Day 1: Wednesday July 1, 2026

We arrived into Vienna via Vienna Hauptbahnhof (Wien Hbf) station coming from our fabulous week long stay in Budapest: The Danube’s Crown Jewel around the 12:35pm hour.  We were running about 20 minutes behind schedule.  Our ride from Budapest on the Railjet in business class was absolutely scrumptious. For the most part it was smooth and almost peaceful albeit some very very loud and very enthusiastic Spanish kids.  Ironically their parents were passed out and their kids carried on and screamed. After about an hour and a half of that bs I quick stern SHHHH seemed to have done the trick. I hate doing that but seriously we paid for an oasis of calm peace and luxurious (somewhat ) comfort. Not a sandbox hahaha 

We have arrived !!! Hello Vienna !  I fired up UBER  to take us to our Hotel in the Ringstrasse.  The first POS said oh I can’t take you both too much luggage.  I’m sorry what ? I said no it’ll fit we had a smaller taxi in Budapest that handled our luggage.  He was such a scrawny wimp and I’m furious so I’m name calling.  And said no and slammed his trunk. I may have called him out for being such a Fn ……… but he didn’t care.  The second one just canceled after he drove by us.  The third did the same. I was about to loose my shhhht NOT THE BEST 1st impression Vienna. I know they are all foreigners but still not the best first impression.  Finally we got a super sweet driver who had no problem carrying our luggage into his van and was extremely pleasant pointing out landmarks along the way.  I left him a very nice tip on the app. 

Well here we are at the Hilton Hotel Vienna Plaza.  Really love the vibe here.  It’s very clean and the staff are very courteous   We scored our Amex upgrade as well as free breakfast and $100 spend on property.  We are staying on the Hilton honors floor in a Plaza Twin room.  It’s well appointed , very nice AC and very comfortable bed and bedding. 

Our room was not immediately ready so we headed down towards Servitenviertel for lunch.  We stopped at Porzellen cafe / lounge.  It was a bit warm outside.  Not super hot but warm so we decided to eat inside.  Omg huge mistake.  It was like 20 degrees hotter inside.  We sat outside instead.  And since it was sooo warm we decided to go for the hot chicken soup hahaha. Omfg it was sooo delicious and helped with my sinus problem.  

Got a text that the room was ready.  So back to the hotel we went. 

I’ve been under the weather the last few days.  Massive sinus issues.  Not sure if it was from the inferno we went through in Budapest or from all the mold (I’m assuming) that may have been present deep into the Hospital in the Rock in Budapest.  Anyway. I was tired and needed to rest.  So we took an hour nap and it was heaven.  

After the nap we decided to walk by the  Rathausplatz but it started to rain and become cold.   I’m welcoming the drops of water but it was also accompanied by torrential winds hahaha.  So we ducked into the very warm , but dry , Cafe Landtmann right across the Burg.  What a gorgeous cafe.  A lovely espresso and I was up and ready to face the winds. We passed through the adjacent park that was mostly blocked off to get ready for a film festival, and ended up at the back of the Rathausplatz.  There was construction going on so we got a bit confused and I found myself having choice words with Google Maps. We walked completely around and ended up by the beautiful parliament building and Volksgarten.  We passed through Heldenplatz and onto the palace district.  I’m in awe but not feeling so good. 

We make it to Graben and the shopping here is insane.  We popped into the beautiful Peter Kirche which has a baroque / rococo feel to it. There’s also a stunning perfume shop right next door , scents always brightens up my days.

We somehow found our way to St Stephen’s gorgeous gothic Cathedral.  It’s incredible.  We will be back again to do the catacombs.  Tired and exhausted (def under the weather ) we decided to head back to the Hotel and dine at Emile. Our hotel’s  restaurant.  Wow it was absolutely delicious.  I got the paprika chicken that melts in your mouth. I definitely need to get some recipes.

It was so nice to eat and go straight to bed after a nice long hot shower.  

And we were In bed by 10 pm.   Tomorrow The Belvedere   

Day 2: Thursday July 2,2026

What a glorious rest.   I woke up feeling 85% better.  That’s a huge improvement We took our time getting ready and went down for a very delicious breakfast. We were out of the hotel and on to the D line to Belvedere Palace by 8:45 am. Perfection. 

