28 Sep - 30 Sep | Wien Take 3 | Vienna, Austria

Some people only visit a city once, especially if they have to travel more than 20 hours to get there. Well this was my third visit to Vienna! It is now ranked as highly as Paris as my most frequented overseas destination outside of Asia. I've always been fond of Vienna. It has a certain charm, elegance and beauty surrounding it. It was afterall, the capital of the Habsburg Empire that ruled over vast parts of Europe for centuries.  It's not a mega city on the scale of London or Tokyo, but it is a city that certainly offers everything those big cities offer as well.

A wet Viennese day...interesting lamp post though! Pinocchio?

Hotel Bristol - A classic hotel that we stayed at.

Vienna State Opera House by Night. Just brilliant!

Vienna Concert House (I think)

26 Sep - 28 Sep | Music Sensation | Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg is affectionately known as the City of Mozart - Austria’s beloved musicians’ birth place. There is no shortage of Mozart in this city – one will find him from gardens, to universities to chocolate souvenir pieces. Salzburg’s reign as a world music capital has only been strengthened by the powers of Hollywood. If you know the Sound of Music then you have probably seen Salzburg! As a city with a population of merely 210,000 residents, it has certainly done well to promote itself and become one of the top tourist destinations in the world with more than 5 million visitors per year!

Mozart Chocolates

Universitat Mozarteum

25 Sep - 26 Sep | Snow Capped Mountains | Innsbruck, Austria

The train journey from Munich to Innsbruck was as beauitful and pictureque as the European brochures promote them to be! As it was only day 2 Europe, I went a little snap crazy and took a bit too many blury pictures of the Germany/Austria countryside. Rail travel in Europe must be one of the best ways to see the region(s). It is comfortable, speedy, convenient plus you can get great window views.

One of the better photos from the blurry picture series I have on the cameras

Group photo for the suitcases and bags!

The last time I came to Innsbruck waas 20 years ago, and of course being a kid at the time on a Hong Kong organised tour, I don't remember much. (Lack of Cantonese listening skills at the time being the main factor) So it was as if I came here for the first time! The most striking feature of Innsbruck was seeing the beauty of the Austrian Alps! The snow capped mountains, where clouds decide how it may reveal the beauty of the mountains to you on a daily basis. Thankfully a booking with the Hilton Innsbruck hotel ensured we had a view of this incredible sight from sunrise to sunset. We spent the afternoon meandering the small Tyrolean city centre, visiting the Golden Leaf museum (blitzing it is probably a better word), walking around the gardens, and breathing fresh air, drinking tasty water and eating some nice fresh apples! The simple Austrian country life.

Day 29-30: Back to Vienna

Post Prague - I went back to Vienna again! This time, I took my travelling nice and easy. In other words, I spent quite a bit of time relaxing and sleeping in at the hotel rather than frantically running around the place! I was approaching the end of my trip, hence the tiredness I suppose.

So what did I go and see? Being me...and alone...more museums!!

Albertina Museum - I remember there was a special Picasso exhibition at the time as well. Extraordinary works.

Me outside the Albertina Museum on a perfect Vienna day

Museumsquartier Wien - I loved the concept of this Museum Quarter, however, unfortunately for me I visited on a Tuesday in which its the rest day for Museums! Doh! It was still nice to walk around the grounds though.

Quoted from the museum website: "The MuseumsQuartier Wien is one of the ten largest cultural complexes in the world. But above all, it is a forward-looking, inner-city cultural district that will have an enormous impact on future trends. The MuseumsQuartier unites baroque buildings, new architecture, cultural institutions of all sizes, various disciplines of art, and recreational facilities in a single spectacular location."

MUMOK - Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien


Leopold Museum - love those red benches!

If I am ever to return to Vienna (hopefully YES) I am definitely going to visit this place again and spend an entire day there! I love the Arts!

Sisi Museum (within the Hofburg Imperial Palace) - Great place for anyone interested in anything Sisi related. Prior to visiting Vienna...I had no idea what a big deal she was. After seeing an entire museum dedicated to her...I can see why now.

