Next Destination Vienna

Tichy

Every stay in Vienna must include visits to numerous cafes and Konditorei.  Vienna is the capital of coffee and pastry, and rightly so.  But if you visit in summer it would be a travesty to miss out on what just might be the best ice cream in the world…of course I’m talking about Tichy, a real Viennese institution.

Tichy

Tourists are likely to see advertisements for Tichy on streets and in subway stations, but since it’s not located in the city center very few tourists make it to this incredible ice cream salon.  Unlike most ice cream shops and stands, Tichy ice cream is made from real ingredients.  The fruit flavors are made from real fruit, hazelnut ice cream (possibly the best in the Universe) is made with real hazelnuts, etc.

Schneeball

In addition to the delicious, pure ice cream, Tichy also has a number of fantastic concoctions.  The Schneeball (snowball) for instance is a ball of ice cream with passion fruit in the middle, covered with meringue and sitting in a warm chocolate sauce.  And of course everything they serve in the salon arrives in classic Viennese style…on a silver platter!

So how do you get there?  It’s very easy.  From Stephansplatz, jump on the U1 line to Reumannplatz, get off at Reumannplatz, and walk across the street to Tichy.

You can then enjoy the best ice cream in the world sitting inside the salon, or exploring the interesting surroundings where mostly Turkish and eastern European immigrants walk down the pedestrian only shopping street, Favoritenstrasse.  Enjoy!

Stephansdom

The “historic center of Vienna” is a UNESCO World Heritage Zone, and the area of the city that most visitors focus on.  The Stephansdom lies in the center of this zone, on Stephansplatz, which has been the heart of Vienna for centuries.

Vienna World Heritage Zone

Vienna is an easy and fun city to explore, not only due to the preposterous number of incredible buildings, museums, restaurants, cafes, and shops, but also because of the layout of the city.  The historic center of Vienna is roughly surrounded by the Ringstrasse (Ring Street), which has replaced the old city walls built to keep out Turkish invaders.

Click on the paths and markers above for descriptions.

While it may appear on a map that the city center is within the Ringstrasse, it actually extends outward a couple of blocks.  If you only explore the inside of the ring, you’ll miss incredible buildings like the Karlskirche and the Belvedere.

Karlskirche

The Ringstrasse is a terrific street to slowly wander down, exploring the magnificent buildings on both sides…the Rathaus (Town Hall), Opera, Parliament, and Museum of Fine Arts just to name a few:

Rathaus at Christmas

Kunsthistorisches Museum

A great way to explore the center of Vienna is in concentric circles.  Start at the Stephansdom and surrounding areas, expand outward to the Ringstrasse, and then out again to the sites on the other side.  Knowing where you are in relation to the Ringstrasse is a great way to orient yourself in the center of the city.