We purchased a 7 day travel pass as it seems absolutely worth it when one ride costs €3 one way. We felt it would be easier and less stress. 

The weather today is unbelievably beautiful , sunny and with a crisp chill in the air and I’m loving it.  The grounds of the Belvedere is very beautiful.  Our reservations were for 9:30 to which they allow you entry 10 minutes before your allotted time.  Fabulous.  The palace is nice but the artwork is stunning. I came here for Klimt and he did not disappoint.  There are other artists and rooms adorned with beautiful ceilings , art and sculptures.  We took it all in for a food 2 hours. 

From there we went to Karls Kirche in honor of my father whose name was Charles . .    What a beautiful church.  It costs around €9.5 to get in and we spent it enjoying the tranquility of the church and the climb up to the Pipe organ and further on to the rooftop where you can see beautiful Vienna.    

Next was some cafe and cake at Gerstner. So absolutely worth it. Such a beautiful cafe across from the opera. Gerstener has been around since 1847. The rooms are grand and decadent . We shared a mango and sacher cakes and tea.  Lovely lovely break.  

Next was the Kaiser Gruft. It was a bit eerie to be standing right next to someone’s coffin / sarcophagus. Of course Maria Theresia’s one was the most elaborate and beautiful.  It was nice to visit the Hapsburg royals.   

Next we needed a bit of retail therapy.  But there are sooooooo many people everywhere that it can get very intimidating. Hungry and starving we made it down to Gasthouss Poschl.  I ordered my very first Weiner Schnitzel with these amazing potatoes.  Ugh the food was soooooo good albeit tooo much food to eat.  Maybe it’s a sharing dish ? 

After our very late lunch we decided to go back home for a rest.  After a nice 2 hrs or so relaxing we made it to the Liechtenstein palace and gardens and sat down and had a glass of wine. Pure blissful serenity. It’s such a perfect time to come here. Right before sunset and enjoy a leisurely cocktail and if you’re so inclined, some food as well.

We walked from there to Strudlhofstiege where there was a reading and concert on Karen Carpenter. A bit odd to us but charming at the same time.  We hiked up and headed home via the Votive church.  So many young folk enjoying friend time with good conversation , drink and a view.  How perfect.  We could’ve hung around long enough to see the church light up and made it back to our room safely and ready for bed, but alas we were tired… Hey at least we saw a Vienna Sausage sign hahaha.  

Day 3: Friday July 3,2026

Today we made our way to the Hofburg palace complex to visit the Sisi museum. It was a beautiful experience and especially seeing the private apartments of the Empress Sissi and the Emperor Franz  Joseph   

From there we visited the Royal library whose literary theme was dedicatedto love. ❤️ I just have a thing for beautiful old libraries.  The smell , the grandeur and the wealth of knowledge all around you is breathtaking to behold. It felt like you stepped back into time.

We walked around a bit afterwards trying to do some deep shopping there are summer sales EVERYWHERE    Sadly nothing really caught my eye 😦 

By this time we were so passed hungry that we just sat and settled for an Italian Restaurant.  It was decent and a apperol spritz later we were  giving it one more go before taking the Subway home for a nice nap.  

Around 18:00 pm we got ready and headed out to the Donouinselfest.  Once a year this summer festival draws in millions. Yes you heard that right, Milllllllliiiiiiiooooooonnnnnnnsssssss . And … It’s FREE!

We took the U1 to that stop and exited with what felt like hundreds of others. 

It was so nice to see a different side of the city.  Crossing over the Danube and just coming from Budapest allowed me to have a perspective on her beautiful waters.  There were these gorgeous white swans swimming up and down as well as many lovers taking to boating or stand up paddling. 

The festival was on ! And people were enjoying themselves immensely.  We stopped at pretty much every single music arena starting off with Rock, techno house , country music , a huge Korean surprise and lots of folk and other types of music.  We walked the entire stretch and I would say we were there a good 3 hours.  By the time we were leaving from the opposite end of the island there were hordes of people coming in through security and when we got into our subway car I saw the main stage and what looked like thousands of people spread out dancing to the music.  It was insane and such an amazing experience !   

And that was our day 3 ! 

Day 4: Saturday July 4,2026.  

Happy 4th to the Americans ! 

