Vienna is awesome. Some people will tell you they don’t like it, but they haven’t seen the right things. Only a 45 minute bus ride from my flat, I’ve been 5-6 times now and am still not tired of it.
Sure, St. Stephen’s Cathedral is cool and worth seeing, but if you don’t have much time, make Schonbrunn Palace your priority. Although still beautiful in the Winter, the rows and rows of lavish gardens and hedge mazes are stunning in greener months.
My recommendations? Schonbrunn of course. Also make sure to snap photos of Karlskirche, Hofburg Palace, and Vienna City Hall. Grab a traditional Austrian breakfast at Café Diglas (a 500-year-old café) and a gourmet desert at Demel, the bakery that was used by the Austrian Royal Family over 400 years ago and is still in business. Most importantly, grab a bratwurst from a street side stand and find some walking streets to roam. Or, make your way to Naschmarkt, Vienna’s largest and most popular outdoor market that has been running since the 16th Century. Finally, you’ll want to see Belvedere Palace, but I couldn’t recommend more that you should pay to go inside. With famous works from Monet and Klimt in one of the most historic buildings in Austria, you won’t be sorry (even if you don’t like art).