City Rating: Vienna
Population: 1’770’000
Date of visit: June 2018
Attractions & sights: 4/5
Nightlife: 4/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 4/5
Low budget factor: 3/5
Total: 👍👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
I have been to most major cities in Germany and Switzerland, but after my (second) trip to Vienna I have to say that the Austrian capital is in my opinion the best city in German speaking Europe. The city offers a great mix of sightseeing, excellent food and nightlife. Moreover, the people are cool and friendly, and the city isn’t very expensive.
Where to stay:
Innere Stadt (or inner city). This is without a doubt the most beautiful area in Vienna, and also the place, in which Vienna’s old charm has been preserved. Make sure that the metro station Stephansplatz is within walking distance from your hotel. You can reach many sights from there. Moreover, it is also an area with many restaurants, cafés and bars.
The Good:
Vienna has one of the prettiest city centres (Innere Stadt) in Europe. It’s rather a big centre full of amazing sights and beautiful architecture so that you will need some time to explore all of it. However, not only the obvious sights such as Stephansdom, the Museum Quarter or the Spanish Riding School are worth seeing but also the streets of Innere Stadt. You could easily spend one day by exploring all side streets in the city centre and be astonished of all the magnificent buildings.
Not all the sights are in the city centre though. Schloss Schönbrunn, Schloss Belvedere or Prater are a bit outside, which isn’t a problem, as Vienna has one of the best infrastructure in Europe. The metro is one of the most efficient ways to get around. Taxis cost 10-15€ for a 15-minute ride.
Even people who are not into sightseeing can enjoy the city by relaxing near the Danube River or in one of the many restaurants, cafés or bars in the city. Speaking of restaurant, Schnitzel is obviously omnipresent in Austria’s capital and a must eat during your stay.
I cannot say a lot about Vienna’s nightlife, as I haven’t been to many places, but what I have experienced was great. We have been to the nightclubs Grelle Forelle (techno club) and Volksgarten (mainstream), which were both fantastic. Moreover, we spent some time at the Bermuda Dreieck, an area with a few bars. That wasn’t very spectacular though.
Prices in Vienna are more or less the same as in Germany, which would be a bit more than European average. It’s still an affordable city for everyone; a main course costs between 10-18€ and you can buy a day pass for Vienna metro for 8€.
Another good thing is that the airport is not far from the city. It takes only 15 minutes to the central station. Moreover, Vienna airport is in my opinion one of the five best airports in Europe.
The Bad & The Ugly:
I don’t have anything negative to say about Vienna to be honest. The only annoying thing were the distances sometimes, but that’s not a real problem due to the efficient public transport system.
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