Winter in Vienna can be especially magical.

Can you believe, this is home of butterflies?

But does it feels like home?

Pssssssssst

Dark is making all the differences

If we allow it.

Sweet can’t change your bitter thoughts…

Except Sacher. Sacher cake can!

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Christmas Fairs in Vienna

The main reason for our trip to Vienna was Christmas fairs, whose tradition dates back to the 16th century. There are quite a number of Christmas fairs scattered throughout the city. We visited most of them because they differ in size and supply, and most importantly in view of the special cups in which they serve mulled wine.

These cups are different each year and we went on a real chase for the one we liked best. Believe me, this was a proper hunt. Ian noticed how much I liked just one cup, even though there were few in the narrow selection circles, but the boot-shaped cup was the one that stuck in my memory.

I Want my Christmas Boot Cup

Once we finally detected the little ceramic boot it was all red and that was not the one I wanted. I almost gave up, the reason was that the hunt was time-consuming and the train doesn’t wait for latecomers. But Ian was determined that we will find the treasure boot, he got adrenalin bust and the pursuit was upgraded, he started asking everyone who drank from a cup I liked, where they bought it. However, the hearing was like in the CSI series. A rushing fella asking a stranger: “Where did you get this?”

I’m still grateful to those that kindly helped us out and told us the directions to my precious one. So after a few markets checked and running through the streets, we finally found the one. It was a cup from Stefansplatz and when we sipped mulled wine from that small boot next to the cathedral of St. Stephen’s Cathedral was like in a fairytale. I’m sure that our mission made the petite boots even more special.

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Get in, Lose the Tickets, Get Out

The plan was simple. We were standing near the ticket sale machine and waiting for anyone willing to take our tickets. Easier said than done. Everyone was looking at me like I’m selling my cousin’s diamonds from Nigeria. After five more minutes and after the look of my last “victim” I gave up.

The look told me that good deeds are over and in return for a free ticket, she expects to be raped in front of everyone on the station in the middle of the day.  Faith in humanity is lost, so the mission was aborted and ticket discarded. Understandably the security guys were circling around us like a vulture around decomposing zebra.

Red Code

Of course, I’m sure we look suspicious after giving away tickets for 10 minutes. We live in sensitive times, where it’s better to check people instead of kaaabuum. Anyway, it’s sad we are currently in the age where the good intention is not acceptable. Instead of kindness, it is more likely to get robbed, raped, killed and chopped up for organs… Or maybe everything on the reverse order. What I don’t understand is why I should feel like a criminal?

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As a high school student, I attended lessons in classical singing and that was the hobby I really liked. Therefore, I didn’t mind waiting for it after school. During warm days I loved to walk through the parks and locate hidden corners of the city. Yet, during the cold days, the situation changed. In that case, I usually went to the library and read various luxury traveling magazines and food reviews.

Vienna National Library as a Romantic Getaway?

 Maybe this is not the best appropriate behavior for a place like a library, but anyway… Without a doubt, that was a great time for socializing or cuddling with Ian. A gentleman as he still is, he used to accompany me, and in his company time flew by. I remember times when we were looking for hidden corners, where we could cozy up and have at least some intimacy. Perhaps, this is also one of the reasons why I’m still fond of libraries. In addition, there is a lot of wisdom stored in them.

Library It Is

When we went to Vienna and walked among mighty buildings, I was quite impressed by the abundance of fine-looking and remarkably preserved buildings. Among them, I could easily picture panjandrums who once walked along the same path. I know for one particularly old and majestic building here…

This is the Austrian National Library, where I decided to took Ian on our romantic getaway in Vienna. I know that Ian loves antiques and this place is perfect for it. In a word, the Austrian National Library is amazingly beautiful and all the old books take you to another time. At that time, they didn’t have all the shortcuts available as we do today and only the real talents created works of art that have remained on the walls of the buildings until this day.

Great Cultural Value

The idea of evoking our library days was adequate enough. Until the last moment, I kept secret the fact that we’re going to see the most beautiful baroque library in the world, which is 650 years old. In a country that has such a rich history, it’s not surprising that the collection in this library has a priceless value, as it goes back to the 14^th century. In fact, it also represents a living bridge between the rich heritage and the future-oriented demands of a modern information society.

