June in Germany and Austria -Our Trip to Bachfest and beyond
Part 5-Vienna and the trip home
The day we traveled from Salzburg to Vienna was my Birthday! I woke up that morning (in the gorgeous room at the Sheraton) and played Billy Joel’s song Vienna on my Ipod. It was a great start to the day. The train trip to Vienna takes 2.5 hours which we scheduled late in the morning. I had booked this trip in Business Class as a birthday treat and our seats were great. (as was the wine and food) The scenery on the way was lovely and after arriving at the station, we took a taxi to the Marriott Autograph Imperial Riding School Hotel. This was one of the coolest hotels we’ve ever stayed in and here’s a description…..
https://www.imperialridingschool.com/en
“Delve into the wonderful mysteries of Vienna at the storied Imperial Riding School. Evolving from a 19th century military equestrian school to the city's largest cinema, this historic building has always been a defining part of Vienna's cultural landscape. Now, as a grand 342-bedroom hotel that combines the original majestic facade with a contemporary addition, we invite you to explore the idiosyncratic grandeur of regal Austria. Located in the artistic Landstraße district, the Imperial Riding School is surrounded by architectural fascinations, but stands out for its harmonious blend of aristocratic and bohemian characteristics. Inside, you'll find nods to our regal equestrian heritage, from the stable-inspired floors to the plethora of apple delights, plucked from the orchard that is our tribute to the school's founder, Emperor Franz Joseph I. Whether your visit is for culture or business, here you’ll find the perfect balance of elegance and eccentricity.”
The link below shows pictures of our room, which was perfect to hold all our stuff and enable us both to work with space to spare.
https://www.imperialridingschool.com/en/rooms/superior-king-room
We got settled and then proceeded to my birthday dinner in Elstar Restaurant described below …..
https://www.imperialridingschool.com/en/restaurants/elstar-restaurant
“As early as 1850, a Military Riding Instructors’ Institute was founded here. The preserved pillars still bear the traces of times gone by. Behind the historic façade lies one of Vienna’s largest private gardens, once the orchard of Emperor Franz Joseph I. The Elstar apple variety, said to be his favourite and the namesake of the restaurant, still blossoms here today, forming a culinary bridge between past and present.”
We really enjoyed the Beef Tenderloin with peppercorn sauce (me) and Wienerschnitzel (Steve)……cause, you know, we’re in Wien.
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/vieir-imperial-riding-school-autograph-collection/overview/
The next day we took the tour of Vienna tour booked through Panorama tours which started at the Opera House (exterior) and then a bus tour of the City before and after the guided tour of the Schonbrunn Palace - details and pics below.
https://www.panoramatours.com/en/vienna/tour/historical-city-tour-vienna-57/
“The route goes along the Ringstrasse with it's imposing buildings like the Vienna State Opera, the Hofburg, the Art History Museum, Natural History Museum, the Parliament, the City Hall and the National Theatre. Highlight of this roundtrip is the visit of Schönbrunn Palace, which was the summer residence of the imperial court. Walk along the magnificent showrooms and get lots of information about the former Austrian Empire.”
The palace was almost as ostentatious as Versailles. It was a very hot day so we really didn’t appreciate the tour as much as we could have otherwise. Despite the heat, the palace and grounds were crowded and the tour bus parking lot was so full that buses had to drop off their groups then go somewhere else until pickup time.
Here’s the info about the Palace and my pics.
After the tour, we returned to the Hotel, had another great dinner at Elstar and hung out with Phillippa, the bartender at Ferrier, and made sure she would still be working when we returned from our evening out. We then took a taxi to the Musikverein, a magnificent concert hall, and took in a chamber music concert of Haydn and Mozart in the first half, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the second half. (description and photos below)
“The Musikverein was inaugurated by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1870. Since then the Golden Hall in the Musikverein is known by friends of music all over the world, not only because of the annual worldwide broadcast of New Year’s Concert by the Vienna Philharmonics, but also for being permanent seat of the Vienna Philharmonics and main stage of the Vienna Mozart Orchestra. The Golden Hall fascinates the concert guests being a unique architectonic and acoustic master piece.”
https://musikverein.at/konzert/?id=00060924
The next day, our last day in Vienna, we did absolutely nothing. It was a great day to rest and get organized for the trip home the next day. Our last night in Vienna was one of our favourites of the whole trip. We had dinner at the world famous Sacher Hotel (across from the Vienna State Opera House) and had reservations in the Blue Room, because its menu had the most items that Steve could eat. (many food allergies) Link and pics below. Schnitzel was Steve’s and mini burger and salad were mine. (although I did taste the Schnitzel) Of course, we finished dinner with a serving of Sacher Torte which was spectacular.
We finished the evening at the Vienna State Opera with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame. We had great seats in the middle row of a 3 row box, and the TV screens offered translations from the sung Russian to English and German. The couple in front of us were from Los Angeles and were great fun. It was a great conclusion to a wonderful trip.
We had a completely uneventful 10 hour flight home from Vienna to Toronto in Premium Economy on Air Chaos. The seats were in a perfect location, I slept for at least 4 hours, watched 2 movies, and the time passed quickly.
Next week, we’ll talk about our wine-tasting day trip to Niagara in July.
I’d love to help you with your trip planning!
Happy Travels!
lrobertson@travelonly.com
lrobertson@mywayholiday.com