We had a really lazy start today.  My friend went and worked out in the gym and I packed away for our journey to Salzburg.  Our hotel upon returning to  Vienna has agreed to allow us to store our larger suitcases with them for two nights so we will be traveling even lighter.  

After breakfast we took the light rail to the Naschmarket.  We passed through the permanent stalls selling food and souvenirs until we came across the insanely busy swap meat of “antiques” it was really fun to shop around and see items from peoples lives. Makes one wonder if one has really accumulated way too much 😉  and if eventually my life will be on display in an open marketplace like this.  Still cool to go through and explore. 

Afterwards we left the market and headed towards  Mariahilfer Strabe. We went up these bunch of stairs in an area that seemed to be very yoga centered and had along with it some really unique and fabulous shopping.  Once in Mariahilfer Strabe it was like where all the locals came to do their weekend shopping and hang out. Unlike Graben, I feel like we were the only tourists there.  I found myself a lovely perfume there so that was a nice treat. On our way to the subway we were met by the always happy and friendly Hare Krishnas who were celebrating something festive and dancing 💃. 

From there we took a subway and then bus to Schloss Schoenbrunn. The palace was huge and extremely busy.  Our time slot wasn’t until 2pm ( I thought it was 2:30) so we grabbed lunch at the Gersrtner Cafe.  Lunch was delicious 😋 

We purchased the classic pass so that gave us access to many things within the grounds. We of course started at the Palace itself.  When we passed through at 2:30 pm I looked at my ticket and realized that it was actually for 2pm. But luckily they let us through. 

The palace was grand and informative and after we made our way to the Gloriette via the private gardens and then of course the massive gardens leading up to  the Gloriette    It’s absolutely worth the hike up to the top.  From there you have a commanding view of the grounds and it is lovely.  

Our hike down eventually found us trying to find the exit after entering the labyrinth and it was hilarious as people up top on the vantage point cheered us on.  

Tired from allllllll the walking today , we decided it was time to head home.  

I will say that I’m so glad I purchased the week transportation pass for €25.  I’ve made up for it already 🙂 I did notice thought that there has never ever been any inspectors. They must  be very trusting unlike Budapest where it’s pretty much a guarantee you will see the ticket  inspectors.   

Tomorrow Salzburg 

Tuesday July 7, 2026

Upon our return from Beautiful Salzburg, came the reality that our journey together has come to an end. Tomorrow Debra will be leaving me for her return to our beautiful islands and I will be continuing on to Greece for another two weeks. It’s always bitter sweet. Truly did not want this to end. We arrived in the early evening off a lovely ride on the train in Business class… Always so comfortable, albeit a bit warm.

We checked into the absolutely gorgeous : The Amauris Vienna A Relais and Chateaux member it absolutely did not disappoint. the hotel is Uber chic and extremely modern. I was blown away by its luxurious amenities like Aqua De Parma products everywhere, an absolutely divinely appointed room ( we got upgraded ) and just the most attentive and gorgeous staff available. The hotel also has a Michelin star restaurant which we had breakfast in ( all made to order mind you ) and a lovely bar where we decided to get dressed up and have our very last dinner together here.

What I’ve learned about Vienna is that it is an extremely efficient city. Utilizing the numerous types of transportation provided by the city is absolutely brilliant. Download the Wein Mobil app it’s so easy to use. You can also tap your card or phone everywhere. But !!!!! Vienna is still a Cash city. I was suprised by this but also happily surprised as it’s nice to use currency one can hold in their hand.

The use of Uber is prevalent and very easy to use, if you’re not having tons of luggage at the rail station. hahaha. People seemed to be very nice. I also totally did not realize how absolutely huge the city is. As I was primarily in the Ringstatte, but still there were so many people everywhere. The food is delicious and there are a ton of options. I think it’s also important to try to learn a few phrases. These were my go to.

Danka: thank you 

Guten apetit: enjoy your meal

Rechnug(rehk noog) :check please 

Coffee :Melange (melangha)  like cappuccino 

I could totally see myself returning to Vienna for a more in-depth experience. It also seems like someplace I could see myself settling down for a bit. All in all I truly enjoyed my trip there and I really look forward to see her in a different perspective. Maybe during winter.

All for now …. Danka !