So that was the end of Vienna for me...lovely place! Next time I go to Europe I am taking the time to explore and of course take more photos!!

St Stephan's Church - can see it was under renovation. I wonder what it looks like now!

Day 24-25: Viennese Waltz

16 years ago I visited Vienna and my memories of the city are still quite clear. I remember the hot summer of 1990; the friendly Taiwanese tour guide, an Austrian specialist that guided us around Schonbrunn Palace; and mum, myself and my brother walking around in the Palace Gardens taking plenty of photographs. But that is all I remember...

I had heard plenty of stories of Vienna...good ones. My Dad began his love affair with the city just 1 year ago when he visited the city for the first time. So from the moment the plane touched down, I had high expectations of this city.

First Stop: Arrival at Hotel Bristol, Vienna. (A lavish and stylistically classic hotel!)
I began my Vienna journey with my usual tour around the Hotel's surrounding area before deciding what I'd like to go and see. I decided there was again too much so narrowed my choices down to.

• Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
• Schonbrunn Palace (again...16 years later)
• Museum Quarter
• Hofburg Palace
• Stephansdom
• Mozarthaus Museum

I could go into detail as to how amazing and interesting it all was...but this blog is seriously long enough so I'm just going to mention the highlights in point form!

Vienna Day 1
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

Exterior of the Museum

Vienna's Museum of Fine Arts. Amazing collection. Egyptian Antiquity. European Paintings. Greek & Roman Antiquities. Italian. Dutch. French. Spanish. German. Ephesus Museum.

Interior of the Museum

Below: The picture is a bit dark, but I really loved this painting. Loved the concept of a painting within a painting!

Walking the streets of Vienna...
Cosmopolitan city. Historical. Modern. Diverse. Cultural centre. Musical.

Vienna Day 2
Schonbrunn Palace.

Just as beautiful as it was 16 years ago. Loved this place. I was so lucky to have perfect weather too to get my postcard perfect photos!! I took a guided tour of the palace - my guide was fantastic. Passionate and knowledgeable. Spent hours here even after my tour of the palace. I loved walking around the gardens. It may not be the grand boulevards of Paris, but there is still something so romantic about it...Viennese perfection at its best!

Palace entrance

Walking the gardens...romantic aint it?

Picture Pefect Schonbrunn Palace

I walked all the way to the top of the Gazette to get this stunning photo!

Mozarthaus Museum
A bit of a tourist trap I thought. Basically, it's a conversion of one of the only surviving 'Mozart' apartments into a Mozart museum. This apartment is from the era of his life when he was doing well. When he had money to spend. Hence this large apartment. A lot of the artefacts are actually replica's. Overall it was a decent experience. Particularly on the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth year. I have always admired Mozart from even when I first began my music studies. I've adored his amazing ability to just compose with what appears to be such ease and perfection. I did learn something new at this museum though - that Mozart was probably the one to revolutionise the "pop star" concept. Of course not in the modern sense of the word...but in those days, for a composer to make a living, they usually held a post with the church or the court. Whilst Mozart did attempt holding posts, they were mostly for the short term, his creativity I suppose did not allow him to stay with the court/church. Mozart was probably the first to be 'paid' for his works as an 'independent' musician so to speak.

Entrance to Mozart's former apartment - now a museum

2006 Spirit of Mozart - there's no shortage of Mozart anywhere in Austria!

Night out in Vienna - Weiner Konzerthaus


How can a Viennese experience be complete without a night out watching a Classical concert? Watched the Weiner Symphoniker perform Mozart's Symphony in D Minor K385 & Martin's something a rather...I was impressed with the Mozart piece...not a fan of Martin. Mainly cuz it was 20th Century music and as much as I love 20th Century art...I don't get it with music. Even when I DID study it in music. It's too bizarre for me. Nevertheless...great concert. Great to see the concert halls so packed with people...and they didn't look like tourists either. The tourists usually go watch the Mozart Orchestra where people dress up in costumes. We chose something local (well I chose it...)

Opera House by Night...pic was taken after eating an excellent Japanese meal not far from the hotel. (The Opera House was right opposite Hotel Bristol...)