A Weekend In Salzburg

Hellbrunn Palace And Soccer

Saturday - December 17th 2011

Saturday afternoon we visited one of the most beautiful Christmas Markets around Salzburg. A little bit outside of Salzburg there is Hellbrunn Palace, which is famous for the Trick Fountains, and in December a wonderful Christmas Market takes over the castle courtyard.

Hellbrunn Palace

Hellbrunn Palace

Hellbrunn Palace

Hellbrunn Palace

Hellbrunn Palace

Sunday - December 18th 2011

On Sunday my little brother visited us in Salzburg, because we planned to watch the soccer game of our favorite team Red Bull Salzburg. It was Round 19 of the Austrian Soccer League and Salzburg played against Austria Vienna. It was a fantastic game and we had a great time, since our team won. Due to the cold weather there weren't so many fans in the stadium, but thanks to mulled wine and beer it wasn't too cold.

Red Bull Salzburg

Red Bull Salzburg

Red Bull Salzburg

Red Bull Salzburg

Red Bull Salzburg

Vienna Winter 2011 - Part 1

Arriving In Vienna

Thursday - December 8th 2011

December 8th is an official holiday in Austria and so we used the long weekend for a short trip to Vienna. Thursday in the morning we left Salzburg and around noon we arrived at our preferred hotel. Like during the last two visits, we stayed again at the Vienna International Rainer's Hotel. The room was as nice as always, but the service could have been a little bit better.

Vienna International Rainers Hotel

Our Room

After we checked in, we put our luggage into the room and then we were on the way to a vegetarian Chinese restaurant. The restaurant offered a buffet, which really good and soon we were full.

Lunch

Later we took the subway to Schönbrunn Palace to visit the Christmas Market. Since it was very cold, we ordered two Mulled Wines to warm up a bit. Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchs and today it serves as a museum. The park of the palace is open to the public and so we did a short walk.

Vienna

Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace

Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace

Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace

Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace

Gloriette at Schönbrunn Palace

We returned to the hotel to get warmer clothes and after a short break we returned to the inner city, where we visited other Christmas Markets. A few Mulled Wines later, we were getting hungry and decided to try a new vegetarian restaurant named Yamm! and we weren't disappointed. In fact the food was delicious and we will definitely eat there again.

St. Charles Church

Vienna

Yamm! Buffet Restaurant

Yamm! Buffet Restaurant

Burgtheater

Christmas Marktet Vienna City Hall

Afterwards we went to T.G.I. Friday's and ordered a pitcher of beer. Since there is no Hard Rock Cafe in Vienna, we have to go there to enjoy an American bar. Later we returned to the hotel and went to bed after watching some TV.

T.G.I. Friday's

T.G.I. Friday's Gösser Beer Pitcher

T.G.I. Friday's

T.G.I. Friday's

Vienna Winter 2011 - Part 2

Vienna

Friday - December 9th 2011

After breakfast we took the tram to the inner city, it takes only 15 minutes from the hotel, and went to Hofburg Palace, the office of the Austrian President, to the Vienna Town Hall, St. Stephan's Cathedral and then it was time for shopping. Christmas shopping can be very stressful and so we had a veggie burger for lunch. Then we stopped at a cupcake bakery and two cupcakes later we continued our tour through Vienna.

Ballhaus Platz

Hofburg Palace

Museum Of Natural History

Museums Quartier

Leopold Museum

Vienna

Hofburg Palace

Cupcake Bakery

Cupcakes

In the afternoon we spent some time at various Christmas markets and later we went to the Gösser Bierklinik (Gösser Beer Hospital) and enjoyed a cold glass of beer.

Gösser Bierklinik

Gösser Bierklinik

For today we had a dinner reservation at a vegetarian pub, but before we had another drink at T.G.I. Friday's. Rupp's is a small pub that offers over 600 whiskys and many different beers. We like that pub a lot, because it serves some very good and big veggie burgers. Of course the huge whisky and beer selection has nothing to do with that.

Vienna State Opera

T.G.I. Friday's

Hotel Imperial

Rupp's Bar

Veggie Burger At Rupp's

Later we returned to the hotel and enjoyed a last glass of beer at the hotel bar before we went to bed.

Vienna Winter 2011 - Part 3

Vienna

Saturday - December 10th 2011

After breakfat we were on our way to the Hofburg Palace, because today we planned to visit the Imperial Treasury Museum. There the Austrian Crown Jewels and other insignia and jewels of the Austrian and Holy Roman Empire are on display. Unfortunately the Austrian Crown Jewels are not as beautiful as the ones of the United Kingdom in the Tower of London. However, the exhibition was really interesting and it was definitely worth a visit.

Vienna State Opera

Hofburg Palace

Hofburg Palace

Treasury Museum

Austrian Crown Jewels

Treasury Museum

Treasury Museum

Austrian Crown Jewels

Treasury Museum

We spent quite some time in the museum and afterwards we started our second Christmas shopping tour. In the early afternoon we had a coffee at Starbucks and then we returned to the hotel to check out. We loaded our luggage into the car and soon we were on our way back home.

On the way to Salzburg we stopped in Großmugl at our favorite vegetarian restaurant. We have been to Restaurant Schillinger several times and always enjoyed eating there.

Veggie Chicken

Veggie Kebaps

Chocolate Pancakes

Chocolate Dumplings

After a wonderful dinner we continued a journey back home.