January in Vienna, Austria, capital of luxury?
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On the first of January, we set sail for Vienna, the capital of Austria. I had heard a lot of good things about this city before I set foot there, including the beautiful overall architecture and the colourful cathedral. And the Viennese chocolates, needless to say.
In terms of architecture, there’s nothing to complain about! It is grandiose.
But one thing I hadn’t anticipated in Vienna was the display of wealth. I hadn’t thought of the Austrian capital in this way and it surprised me greatly. It is common to see Rolls Royce, people dressed entirely in luxury brands, Rolex shops and so on. With wealth seems to come contempt from some people, which is rarely enjoyable. It’s up to whoever shines the brightest. This is the side of Vienna that I didn’t particularly appreciate, but I think that there are many beautiful things to see outside of the capital.
(Let’s be clear, I have nothing against rich people, but I do have a grudge against jerks)
What to see in Vienna?
Vienna is a historically and culturally rich city and therefore has no shortage of activities! I would like to share with you a list of things we saw and liked.
Free Walking Tour
For the first time we tried a free walking tour and we really liked it. The concept is simple, you book (for free) online your tcket for a walking tour with a tourist guide. They lead you through the streets of the capital, telling you the history and anecdotes of the different places. At the end of the tour, everyone gives what they can/want, or don’t (but don’t be stingy, it’s a real job). In addition, the guides are often really funny and make the tour very lively, not boring at all.
The city centre, its main street and its luxurious shops
The city centre itself is very nice to see and it would be a shame to miss a stroll through the small streets of Vienna. One of the main pedestrian streets has an impressive number of luxury shops. However, if you are used to the Champs Elysées, I can’t guarantee the ‘wow’ effect.
One idea for a tour is to walk along the Ringstrasse, which surrounds the historic centre, where you can see many prestigious buildings such as the Parliament, the Opera House, the Town Hall and the University of Vienna.
Going to the Opera
We had the opportunity to see The Barber of Seville at the Vienna State Opera. I personally had never been to an opera, and I think I could hardly see a better opera than this one as it is listed among the best… in the world.
At first glance, I confused this building with the train station, and I was not the only one as the opera house was bombed during WWII, the Americans having made the confusion too.
If you are on a tight budget, it is still possible to attend a show (Opera or Ballet) for 15€. You will be standing at the back of the highest balcony. It’s not the most comfortable or the best view, but it allows you to visit the opera, to have that experience where all walks of life rub shoulders (the opera is no longer just for the bourgeoisie!) and of course, to see an opera or a ballet.
St Stephen’s Cathedral
To visit this cathedral you can buy an all-inclusive ticket for 20€ which will allow you to visit the cathedral, the catacombs as well as the two towers (North and South), the west gallery and the Teutonic order treasure with an audio guide.
But already from the outside, its size, its gothic style and its colours are worth a visit.
If you don’t want to spend too much money, you can take a look inside from the cathedral entrance and then visit only certain elements as you can pay for each element separately.
For example, we chose to visit the south tower.
You have to climb 363 steps to reach the 136-metre-high view of the city, and pay €5.50 per adult. In case you were hoping: no, there is no lift, only very narrow spiral stairs. Personally, I wasn’t thrilled, but I’m a country girl so a view of the rooftops doesn’t really move me.
Good to know: it is only possible to pay in cash on the spot. No online booking or payment by card.
Ice rink (during the winter)
From January to March, a huge ice rink of 8500 m2 on two levels (yes yes) is installed on the town hall square.
Frankly, it’s a great atmosphere, and very well lit at night. If you like to skate, buy your tickets online to save 10% and avoid the queue.
The Belvedere
The exterior of the castle and its beautiful gardens alone are worth a visit. Inside the castle there is an art museum, including Klimt’s famous painting “The Kiss”. Beware, there are many paintings and you will need at least two hours to see them all. The entrance fee for the lower+upper Belvedere exhibition is €22.90 per adult.
Some practical information
Restaurants and cafes
This will depend on your budget. I don’t recommend to eat or have a coffee in the first district because it’s much (but really) more expensive than in the surrounding areas. In any case, from our point of view, it was worth walking a bit to save some money.
As an example, a hot dog in the 1st district cost between 7 and 8€, while in the 7th district it cost 3 to 5€. If you are numerous, there is quite a difference on the bill!
Public transport and bicycles.
Public transport is quite expensive, it costs 2.60€ for a single paper ticket (2.40€ if bought online). A ticket is valid for one direction with no time limit. The monthly pass is 51€.
For our part, we opted for the quadriceps as a means of transport, namely, walking and cycling. The city is extremely well laid out and full of cycle paths, making cycling safe and enjoyable.
To rent a bike, you can download the mobile app “Next Bike by Tier”. Then simply find one of the bikes located around the city and unlock it with your mobile phone. It will cost you 0.60cts/30min: more cost effective than public transport, and faster than your legs without the bike.
Money-wise
The prices in the supermarkets are similar to those in France (at least that’s what it seemed to me), especially if you shop in supermarkets like Aldi, Lidl, Penny market etc.
Access to culture is rather expensive. You can expect to pay €21 to visit the Museum of Fine Arts, €16 to visit the Museum of Natural History or almost €23 to visit the Belvedere.
Restaurants and cafes are as expensive as in France, for example a single espresso costs around 2.50€. For a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay around 30-40€ for two people.
Important detail: it is quite difficult to find free public toilets… including in restaurants! It all depends of course, but for example, we saw a Burger King and other restaurants that charged their customers 0.50 cts even for their toilets… There are no small profits.
Conclusion
I liked the city itself, which was pretty, clean and well lit in the first days of January. But it’s true that I have a hard time with the display of wealth/snobbery that one can find in the capital, and it’s an aspect I didn’t particularly expect. I would have liked to visit other places in Austria that were certainly nicer. Another regret is that I did not take the opportunity to visit Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, which is less than an hour’s bus ride from Vienna.