This Guide to 48 Hours in Vienna, Austria is going to be a bit different than my other guides. Typically, I jam pack as much as I can into 48 hours, but my time in Vienna looked a bit different. When I arrived in Vienna, I had been in Europe for a week and had been going non-stop. I knew I needed a day to rest and relax before I met up with my hubby for our honeymoon in Switzerland. I decided to splurge a little and book a really nice hotel so I could relax for a day and then spend the next day exploring!
Where to Stay: Hotel Gilbert
I did some research on hotels in Vienna and read about a newer eclectic hotel called, Hotel Gilbert. After taking one look at Hotel Gilbert’s website I knew I had to book with them. I typically spend $100 or less a night when I am traveling solo, but I decided to splurge a little at $165 a night at Hotel Gilbert. I knew it would totally be worth it because I could use all the amenities and this place was so unique. As soon as my Uber driver dropped me off, I knew I had made the right decision.
I walked in and instantly gasped. Although I had seen many photos, photos simply don’t do this place justice.
The cutest dog was checking in when I arrived and the receptionist was so friendly! I took my time walking around before I checked in and everything was so unique and beautiful. I loved the design and open concept. The room was extremely cute and comfortable as well.
For my first 24 hours in Vienna I walked around the neighborhood, used the sauna and gym, watched a few movies and ate all three meals at Hotel Gilbert. There were a few times my mind would say, “What are you doing!? Get out there and explore!” Although it is extremely hard for me to sit still, I knew my body needed to rest and Hotel Gilbert made that so easy. Here are the delicious meals I ate at the hotel &Flora Restaurant and Bar.
Breakfast at &Flora Restaurant and Bar
For breakfast I started with their delicious aperol spritz. Then I ordered their poached eggs with fork mashed potatoes. This had a little kick and was surrounded by veggies and chive oil. I also ordered their pickled vegetables and everything was so delicious. I love that their menu is always changing to eat seasonally with the local farmers. Everything was so fresh and before I even finished my meal I was looking forward to lunch and dinner!
Lunch at &Flora Restaurant and Bar
After working out, using their awesome sauna and and catching up on journaling I made my way down for lunch. I ordered their X.O. Beef Tartare and just like breakfast it was so fresh and delicious. This tartare consisted of hand-cut beef, egg yolk, braised onions, mustard caviar and panko. I also had their lead salad but forgot to take a photo. This was the perfect lunch paired with a great Austrian wine. Definitely ask the servers about the wine list as it is always changing and they bring in awesome local wines.
I went back to my room and watched a cheesy movie before it was time for a couple more glasses of wine and dinner.
Dinner at &Flora Restaurant and Bar
I was here on a Thursday, so I didn’t have to make reservations. If you’re here on the weekend I definitely recommend a reservation as &Flora can get quite busy. For dinner I decided to try their tacos and got one of each. I definitely preferred the slow roasted lamb over the eggplant but it was nice to try them both. It started to get busy around 8 pm and that’s when I went back up to my room to watch another movie and get to bed early so I was ready to explore the next day!
Coffee at J. Hornig
I am still getting used to posting about coffee shops but I am so glad you guys are liking it! Although I don’t drink coffee, I am now making sure that I ask around for the best local coffee shop. I asked at Hotel Gilbert and although they recommended their coffee bar, of course, they also said to check out J. Hornig Coffee Bar for great coffee. They had adorable indoor and outdoor seating.
Breakfast at Rauch
After eating so much heavy European food for a week, I wanted to mix it up and give my body some greens. I read great reviews about Rauch Juice Bar and I got their Green Cleanse smoothie and it was awesome! I read a bit about them as I was waiting for my smoothie and learned they have four locations in Vienna and a few other locations around Europe. This is a great place for a light and healthy breakfast as they serve juices, smoothies, shakes and acai bowls.
If you are craving a larger breakfast I recommend checking out The Guesthouse, Haas & Haas or Palmenhaus as they were all recommend to me. I will say Vienna on a Thursday is much different than Vienna on a Friday! The city was packed with visitors and the traffic was wild so keep this in mind as you plan your trip!