I couldn’t wait to see his face when we would enter the library. On the beautiful stairs that lead to the State Hall, he still wasn’t excited. However, when we entered the State Hall, it was clear that he didn’t expect anything like that. The tall wooden bookshelves filled with antique books are worth paying close attention to.

The stairs in front of them make it easy to picture how once that library functioned. And just like that, a link to the past is created. All over the place, there are frescoes, sculptures, and even two giant vintage globes. One of them represents the earth and the other represents the sky.

Freemasons Exhibition

I was lucky also with an ongoing exhibition, which was about the 300-years-old society of Freemasons. After a long time, we once again spent more time in the library than we initially intended, and the exhibition itself was the main topic for the next few hours. I reckon I did a good job! The only huge downside was mobile stairs for reaching books on the upper shelves. Those stairs are made of metal and not wood like they used to be. Anyway, that’s only one cosmetic flaw in such a breathtaking place, which is definitely worth visiting.

Butterfly House Vienna

My romantic getaway in Vienna had one more stop, but Ian also had a surprise for me. He took me to the Vienna butterfly house, which is near the national library. To visit the butterfly house in winter is a great idea because you can warm yourself in that pleasant environment.

Not to mention all those butterflies that fly all over the glasshouse. Glasshouse is not too big, but it’s comfortable enough to refresh yourself with that greenery. Ian took some great photos, and I hope you will like them at least half as I do. One picture is actually sad. It presents a butterfly, who is sadly looking through a window. Oh, poor thing, if you would know how freakishly cold is on the other side that glass, you would rather enjoy your little sanctuary in the middle of Vienna.

Sweet Finish

My next plan for our romantic date in Vienna was a more sweet nature. We stopped in a neat candy shop, with handmade candies. Looks like I really know my man, because he was craving for some sweet treat. Ian simply described it :”l’exaucement du désir” or the fulfillment of desire. It truly was, especially after this sweet stop, which was only an entree.

The true sweet surprise was a cake in a legendary Cafe Central. where are used to serve well known famous people. We had some great desserts with a cup of real Viennese coffee. Mine was raspberry symphony – cheese cake with raspberry dressing and Ian had Sisi’s favorite – rum pastry with apricot jam. Cafe Central Vienna is spectacular so are the desserts. The only downside is the popularity of this place. The long queue isn’t really encouraging thing, but when you are in Vienna and you would like to try Sisi’s favorite…

Conclusion

Is Vienna a romantic city? Absolutely yes! Vienna for couples can be compared to Disneyland for kids I guess. Here is a lot of things to do in Vienna, just make sure you do a quick stop with your beloved one in one of the most romantic cafes – Sacher Cafe. Sachertorte at café Sacher will make sure you will never forget your romantic getaway in Vienna.

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What Is So Special About Figlmüller Schnitzel?

Figlmüller version of steak has pork meat – tenderloin, which is less sinewy than veal and doesn’t puff up during frying. Firstly, the piece of meat goes through some hard pounding with a mallet until the schnitzel measures 30 centimeters in diameter. This procedure guarantees thin crispy consistency. The same important is also frying in the lard, which gives much better results than frying oil.

Figlmüller Reservation

Anyway, for a seat in Figlmüller, you need a reservation, due to the high frequency of people who wants to try their legendary steak. The restaurant is neat, and its location is in the cellar which was in use before. First, we tried Viennese soup made from potatoes, carrots, and porcini. The soup was very strong, with a nice creamy texture and seasoned just right. It was a real warm-up for these cold December days.

Great Wiener Schnitzel

Ian’s main dish was, of course, Figlmüller Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad and lamb’s lettuce on the side. His steak was a really very good fried steak. It was juicy, crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside. The potato salad was made with pumpkin seed oil. It was slightly sweet and was a perfect combination for this steak, especially after we squeezed a little lemon juice on top of the fried steak.

