Vienna - A Pleasant Discovery (2)

...CONTINUED... In the mid-afternoon, given the sun and the warmth, we said goodbye to Schoenbrunn and went to the Prater. Here too that continuity and integration between past and present is repeated, one represented by the Ferris wheel, symbol of Vienna, inaugurated in 1897, the other by the very numerous and varied attractions of an avant-garde amusement park. If you like roller coasters, there are 6 different types and the same for ghost houses and the like!! However, you cannot leave the Prater without going up on the Ferris wheel which, together with the cathedral tower, is one of the best vantage points over the city.

Well, and now where do we go for dinner? Since we are near the Danube, we think of going to look for a little restaurant on its banks; we take metro line U1 and get off at the Alte Donau stop and find ourselves catapulted into the middle of an almost futuristic Vienna with ultra-modern buildings, so much so that we think we have made a mistake. In reality, having crossed on foot the wide road that crosses the river (Wagramer Strasse), we turn right onto An der unteren Alten Donau and here we are on the river banks at sunset; in front of us a succession of piers with many little boats moored and kiosks, bars and refreshment points still closed but which it is not hard to imagine full of swimmers and holidaymakers during the summer. For now it is just us six, very tired and hungry, enjoying a moment of silence and peace and, as if it were the Ganges, we wet our hands in the Danube's water.

After a good quarter of an hour's walk (but how many kilometres did we do today?) we find open a guesthouse - Neu Brasilien - which we later discover is historic since it opened in 1925 and where, despite a waiter who does not make the slightest effort to understand us or make himself understood, we enjoy a classic dinner with frittatensuppe, sauerkraut, grilled meat and the inevitable potatoes. On the way back we plan to spend the following morning on the Danube and the sunny Easter Monday allows us to do so, with the mini cruise on the river. The tour with the DDSG Blue Danube company (leaves from the centre (a little behind the cathedral) and follows the Donau Kanal, then arrives through a lock onto the Danube in the most modern area of Vienna, the Donaustadt, and then returns to the starting point following a reverse route.

The whole route lasts 3 hours but it is possible and RECOMMENDED to buy only the outward ticket or, more precisely, to do it only in one direction; from the centre outwards or, for those who are not too early a riser, to arrive on the Danube at Reichsbrücke in the Donaustadt and do the route towards the centre with a one-way ticket at the price of 10.50 euros (children up to 6 years free). In an hour and a half you can appreciate, film or photograph all the buildings, both modern and ancient, that stand on the river banks, illustrated by an audio guide in 4 languages and, for those who wish, there is also a restaurant on board. Once in the centre, all that is left is to go for lunch, but where? Our guide tells us that right nearby, behind the cathedral, at Wollzeile no. 5, there is Figlmüller, the place that serves the biggest schnitzel in Vienna, and we decide to check it out in person.

Well.... It is true!!! For 11.50 euros, strictly accompanied by the side dish, we are served a schnitzel as big as a pizza and we, as good Italians, wrap up the half we cannot eat to stuff our sandwiches in the evening, on the train. And now we have the whole afternoon to wander the streets of the centre. Behind the cathedral we discover the little shops of a bygone era: the florist, the tobacconist, the bookshop; along the Graben we observe the plague column; on Kärntner Strasse we admire the elegant shops and eat the last sacher in the temple of the Viennese cake, that is, the pastry shop of the same name; then, having reached the Ring, we decide to spend the last two hours of our stay like the Viennese, resting in the sun in the Burggarten, while the children, with inexhaustible energy, play football until the moment to reach the Südbahnhof.

At 20.05, perfectly on time, we set off, saying goodbye to a beautiful city, extremely liveable, organised and rich in culture. A city which, against all our scepticism, is truly welcoming. See you soon. A few practical tips: Vienna should be experienced on foot; the centre is pedestrian but reached by numerous metro stops. The whole city is criss-crossed by over 30 tram lines, very numerous buses and 5 metro lines; the frequency of the means is very high - think that we never waited more than 4 minutes for any public transport and, in the evening, never more than 7 minutes. With such a service, moving from one end of the city to the other never required more than 10/15 minutes.

There are tickets valid for all public transport for a duration of 72 hours (with 2 adults, two children up to 16 free) at the price of 12 euros, or the Vienna Card which, at the price of 16.90 euros, offers in addition discounts from 10% to 20% on almost all museums and attractions and free gifts for purchases in shops and restaurants. If you arrive at the station, the tobacconist sells the tickets, while the Vienna Card is bought at the ticket offices. Attention! For families with 2 children up to 16 years old, the Family Ticket exists almost everywhere and is even more convenient than the Vienna Card. If you love music, in front of the cathedral and the Opera there are numerous stands of sellers of tickets for concerts or ballets, also at affordable prices and at times (18.00 or 19.00) accessible even to those with children.

Not to be missed is an evening in Grinzing, a small and characteristic village in the first northern outskirts of Vienna in old-Austrian style, with many taverns where costumed waiters serve excellent dinners accompanied by music and by the wine produced by the local growers. We went into the heuriger Weingut Reinprecht right opposite the church, converted from a former 1600s convent, very welcoming and with typical and pleasant atmosphere and music. To reach Grinzing: metro U4 and then Bus 38 - there are runs until midnight. If you go to Schönbrunn (during the weekend, arrange to get there by 9.30, otherwise you could queue for hours at the ticket offices. A very useful website, also in Italian, is: