When I was initially thinking about where to study abroad, Vienna was one of my top choices. Of course, in the end, I decided upon Budapest [and what a great decision that was], I knew that while I was abroad I needed to visit Vienna. Last Friday, I finally made it. Vienna is actually very close to Budapest, about a three hour bus ride away. And wow, the city is beautiful. The buildings are pristine and lit up for Christmas. There are so many Christmas markets everywhere as well, although the biggest one we found was at Rathausplatz, right by Parliament.
There were tons of vendors, most of which were selling some sort of delicious treat: huge pretzels [sweet + savory], chocolate, apple strudel, soup, sausage, and of course, hot mulled wine, Punsch. The best parts about the wine are that a) it's hot and you're absolutely freezing, b)it's delicious, and c) you get to keep the Christmas market themed ceramic mug it comes in!
We also went on a tour of the Parliament building. Only 2.50 Euro with the student discount! The building is small, but has incredibly intricate decorations on the inside. Part of the building was bombed during WWII because the Germans used it as headquarters, and that area has distinctly new construction and style. However the original parts were very cool to see.
One of the amazing buildings that makes up the Hofburg Palace.
The ridiculously cute and picturesque entrance to one of the Christmas markets. Almost worth the frostbite we suffered.
More beautiful street scenes. I was only in Vienna for a day unfortunately, and I wish I had more time to explore the city. I'm glad I was able to go though, and hopefully next time I visit I can stay for a few more days.
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