My dish was also a classic – Viennese boiled beef in the pot. This one is served in beef stock with some vegetables, with eggy chive sauce and apple horseradish on the side, and roasted potatoes mash. The beef was great, I would only leave it to boil a little bit more, so it would be softer. The soup was very strong and delicate, and it was a good addition to the meat. Eggy chive sauce wasn’t so good, and a bit of salt was missing in it. You couldn’t taste the chives at all, only egg yolk and some cream, on the other hand, the apple horseradish sauce was perfect. Just right sweet and sour with that little kick of freshly grated horseradish. Some more chef’s attention needed the roasted potatoes mash, which can be a lot tastier than that one. Ours was dry and tasteless which is probably because of huge portions cooked in advance and then left on the stove.

Conclusion

The service we had wasn’t even close to what we got used to in Vienna. Maybe our waiter was tired after a long day due to many tourists that wanted to try their renowned dishes, but that was not something to be bothered with. What annoyed us was that the waiter was cocky and made it clear that the tip we gave him was too low. Well, sorry my friend, but for serving some “Schnitzel” and “Kartofel Salat”, I really can’t tip you the same as I do for high service, where we spend hours instead of 25 minutes.

Figlmüller Review Card

• 7.8/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 7.8/10
• 6.5/10
  SERVICE – 6.5/10
• 8/10
  PRESENTATION – 8/10
• 8.1/10
  FOOD – 8.1/10
• 7.5/10
  DRINKS – 7.5/10
• 8.1/10
  VALUE – 8.1/10

Price and Location

A lunch like we had will cost you about 50 USD for two persons, without drinks. Here is a location to this iconic Wiener Schnitzel place in case you would like to try this authentic steak.

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Originally the Wiener Schnitzel was veal meat. Today the most common is pork.

Wiener Schnitzel Recipe

However, the original Wiener Schnitzel is prepared in three steps. First, you put salty meat into flour, then submerge it into beaten eggs and in the end cover it with crumbs, which are made of dried Kaiser breadcrumbs. In the original recipe there is only Veal, but nowadays you can find everything – pork will do just fine.

Our infographic – Wiener Schnitzel recipe.

The stake is fried in lard till perfect golden color, which is notorious for this treat. What is exceptional with those steaks we tried, is their juicy taste. Because those steaks are flattened with a meat hammer and it can be pretty dry if you fry them too much.

What to serve with Wiener Schnitzel?

What to serve with pork schnitzel? First thing in my mind is a good potato salad. This combination is simply the best, especially when you add some spring onion into your salad. Usually, some lemon will do great thing with your steak, but if you are a gravy lover, then we recommend some refreshing mayo-cream sauce. Just mix one part of mayo with two parts of sour cream, chopped parsley and seasons.

Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad and lamb’s lettuce on the side.

This stake has also its own national day, which is observed annually on September 9. However, we have tried the most famous Wiener Schnitzel in Vienna at the famous Figlmüller. Here suppose to be the best Viennese steak in Vienna. If you wanna know how good was our Wiener Schnitzel, please check the link.

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Do you know that feeling when you find a perfect hotel, which suits you in every aspect, and then you realize they have all the rooms booked and you can only cry in the lobby? Well, I know that feeling very well. This time this was the Hotel Sacher Vienna. Unfortunately, I didn’t make a reservation because our trip to Vienna was unpredicted and we were in a real hurry.

Anyway, for the comfort, we got a peek into this beautiful hotel and taste of the sweet original Sacher cake, which can bring joy, no matters how big your sorrow is. Make sure you read our review and some interesting facts about this chocolate cake.

Hotel With a Tradition

Why are we so hyped about the Sacher Hotel? Let me tell you why! This is a privately run business that has kept family principles, and their work is committed to this old outstanding building for over four generations. Actually, it’s the only privately owned 5-star luxury hotel in Vienna with its old tradition.

The owners have an indisputable feeling for keeping the tradition alive, but they also keep up with modern trends. They are active on social networks since 2010, and they have also a live stream on Facebook, which for me, really, is a very modern approach. I can’t say the same for some other luxury hotels in Vienna that are stuck in the past.

