After a very long 5 hour train ride from Prague, Czech Republic which included a robbery involving a bewildered elderly New York couple, several detours due to the aftermath of the Danube previously flooding its banks and overzealous passport control, we finally arrived in beautiful Vienna, Austria. This city has got to be my most favourite city in Europe. This was my second visit in about eight years. This time, unfortunately, I had only a 3 night stay, which left very little time to appreciate and explore all that Vienna has to offer. There are so many cafes, restaurants, palaces, museums, art galleries, churches, hidden courtyards
and winding alleyways to discover and enjoy. While my mother, brother and his girlfriend chose to stay at a pension, I decided to splurge and stay at a 3 star hotel just off the Graben, near the edge of the Hofburg Quarter. The Graben is one of the main pedestrian shopping areas, and only a block or so from the Stephansdom, and Kaertner street another major shopping street.Staying right at the Graben proved to be an excellent idea. I was close to everything - I was in a major shopping district, lots of great cafes and restaurants, the expected tourist shops, close to transportation with the Stephansplatz U-Bahn station a stone's throw away, and right near the sprawling Hofburg Complex. I also had the latest Vienna guidebook with me, I was determined to make good use of it!
There are many sights and smells to explore while taking a walk around Vienna especially in the early evening. Vienna is also alive at night with many cafes, bars, and restaurants open late. If you don't feel like walking there is always the Viennese Fiaker to take you around, the drivers are apparently quite knowledgable and great tourguides. I didn't end up taking one, mainly because I embarrassingly ran out of cash or Euros on my second day there (beginning of the third week of my trip). On my next trip to Vienna I will take a trip on a Fiaker, and bring a lot more Euros!
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