On a recent girly trip with one of my best friends who I went to University with, the second and final stop of our trip was Vienna. We were coming from Prague and it was extremely easy, and economical to hop on a train to go from one city to the other in around 4 hours. Oh, how I love Europe!

Our first stop was to check-in at the Vienna Marriott Hotel, our comfortable base whilst in Vienna, and also conveniently located in the center of the action. We arrived just in time for dinner, and for our first meal it was time to search for the best place to indulge in a schnitzel. A short walk from the hotel and we ended up at Fuglmuller for the largest (literally larger than the plate and our heads), most golden, perfectly crisp pork schnitzel I have ever had! We also had fried cheese, potato salad, and side salad. Everything was extremely tasty, especially washed down with Austrian Beer!

The next morning, we had a bit of a late start - we were on vacation after all! Our first stop was the Naschmarkt, Vienna’s largest food and produce market. There’s over 100 stalls to choose from selling wide ranging products from cheese, wine, sausage, breads, olives of every kind, fruits and veg. The market caters to a wide range of people, from locals doing their daily shopping, to young urban crowds looking for trendy spots to day drink, to visitors seeking a cultural experience or gourmet food from around the globe. My research led us to Neni Am, a cutely decorated, buzzing Middle Eastern Restaurant in the heart of the market. Everything was delicious, especially the sweet potato fries with a divine mango aioli.

After lunch, we slowly made our way to the Prater Amusement Park to experience the landmark giant Ferris Wheel ride, the Riesenrad which was built originally 120 years ago and then rebuilt in the late 20th century after it burnt down during the Second World War. At 65 metres high, it offers views over the whole city, and is an iconic thing to do whilst in Vienna!

Realizing we didn’t have too much time left in Vienna, and so much left to see, we decided to get on the the Hop-on Hop-Off Bus from the Prater Amusement Park to get a quick overview of the highlights! What a stunning city with so much character and history. We rode the bus all the way back to the Marriott, taking a short break in our hotel room, before strolling towards the Danube, and its graffiti covered canal walkways. We caught THE most electric sunset before settling in for an evening of cocktails and wine at a riverside bar called Blumenweise packed to the brim with people and vibes. On our way home, we hopped between wine bars (Austria is well known for its wine, right!?) and managed to get back to our lobby bar for last call, although we might not have needed it!

The next morning, slightly groggy, we pulled ourselves together and headed to Hotel Sacher for a cappuccino, and Sacher Torte cake. The history of the decadent, delicious Sacher Torte dates back to 1832 with its two layers of soft and light chocolate cake, separated by apricot jam and coated with a chocolate icing. Whoever said you can’t have cake for breakfast!? Make sure to add this stop to your itinerary!

After breakfast, or shall I say dessert at the Hotel Sacher, we boarded the hop-on hop-off bus yet again towards the Schönbrunn Palace to spend the morning exploring the picture perfect manicured grounds with the stunning backdrop of the palace. The palace, which we didn’t have time to explore the inside of, was the imperial summer residence and has been in possession of the Habsburgs since 1569. It has a long line of residents, the most famous of which are Empress Elizabeth (“Sisi”) and Franz Joseph. The palace and its 1441 rooms, and gardens are now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Make sure to reserve enough time to explore the gardens of both sides of the palace, the labyrinth, gloriette, and rose gardens!

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Palmenhaus for a late lunch. It’s literally a stunning shrub covered greenhouse in the centre of the city, which was used historically by the Emperor as a place to chill (I tell you - there’s history everywhere around here!). It overlooks the Burrgarten (formerly the Emperor’s private gardens) and serves delicious food! Very unfortunately, this was our last stop of our two days in Vienna.

We’ll be back for Opera, more time on the Danube, the museums, exploring the wine region and heurigers, and the cities fascinating culinary scene. Until then, thank you Vienna!