When we came to the hotel lobby we already felt how amazing this tour will be. Details are on every step and the lobby is tempting you to get lost in this charming place. Personnel was organized and polite to everyone, even if they had a big frequency of guests due to Christmas craziness. In addition, we peeked into the dining room where the breakfast was just in progress. Everything runs smoothly and peacefully, just like it should be in a class hotel like this.

Blue Room

Guests at Hotel Sacher look happy and carefree though there was a full house. At 10 a.m. the blue bar opens, where you can enjoy your favorite drink in the blurry light atmosphere while reading the latest newspapers. Speaking of the newspaper, they even hold Japanese and a bunch of other foreign news. The blue room was really something.

However, in a place like this, it’s hard to decide what you liked the most. The main hall was also real eye candy for a photographer like I’m. For a while, we were just sitting there and drinking our tea. What a noble place!

Celebrities at Sacher Hotel

Our host showed us the hall of fame, where all the celebrities and distinguished guests were photographed and framed photos are displayed on the wall. Hotel Sacher had many well-known names as guests, and the first ones came in 1880. This tradition was introduced by the wife of the first hotel owner – Anna Maria Fuchs. She also collected the signatures of those people and embroidered it into the fabric.

I’m very happy that this is yet another tradition that is being carried on. We noticed that today’s signatures are much bigger than they were in the past. It looks like not only greed grew but also the signatures.

I noticed how many pieces of restored furniture there is in this hotel. The lady explained to me, that they have their own restoration service for keeping all the pieces in the original condition. One more evidence of how they respect the past and keep it alive on these hectic days. Talk about respect!

We Will Come Back!

The tour ended with one of the best cakes I had ever eaten, and I’m not surprised that this was the cake that brings all the glory and is well earned for the existence of the hotel. Yes, the original Sacher cake really is different from the other cakes and here you can read why.

Next time we will plan our visit to Vienna in advance and we will make a reservation in this pearl of Vienna. Due to their avant-garde approach, I won’t be surprised if we can pay for our staying in cryptocurrencies. See you next time, the Sacher Hotel!

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Sacher hotel is a magical place. Especially, when you enter Cafe Sacher and try their Sacher Cake

Sacher Cake is famous

The cake made with chocolate, apricot jam, and whipped cream was such a hit that even today, the original “Sacher-Torte” stands as one of Vienna’s best-known symbols. We even noticed a new movie in the cinema where the Sacher Cake is the main star. So, there is no secret that this cake is one of the most known icons in Vienna.

Annually, they send around 360,000 of their original hand-made Sacher cakes all over the world. Well, I would be happy a Sacher cake as a gift!

Annually, they send around 360,000 of their original hand-made Sacher cakes all over the world. After all, Sacher cake has even its own holiday – Sacher Torte Day is observed annually on December 5. But is this reputation justified?

A miniature gingerbread Sacher hotel. How cute is that?

Yes, it is. I ate a lot of Sacher Cakes made by “original”  Saher cake recipe with quality ingredients before but nothing was even near this one. The cake looks so small at first sight but, believe me, it’s very compact, and the portion is more than enough.

When you are in Vienna make sure you will visit Cafe Sacher and try their signature Sacher torte!

The recipe is easy, the secret is in preparation

The recipe is very easy. There are only a few components, so the secret must be in preparation. The pastry is not dry like we experienced before. It melts instantly in the mouth and the jam is there to compensate the taste not to override it. The chocolate is top quality and perfectly glazed on top of the cake.

I could live there and bite my furniture.

The cream on the side is used to moist the cake but, as I said, there is almost no need to moist it. However, even the cream on its own is very tasty and rich. It’s amazing how perfect this piece of chocolate-jam art is. The cake is even better when you eat it in this environment.

You should visit Cafe Sacher Vienna

Snug and classy feeling prepares your taste buds for a new experience. The professional staff is very kind and the service is on the top level. And even if you are on a low carb diet, you can come to Cafe Sacher Vienna just to enjoy your tea and fill your inspiration.

Sacher cake aka Sachertorte with whipped cream is a real top notch.

