Title pretty much says it all. Travel dates are mid June.
What are your don’t miss spots in Vienna, Budapest and Prague. Also open to dining suggestions.
Thank you
Our favorites from Budapest were the tour of the Opera House and the baths. We visited the Szechenyi baths. I know you are cruising, are you spending more time there? The area around Buda castle was interesting. There are a couple of museums, we did the historical castle one and the Hospital in the Rock. We also did the Eat & Meet which was a ways outside of the city but we all enjoyed it (see ratings on TripAdvisor). My D was on study abroad there and her favorite restaurant which we enjoyed was Ket Szerecsen (it’s small, reservation needed).
Vienna - Schonbrunn was very interesting and easy to reach by train. We were there in November and the gardens were not very interesting at that time (plus it was cold). My D is really into castles, so we had to visit the Habsburg one in Vienna (Hofburg) also and the military one (which personally I could have skipped but SIL was really into it).
Check the opera schedule for Prague and buy tickets to the National Opera House on the river. For dinner before the opera: Penemme Restaurant, Na stress 1, Praha 1 or further up river make reservations for Grosseto Marina Ristorante which is in a moored river boat with great views (advance reservations might get you a window). Beautiful opera venue and the cost must be supported by the government because the tickets are so cheap. Also, we enjoyed two smaller venue classical concerts for still reasonable prices. These concerts are Czeck composers or Vivaldi style classical. Try not to miss a concert in the Mirror Chapel (Clementinum) which is housed within a monastery with part of the monastery being renovated. The Mirror Chapel is amazing and Mozart played at this location. Ticket prices are negotiable if you purchase is advance. We loved staying at the Art Deco Imperial Hotel. One block from the old tower and Municipal Center (where they also have concerts, tickets more expensive, non-negotiable) it is in a fair location for a hotel, though it is a good walk to the other tourist areas. If you do not stay at the Imperial, try to eat there at least once to enjoy the amazing setting. Also the desserts are excellent.
We spent a day and half visiting the sights at Prague Castle on the hill. If you can get there early it helps with bag check. Don’t miss Charles Bridge. EDIT: There is no real good place to eat inside Prague Castle, just light sandwiches and chips so eat a good breakfast at your hotel. Maybe you can find a good place to eat outside the castle area but that would take some research… or at best will be “hit or miss.”
In Vienna, make sure you go to one (or more) of the great cafes, like Demel and Central. Get cake. If you’re especially adventurous, it’s easy (and cheap) to take a bus for a day trip to Bratislava from Vienna. There are also excellent museums in Vienna.
I love the cafe culture of Vienna. It was so nice to be out touring and to stop for a coffee and strudel, elegantly served. We did to the cafe in the Hotel Sacher for a sacher torte… nice experience.
We are mulling an Eastern Europe/Austria trip, too. Anyone been to Croatia?
Prague: Wenceslas Square
- Their Budweiser is not our Budweiser (different companies); it's much better.
- Dobry den = Hello/Good day
- Dobrou noc (notes) = Good night
@mamabear1234 - we are cruising but have extra days in all three cities.
@CountingDown - H and I went to Croatia several years ago. We mainly spent our time on a sail boat but did stay several days in Dubrovnik after we got off the boat. We loved it. We were there late October but the weather was still decent. What we found interesting was that one of the spots we anchored at was basically closing up for the season. It wasn’t that far from Dubrovnik by land but the host at the restaurant we dined and anchored at said that after late Oct they get few tourists. We saw only a small part of the country and would like to go back and explore more.
I would say that a must-do if you can possibly swing it is a concert of the Vienna Philharmonic in the Musikverein. Some tickets to subscription performances are held out and are available a few weeks in advance, IIRC. I’ve heard a number of great orchestras of the world but this simply blew me away. We were also able to hear a performance of Mozart’s Requiem with 16 voices and Baroque instruments in a Baroque cathedral. Avaid the things were musicians are wearing Mozart costumes and playing Greatest Hits.
Thank you for all the ideas.
@Sam-I-Am my father in law has a birthday just prior to the trip and I am thinking tickets to something in Prague would be a great idea. He loves opera and classical music. The opera the night we have available isn’t a great choice but I think tickets to a concert at the Mirror chapel are available.
Vienna: We requested a personal tour (for a group of 4) with Vienna Greeters (dot com). FANTASTIC. It is hosted by locals who love their home city so much they want to share it. They will pair you with someone with similar interests that you outline on their request form (art, music, history, food, or whatever). It is free (they won’t even accept a tip or donation) due to strict agreements with the local Visitors Bureau. But you might be able to treat your new friend to dinner, or dessert. A similar group can be found in other EU (and USA) cities.