Vienna, Austria

Every day seems to bring nicer weather and more opportunities to explore. With every morning the selection of a new baked good from Anker starts my day off on the right foot. Anker is a popular chain of bakeries found all over Austria and it is especially prominent in Vienna.

            

After breakfast we usually go straight to more sightseeing. Today we went and explored a few of the churches in the First District. The first stop was at St. Peters Church. From the outside the church is a good size with a beautiful green tint to the roof. There is speculation that it could be the oldest Church in Vienna and the exquisite Baroque style on the interior of the church was breathtaking.

St. Peters Church

           

We then went to St. Stephens Cathedral, which is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna. It is situated in the heart of Vienna and its Romanesque and Gothic architecture give the cathedral a grand presence in the center of the square. We were planning on exploring the catacombs today but they were not open for viewing at the time we had hoped for. Instead we decided to go up (literally speaking). After climbing the 343 steps to the top of the south tower, we enjoyed a breathtaking view of the heart of Vienna.

St. Stephens Cathedral

            

Donauturm Tower

St. Stephens Cathedral

As if the view from the cathedral wasn’t good enough, we took the Ubhan and traveled a little ways in the direction of the Donauturm Observation Tower and Restaurant. In order to reach the Donauturm we took a walk past the UN and through the Donau-Park (one of the vastest Viennese parks which is located on the northern bank of the Danube River). We took a fast speed elevator to the top of the 150 meter high viewing terrace and enjoyed the spectacular view over the cosmopolitan city of Vienna. After taking in the views from the open-air platform and the glassed-in terrace, we sat down in the café, 

which offered a 360 degree picture and a panoramic view.

View from Cafe in Donauturm

Kebap!

To top off an already picture perfect day, we decided to satisfy our hunger with one of Vienna’s famous street food options. At a kebap stand you can find the street vendor shaving meat (either beef, chicken, or lamb – we had the chicken!) off of a rotating vertical spit and then placing the meat on either a large bun or wrap. Heather and I split one on a bun and had the fixings put on it (sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes). It hit the spot and now as I walk through the streets and breath in the smells from the kebap stands I don’t have to wonder what they taste like!