December 17-20, 2015
After reading several top European Christmas market lists
last year, we decided to make it to one of these destinations this year. Top on
our list: Vienna, Austria. With over 10 different festive markets around the
city, the cool Alpine air in the valley of the Danube River, Austria sounded
like a perfect setting for a weekend getaway. Jackie went to Vienna in the fall
of 2005 when she was studying abroad. Her 60 year old Viennese professor toured
them all around the city for its architectural wonders. This time Jackie was
looking forward to being the tour guide with a little more pocket change, taking
a more leisurely pace with a 14 month old and having the only main goal of
visiting Christmas markets.
We had a 14:30 Thursday flight from Amsterdam to Vienna.
Joe had reward points to use up before the end of the
year so we decided to stay at a fancy hotel in the city center instead of our
normal 2 bedroom Airbnb or VRBO rentals. The Park Hyatt ended up being a great
decision. The place was fancy. The room was big enough that we could put the
travel crib in the hallway near the entry, still have access to the bathroom
when Brooklyn was asleep and have alone time with the TV on in the main
living/bedroom space.
We had dinner at Café Central.
Friday we began Rick Steve’s Vienna City Walk.
We started at the Kohlmarkt near the Park Hyatt Hotel. This
street was lined with high-end shops.
Jackie could recall stopping to talk about many of these
storefront designs with her architecture class
Demel Bakery with its fancy chocolate window displays
Manz Bookstore, Loos designed
Loos House, now a bank on Michaelerplatz
Hofburg Palace, once home of the Habsburgs, entrance from
Michaelerplatz
Hofburg Palace, once home of the Habsburgs, view under
the dome
We passed the Spanish Riding School, home of the prancing
white Lipizzaner stallions, where we saw a few being moved for stables to
likely prepare for their winter show.
We had breakfast at Bräunerhof, a quaint old-fashioned
café with great coffee, bread and omelettes. Brooklyn drank some milk and gnawed
on a big piece of bread.
Our camera battery died so we went back to the hotel. Joe ran back up to the hotel room to get the
backup battery while Brooklyn and Jackie walked around the Am Hof Advent Market,
which was right in front of the Park Hyatt Hotel.
Joe and Brooklyn walking around the Am Hof Advent Market,
right outside our hotel, the Park Hyatt
Since Jackie didn’t want to retrace their same steps
again, they continued a different direction along Rick Steves Vienna City Walk.
We walked down Graben, one of Europe’s first pedestrian only streets.
Holy Trinity Plague Column (Pestaule) from 1679
Another storefront to a tobacco store that Jackie recalled
from 10 years ago
Equitable Building on Stephensplatz screams
Neoclassicism.
Haas Haus by Hans Hollein in 1990
St. Stephen’s Cathedral exterior from 1300-1450
Beautiful old doors into St. Stephen’s Cathedral
St. Stephen’s Cathedral central nave
We walked down Kärntner Strasse and to the Neuer Markt.
Albertina Museum is topped by a sleek controversial
titanium canopy or as critics call it, a diving board.
Opera House (Wiener Staatsoper): world-famous premier
house of music. 1869 Neo-Renaissance building.
We stopped in Café Sacher for an early lunch while we
were in the area and because Jackie really wanted to try their famous Sacher
Torte which was invented in 1832 and is a chocolate cake with apricot jam. Joe
and Brooklyn shared some cheese spätzle and Jackie had a cup of potato soup.
Brooklyn is so classy dining in such a fine
establishment. We love how so many of the Vienna cafes still feel like they
would have a century ago.
The Sacher menus were on old newspaper style holders
Let’s have a look…
Happy momma at Café Sacher
They were both so filling that we couldn’t even finish
it, but less, order a piece of cake.
The crosswalk signals were so cute!
We hopped aboard the Ringstrasse tram. We had bought a 48
hour Vienna City Card which gave us free transit rides so we decided to save
our legs a few blocks of walking.
Maria-Theresian-Platz Christmas village has 70 stalls. We
bought some great Polish pottery Christmas ornaments. The market surrounds the
Maria Theresa Statue which commemorates her father granting the right of a
woman to inherit the throne.
Hofburg Palace In der Burg
Neue Burg (New Palace) with its curved façade from the
1900s, where Hitler celebrated their annexation with Germany.
Äusseres Burgtor in Heldenplatz, a gate leading into the
Hofburg Palace
Parliament
By the time we got to Rathausplatz, Brooklyn was losing
it in the stroller, beyond ready for a nap. So Jackie rested on a bench while
Joe walked her in circles until she finally fell asleep.
Vienna Rathaus (City Hall)
The Vienna Magic of Advent at Rathausplatz (City Hall)
with over 150 stalls and tree decoration is one of the most photographed Christmas
markets in Vienna but it was also the most kitschy. We did end up finding
Brooklyn’s Christmas ornament there, a wooden goat, an animal she calls a
“dach”.
We got back on the Ringstrasse tram, to head to a museum
to warm up. As we got off the tram, Brooklyn awoke from her nap. Perfect timing
because we really wanted Brooklyn to experience of the Haus der Musik.
The Opera House again with its 1869 Neo-Renaissance
copper mansard roof
The Haus der Musik (House of Music) is a newer museum
about sound and music in Austria. It has many hands-on activities making it
great for little kids.
There is a stair up to the first floor with piano keys
that play a note each time they are touched.
