10) City Layout: It was easy to take a tram to the heart of Vienna, and go from there. We spent our days wandering among beautiful buildings, soaking in the sun in big green parks, and discovering many cobblestone squares.
9) The Weather: We spent much of our time in Vienna outside, whether it was walking around the Schönbrunn Palace gardens, the Schönbrunn Tiergarten, riding bikes around the city, or just enjoying watching dogs play on the grass in one of the many parks. It was warm and sunny pretty much the whole time, and perfect for spending time outdoors!
8) Vienna Opera: Our last night in Vienna, we got 3 Euro standing tickets to see the opera 'Aida.' The building was incredible, inside and out, and it was very cool to watch the orchestra and opera singers perform in each act!
7) Citybikes: This service was really handy! We rented bikes at one kiosk, rode them around to see the city for an hour (the first hour is free!) on the well-maintained bike lanes, and returned them to another kiosk near our destination.
6) Stephansdom: Situated in the center of Stephansplatz, this huge cathedral is impressive in size and detail. The inside is cavernous, yet majestic, and the cathedral's tiled roof is one of its notable features.
5) Manner Schnitten: The Manner shop is located in Stephansplatz, on a corner right next to Stephansdom. After hearing Martin rave about these hazelnut creme wafers (and tasting them ourselves) we bought a few of this Austrian specialty to bring home with us!
4) Schönbrunn Palace: Now a museum, we took a tour of this palace and learned all about its history, and the most famous and beloved occupant - Empress Elisabeth, called Sisi.
3) Kahlenberg Hill: This hill is located to the north of Vienna's downtown area. To get to it, you must drive though a large park, with rolling green hills and deep forests. Once at the top, visitors are rewarded with an incredible view of Vienna and the surrounding land! (The view from the top is the picture heading this post!)
2) Schönbrunn Tiergarten: This is the oldest zoo in the world, and we voted it our favorite overall zoo! The enclosures were amazing - there was plenty of room for the animals and things for them to do. We saw pandas, tigers, seals, bats, penguins, flamingos, giraffes, and a couple more familiar creatures- cassowaries and orangutans!
1) Friends! One of the best things about traveling is meeting new friends, and Vienna is home to some friends we met on our journey! It was great to see them again, get inside recommendations about what to see in their hometown, and we even got to meet more members of their families!