Believe me, the prices are super low for a luxury place such as this. We drank tea in a corner alley where the place was almost a disaster for only a few bucks less than in this noble place where the cakes are made to God’s taste!

Sacher cake price and location

The Sacher cake will cost you about 8 USD for a piece, which is huge, to be honest. Here is a link to the location in a case you don’t know where the Sacher Hotel is.

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What to do in Vienna? Well, there are tons of options on how to spend your day. However, we were in Vienna for a very quick visit just around Christmas time At this magical time there are a lot of tourists and events all over the city. You can enjoy Vienna for a short visit, due to very good travel connections. Subway is very well organized, and it can take you almost everywhere.

Even other transportations are included in this ticket. The ticket costs only around 18 USD for the three-day unlimited ride. So, it doesn’t surprise me that Vienna has the most perfected public transport system in Europe.

Vienna is Remarkable City

The city itself is truly amazing, full of old buildings and heritage sites with cultural impact. Streets are tidy, no matter how many tourists are there. I heard stories of ticket fines when someone throws a cigarette butt on the floor or talk too loud on the subway train. Architects and photographers are in heaven here for sure, the only downside is ugly shiny signs for shops and restaurants (which truly aren’t the restaurant, but are more related to the fast food places).

Anyway, every street has some detail you would find interesting, just get lost and find them. You will even find a horse stable in the city center located in the old historic building. Horses with carriages are a common sight, but only for touristic sight ride. I recommend this carriage ride to see the city from the other perspective. However, coachmen are well educated in historical city sights, so you will see a lot in such a short time. Just make sure you have enough warm clothes because there are cold winter days.

Antiques

I can assure you, you will see a lot of nice places with unique antiques. Even low budget shops have some pieces of antiques on display. We made a promise we will come back someday, with a truck and buy some nice old antiques for our future apartment. Antique shops are all over the city. Near Stephanplatz, you can find a street named Dorothergasse where are plenty of them.

Try Some Good Food Around Stephenplatz

Talking about Stephanplatz, you need to visit it anyway. Its main attraction is St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which is magnificent in all respects. Near St. Stephen’s Cathedral are all the shops and good-looking restaurants. Even if you want to try a famous “Viennese schnitzel” is this place right for you. The Figlmüller is a famous place with over 100 years of tradition and over 30cm wide stake. However, be prepared for some arrogant service and massive pork steak.

Talking about famous, you should visit Sacher hotel and satisfy your sweet tooth with their masterpiece “Sacher Torte” and some great tea with a magnificent view. Sacher hotel is the only privately owned 5-star luxury hotel in Vienna. In particular, the fourth generation of a family. After all, the Sacher Hotel is known for their Sacher cake and we know why.

We have tried a lot of “Sacher cakes” before, and none fulfilled our expectations. But here, o my god. This cake is truly amazing!

Christmas Markets

We shouldn’t neglect all the parks in Vienna, which are majestic in every other season, except in cold wintertime, of course. In winter you have other specialties, in December you can visit the Christmas markets, and the greatest one is near Rathausplatz. The park gets a new look and the smell of mulled wine and vanilla is everywhere around. You can skate on ice, drink and eat or buy some souvenirs for your family and friends.

Special Sights

For some inspiration, I recommend you visit the National Library and nearby botanic garden with butterflies, where you can get yourself warm and inspired by beautiful species. The library will take your breath away with its long shelves full of old books. This place is simply instagramamble. Talking about photogenic places.

The butterfly house is just a stone throw away. A special bonus of this place is the temperature inside. You can enjoy a warm environment full of butterflies while snowing outside. Here you can read more about our date here in Vienna. We visited the National Library and Butterfly house – unforgettable.

Conclusion

There is a lot of option what to do in Vienna. Especially around Christmas time. I believe you don’t need much help, but hey here you are. Anyway, I hope you can find some new ideas and find this article useful. If you will start planning a trip to Vienna, even better. We will visit Vienna again in the summertime. That time we will write a bigger and more detailed post. Have fun in the cultural city and don’t forget to show us your photography of its beauty.

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