I have told you the story of my Eurotrip earlier in this blog. In that post I have said that my favorite city is Vienna. Therefore, I decided to make this post which is dedicated to Vienna. Here you can find some of the reasons why Vienna is really a lovable city. So here is the list:
1. So many beautiful buildings and monuments close to each other
Naturhistorisches Museum near The Parliament Building
Well, I have said that in my post about Eurotrip, but here you can learn more about it. There is one city that I always compare with Vienna in this matter: Paris. Everybody knows that Paris is a very adorable and magnificent city, no doubt about that. However since it was build as a grand city, so many wide avenues and giant structures were built to show its power and charm to the world. Going across one side of the street to the other, in some parts of Paris, covers equal distance from Austrian Parliament building to the museum quarter. It means that you can get two amazing sites in Vienna, while in Paris you only get the other side of the avenue, with the same distance and energy. Well, I know this is too simplifying, but that is how I felt.
2. Foods are served in bigger size than in Germany, with the same price!
I had two experiences to support this argument. First is when I bought döner kebab and I paid exactly the same price as in Germany for the same type of kebab. Only in Vienna I got larger pita bread, more slices of kebab and more vegetables. Second is when I had breakfast at Centimeter restaurant near Porzellaneum hostel where I stayed in Vienna. In my opinion all meals served in this place which are supposed to be for one person actually can feed 2-3 people. Seriously, they serve everything in big portion! I also remember seeing one man ordering a bowl of salad which normally goes for 3-4 people, and he finished it himself! And all in the same price as regular size meals.
3. A very artistic city
Rathaus and Some Tents in Front of It
I have never seen so many people all around the world coming to one city to watch an orchestra. But it did happen in Vienna. I remember one night when the city had an art festivity going. In that event we can watch some of the finest orchestras playing famous numbers which were composed by Mozart, Bach, Chopin, etc. Other than that we can also watch very artistic movies on a large screen in front of the Rathaus (city hall). Around the Rathaus we can find so many stalls selling different kinds of food from different countries, but I chose a Greek meal for my dinner. The artistic ambience of the city can be felt everywhere (Vienna is the only city where I can find a pencil with a violin on the top of it as a decoration). And don’t forget about Beethoven and Mozart who both had a career as composers in the city.
4. Very…no…Extremely clean water
The people of Vienna (and also all Austrians I guess) are very proud of the quality of the water in the city. We can drink water directly from the tap everywhere and also straight from the river (my Austrian friend said that the government guarantees the safety of the water), and probably also from the toilet! as disgusting as it may sound, but I remember one advertisement during the artistic festivity shows that even the toilet water is safe to drink! Well, you don’t have to try it but at least it feels good to know that the water is very clean, hygiene and healthy. It was also very hard to find bottled mineral water in stores because basically you can bring your own bottle and fill it with tap water anywhere. It is much easier to find carbonated water.
5. Narwhal tusks at Naturhistorisches Museum
Venus Of Willendorf – One of The Museum’s Large Collections
A few months before I left for Europe I read an article in National Geographic Magazine about narwhal. At that time I was stunned because all those years I had never even heard of that species. I like watching animal documentary movies or TV series. When it comes to the story about Arctic life, there goes the penguins, orcas, seals, walruses and polar bears, but never about narwhals. The most distinctive feature of this animal is its long tusk. There was time when people found the tusks of narwhal but never saw the animal. Hence the creation of imaginary creature which we all know as the unicorn. For more information about narwhals, you can click here.
Back to the museum, when I first saw the tusks I was instantly fascinated. The museum itself houses a huge collection of intriguing and exotic animals and plants which were brought to Europe during the European exploration era. However the narwhal tusks are the most memorable item for me.
That’s all for now. Do you have any other interesting thing about Vienna?
PS: Some pictures are courtesy of my cousin, Dina (I didn’t bring a decent camera back then). Therefore some of the pictures in this post are not directly related to the story in each part.
Related Post: Eurotrip
What an Amazing World! 
Point 1 to point 3 are great! Seems like a great place to visit (or to live? what do you think?)
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I was there for only 3 days, so I barely can say whether it is a nice place to live in or not. All I can say that it is a very nice place to visit.
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>>2. Foods are served in bigger size than in Germany, with the same price!
haha..you really love food! 😛
>>4. Very…no…Extremely clean water
very interesting..really want to see the river there, wanna compared it to Ciliwung River..:D
well, seems like a great city to visit..have to go there someday..;)
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Everyone in my office knows how crazy I can be about foods..hahaha…
I do recommend Vienna, for your honeymoon or simply for holiday…
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I was expecting more architectural pics from this blog. As far as I know..it has some of the most beautiful gothic style buildings..anyway..why didn’t u make stop to bratislava..I heard parties are hot there..u know..eastern european kinda party with anonymous chicks..hahaha
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I wish I had a DSLR back then. Indeed there are so many great buildings there. Bratislava is actually very close to Vienna (both are near each other’s border), but I applied for Schengen visa and at that time Slovakia was (or still is, I don’t know for sure) not pasrt of Schengen countries.
