Venice, Santa Lucia

Venice is my favourite city for all time. And this time I travel there with my friends. I hope, I can be a good guide for them, because I have been to Venice several times already.

We arrived to Treviso airport. Then we took a bus from airport to the Treviso train station. And with train we went to Venice. I would say, this commute was not tiring at all.

The ride across the lagoon is very picturesque, so I would recommend to take the train to reach the historic city of Venice! The Ponte della Liberta (Liberty Bridge), crossing the Venetian Lagoon, which was opened in January 1846 under the Austrian Empire, is 4-kilometer length.

By the way, despite looking like the open sea, the lagoon is actually incredibly shallow. The average depth here is only about 1 to 2 meters, except for the deep navigation channels dug out for ships.

Two beautiful girls and I. We arrived to the final station Santa Lucia. But you should be aware of another station called "Venezia Mestre", which is located on the mainland, and it is not the needed stop for most visitors of Venice, but some tourists by mistake get off there.

The posts from this trip will be definitely full of pictures with me, because I have two good photographers nearby.

We are staying for 2 nights in Cannaregio, one of Venice’s six sestieri, in the northern part of the historic center, quite local and relaxed side.

No cars are allowed for the historic center of Venice, and you can drive only as far as the edge of Venice. But you can take vaporetti (water buses), water taxis or gondolas. Still, we used the cheapest and easiest mean of transport - walking.

Initially, I booked the place for one person, but from the descriptions the room was able to place two more people. At the end, we had to pay extra 80 euros for 2 nights.

Well, I used to stay in better apartments, but the price is quite fair.

While staying in Venice, you do not need to spend time in apartment. So, the most important is the location of your hotel and of course it should be affordable.

We dropped the bags and went out to explore the surroundings.

Walking in Venice takes so much energy! Obviously, we have got hungry. The girls found some traditional restaurant with nice reviews.

Inside it looks quite traditional. With white tablecloths, good tableware and nice waiters. Many people. All of them look like tourists.

Zuppa di pesce, a seafood soup. I was dreaming about it for a long time, since I tried it in some restaurant during one of my previous trips to Venice.

I do not know, if I am completely satisfied with the dish or not. The thing is that the portion size is not big enough for me. Anyways, interesting experience. And so delicious bread!

It is already dark outside. But we need to use every minute to explore the city.

St. Mark’s Square, the Bridge of Sighs and the lower arcade of the Doge’s Palace. Everything is amazing and full of history and stories.

The canals with the reflected light from the windows and street lamps.

And of course, the gondolas and gondoliers.

Magical evening in magical city. I am so lucky, that I can enjoy this atmosphere another two days with my loyal friends.

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.