Vienna, the elegant capital of Europe; Baroque Architecture, which has remained intact for centuries, is one of the most beautiful and popular tourist routes with its rich cultural spectrum and magnificent city structure offering all kinds of art. Especially the chritmas time.
Last year, we started to explore Central Europe and we went to Budapest to visit Christmas markets. We left with great memories of Budapest. Christmas markets, the spirit of chritmas gave the city a very different energy. We chose the elegant Vienna, which is another European capital, because it tastes the taste of our palate.
Vienna has been elected as the most livable city in the world for the last two years. With the year 2018, Vienna has been voted ‘the most livable toplam city in the world, eight times in total. It deserves this title with its highly integrated and unmatched public transport, clean streets, safe streets and unlimited entertainment.
Let us come to the Christmas markets which are the main purpose of our trip. Nearly 20 Christmas markets are established in almost every part of the city. Christmas markets; various light festivals, new year spirit concerts, fancy trees and festive dinners. In fact, they turned the city into a huge fairground. I can’t deny that food attracts me. All kinds of sweets and desserts, Central European traditional delicacies and hot wines are offered at the stalls.
The biggest Christmas market is being built at the Rathausplatz. They have realized the fascinating romance and nostalgia of the season. Hundreds of different colors of light adorned with a gigantic Christmas tree. In addition, the 4,000m² ice skating rink offers you a Christmas theme as in the movie. The games are thought to entertain children, including a carousel and a reindeer train, and to entertain children’s leftovers persistently. Do not return from Vienna without seeing this extremely charming market.
Old Viennese Christmas Market in Schottenkirche is my second favorite. Other than these, Stephansplatz, Belvedere and Schönbrunn Palace are beautiful in the established markets. Click here for more information.
HOW TO GO TO THE VIENNA?
You can find direct flights from Vienna to almost all parts of the world. If you follow the airline campaigns, you can even get cheap flights.
About 2 hours after we took off from Istanbul, we landed at Vienna Airport. The airport is 16 km outside the city center. You have 2 options to reach the city center. The most known express train. For 12 euros you can be in the city center in 16 minutes. Another option is the S7 train. This suburban train, which will only take you to the city in half an hour, is a very attractive option. If you don’t have time, I recommend you to choose the more economical option S7. Ticket machines accept credit cards.
TRANSPORT IN VIENNA
I mentioned above that the public transportation in Vienna is highly developed and integrated. However, the distance between places to visit in Vienna is also quite high. Therefore the most logical is to get unlimited tickets daily. An unlimited daily transport card is 7 Euros, 2 is 13 euros a day, and 3 is 16 euros a day.
You have the choice of two city cards called Vienna Pass and Vienna City Card. Vienna City Card offers reductions in the entrance of the museum as well as the possibility of faulting without the unlimited public transportation. 1.2. and 3-day Vienna City Card charges 17,25 and 29 Euro.
The Vienna Pass offers free access to several museums as well as the use of buses showing Hop On Hop Of the city, which is panoramic. However, you cannot benefit from unlimited public transport. 1.2. and 3-day Vienna Pass fees are 32,37 and 41 Euro respectively. For more information, click here.
ACCOMMODATION IN VIENNA
Thanks to Vienna’s excellent transport network, you can also choose your accommodation option from every point of the city. Without any security concerns. It was quite easy for me to choose accommodation in a city that was so tidy and safe.
So where did we get one? We stayed at Ibis Wien Messe, which is 10 minutes away from the city center, for 60 Euro per person for two nights. It was a Ibis hotel, quite adequate and clean.
WHAT TO EAT IN VIENNA?
In Vienna, I decided that eating / drinking would not fit under a short title. Therefore, I invite you to read the VİENNA CUISINE.
HOW MUCH DURING VIENNA?
You need to spend at least 3 days to visit the most beautiful museums of Vienna, to enjoy the streets, to enjoy the Christmas markets.
PLACES TO VIEW IN VIENNA
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace, which houses the major artworks of Austria, was built as a summer palace by the first Leopold. The true story of Schönbrunn started with Maria Teresa. As soon as the Queen boarded the throne in 1740, he settled in the palace, where his father used to be a hunting lodge.
At that time, all the palaces in Europe were influenced by Fischer von Erlach’s ay Super Versailles O. Find out more about this idea Maria Teresa brought her favorite architect, Pacassi, to Austria. The Schönbrunn Palace, a symbol of the period, was built.
