Capital: Vienna … 9,200,000 People … 83,879 km²
The Country
As the home of Mozart, slow-motion videography, and schnitzel, Austria is a landlocked country in Europe that has had 21 Nobel prize recipients. As seen in the Sound of Music, Austria has a lush countryside with rolling green hills, where nearly 3/4 of the country has a view of the alps. Famous baroque architecture in the country brings tourists from all around the world, and it is known as one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
Fun Facts:
Austria has the oldest zoo currently still in operation, which opened in 1752.
The first postcards originated in Austria.
The first country to register an organic farm was Austria.
My First Experience
I will not pretend I am well-traveled within Austria, because at the moment it is the country I have spent the least amount of time in. Going to Austria was part of a day trip where a few friends and I drove from Italy to Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria and back in a single day. Because of this, we only spent 45 minutes in Austria before driving back to the town of Cannobio in Italy.
During our time in Austria, we drove into the town of Feldkirch, which borders Liechtenstein. We sat at a cafe near the Ill river, and had coffee before returning to Italy. With an extra shot or two of Baileys (except for our friend who was driving, since no one else knew how to drive with standard transmission), we packed up and headed back. We laughed that we drove all day and across 3 different countries all for a cup of coffee; maybe it was the hype, but it was without a doubt the best coffee I ever had.
I have plans to return to Austria in the next few years to see Vienna, but until then, Austria will remain on my list as the country I have spent the least amount of time in (second only to Liechtenstein).
My Second Experience
Day 1
45 minutes in Austria wasn’t enough. Neither is 3 days, but hey, that’s a 9,500% increase from the first time! Seven years later, I finally had the chance to revisit the country.
Arriving via train from Prague, my friends Karan, Romi, Joey and I arrived into Vienna. Stepping off the train at Stephansplatz, the heart of Vienna, we were immediately struck by the city’s opulence.
Grand historic buildings, ornate façades, and bustling streets framed by cafes and shops made the city feel instantly elegant and alive. Vienna was breathtaking from the very first moment. Everyone was smiling.
After a short walk to our hotel, we dropped our bags and went back to visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral. As one of Vienna’s most iconic Gothic landmarks, its history stretches back over 850 years. The site originally hosted a Romanesque church in the 12th century, but most of the structure visible today was built and expanded between the 14th and 16th centuries.
Its soaring south tower, known as the “Steffl,” dominates the skyline at nearly 137 meters, and the colorful tiled roof, with its zigzag patterns and coats of arms, is instantly recognizable.
The cathedral has been central to Vienna’s religious, cultural, and political life: it hosted royal ceremonies, weddings, and funerals, and served as a symbol of the city’s resilience. It survived fires, sieges, and even significant damage during World War II, after which it underwent careful restoration.
Leaving Stephenplatz, we stepped onto the bustling streets of Vienna and began exploring. Our aimless route took us through a mix of historic and modern cityscapes. Everything felt gilded, clean and safe.
We eventually arrived at the Vienna State Opera House. It’s neo-Renaissance façade and imposing columns were framed by the bustling square in front, a striking culmination to the walk. Although we didn’t go inside, the manicured lawns and pristine architecture on its exterior was still amazing to see.
I had one thing I needed to do my first day in Vienna. Weiner schnitzel. There was no doubt about it. We stopped for a meal at a great restaurant on a side street, sitting on a patio where smoking was allowed and laughter carried around through the streets. It was the perfect way to wind down the first day (or so we thought).
We walked back through Graben, one of Vienna’s most famous streets. Originally a medieval trench (the word Graben literally means “ditch”) that formed part of the city’s fortifications, it was gradually filled in and transformed into a bustling square and street over the centuries.
Today, Graben is lined with baroque buildings, luxury shops, and ornate fountains, including the famous Plague Column (Pestsäule), a dramatic Baroque monument erected in 1679 to commemorate the victims of the Great Plague. The street is was lively: outdoor cafés spill onto the cobblestones, creating a vibrant urban atmosphere.
After a long travel day, we were thinking of taking it easy. We stopped at an underground pool hall to play a game, chat, and plan the next day. It was here, though, we learned about a nightclub that was only open on Tuesday nights. And it was Tuesday night. Our fates were sealed.
Although we weren’t able to get inside until 1 a.m., and having an unexpected stop at a strange Australian (not Austrian, Australian) bar before going inside, it was incredibly fun. We befriended a few Serbians and chatted until the early hours of the morning.
