First Day in Vienna
We arrived in Vienna on a cold, clear morning. We were sleep-deprived from the overnight flight, and were relieved and grateful when the hotel allowed us to check into our room early. But we couldn’t sleep - it was a gorgeous day with a brilliant blue sky, and we had a new city to explore! So we had some of Vienna’s excellent coffee and pastries, and bundled up for a walk outside.
I had booked a morning “greet” - a free private walk with a local volunteer, arranged through the International Greeter Association. Our greeter, Alice, met us at the hotel and took us for a walk around the first district, also known as the Innere Stadt (Inner City).
We crossed the Ringstrasse (Ring Road), which replaced the medieval city walls that once encircled Vienna, and which is now lined with palatial public buildings in the Neo-Renaissance style. Then we walked up the Kärntner Strasse, a wide pedestrian street lined with stores and restaurants. Every few steps, I paused to admire the view. It’s no wonder Vienna is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world! I gasped when I saw the magnificent Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral), with its colorful tile roof and towering Gothic spire.
Alice led us along some charming side streets and pointed out small churches, “secret gardens,” and traditional coffee houses. Then we walked through the impressive Hofburg, the Winter Palace of the Habsburg dynasty.
We said goodbye to Alice and crossed the Ringstrasse to the large plaza between the twin Neo-Renaissance Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) and Naturhistorisches Museum (Museum of Natural History). After browsing the Christmas market there, we walked back along the Ringstrasse to our hotel for a sorely needed nap.
That evening, we walked through the Innere Stadt for dinner at Griechenbeisl, Vienna’s oldest restaurant. The city had come alive with holiday lights, each strasse and gasse with its own distinctive decorations overhead. As we walked home after dinner, we were surprised by a group of horned, hairy demons! It was Krampusnacht, and the Krampuses were in the streets. Thank goodness we were not on the Naughty List, and the Krampuses left us alone. It was a funny ending to our first day and first magical night in Vienna.
The Innere Stadt is part of the Historic Centre of Vienna, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was recognized by UNESCO for its distinctive architecture and urban layout, and for its prominent role in the development of European culture, particularly music, art, and politics.
