Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tour (about 60 minutes): €14 adults; €7 children. One-day ticket: €25 adults; €12
children.
For a leisurely view of Vienna, take a cruise aboard the ship MS
Vindobona
from
the Danube Canal onto the Danube. The ship departs from Schwedenplatz for a
cruise to Reichsbrucke. You can return to the city via the underground or the MS
Vindobona.
Departures are at 1130 and 1500. One-way, €19.90; round-trip €26 (10
percent discount with Vienna Card; children under 10 free, 10-15 years old half
price). Ask the tourist office for the DDSG Blue Danube Ships' brochure detailing
their cruise programs or call (01) 588 80 0;
Fax:
(01) 588 80 440;
www.ddsg-blue-
danube.at
;
E-mail:
info@ddsg-blue-danube.at.
Vienna is many things, but primarily it is music. Visit the
Vienna State Opera
House,
a preeminent point of European music. The Schoenbrunn Palace, former
summer residence of the Hapsburg Empire, is truly worth seeing. Get there by
taking the U4 line on the Underground. See operas and operettas performed at
the
Court Theatre at Schoenbrunn.
On the palace grounds, wander through the
New Maze that was patterned as closely as possible to the original design created
between 1698 and 1740.
Visit the Strauss home where the “Blue Danube Waltz” was written. Thrill to the
harmonious voices of the famous
Vienna Boys' Choir
(
www.wsk.at
), or marvel
at the white Lipizzaner stallions as they dance to music in the
Spanish Riding
School.
For information and tickets:
Tel:
(01) 533 90 31;
www.srs.at
.
Vista of Vienna
The pace is slower in Vienna; Vienna developed the waltz, and the city's tempo
has moved in leisurely three-quarter time ever since.
Vienna's coffeehouses are oases of good living at a leisurely pace. Visiting them
during your stay is a must. Our favorite coffeehouse happens to be the original one
in Vienna, the
Sacher Café,
a part of Hotel Sacher immediately behind the Opera
House. It has a semiformal but friendly atmosphere. By all means, try the
Sach-
ertorte
(chocolate cake) and don't miss the
Apfelstrudel
(apple cake). Expensive?
Well, yes, but it's worth it.
The Viennese “invented” coffee. According to legend, in 1683 the Turks were de-
feated and abandoned their three-centuries' quest to conquer the heart of Europe
at the gates of Vienna. In their hasty departure, they left some bags of coffee
beans behind. The local folks swarmed out of the city and carried the bags back
behind its protective walls and began experimenting. A gentleman by the name of
Kolschitzky evolved a clear brew—unlike the Turks who, to this day, serve it with
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