Day 2
It was a perfect summer day. Leaving our hotel, we made our way to Cafe Central, one of Vienna’s most legendary coffeehouses. The café has a long history as a haunt for intellectuals, artists, and political figures - including Sigmund Freud, Leon Trotsky, Josip Broz Tito, Joseph Stalin, and Adolf Hitler.
As we arrived at the cafe, we joined a line spilling out into the street. After some time, we were ushered inside into the historic, elegant space. High ceilings adorned with ornate plasterwork, large marble columns and tall windows letting in an abundance of natural light. We settled at a small table and savored classic Viennese coffee alongside apple strudel. We were surrounded by history, and breakfast was fantastic.
Looking to take advantage of the perfect weather, we made our way to Sigmund Freud park, a small, peaceful green space tucked at the base of the Votive Church. The park offered a quiet contrast to the city’s bustling streets, with benches shaded by trees and paths winding through flowerbeds. From there, the neo-Gothic spires of the Votive Church rose dramatically, its intricate façade catching the sunlight. Sitting for a moment in the park, we listened to a busker singing and playing guitar, the serenity of it all helping us to appreciate taking a leisurely pace.
Without much of an agenda for the rest of the day, we walked by the University of Vienna and walked around the campus- quiet now that it was the summer. Inside, we saw the Inschriftwand: the “inscription wall”, denoting exemplary students, faculty, and notable figures dating back to the university’s founding. Hundreds of names were featured on the wall, including the first dated name from back in 1365. As incredible as the university was, with the thought of how much knowledge has been passed throughout hundreds of years of learning, I still felt an odd amount of anxiety walking by empty classrooms.
Right next to the university, Rathausplatz is huge open square framed by the towering, Gothic revival Vienna City Hall (Rathaus). The building itself looks almost like a fairy-tale palace, with its pointed spires, arched windows, and the Rathausmann statue perched high above the city.
When we arrived, the square had transformed into a lively scene thanks to the Vienna Film Festival, which takes over Rathausplatz every summer. Giant screens were set up in front of the Rathaus, rows of seats stretched out across the square, and the entire place buzzed with the energy of people gathering to watch concerts, classical performances, and films under the open sky.
Food stalls lined the sides, offering everything from Austrian dishes to international street food, filling the air with amazing smells. The mix of the festival’s modern, cheerful atmosphere with the dramatic architecture of the Rathaus made the whole area feel both grand and welcoming. We stopped at the Aperol Spritz booth for some time, taking in the energy.
It felt as though all the sites were in a straight line, one after another, filling out our itineraries with ease. Right next door, we went inside the Austrian Parliament building. After a quick security check, we walked through interactive exhibits, and were invited to check out the roof for a great view over Vienna. The building felt secure, but very open and inviting.
Again, right next door, we walked through the lush, green fields of the Volksgarten. The spires of City Hall faded behind us and the grand façades of the Hofburg Palace began to rise ahead.
Crossing the park felt like moving through a quiet, green corridor straight into imperial history. What began in the 13th century as a modest medieval fortress gradually expanded into a sprawling imperial city-within-a-city, home to the Habsburg dynasty for more than 600 years. Over time, each emperor added new wings, squares, and courtyards, so the palace now blends Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. It’s a physical timeline of Vienna’s rise to imperial power.
From here, the Habsburgs ruled one of Europe’s largest and most influential empires, signing treaties, hosting coronations and shaping politics far beyond Austria’s borders. It was the winter residence of the emperors (Schönbrunn was the summer palace), and it remained the seat of power right up until the empire’s fall in 1918. Grand is an understatement.
We eventually looped back to Stephansplatz, where we stumbled upon the classic Viennese Würstelstände: street-side sausage kiosks offering hot Vienna sausages and gloriously cold beer to enjoy right there on the street. For four Canadians, the simple freedom of drinking a beer while wandering around the city still feels like a novelty, and the sausages were every bit as good as their reputation.
We took our food to a nearby square and sat for a while, letting the atmosphere sink in. I felt completely at ease. A few months earlier I was been in India, Nepal, and Bhutan; it was a breathtaking, incredible trip, but it was packed, thoroughly planned, and sometimes overwhelming. This, by contrast, felt like an actual vacation. Warm weather, good food, and no rush to be anywhere.
