Ringing in the New Year in Vienna, Austria!

January 1, 2016-

First New Years in Europe! We decided to travel to Vienna (Wien), only a 4 hour drive but we planned ahead way before we even had our German and International drivers' license. So we booked a flight out of Munich. In the end we probably did not save any time with the train and flight versus flying but the cost was equal.

We first arrived to the city we were amazed by the small but large scale of the city. Everything that weekend revolved around New Years' Eve Celebration- Silvester in Europe. The prices of the hotels, flights, and tourists activities were all increased but it was still worth a visit. We did end up staying outside of the city center but we were able to walk everywhere. The train system is also cheap and easy to use. Great getaway and we had a full 4 days of tourists sites. Despite the cold and snow we bundled up and walked around the city exploring. So much to offer, way larger than we thought. Vienna, the capital of Austria, east border on the Danube River. Its' artistic and intellectual legacy was shaped by famous residents including- Mozart, Beethoven, and Sigmund Freud. The city is also known for the Imperial Palaces; including Shonbrunn and the Habsburgs' summer residence. In the Museums Quartier district, historical and contemporary buildings display works by Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, and other well known artists.

New Years' Eve was a giant block party with the Christmas market and gluwine still in season there were multiple band stands set up and we hopped from party to party. At midnight they did have fireworks over the river. Amazing! A night to remember! We danced and drank gluwine to warm up!

Our highlights include historic Roman architecture, artwork, touring Beethoven's house, Saint Stephen's Cathedral, and the Rathaus (city hall building) was gorgeous with a red, white, and blue Christmas tree glowing at night. Multiple Christmas markets were still in full swing through New Years! Schonbrunn Palace and Schloss Belvedere were stunning but we would love to come back in the Spring to see the massive gardens in bloom! We did go in the Spanish Riding school but they only had special events instead of the daily performances as usual, so we would love to also see the performance next time we return.

We did find the Oldest Irish pub in Vienna- Bockshorn Irish Pub. It was decorated with so many crazy things that you could spend all night looking around. We played eye spy while having a drink. Great fun! Address- Naglergasse 7, 1010 Wien, Austria. We also had excellent food and drink at 1516 brewing company near the city center. http://www.1516brewingcompany.com/ We loved the live music scene in Vienna. We stumbled into a few bars to have a drink because we heard music while walking down the street. Hit or miss if there will be a cover or not. We usually moved along if there was a cover since so many others did not charge a cover.

Another great place that we stopped in before our flight back- Mel's Craft Beers and Diner. We had an excellent burger, pulled pork sandwich, and had a great variety of quality beers on tap. We each sampled a few and then decided on a pint. The staff and chef were very friendly. Not many people in when we were there. Great atmosphere. A little pricey but they do have craft brews imported from the USA- Flying Dog, Anchor steam to name a few.