The gardens itself are as impressive as the gardens themselves. Apart from Kammergarden and Kronprinzengarden on the right and left of Sarra, the Palace Gardens can be visited free of charge. Gloriette, a neo-classical column series, was built on top of the palace garden.
The interior of the palace is quite interesting and charming. Breakfast Room, Mirrored Hall, Round Tile Hall Napoleon Hall from the palace to be seen.
A large Christmas market is set up in front of the palace in the Christmas period. You can enjoy the art with warm wine, great snacks and music.
Entrance fee 17 Euro. Click here for more information.
Hofburg Imperial Palace
The Hofburg Palace was home to the rulers of Austria from the 13th century to the end of the First World War. The Hofburg Palace, which is a very important part of European history, carries different traces of the 700 years of architectural history. Many influences from the Gothic style to the Renaissance, from Baroque to Rococo, and to some classicism, are clearly visible.
The palace consists of five main buildings; The size of a city with 18 buildings, 19 courtyards and 2,600 rooms. The Imperial Houses, the Sisi Museum and the silver collections are important parts of the palace.
Belvedere Palace
The summer palace of Prince Eugen is one of the best examples of Vienna’s Baroque architecture, Belvedere Palace. Belvedere Palaces or known as ”Belvedere“ consists of the merger of two palaces.
The Lower Belvedere was built by Prince Eugene as a summer palace. Today the Baroque is used as the Austrian Art Museum. The limestone part of the palace, which goes from Lower Belvere, is used as the Medieval Art Museum.
Upper Belvedere is used as the 19th and 20th century Austrian Gallery.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the heart of Vienna. St. Stephen, also known as the symbol of freedom in Vienna, is known as the symbol of freedom in the city. Throughout history, it has survived many wars and fires, has been restored many times and became the refuge of the people during the siege of Vienna in the Ottoman Empire.
Built in 1147 and built in Gothic architecture, the cathedral is 137 meters high and 70 meters wide. Duke of Austria IV. Built by Rudolf, the cathedral features sections such as the Giants’ Gate and the Pagan Towers, Tower Cone, Chinese Roof, Singer’s Gate, Preacher’s Chair and High Altar.
On Sundays and other holidays, the ceremony is held at 10:15.
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera House (Wiener Staatsoper) is one of the symbolic structures of Vienna, the capital of art. The hall, which has a capacity to host two thousand people in a single show, was built in the Neo-Renaissance style for Emperor Franz Joseph. You can travel with guided tours and you can also take a ticket to the organized performances.
If you come to the city where Mozart was born and you will not return without watching an opera, I invite you to the runway. Watching opera in Vienna is not as costly as it seems. If you start looking for tickets at least a month in advance, you can even find tickets for 10 Euros. The right address for this is the official site of the Vienna State Opera.
Remember that the scene is an urban legend that you see in every way perfect. The blind spot on the premises especially the left and right balconies. You certainly can’t see the scene. So choose the seats that are close to the middle part, even though you are standing up to watch the performance right.
Hundertwasser House
The Hundertwasser House is an apartment located in Vienna, Austria, by the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. 52 apartments with wavy exterior facade are decorated with colorful tiles, ceramics and onion domes. The Hundertwasserhaus Kegelgasse at Landstraße is at 34-38.
Vienna Museum of Art History
The Vienna Museum of Art History (Kunsthistorisches Museum), one of the most important museums in the world in the fields of decorative and fine arts, is a very impressive museum with its collection and architecture. Although it is not possible to disagree with the idea that the only reason why it is less known than the Louvre Museum or the Prado Museum is the name that can never be pronounced.
Opened in 1891 by the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph II, the museum features unique collections of art that the Habsburg dynasty has collected throughout the centuries.
Museumsquartier
Museumsquartier is a complex of modern art museums. Leopold Museum, where works by artists such as Kandinsky, Magritte and Warhol, exhibited the works of artists such as MUMOK, Klimt, Schiele and Max Oppenheimer.
Albertina Museum
Maria Teresa’s son-in-law Duke of Saxony, named after Albert, built in 1781, the palace is home to one of the world’s best collections of graphic works of art. The collection of more than 60,000 original drawings and more than one million prints covers a wide range from the 15th century to the present. The museum has a huge collection of prints made by techniques such as wood printing, stone printing and engraving.
Austrian National Library
The Austrian National Library was founded in 1368. It is next to the Riding School. There are more than 2 million manuscripts and printed books, as well as portraits, maps, notes, and documents written in papyrus. Today, the archive contains approximately 7.5 million works. Formerly the Imperial Library, the building is the most important work of the imperial architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.