Weiner schnitzel, Vienna sausages and strudel were must-have items on this trip. I had one more item I needed to have though- veal schnitzel. After a bit of research, we decided to visit Zum weißen Rauchfangkehrer. It was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. The food, service and Austrian schnapps on top of it all was simply immaculate. With hundreds of types of schnapps to choose from, it was difficult to pick- but our waiter walked us through everything and really took the time to get to know us. As we left, he gifted us a jar of pumpkin seeds and jelly. Service you don’t always see, but truly made us feel like kings.
Those shots of schnapps were a bit stronger than expected, though. This liquid courage beckoned us to the Vienna Casino.
Unlike Prague, however, our luck ran dry quickly. What do you do when you’re fully fed, unsuccessful at the casino and it’s 1 a.m? Grab more Vienna sausages, of course! Walking the empty streets of Vienna, we wrapped up the day, laughing at our fortune and misfortune.
Day 3
We had our fun wandering around the Innere Stadt, but eventually we were ready to see a different side of Vienna. A quick subway ride took us to Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs’ summer palace (seriously though, who needs two palaces?)
We’d been impressed by the Hofburg, but stepping off the train at Schönbrunn felt entirely different. As soon as we walked into the gardens, we were struck by the scale and symmetry of the place. The palace stretched out in a long, golden façade, and behind it unfolded a vast series of manicured lanes, fountains, hedges, and open lawns that seemed to go on forever. Even with crowds around us, the grounds had a calm, almost regal air.
We spent the next couple of hours wandering through Schönbrunn’s enormous gardens, moving from one perfectly trimmed path to another. The scale of the place doesn’t really hit you until you keep walking… and walking… and the palace still looms behind you, glowing that soft imperial yellow. Eventually we reached the base of the Neptune Fountain, an enormous sculptural cascade that feels more like a stage set than a fountain — horses rearing, tritons twisting upward, the whole thing carved to signal the Habsburgs’ power.
From there, the path climbed steadily toward the Gloriette, the arched hilltop monument built in 1775 as a symbol of Habsburg military triumph and as a kind of outdoor dining room for Emperor Franz Joseph. Today it’s mostly a viewpoint, and as we worked our way uphill, the palace slowly came into full view below us. Long, symmetrical, and impossibly grand. Each step higher felt like pulling back the frame on a postcard.
By the time we reached the top, we were ready for a break. Conveniently, the Gloriette has a small café inside, so we grabbed ice creams and sat overlooking all of Vienna. It was one of those moments where the history feels close — a place built for emperors, and here we were, eating ice cream in the same spot, looking out over the same gardens.
After a late lunch back in the city, we jumped on the subway again and made our way to Prater Park, home to Vienna’s iconic Wiener Riesenrad; the giant Ferris wheel that’s been watching over the city since 1897. It was built to celebrate Emperor Franz Joseph’s golden jubilee, and at the time it was one of the tallest Ferris wheels in the world.
Its history is surprisingly dramatic. The wheel survived both World Wars, though it was heavily damaged in 1945 and almost demolished. Instead, it was rebuilt — with fewer gondolas than originally — and became a symbol of Vienna’s resilience.
Riding it feels different from modern Ferris wheels. The gondolas are old-fashioned wooden cabins, slow and creaky in the most charming way. As it rises above the Prater, the city opens up in wide, calm layers — the Danube, the old town spires, and the soft yellow outline of Schönbrunn far in the distance - mixed with modern skyscrapers.
After wandering through the rides and carnival games at Prater Park, we headed toward the banks of the Danube for an evening bite. The riverside had an entirely different energy from the orderly imperial Vienna we’d been exploring all day. Down by the water it was lively, almost chaotic in the best way. Bars and restaurants strung along the promenade, neon pink and blue lights reflecting off the river, music drifting from patios, and clusters of people sitting along the concrete embankments with drinks in hand.
Street art covered the walls along the waterfront, giving the area a gritty, creative feel, and the dimness of night made the colors pop even more. We spotted the dock where we’d be boarding the boat to Bratislava, Slovakia the next morning, but mostly we just soaked in the atmosphere; the mix of locals and travelers, the warm air, and the sense that the Danube at night is its own little world within Vienna.
Day 4
At 8 a.m, the earliest we had been awake on this trip by far, we boarded a boat bound for Bratislava. Unbelievably, we had completed half of our European vacation, with two more countries left to see. We would eventually return to Vienna the night before our flight home, but that was the last thing on our minds. What was resonating with us was the incredible, albeit short time we had in Vienna. We saw what we wanted to see, ate what we wanted to eat, and truly had fun.
With the cold water of the Danube spraying on our faces we passed the border into Slovakia to continue our experience.
Photos of Austria