Top 5 things to do in VIENNA {TRAVEL}

Vienna is a visual treat beyond words.The City of Music- it was home to World-famous artists of all times Beethoven,Mozart, Brahms and many more.Lined with Operas ,the city's architecture is so detailed and exquisite . No other city would have every single building so uniquely designed. Frescos on building exteriors is a rare sight and you find it in Vienna. Baroque elements and excessive adornments are a typical feature. It was so diffucult to skip even a single unkown building in the Ringstrasse, the historic centre of Vienna. I could spend hours gazing at them.

These are my top 5 attractions you shouldn't miss while you are in Vienna:

1. Take the TRAM and travel across the city centre. Hop off at every stop , cherish the beauty around and Hop in. There is no better way to enjoy the architecture than this.

I Prefer these old wooden make trams as compared to the new flashy ones!

2. Visit the Schonbrunn palace and the gardens.  This is a no-brainer. No itinerary will ever skip this noteworthy place.Neither would I . I can't help but mention how magnificent the Schonbrunn palace area is. The gorgeously decorated rooms preserved in excellent condition,the gardens and the legend of the Queen's beauty will enthrall you .The Gorgeous Highness Empress Elizabeth fondly known as Sisi stood at 5"8 tall & wore her thick heel-length hair, with pride taking 2-3 hours everyday to comb and dress them! She exercised an equal number of hours to maintain her slender 50kg frame.Her wardrobe was lust-worthy. Those ball-gowns look like a piece of art. Look at her original photos here, I bet you will scour the internet to know more about her. They have a SiSi museum too with about 300 exhibits from her life. But i skipped it as I thought the price was high. But I still repent that I skipped it. Notes to self: More Research needed before visiting Royal establishments. NOTE: Please wear good walking shoes as the ground is graveled and extreme flats might hurt your feet. This is a huge complex and a lot of walking is required. WARNING: You might be tempted to visit this again the other day, such is the grandeur!

3. While you Visit Schonbrunn palace, stop for your lunch at their cafe restaurant RESIDENZ. Gorgeous desserts, delectable coffees ,gourmet salads, almost everything on the menu is a gastronomic delight. Priced moderately as per Viennese standards, you cannot miss this. Beneath the cafe you can find Court Backery where you can sample the fresh Viennese apple strudel .




3. Taste the culinary delights across the city which say "Falafel" . These people are fond of Turkish and lebanese cuisine and you will find those PERFECT falafels in Vienna. I could live on them day and night!

4. Visit The Belvedare palace

After the mesmerizing experience of Schonbrunn, one is so overwhelmed, one might believe there is no better royal setup than this, which might be partly true. However, one cannot ignore the humble Belvedere palace which is not as huge , but certainly has much beautiful exteriors, the camera doesn't seem to do justice. Relax in the gardens and absorb the beauty.

See how huge those gates actually are. They don't seem so in the 1st picture above!

This palace is a striking example of BAROQUE architecture

5. Visit the famous Zentralfriedhof cemetry

Vienna is home to more than 50 cemeteries, I read. Phew! Why would someone visit a cemetery, you ask? This cemetery was designed by famous architects and the tombs are almost monumental in nature. I could never image a grave constructed like a little temple of sorts! After walking a few kms in the 2.4SqKm area, I was spooked out . There was hardly anyone around , and the sound of tree leaves hissing in the autumn winds was apparent. This place houses more than 3 million graves and has a section dedicated to burials of great musicians BEETHOVEN,MOZART,BRAHMS and the like. Wow, I never knew I would be standing next to them!

Large monumental graves....Surprising isn't it?

Ya, thats Beethoven right under!

MOZART's grave

Coz some people can be insanely happy even around wandering souls....


Let your soul wander, plan your next travel!

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TRAVEL POST: Tramming in VIENNA

This time I was in Vienna , the capital of Austria which enjoys the 1st or 2nd position when it comes to the MOST LIVEABLE cities in the world. I can't agree more. And I tell you why! The city's transport system is highly intuitive. First time visitors will feel as if they have been living here for years. Inspite of the fact that English is not a primary language you can never get lost! Trams, metro trains and buses all have the SAME TICKET! Buy the ticket and you are on your own in the city. The best way to see the city centre( the historical Vienna which was declared a UNSECO World heritage site) is to take the Tram from a station near Stephenplatz, and get down at every station , explore and take the next tram to the next station. Guess what? The trams keep running in intervals of 5mins. How awesome is that! So when in Vienna, go TRAMMIN'! As for me, I can't wait to go back!

Inside an old tram which is predominantly made of Wood. I loved these over the new-age trams! Vienna has both. Vienna is known for Coffee. Do try the hot cup as the city is lined with cafes!

At the BELVEDERE Palace: The palace is too beautiful to be captured in its entire beauty in a lens. Not one picture on the web does justice. You have to be there to experience that beauty.

Each building is a piece of ART. I gave up after taking snaps of every building I saw. Too much beauty to capture in one camera!

This clean city has beautiful gardens throughout the roads and in historical palaces. All in full bloom!

Fountains are another pretty feature used generously in the city .

Way too happy in the city. I rarely do such poses. So you can imagine how insanely happy this place made me!

Finding the good old CCD was such a surprise. We had samosa , tomato soup , a slightly different menu from Indian menu.

If you are on Instagram, you have seen what I gulped at CCD earlier. Do follow more yummier updates :)

A beautiful amusement park -PRATER Park. Landed here only to see World's oldest & biggest Ferris Wheel

And here we enter NASCHMARKET. Home to over 120 shops. These barrels contains various types of Vinegars. Used in Salad dressings for that added spunk! Turkish food is a favorite with the Viennese people. You will find stalls from Turkish to American food. Such a celebration of cultures and cuisines. I loved the olives and pickles from Turkish stalls. 

Now If only I weren't to say GoodBye. I chose to say CIAO! I will be back :)

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