Vienna, Park

We woke up early, because we wanted to go outside of the city, to enjoy the quite atmosphere of nature. The place is called Kahlenberg. Actually, the Kahlenberg is a hill (484 metres) located in the 19th District of Vienna.

The good thing is that the Kahlenberg is easy accessible by the public transport. First, we took the tram in a city centre, and then changed to the bus. 

The Kahlenberg lies in the Vienna Woods, and it is one of the most popular destinations for day-trips from Vienna, offering a view over the entire city.

At the top there is a restaurant, where you can stop and have a cup of coffee, and enjoy the surroundings.

Kahlenberg is not only about the view from the top. The real charm is in wandering slowly through the vineyards below it, between Vienna and the woods of the Wienerwald.

The vineyards around Kahlenberg are known mostly for white wines, especially the classic varieties of the Vienna wine region, which include:

• Gruner Veltliner - fresh, slightly peppery, crisp and very Austrian;
• Riesling - mineral, aromatic, often with citrus and stone-fruit notes;
• Gemischter Satz - Vienna’s signature field blend, where different grape varieties grow together in the same vineyard and are harvested together;
• Weisburgunder (Pinot Blanc) - softer and rounder;
• Chardonnay - usually lighter and more mineral than fuller international styles.

Kahlenberg is an amazing place. And I can imagine how wonderful it looks in summer time, or at the season of grape harvest and wine production, when the leaves turn yellow and copper, the air smells faintly of grapes and damp earth and the evening light settles gently over the hills. Definitely, I would to come back and experience all of it.

Nevertheless, we are returning to the city centre to continue my observation tour around Vienna.

We are in the city center now...

The Liebenberg Monument in Rathauspark, close to the City Hall, is a quiet 19th-century memorial dedicated to Johann Andreas von Liebenberg, the mayor of Vienna during the Ottoman siege of 1683. The monument itself is a tall, classical column with an allegorical female figure on top, symbolizing Vienna’s civic strength and gratitude.

The Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) is one of the most striking buildings Vienna, built in the late 19th century in a grand Neo-Gothic style. Its tall central tower and intricate stone facade were designed to resemble a medieval cathedral, even though it serves as the seat of the city’s government.

This is a really cool tradition, to organize the skating rink for public access in front of the City Hall. Every winter, they transform the huge square into a glowing ice landscape with winding skating paths that loop through the park, so it is much more just a simple rink. I wish to try my skating skills there one day! 

The Burgtheater is Austria’s national theater and one of the most important German-language stages in the world, and many famous actors in Austria and Germany consider performing there a career peak. It has its own very strict acting tradition, including a special stage dialect known as the “Burgtheater German”, which was once considered a standard for elite pronunciation.

The theater sits directly next to the Rathaus, so politics and culture literally face each other across the square.

In front of The Parliament building. It feels like a Greek temple placed in the middle of Vienna, combining ancient symbolism with modern political life. It was designed in a Neoclassical style, with huge columns, marble halls and symmetrical wings. It was built in the late 19th century to symbolize democracy and law, echoing ancient Athens. In front of the building is the famous Pallas-Athene-Brunnen, a fountain featuring a large statue of Athena, who is the symbol of wisdom.

Heldenplatz (Heroes square), sitting directly in front of the extended wing of the main Hofburg palace. It is called The Neue Burg, and today it houses major museums (like the Weltmuseum Wien).

Directly in front of The Neue Burg is standing a large bronze equestrian statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy, one of the most important military commanders in Habsburg history.

The Michaelertrakt, the passage through the Michaelerplatz into the Hofburg. It’s one of the most cinematic entrances in Vienna, with height of 20-25 metres and length of 25 metres.

And many other squares, streets, facades of the city.

And we are on the central station. Saying goodbye, and wishing to meet each other again soon.

What should I say about this short trip? I have learnt, that in Vienna you can spend quiet time  and enjoy solitude if you wish. It is not only about restaurants or museums.

Vienna, Amusement

I have not seen my friend, who is living in Vienna, for ages (maybe a year and a half). So, we have finally synchronized, and I decided to visit her for a weekend. I think, this is my third time when I travel to the capital of Austria. And from one of the past trips I have the blog story, which happened in 2024.

Usually I travel to other cities from Prague from the main station, but at this time this specific train to Vienna departed from another station, which is called Praha Holesovice. I was a little bit afraid if I can commute there fast and without problems. So, I came there very in advance of the schedule. Miraculously, the station is easily accessible by metro. And a nice bonus was the view to the river, which is located very close, and where I was waiting for my train.

Honestly, I love traveling with Cesky Drahy, because on the international trains they have very delicious food from the onboard restaurant. For this time I have had very tasty pancakes with amazing blueberry sauce.

Four hours in train have passed insensibly. And my friend is already waiting for me at the staion.

I have agreed to have a walk through the whole city centre to my friend's home. It should be a very long walking, but you know, that I am the very experienced wayfarer.

Of course, we have had several stops during our walking, having coffee, making pictures and sitting on the benches with talks.

During this seeing of Vienna, I started changing my negative opinion about the city. I do not know what has happened, but it started looking warmer and easier to perceive. Maybe, it is because I started realizing how orientate here. In other words, it has become more familiar to me. But still, the huge spaces and architecture is very different from Prague, which continues to be my favorite place to live in.

The main river in Vienna is the Danube, which is actually one of Europe’s longest and most important waterways, with the length about 2850 kilometers, flowing from Germany to the Black Sea.

But there is also another canal-like waterway - the Danube Canal - which is not a man-made canal, but a natural branch of the Danube that was regulated and engineered over time. And it runs for about 17 kilometers through Vienna. In fact, from the downtown streets you most probably see the Danube canal, not the main river.

After some hours we have reached the final destination. There are only 15000 steps. I would say, not so many steps for such a big city. Or maybe Vienna is not so big?!

I cannot stay in one place when I am traveling. I need to use this time efficiently in terms of getting know more about the city or the place. So, despite the fact that is was already dark outside, I persuaded Kate to go to the nearby park Prater.

This amusement park with its numerous attractions looks like the stage from the Hollywood movies. The Prater has around 250+ rides, stalls and entertainment attractions. That includes different types of activities, from roller coasters to haunted houses, bumper cars and smaller fairground games. Honestly, I am not a big fan of the heights and extreme kinds of entertainment, but I would love to try at least some interactive spooky attraction, such as ghost train.

But Prater is best known for its historic Giant Ferris Wheel. For me it looks quite safe, because there are enclosed cabins there. So, why not to have a ride.

Wiener Riesenrad ("Viennese Giant Wheel") was built at 1897, which makes it one of the oldest Ferris wheels still in operation in the world. The height is about 65 meters, and the weight of the steel structure is 430 tons. Speed of the wheel is very slow (about 2.7 km/h), and one full rotation takes 10–15 minutes.

They claim that the view range is quite big here: on clear days, you may see up to 80 km across Vienna and the surrounding hills!

It was a very good and beautiful experience for us. But at the very top I suddenly felt dizzy. I do not know why, maybe I felt subconsciously the danger when it started moving from one side to another. Luckily, my friend was close, and she was able to calm me down.

We went to bed quite early (it was early for me, but for Kate it is the usual time, because she is a very early bird). And for tomorrow morning Kate already has the idea, what she can show to me from interesting things in Vienna. She promised, it would be "wow".