The First Day in Vienna
I’ve just returned from Austria. I spent 20 days in total, city by city, and maybe I’ll write about them separately later, but for now, I’ve gathered everything into one single post.
On July 12, I left Izmir and took a direct flight, arriving at Vienna Airport around noon. Seeing the city from above was a big chance, because my friends who live in Austria told me that planes very rarely land directly over the city.
It may not appeal to everyone, but my friends were about 40 minutes late to pick me up. So I spent that time exploring the airport and stopping by some cafés, partly to practice the language. You may say, What do you mean? Aren’t you an English teacher? Well, you can’t really say that if you’re reading my posts for the first time and don’t know me yet. The thing I wanted to practice wasn’t my English anyway. But that’s not really the point here :):)
When my friends finally came, I was waiting outside the airport. The first thing that caught my eye was public transportation, especially the taxis. Almost all of them seemed to be hybrid cars. Later I learned that this was part of an environmentally conscious policy.
After Yiğit, Tuğba and Orhan picked me up, we went to the hotel. My hotel recommendation: Jimmy’s Apartments Lory. We stayed there for two nights, and I must say it was really clean and safe.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral Square
Our first stop was the square where St. Stephen’s Cathedral stands. We arrived at sunset, and as you come out of the metro, an incredible view welcomes you. Don’t forget to open your phone cameras while going up the stairs! As you walk further into the square, you’ll admire the architecture and design of the buildings and be surprised at how well history has been preserved.
The Parliament Building
After strolling through the side streets of the square, we headed straight for the Parliament building. Our friend Orhan, who was born in Austria, gave us some very interesting information. The first fact I remember: every state has its own flag, and the flag of the state where the president was elected is hoisted on top of the building.
The second fact, which you’ll also see in the photos: at one point they started covering part of the roof with gold, but later decided it would be a waste, especially spending taxpayers’ money on such extravagance, so they left it unfinished and completed it in the normal way.
After that, we walked toward Hofburg Palace. This palace holds a very important place in Austrian history and witnessed many events, especially during World War II. I’ll share night photos of the palace later—in order not to make this post too long, I’ll skip it here. After visiting Hofburg, we returned to the hotel, rested, and made plans for the next day.
Vienna Day 2
Schönbrunn Palace
When visiting this palace, I recommend taking plenty of water with you and, if possible, an umbrella. It has a huge garden and is also home to the oldest zoo in the world. Construction of Schönbrunn Palace began in the 17th century and was completed in the 18th century, serving as the summer residence of the Habsburg dynasty.
At the back of the palace, on the hill, stands the Gloriette, a perfect spot to rest while enjoying a magnificent view of Vienna. I learned from both the internet and Orhan that the Habsburgs loved dining here with their guests.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to enter the zoo. After visiting Schönbrunn, we went back to St. Stephen’s Cathedral to see the inside and climb up to the top. From there, you can see the whole city. If you’re afraid of heights, don’t go up—your knees will buckle, and you’ll end up stuck sitting there! But even just for the souvenir coin, it’s worth climbing. After all, when you return home, having a little piece of Vienna with you is wonderful. In my room, I still keep magnets, the souvenir coin, and a few photos we took.
Stadtpark – The City Park
We almost walked through the entire city, which of course makes you both hungry and tired. If you find yourself in that situation, I recommend visiting the City Park (Stadtpark). You can enjoy your takeaway food here in the middle of the greenery and breathe in the fresh air right in the heart of the city.
Vienna City Hall: Rathaus and the Rathausmann
After resting in the City Park, we turned to the next must-see place: the City Hall (Rathaus), one of the country’s cultural and historical landmarks. And yes, I say “cultural” for a very specific reason: the Rathausmann.
The City Hall has a total of five towers—four small ones and one main tower. When the building was being constructed, they were told that the main tower had to be shorter than the tallest church in the city, which was 99 meters high. So, they built the tower to 98 meters. But with a clever move, they later placed a 5.4-meter statue on top of it, making it taller than the churches. I guess this was one of the earliest forms of opposition to the dominance of religion over art and politics. A clever move indeed.
Vienna – Day 3
Since this was our last day, we had to move a little faster, but we also had the chance to learn about Vienna’s history starting from the Middle Ages.
- In the morning, our first stop was the Belvedere Palace.
- Then we went straight to an attraction called Time Travel. It included 3D cinema, VR headsets, theater, and similar activities. There was no Turkish language option, but since everyone in our group knew a second language, we managed. If you don’t know any European language, it might not be as enjoyable. The entrance fee was €20, and it was worth every cent. Definitely one of the places that made it onto my must-see list.
After leaving Time Travel, we went to the Hundertwasserhaus. This building looks like it came straight out of The Last of Us game. Its design has nothing to do with the rest of the city’s architecture—which was exactly the point. The artist wanted to draw attention to irregular urbanization and migration, and he succeeded. Today, it’s among the most visited places in Vienna.
Our final stop was Kahlenberg Hill. Its importance lies in the fact that it was the furthest point reached by the Ottoman army during the Siege of Vienna. In fact, the souvenir coin here features John III Sobieski and Kara Mustafa Pasha. Of course, we immediately added it to our collection.
That was our Vienna trip—for now! In the next post, I’ll tell you about our trip to Hallstatt. See you soon!