Visit the Austrian National Library
There are sooooooo many museums, churches, historical monuments, etc in Vienna that it can be extremely overwhelming to pick just a few to visit. Although I wish I had more time to explore the museums I knew there was once place I needed to see before I left Vienna and that was the Austria National Library. It was a 20 minute walk from Hotel Gilbert and I passed through so many museums and monuments to get there.
The fee is 8€ for adult entrance and in my opinion, it’s totally worth it. If you plan to visit a lot of museums you can also purchase the Federal Museums Card for 60€.
This is the largest library in Austria and it has 12 million items in its various collections. Here you can time travel through 650 years! Their collections range from the Middle Ages through the baroque period to the present day. This library is absolutely gorgeous.
I loved the old book smell, the curiosity as visitors walked through and reading about so much history.
Depending on your book worm level, you can spend a lot of time here. I spent just under and hour before I started craving some famous sachertorte.
Enjoy a Slice of the famous Sachertorte
Sachertorte is the world’s most famous chocolate cake that originated in Vienna. This chocolate cake is served at most cafes and bakeries in Vienna, but many say the best is found at Café Sacher Wien. Supposedly, the first slice was made at this cafe for Prince Metternich in 1832 and they still use the original recipe. I went to check out this cafe and the wait was over 2 hours. A woman came up to me and said, “Don’t waste your time, just head to Aida Café and you’ll have the same thing.” I didn’t want to wait in line so I took her advice and made my way to Aida Café.
The cafe is adorable and the employees were so nice. Unfortunately, my sachertorte was quite dry, but the homemade whipped cream was incredible. I guess I’ll never know if Cafe Sacher Wien was worth the wait or not, or if I just got a bad slice. Either way, I wasn’t blown away by this famous chocolate cake. I love sweets so next time I go back I will definitely give it a second chance. I knew I was going to have a huge dinner so I treated this cake as my lunch, but there are many lunch places around to try.
Visit St. Peter’s Catholic Church
After some cake, head to St. Peter’s Catholic Church. I am not a religious person, but I did grow up catholic and I am fascinated by the architecture of old churches. This church was built in the 4th century and is absolutely stunning. You can go to visit or even stay for a mass. Mass times are on their website.
Dinner at Schnitzelwirt
Just like the sachertorte, Vienna is famous for its Schnitzel. When looking for a good place for schnitzel it’s like asking where there is good seafood in Boston. Overwhelming! After some research I decided to go a more casual route and try Schnitzelwirt. But first, what’s the difference between Schnitzel and Wiener Schnitzel? Schnitzel describes a “cutlet” of meat that’s breaded and fried, and it’s used for several dishes with German and Austrian origins. Wiener schnitzel can only be made with veal.
This was such an awesome place to have my first Wiener Schnitzel. The prices were great, the service was the best I had in Vienna (ask for Johnny) and everything was delicious. Aside from their Wiener Schnitzel I also loved their potato salad. The portions are huge so if you’re with someone you can totally split one.
FYI this restaurant only takes cash, there is an ATM just around the corner if you need it!
Gelato at Gelateria La Romana
On my way to explore earlier that day, I saw a long line and had to find out what everyone was waiting for. As an ice cream and gelato addict I was happy to see it was for Gelateria La Romana. I had heard about this Gelato because it’s so famous and tasty that they have locations all over the world. I knew I had to visit later that day!
Oh my gosh, this gelato is so famous because it is so damn good! I got the pistachio and double chocolate and it was the second best gelato I have ever had! Seriously, how do they make it so creamy and delicious?
Thanks so much for reading My Guide to 48 Hours in Vienna, Austria. I barely even scratched the surface of all the incredible things you can do in Vienna, but this guide is a great start. You could easily spend a week in Vienna and still have more to do. Have you been to Vienna? What is was your favorite place? After Vienna, I met up with my hubby for our honeymoon in Switzerland, so keep an eye out for many posts about the magical country of Switzerland. Thanks again for reading along and safe travels!