Every time she moves, it plays a key video
It focused on the city’s big composers: Mozart,
Beethoven, and Strauss.
Banging on the giant drum with Daddy
At the end of the museum you can conduct a symphony
orchestra.
We intended to have dinner at Gasthaus zu den drei Hacken
but they were booked with a Christmas party so they directed us down the street
to their sister restauarant, Magazin 3 Hacken.
We took the tram back to the Rathaus stop and took a
scenic walk back to the hotel.
We passed through the Rathausplatz Christmas Market
again, this time very crowded but beautiful all lit up
We went to the Old Viennese Christmas Market on Freyung which
was not as enjoyable straddling two sides of a busy street, but seemed to be
extremely popular this Friday night.
When we got back to the hotel, we went for a family swim
in the indoor swimming pool. Sadly the water was not that warm so little
Brooklyn was soon shivering. Even after she would get out, she’d still want
back in to swim with daddy despite the cold. I’m sure glad she likes the water
and the swim lessons are paying off.
After swimming in the hotel pool, Daddy and Brooklyn
played in the warm bathtub. She loves sticking her hand in the spraying water,
having it splash all over.
Saturday morning we went to Café Hawelka for breakfast.
It turned out they only served soft-boiled eggs, bread and apricot jam for
breakfast. We ordered some along with our morning coffees.
We took the U-bahn to Schӧnbrunn Palace, the summer
residence of the Habsburgs. It is known as the Versailles of the east. It was a
highlight for Jackie to see the gardens in its beautiful fall colors. Today we
made the trip, mainly for a picturesque Christmas market. It was extremely
foggy.
We checked another person’s Christmas present off the
list at this market.
The backside of Schӧnbrunn Palace that faces the gardens
We walked around in the gardens of Schӧnbrunn for a bit.
When Jackie visited in 2005, these free gardens were a
big highlight for her as the autumn colors had just started to turn and fall.
The trees are pruned and look rather odd in the winter
time without their leaves
Brooklyn walking around the Schӧnbrunn gardens, near the Star
Pool
Ooo pebbles!
What do you mean we can’t stay here and let me pick each
one up?
Sadly the Maze and Labyrinth were closed for winter as
well as the children’s playground.
Neptune Fountain at Schӧnbrunn
We walked around a little more by the Palm House and then
head back to the U-bahn.
We stopped at Karlsplatz, which has another nice
Christmas Market in front of St. Peter’s Church Baroque Church. Brooklyn had
fallen asleep in the stroller and we were hungry as we head toward the
Naschmarkt for lunch.
The Secession Building with its beautiful Art Nouveau
exterior
Naschmarkt is a lively outdoor market where we went for
lunch. We sat down at Nene, a Middle Eastern restaurant.
After that we went back to the hotel so Brooklyn could
take a proper nap at the hotel in the packnplay crib.
Brooklyn read about Vienna and had a little water
Ready to go explore more of Vienna on our last night
We went back to Michaelerplatz Christmas Market for
Jackie to get Joe’s hand-painted egg.
Jackie Christmas ornament shopping at the Michaelerplatz
Christmas Market
Hofburg Palace In der Burg at night
Neue Burg (New Palace) curved façade from the 1900s where
Hitler celebrated their annexation with Germany
We walked over to Gigerl Stadtheuriger, a wine cellar in
the city center that would be the most like a Heuringer, a wine garden
restaurant, located further out of the city. Neither of us were that hungry,
nor were we positive Brooklyn would like the options there to eat so we decided
to keep walking until we saw something. Joe spotted a Mandarian restaurant for
dinner. She’ll definitely eat something there.
Christmas lights and horse drawn carriage in
Michaelerplatz
Christmas lights
On the way back, we stopped at the Stephensplatz
Christmas Market.
Jackie at the Stephensplatz Christmas Market enjoying a mug
of (kinder)punsch, basically apple cider without the alcohol
Here not only do they have the typical German gluewein,
but spiked punches are all the rage.
St Stephen’s Cathedral on a foggy night
Yet another jewelry shop Jackie recalled drawing during
architecture school
Sunday we had a 12:15 flight from Vienna to Amsterdam. We
grabbed a quick breakfast at Café Condition Aida.
Equitable Building
One last view of St Stephen’s Cathedral
We took the U-bahn to Wien Mitte and hopped abroad the
CAT train to the Airport. We had plenty of time to kill at the airport before
our flight but we figured it was better to have Brooklyn run around here than
strapped in the stroller in the city. She walked a good portion of terminal B. We
had a fruit smoothie, burger and fries before our flight. Brooklyn watching the
airplanes
The KLM flight attendants gave her an activity book and
coloring pencils to keep her busy on the plane. Although it was prime naptime,
we couldn’t get her to lay down comfortably on us. The box of color pencils
were a lifesaver. She spent forever putting them in the box and taking them
out. It’s great watching her learn new things and see how proud she is when she
figures them out.
Once we picked up our bags from baggage claim,
we got on the shuttle bus to our off-site parking location. Brooklyn
immediately fell asleep in the stroller around 3. Jackie successfully
transferred her into her carseat and we left Schiphol with one tired baby girl.
Time to go pickup our other tired girl from the dog kennel. She was so excited
to see us, Chance gave Brooklyn and Jackie big sloppy kisses. And she was
asleep in the back seat. It was nice to be all back together again. Nothing
beats the rearview of those 2 cuties in the backseat.
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