Viennese Princess for a Day

Vienna was so beautiful, stately, and REALLY rainy. I spent three days sloshing through puddles to get to my next destination and playing tug-of-war with the wind, which sort of dampened (haha) my opinion of Vienna. Still, I enjoyed the sights and tastes overall and would recommend seeing the city at least once.

I honestly didn't cover much ground in Vienna, but I got to see the main sights: the State Opera House (above), Schonbrunn Palace, the Rathaus (city hall), Kungsthistoriches Museum, and the towering Stephansdom.

Rathaus lit up for the Film Festival

One of my favorite experiences in Vienna was having afternoon tea at the famous Demel pastry shop. After running around in the rain all day, I almost died of happiness when I saw the cakes. Even the tiny tea sandwiches (3 euros each!) were so delicious. THE CAKES ARE AMAZING. The restaurant itself, which used to supply pastries for the royal family, is located inside a beautiful 19th century manor.

Before teatime, I visited the Schonbrunn Palace. It was really nice, but not as opulent and "pretty" as some other European palaces. But in any case, I think I got my day's worth of royal experiences!

I also really enjoyed my last night in Vienna, when I went on a late-night adventure across the Danube River. Starting from the Donauinsel (Danube Island), I walked across the bridge in search of a fairytale castle I spotted on the other side. It turned out to be a church, but I'd like to think that I found a magical castle by the river. ;)

And if you are curious what Vienna looks like, here are some more pictures from my aimless wandering around the city.

Cubist Jesus?

Elvish staircase (actually a cathedral but...)

Here's the library, nbd

Kungsthistoriches Museum - expensive admission but  

gorgeous design and good variety of art collections!