Baroque Horses and Buildings in Vienna, Austria - 24-Hour Travel Guide
Morning exercises at the Spanish Riding School
Weiner schnizel for lunch (courtesy Flickr: sfllaw)
Imperial architecture of the Hofburg
Stephenskirche is a Viennese Gothic icon
Overview - Most people go to Vienna to check out high culture and cafes. Today, I propose to take a different view of the city, starting with the world famous Spanish Riding School where beautiful white stallions are trained to perform dance-like movements to Baroque music. We’ll continue on with a tour of some of the city’s oldest buildings, giving a different taste of Vienna.
Breakfast - Tunnel Café is a cool place to go for breakfast in Vienna. For less than a fiver, you can get all sorts of international breakfasts, like the Arabian Breakfast, which is a combination of eggplant salad, stuffed vine leaves, feta cheese, olives and Syrian Bread, all for €3. Other options include regular Mueseli and yogurt or a Continental breakfast of fruit and cheese.
Morning - The Spanish Riding School is one of the world’s elite horse training schools, located just next to the Hofburg in central Vienna. It dates back to the 1500s and is the oldest classical Dressage riding school in the world. Today, you’ll enjoy an exercise performance, where the trainers ride each stallion in a series of exercises and patterns. The performance lasts a couple of hours and is accompanied by Viennese Baroque music. If you’re lucky, you might get a chance to see some of the stallions attempt the “airs above ground”, a series of jumps and leaps that make them appear to fly. Afterwards, take a guided tour of the stables, where you can get an up-close look at each stallion in his box stall, as well as the equipment rooms and other stabling areas.
Lunch - Schnitzelwirt Schmidt is listed in most guidebooks, but it is actually well worth a visit. It is one of the classic places to try Weiner Schintzel, the Viennese style of Austrian pork steak. The portions are large and the price is nice, and they offer several draught beers to wash it all down with – tasty!
Afternoon - In the afternoon, we’ll take a stroll through Vienna to simply admire the amazing architecture. Start out at the Hofburg, but don’t bother with the maze of museums – just walk around the outside. Next, go to the iconic Stephansdome, near the Hofburg in Stephansplatz. This predominantly Gothic structure is truly eye-catching, and you can take a guided tour of the catacombs inside. Finally, head down to Karlskirche, on Kreuzherrengasse. This cathedral is the largest Baroque church north of the Alps, and is a true sight to behold. Though you can buy entrance inside, the real treat is simply admiring the church’s vivid exterior design.
Dinner - Take a relaxed dinner at Reinthaler, a basic but great local restaurant in the typical style of Beisl, or Viennese diners. This particular Beisl is great for sampling delicacies like boiled beef and cabbage or duck with dumplings. And of course, a plentiful flow of beer will help wash down the thick and tasty meal.
After Dark - Vienna is a great place to go drinking, and Austrians love their beer. The high student population makes for no shortage of decent, cheap beer bars like Alt Wien, a funky, bohemian pub. Alternately, you might want to sample some Austrian wine, which is a real treat.
Sleep - A typical type of accommodation in Vienna is the self-service apartment, which is generally just like renting a fully furnished apartment, complete with kitchen and living areas, for the duration of your stay. These can, depending on how you choose, be very affordable, especially if you’re travelling with a group. Try Vienna Center Apartments, where some of the rooms have rooftop terraces!
Tags: horses, baroque, architecture, schnitzel