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Those are very interesting observations! Especially the food part. Somebody once told me Germany was cheaper. That guy was talking about the food in Berlin and I was beyond envious. Because to me, restaurants are pretty pricey here. But centimeter is ok 😉
Next time you come you could take the “Third man tour”. They show you the Viennese sewer system which is pretty interesting. Sometimes it’s strange how everybody goes on and on about the quality of our water. But we seem to be really lucky 🙂
And next time you could take the “Twin city liner” from Vienna to Bratislava. It’s only about an hour on the danube! Actually, Slovakia became a Schengen country in 2007. It’s a very beautiful city too. Like Vienna, but even smaller. You can see all the sights by foot without getting exhausted.
So, lot’s to see 🙂
By the way, your blog is fascinating and I love your travel project!
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Thanks a lot! I normally prefer visiting new places to revisiting any place that I’ve ever been to. But, if I ever got the chance to go Vienna again, I would think less than one second to say ABSOLUTELY!!!
I think I should try that “Third man tour” to see other sides of Vienna. It sounds interesting!
Thanks again for your tips and comment!
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Vienna is beautiful and austrians are nice people, indeed. Your 5 reasons sound great!
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I would love to go back and explore more places beyond Vienna. Salzburg is high on the list.
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So nice to read you fell in love with Vienna! I lived there for a year till a month ago and will make sure I go back as often as possible! 🙂
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I remember when the bus that took me from the airport to the city passed through a dry meadow I was quite skeptical of what Vienna had to offer. But when I had already been in the city and passed through Ringstrasse, I completely fell in love at the first sight! Thanks for dropping by, Miret!
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Vienna it’s one of the most beautiful city’s in central Europe.Happy New Year!
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I haven’t explored Central Europe yet other than Vienna. But I believe it must be one of the region’s most beautiful cities. Happy New Year too Rimas!
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I love Vienna too. The palaces, churches, shopping streets, etc. When I was there last summer, I spent a lot of time walking (instead of taking the metro) because I was afraid I would miss out on something interesting on the sidewalks or on small, narrow streets. :))
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I would say loving Vienna is effortless. It’s a city most people would find it hard to hate. 🙂
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My favourite district in Vienna is the 1., it’s so cultural and old. I’ve never tried drinking from the toilet there though… 😉
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Oh how I love Vienna and will never get bored of it. I guess no one has ever tried drinking from the toilet though, it’s just their way to impress people about the quality of their water. 🙂
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I don’t hear as many people rave about Vienna compared to the many other European cities and countries. Lovely to read /hear your interest and passion for this country – have an upcoming trip planned in the near future to do Christmas there. Especially the market festivities. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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That’s true. Many people rave about Paris, Barcelona, Rome or London more. However I was very impressed with my first encounter with the Austrian capital and wish one day I can revisit and stay longer. Christmas in Vienna must be very interesting with the Christmas markets and all the treats. Thanks for dropping by!
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Hi! I’m just beginning my blogging adventure and LOVE your 302020 goal! While my blog doesn’t focus on travel, I’ve been fortunate to have some awesome trips so far. While studying abroad in Europe, my group stayed in Vienna, and I couldn’t agree more that it’s one of my favorite cities. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for dropping by! You spent the years of your study in Europe just in one of the most beautiful cities on earth. If I get another chance to visit Europe, I would go back to Vienna in a heartbeat. Good luck with your new blog!
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Thanks!!
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I was thinking of studying abroad to University of Vienna to study the Austrian German Language during the summer season.
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That’s awesome, justsayin93 : ) We didn’t actually study at the University (we had a German tutor come to where we all stayed, and we had two professors with us), so I don’t have any advice or anything in that regard. But the city and Univeristy are both beautiful!!
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Good luck with your plan! I’m sure you’re going to enjoy Vienna. 🙂
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Hi Bama,
This is so inspiring! I’ve never been outside India and now I have the belief that I can!
Love your blog and thoughts 🙂
Thank you!
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Nothing is impossible, really. When I was little I never thought I would get the chance to travel outside my country because at that time I believed traveling abroad was reserved for those who have everything. But look at me now! 🙂
Hope your first travel outside India will happen sooner than later.
Thanks!
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I was also surprised how much I love Vienna. I would definitely go back there!
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Every time I saw pictures of Vienna on magazines or newspapers I always told myself that one day I would go back to the city.
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I agree. It was such a calm and beautiful city. Definitely a contender for best city I’ve been to.
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I was curious when your mentioned that Vienna was your favourite European city, so I searched for this post. It was one of your first, right? Any plans for returning to Vienna?
– Verne
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Yes, I published this post in my early years of blogging — you might have noticed how different my writing style was back then. Currently I have no plans to go back to Austria — Asia keeps calling me despite all those dreams of going to Africa, the Americas, as well as returning to Europe. But I certainly hope one day I’ll get the chance to visit Vienna again.
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