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Vienna, Austria

In Oct 2025, we took a day trip to Vienna from Graz, where we were based for 1 month. When we were married many years ago, we went on a 18-day whirlwind package tour of Europe which included Vienna as one of its many stops, but we now have only a vague recollection of the city :). We thus thought that we should pay Vienna another visit, since it is near to Graz. The train journey was an easy 2.5 hours on a comfortable modern train with a restaurant operating in one of the carriages. As we booked a 2nd class ticket and didn't reserve any seat in advance, we had to be careful to choose the right carriage with seats that were not already reserved. Fortunately, although the train was quite full, there were plenty of unreserved seats in certain 2nd class carriages. This practice of seat reservation is different from Slovenia where seating is on a first come first serve basis (no advance seat reservation needed at all). At Vienna's main train station, we were pleasantly surprised that it is linked to the U-Bahn (underground metro/subway). So, we took the U-Bahn directly to Stephansplatz station in the heart of the Old Town. Another surprise awaited us at Stephansplatz station. It turned out that this station is directly below the famous St Stephen’s Cathedral. So, when we emerged from the underground station, we were immediately greeted by the glorious sight of the Cathedral and crowds of tourists milling around. In the Cathedral, you can choose to climb the North or South Tower (one has a lift while the other does not). We decided to defer the climb to the end of the day if we still had time, as we had a fully packed agenda. Stephansplatz was really a good place to start our tour of Vienna, as we could immediately experience the grandeur of the city. It also leads to Graben pedestrian shopping street which is part of Vienna’s Golden U shopping area (Graben, Kohlmarkt and Kartnerstrasse). After visiting the Cathedral, we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant nearby. Restaurant prices are higher than in Graz. For eg., we noticed that a Chinese restaurant in Graben St was offering buffet lunch at 24.90 Euros while it is typically 13.90 to 16.90 Euros in Graz. We didn’t go inside the restaurant to check it out, but it seemed to have a bigger spread than in Graz. After lunch, we walked along Graben Street, which was very lively because at certain intersections, there were many horse carriages taking tourists for a ride (pardon the pun). Graben St also leads directly to Hofburg Palace, which is a vast complex with many courtyards and previously the residence of the Habsburg rulers such as Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sisi. It is now the official residence of the President of Austria. Past the Hofburg Palace, we came across the MuseumsQuartier which is an area full of interesting art museums and cafes. We then took a tram to Schönbrunn Palace, which used to be the summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. It is very big compound and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Schönbrunn Gardens are vast and beautifully landscaped, featuring statues, fountains and the Gloriette, a hilltop structure offering panoramic views of Vienna. There were more interesting places to visit after Schönbrunn Palace, but we decided to take the U-Bahn back to Stephansplatz to relax. Back in the Old Town, we had cakes and drinks at a cafe directly facing St Stephen's Cathedral, before taking the U-Bahn to Vienna main train station for the onward journey back to Graz. Looking back on our day in Vienna, we can understand why it is often rated as one of the most liveable and beautiful cities in the world. There is a certain grandeur to Vienna which is quite unique and unmistakable. But it is also a busy city with 2m people and with crowded trains, trams and buses. We had to be on a slightly heightened alert all the time when we were in Vienna. In contrast, Graz (as the 2nd largest city in Austria with 300,000 people) is so much more relaxing as a place to stay for one full month of slow unhurried travel.