ONE DAY in Vienna (Austria) + European Easter Markets!!

Vienna (or Wien as it is known in German), is a truly elegant and romantic city! We have a full day here so that we can appreciate the grandeur of the monumental buildings lining the famous Ringstrasse and admire the architecture along the Graben and Kohlmarkt and the hidden corners of Vienna. Our morning tour called ‘Imperial Vienna’ showcases the regal splendors of the city. This includes the majestic Opera House, the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs, St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the city’s historic center, rich in architectural marvels. It truly is amazing how beautiful the buildings in the city are! Every single building has style and character! And I noticed how large they are as well, each at six to eight stories in height. This entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Easter Markets in Vienna (Oster Markt)

I have heard of the famous Christmas Markets all over Europe but had know idea that there are also Easter Markets! And there are several in Vienna. In the Historic area there are two that are very close to each other and just a quick walk from St. Stephen’s Cathedral where our tour ended. First up is Am Hof Kunsthandwerksmarkt and just two blocks away is Kulinarischer Freyung. These markets are booths/vendors for food, drinks, lots of local crafts… and eggs! So many beautiful hand painted Easter eggs. These markets are fantastic!!!

But with so many food options, what all did we try??
*Wursttasche new - sausage in dough - such a simple treat but so good! The sausage was perfectly seasoned with a slight kick to it and just the right amount of snap when you bite in… and wrapped in a buttery dough and baked to perfection!
*Kässpätzle - let’s call this Austrian mac & cheese… but so different than what we have in the USA… this pasta was dense more like a dumpling than a noodle and the cheese was a perfect flavor, not to light and not too sharp.
*Riesen Schaumbecher - sweet treat which is a light, fluffy marshmallow swirled into an ice cream cone and dipped in chocolate - the one I had was dusted in shaved coconut. This was magnificent… especially the marshmallow! It was so creamy that I ended up forgetting about the chocolate and just scooping out the marshmallow with my finger…
*Raclette - this is amazing cheese that is heated under a lamp and scrapped over perfectly roasted potatoes. This is something I have always wanted to try and was so excited when I found it at the market! And yes, it was as good as I expected it to be!

Our afternoon tour takes us to the Palace of Schönbrunn which is an exquisite example of Baroque architecture and opulence, illustrating the tastes, interests and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs. Built as the summer residence of the Habsburg Emperors and spanning an astounding 1.441 rooms, this Rococo palace soon became one of their favorite homes. We took a guided tour through the Imperial Apartments, the living quarters of the Emperors, which still contain their original furnishings. It was truly amazing to see how monarchs lived… everything is so grand! There is gold leaf covering so many surfaces in the grand hall and other rooms. I cannot imagine having a ‘home’ so large! We were also given time to explore the gardens, but were here right before spring and the blooms had not yet sprung. Coming a bit later would have been a different experience for us here.

We did have a few minutes to roam the Easter market here as well. It was the largest market we saw today, but it held many of the same foods and crafts as the others visited so all was good that we didn’t have more time.

We had the option of joining most of our fellow AmaWaterways guests to a Mozart & Strauss concert… but we decide to hit a theme park instead! Prater is the second oldest amusement park in the world which opened in 1865. There are some really old rides here like a ferris wheel over 100 years old! Along with some very modern rides as well. Plus food booths, games and everything else you can expect in a fun park! But there are some very unusual rides here… like Hotel Psycho and Jack the Ripper… yeah very different! By the way, Hotel Psycho was scary! It’s like riding very slowly through a haunted house with things jumping out at you… I may have closed my eyes for much of the ride! But it was a great time and I was so excited to be able to spend an evening here!

#vienna #whattodoinvienna #danuberivercruise

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