Things I Love About Vienna, So Far

I've oficially been living in Vienna for over a week now, and have noticed many things I love about my new city. The first few days I was in a sort flu and jet-lag induced haze and didn't do too much, so there is still a lot I haven't seen. Of what I have seen/experienced so far, the following are a few of my favorites:

1. Public Transportation

Vienna has great, convenient public transportation that can get you anywhere within, and a lot of places outside, the city. The extensive network includes the U-Bahn (subway), buses, and my favorite, the tram (pictured above). From what I have seen, the trains are always on time and you rarely have to shove your way on. The U-Bahn is quick, convenient, and relatively easy to navigate. I haven't really used the buses yet, but I hear the night bus network is very helpful for nights out on the town (plus it reminds me of the night bus in Harry Potter). The tram is my favorite because you can see so much of the city while on it. I can't help but smile when I'm sitting on the warm tram watching imperial buildings and hidden side streets zoom by.

2. Street Food

Street food is something I love in most cities, and Vienna is no exception. There are a variety of street vendors, selling everything from Bratwurst to Asian noodles to hot, alcoholic punch, and it is all cheap and delicious. The train station right around the corner from my dorm is home to about six of these food carts, which I found out on Super Bowl Sunday are open 24/7. So far, I've tried a kebab and some noodles, both of which were filling, delicious, and only 3 euros. Next on my list is a Bratwurst.

3. My Yellow Walls

Yellow is one of my favorite colors, and the walls in my dorm room are a cheerful shade of buttercup. I thought all the rooms had yellow walls like mine, but then I found out that most rooms have white walls, which made me love my yellow walls even more. They just make the whole room feel a lot happier!

4. Explor-ability

I'm pretty sure this isn't an actual word, but this is my blog and I'm allowed to make stuff up. Anyways, I feel like Vienna is a very explorable city. It was recently ranked as the most "livable" city in the world, and is tops in safety rankings as well. I feel comfortable walking around Vienna and using the public transportation, and this comfort is conducive to semi-aimless wandering. Today, while everyone that signed up for the orientation program (which is pretty much everyone else that is here now) was off on a guided tour of the city, I decided to go explore on my own a little. I hopped on a tram towards the Inner Stadt (City Center) and got off at the Ringstrasse (more on that later). I walked around for a couple hours, snapping pictures, taking side streets, and ducking into a couple shops here and there. It was a lovely afternoon, which ended with a beautiful impromtu concert by an Asian choir in a courtyard of the Hofburg Palce I happened to be wandering through at just the right time.

5. The Ringstrasse

In the 19th century Emperor Franz Josef ordered the destruction of the wall surrounding the old city and replaced it with a grand boulevard now known as the Ringstrasse. It's a beautiful street with wide walking and bike paths and two trams, all surrounding some of the most important sights in Vienna. A walk or ride around the Ringstrasse will give you a look at the Hofburg Palace, Parliament, City Hall, and the Opera House, just to name a few. Within the Ringstrasse you can walk through the gardens and courtyards of the palace, and explore a labyrinth of cobbled streets winding between churches, shops, cafes and restaurants. The Ringstrasse is also great for navigation whilst exploring. If you can find the Ringstrasse (it's hard to miss) you can just follow it around in one direction until you find a U-Bahn, tram or bus station that is of use to you.

6. The Skating Rink at City Hall

Vienna's City Hall is amazing on it's own, but adding a public skating rink that is open every day all winter makes it even better. The rink is huge, with a large open area in the middle and a track that shoots off one side and winds through the trees in the nearby park before connecting back to the main rink. There is even a separate area for small children, with little penguin statues they can hold onto for balance as they learn to skate. A team of Zambonis keeps the ice fresh into the night, and the rink is surrounded by huts selling hot food and drinks. I haven't been skating yet, but I'm planning to go sometime soon at night.

There are many other things about Vienna that I love, or at least have a crush on, but they'll have to wait for another post and further exploration. Maybe by the time Valentine's Day rolls around I'll be ready to post part two.

Auf weidersehen!