Austria

Why go? Austria’s capital city, Vienna, is the second most livable city on the planet after Melbourne, Australia.  This according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s study ranking 30 factors, ranging from safety and education to infrastructure and healthcare.  Vienna was the perfect halfway point between Venice and Prague, so we booked a few nights in an AirBNB.  

Learn the language.  Austrians speak German, so "ein bier, bitte'" was a phrase I used several times - translating to "one beer please."  

Get there.   To get to Vienna, we took a bus to the Austrian border from Venice, and then a (shockingly clean) train the rest of the way.  The total trip was about seven hours.

Read before you go.  For background, I listened to the audiobook  "Thunder at Twilight," by Frederic Morton.   I was looking for something to give me some historical context to the city, and this book delivers.  It takes place at the peak of the Austro-Hungarian empire and its lead-up to World War I.   It tells the story through the movements of some of the 20th century's most influential figures (Freud, Lenin, Hitler), as they lived their lives in Vienna.  

Weather advice.  Traveling to Austria in mid-June was perfect - the days were warm, but the nights were nice and cool.  Our AirBNB did not have an air conditioner, so it could get steamy in the room during the day, but we were never there for more than a few minutes.  

Expenses.  Austria ended up being about 1.1% of our budget and 1.4% of our time - and we had no large excursion expenses.  Food was moderately priced, and our AirBNB rental was really reasonable.  

Three “Must Do’s”

• Must eat.  The Vienna Naschmarkt is a great place to check out some street vendors.  The place we ate, Neni, was really great - try the Korean Fried Chicken, and a glass of Riesling.   A close second would be Simply Raw Bakery.  We ate here twice, and were blown away both times.  
• Most impactful experience.  Having a beer in a biergarten reminded me of my first trip to Europe in 2006 - in Germany.  There is something special about Austrian and German beer culture.  I would recommend the Ottakringer - it is considered the favorite of Vienna, and has been brewed there since 1876.  
• Must see.  If you like art, the Leopold Museum is a great (and fairly cheap) experience.  While we were there, we saw some amazing sculptures by Joannis Avrandis and paintings by famous painters Gustav Klint and Egon Schile.

Teachable moment.  Austria is another place where we were taught patience.  As in much of Europe, we found that restaurants close without much warning.  Due to my wife’s food allergies, finding a place where she can eat out can be challenging (and can involve long walks).  To get somewhere and find it closed, only to have to research and walk to another spot can make for interesting (and 'hangry') pre-dinner conversation.   

The Wrap.  I did not know much about Austria before this trip - aside from their famous coffee shops and beer.  In all honesty, I did not even know that Vienna was referred to as "Wien" by Austrians, and when searching for AirBNBs, I was initially confused.   My impression was that it more famous for its inhabitants like Mozart and Sigmund Freud, rather than being a remarkable city from a cultural perspective.  But, I was wrong.  Vienna's Ring Road is gorgeous  - we walked around this area and saw an unreal amount of monuments.  In addition, Vienna has a great "raw and vegan" food scene - which made my wife happy (happy wife, happy life).  And lastly, Vienna's opera has an interesting and storied past - the tour is cheap and definitely worth it (they also simulcast live operas on the side of the opera house for those who want a cheaper and shorter experience).  

Amazing almond milk latte at Simply Raw bakery.