A weekend in Vienna

We arrived in Vienna on a Friday evening and checked into a busy campsite. Luckily, we found a quiet spot in the back corner. The weather was on our side this weekend, with blue skies and sunshine and we were so excited to explore Vienna.

And what should I say: Vienna is overwhelming in the best possible way. Walking through the city feels like stepping into a giant open-air museum. Every corner reveals another architectural masterpiece or historic story carved into stone. It's no wonder that Vienna consistently ranks among the most liveable cities in the world.

We started right in the heart of things, stepping out of the U-Bahn at Stephansplatz and being greeted by the impressive St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Towering, Gothic and impossible to ignore, it set the tone for the weekend: big, bold and breathtaking. At 136 metres, the cathedral's south tower was the tallest building in Europe when it was completed in the 15 (th) century. Today, it remains Vienna's most important landmark.

Next, we moved on to the Karlskirche, which shone in the sunlight with its Baroque dome. Then we went to the Hofburg Palace. In the Hofburg's Michaelertrakt, you'll also find the Spanish Riding School, where elegant Lipizzaner horses have performed for centuries. Founded in 1572, the school is the oldest classical riding school in the world, and the horses are still trained in the same traditional way.

Of course, we couldn't miss the iconic Hundertwasserhaus, one of Vienna's quirkiest attractions. Designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, it is the total opposite of the city's classical grandeur. Completed in 1985, the building features uneven floors and over 200 trees and shrubs growing on the façade and balconies. Hundertwasser never charged for the design; he simply wanted to bring more colour and creativity to urban living. Standing in front of it feels a bit like stepping into a cheerful daydream.

We also wandered through the Prater, Vienna's iconic amusement park, but we skipped the rides this time.

Another thing we skipped was having a slice of the world-famous Sachertorte. Shocking, I know. Instead, we found a hidden gem: the Secret Garden Café, a wonderful vegetarian restaurant that we can highly recommend. We also strolled through the Naschmarkt, Vienna's most famous food market. It had a buzzing atmosphere, but the vendors were a bit too attentive. After politely dodging about twenty sales pitches, we gave in and bought a giant bag of aglio e olio spice mix.

We went to Schönbrunn Palace, but didn't go inside. The weather was far too good to be spending it waiting in long queues, so we admired the Baroque masterpiece and gardens from the outside.

With more than 1,400 rooms, Schönbrunn is a palace that would take days to explore, so maybe skipping the inside was a smart move for a sunny weekend.

Overall, Vienna left us very impressed – it's a grand, elegant and endlessly fascinating city. We will definitely come back!