Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹 2022

Date: 20th August 2022

Travelled: 210 kms from Olomouc, Czech Republic to Vienna, Austria  

Visited:  Schönbrunn Palace and The Stephansdom    

Stayed: Vienna Sosta, €25, N48.13700, E16.31610  

Budget: 87 days @ €108 per day

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It was a hot evening in Olomouc, we had luckily enough found some shade but the nights saving grace was the air conditioner and our little fan which ensured a good sleep.

The pool or should I say pools in Olomouc don’t open until 9am so we have the Hymer in the carpark outside the pool at ten to. There are two 50m pools one inside and the other out, the inside pool is for laps we are told. Not sure how deep it was but there was a 6m diving platform, so deep enough.

We enjoyed our first swim after 10 days or so. That done a quick Lidl stop and we head for the freeway. The rest of the day was traffic, more traffic and delays, road side coffee and lunch. Then we seemed to be randomly pulled into an Austrian heavy vehicle checking station and wait two hours to go over the pit and me trying to explain in English to an Austrian inspector the difference between tare and gross weights.

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We find ourselves in the late afternoon traffic in Vienna which tops off a long day. Arriving at the sosta we set up the Hymer and relax.

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The sosta or stellplatz in Vienna is huge, almost 170 places and it’s full. We booked a few days ago, something we would never ordinarily do. €25 per night is expensive but it has everything you need with a supermarket and a train station just a short walk away. Anyway it’s Vienna.

Vienna is Austria’s largest city with nearly 3 million inhabitance, it has existed as a place since 500AD. Greater Vienna is a state within the Austrian union of nine states. It’s a huge sprawling city with a complex public transport system as we are about to find out.

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Not unlike Paris or London, you buy a day pass, in Vienna about €7 per day and jump on. The critical issue is the line, say U6, then the lines final destination station in the direction your heading, normally one side of the platform or the other. Two lines and several stops later we arrive at Hietzing Station and walk up the street to Schloss Schönbrunn.

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The history of this 1440 room summer palace is worth a read, especially if your a Sissi fan. Anyway our tour which includes only 20 room takes some 45 minutes. We purchased the tickets a few hours earlier €22 pp which saved us queueing. You cannot take photos during the tour which is one of my pet hates, so I sneak a couple just to give you an idea.

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The tour done we walk around to visit the gardens of Schönbrunn, taking these views from the terrace at the rear of the palace.

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Our visit to Schönbrunn done we return to the metro, jump the next train. Two lines and 5 stops later we walk out into the Stephansplatz. This is central Vienna and the Dom dominates the square.

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The size of the Dom and the square don’t make for a good photo. So we walk over to the Stephansdom for a look inside.

This 12th century gothic masterpiece is the symbol of Vienna, like no other building. There is a service in progress and a wedding soon after so the naves are closed but Ive taken a photos looking along each of the three naves to give you an idea.

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From the Dom we continue along the Kārnter Straße. A lovely car free plaza that Pam finds particularly stimulating.

I had planned lunch at a traditional keller, recommended in our guide book but luckily I checked to find it didn’t survive covid. Next best thing Google ‘best schnitzel near me’ and we find ourselves at the Gasthaus Oper. Despite the fact that they don’t do a wicked pepper sauce my normal favourite it was exceptionally good. Best potato salad ever and Pam enjoyed her goulash with half a cow floating around in it.

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A few pictures below as we make our way back to the Stephansplatz and then the train back to the Hymer. So that was our first day in Vienna.

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Michael + Pam