Vienna

You can send me back to Vienna any day. I love, love, love, the city. The history of the city seeps through every nock and cranny of every building. The Spanish Riding School was to die for as well. It was a dream come true for me.

 My first day in Vienna started out early. I had to take a night train from Venice to Vienna and well that is a story for another time. On my arrival into Vienna around eight o’clock in the morning set me on the mission of purchasing my train ticket to get me into Bratislava, Slovakia in three days. After, I made the trek to my hostel and for once I made it without getting lost. I checked myself in and dropped my bag off in their luggage storage for the day as I couldn’t get into my room until later that afternoon. Then, I had a much needed breakfast as I had eaten very little since dinner the night before. Following, I figured out where the Spanish Riding School was in proximity to transit and where some of the must see tourist attractions were. I got some assistance on where to get off and which subway train to get from one of the hostel receptionists. I still wasn’t very comfortable with using maps or the much more complex transit systems at this point in my trip. I then made the short walk and subway ride to the city center. I came up from the subway in the center and made the zig zag walk to the Spanish Riding School. You can just imagine my excitement when I turned the final corner and there is was in all its grand glory. I made a bee line for the receptionist to purchase a ticket for the morning workout and for an afternoon tour of the school.

The rest of day one was spent walking around the city and find places like Parliament, City Hall, the National Library, St. Stephen’s Church and getting my bearings in the city. I was in awe the entire time and just couldn’t take it all in. However, after a few hours I was very tired, ready to finish checking at my hostel and getting food for the next few days. I took the subway back and then walked to my hostel where I picked up my back pack and got the key to my room. Once I settled in I got talking with one of my roommates who told me of a few places to get groceries at a great price. The rest of my day was spent relaxing and going to bed nice and early so I could soak in everything the riding school and city had to offer the following day.

The next day was my most favorite day. I got to go into the Spanish Riding School! The morning warm up was awesome and inspiring to watch. Classical and elegant are the words I would use to describe the riding. I was soaked in the entire time. After a short break to grab a bite to eat and wander around a bit before I went back to the school for the afternoon tour. This tour took us into the barns and the riding hall where we learned about the history of the school and the care of the horses on a daily basis. It was an amazing experience and I would go back again and again and again.

Following the tour I wandered through the city and looked around at the amazing architecture. I eventually made it back to the main square where I grabbed the subway back to the train station and walked back to the hostel for the night.

My final day in Vienna was spent exploring the rest of city. I explored the surrounding area around the library, then walked the museum quarter, and enjoying the beautiful sunshine, but crisp air. In the end I just could not get it all in, but I got to see all the major points of interest to me.

Vienna is a city full of history and architecture. I fell in love with it the moment I walked off the train from Venice. It was one of the top highlights of my trip and I can’t wait to go back!

Until Next Time; Breathe, Relax, and HAVE FUN!

Meredith Soer

 

 

St.Stephen Church

Spanish Riding School