and took the yellow line today. First stop we stopped was at the schönbrunn palace! beautiful it was and as we heard on the way in the audio guide, the colour used was actually knows as austrian yellow now!!

Walked inside and understood that entry was free with the vienna pass but it needed scanning and a time slot wud be given. Got it but the time given to us was 1.50 pm!! we were there at 10 and i didn’t think we wud be there till 2 but anyways took the slot to go in.

Had seen on the net that there was a train which went inside the whole area covering almost everything inside the palace grounds and it was covered in our vienna pass...so took that and it was a wonderful relaxing journey for a good 50 mins or so..the kids wanted to get down at the zoo but i convinced them otherwise (with a promise to take them to the burger zoo in arnhem) bcz it was just too hot!! they agreed in return for an icecream and i was one happy mom?!!

After the tour ended, we saw the kinds museaum and the carriage museaum which are near the entry of the palace..kids enjoyed both and we were done!! it was still far from our 2 pm slot so we decided to let it go and came out of the place and back in our yellow line!!

After this, we decided to take the green line and see the outskirts..the wineyards of vienna a little!

Starting with the green line, we first got down at the university stop and walked for a good 15 mins navigating our way to the beethoven house!! and found it but it was a funny experience bcz this was the actual house and not a museaum!!

When we entered the apartment compound, we cudnt make out which house was it....bcz we were still looking for a grand big museaum but there was none! Then we saw a teenager with a skate board casually walking nearby and i asked him politely if he knew which was the beethoven house and let me quote his answer verbatim here!! - “ya.....i think i know....he lived somewhere here but i don’t know where..” i actually laughed out aloud??!! If i lived a building in which Beethoven had lived centuries back, i wud know!!

Someone as famous as Beethoven was also such a normal thing in the streets of Vienna!!

Anyways..after this funny episode where we laughed our hearts out, we took some pictures and walked back to our bus stop and again took the green line..this time to go to a hill view point called Kahlenberg..

On the way, we stopped at the bus stop- Grinzing Sandgasse and then actually found the Beethoven country house which was maintained as a very nice museaum!!

Went inside and it was worth it! Small and cozy and beautiful!

Came out and took the bus to Kahelburg and man, what a view!! Picture perfect!!

Had some lemonade and snacks and tried to beat the heat bcz it was hot!! Took pix! shopped for some souvieners!! had an icecream! the drill? and we were ready to go back!

This was our last night at vienna and we didnt just want to go back to the hotel so we decided to go to the inner stadt (old town at Saint Stephen Cathedral again and spend the evng there..

Reached there by the combination of out hop on bus and the metro.

The Evng lights at the cathedral, the carousel, the performances happening there were beautiful..it was probably the best evng of ur entire trip..kids played around while we just sat down on a bench and admired the sheer beauty of that place in the evng skyband enjoyed the street performers!! Time well spent!!

Then had dinner again at macdonalds and back to the hotel changing a subway and a bus!


And there..our short but a memorable trip came to an end..we had a flight the next morning and by noon, we were home!



So!! no special tips from this trip!! just that enjoy the beautiful city!! see the museaums..all the 3/4 we saw were actually beautiful and enjoyable..


One learning for me was..that the public transport system is vienna is not only efficiënt, it’s not hard to understand..i normally find it a little difficult and overwhelming to navigate the subways and metro’s and buses? like i did in prague, but vienna was not difficult so yes, you can do it too!!

and lastly..my favourite travel quote ever- “To Travel is to Live!”


Happy Travelling guys!! Have Fun!

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