Decided to go on another little trip and get to know another of Europe’s capitals. This time the chosen city was Vienna, Austria’s capital. Was so excited to discover an imperial city! Here’s the itinerary for a weekend in Vienna. All we did in our two day visit.
DAY 1
We landed very late on Friday, arriving to our Airbnb in the city centre at midnight. We left our luggage in the flat and put on a scarf and beanie (god it was cold). Later we went to a pub to meet with a friend and had the first delight: foggy city at night. It was so quiet. When we got there we saw quiet smokers standing in the cold outside the pub. Inside the music was loud enough to dance and quiet enough to be able to speak. What surprised me the most that night: it was not banned to smoke inside. Coming from a place where smoking inside was banned years ago it felt very strange.
DAY 2
Started the day grabbing breakfast on our way to the U-Bahn (metro). We walked on the Saturday Market in Naschmarkt on our way to the station too. Riding from Kettenbrücken-gasse (green line U4) to Wien Mitte – Landstrasse, we walked through streets with imperial buildings and pretty architecture. Even when architecture is not something you realise when you are walking, in Vienna I can assure you will do.
When I first saw Hundertwasserhaus I stood still. Appreciating the pretty and funniest building I’ve had the visual pleasure to see. Shapes, colours, balconies, windows, lines and geometrical columns. Adding ourselves to the group of tourists admiring and taking photos of each angle of the building, we posed and took pictures. Really wish we could have had a higher view to see the building from, but ground floor sight was awesome and definitely the most singular building I’ve ever seen.
Afterwards we took the metro to go to Vienna Prater, a theme park with a vintage look. Deciding the giant wheel (Wiener Riesenrad) took too long and didn’t look very exciting we decided to have a lookout of the city from the Prater Turm. The Prater Turm turns around in the cold air for 5 minutes. The experience was sublime, not scary at all and the views of the city at our feet were impressive. After taking the U-Bahn again we stopped for lunch and continued after sightseeing the Stephansdom cathedral and the Christmas market around it. That one was the first one we saw during the weekend, yet little we knew how many christmas markets we would see.
After lunch and a little walk we saw the Peterskirche and the Pestsäule column, located in the middle of the commercial street.
If the views from the outside of the imperial palace or Hofburg palace where pretty breathtaking, from the inside and the other side , where you can see after walking no more than 200m the parliament… speechless.
Walking along Universigätsring we started seeing this amazing ice ring in the middle of the street. From the outside it looked like there were corridors for fast skaters and circle areas for everyone to skate around. Excited like kids who have never skated on any Christmas markets before, we decided to go. Beforehand we had a waffle pit stop in again another Christmas market right outside the Rathaus. With christmas lights everywhere the Rathaus looked magnificient. We rented skates and a locker for our stuff, and started trying to manage basic ice skating.
Some minutes later, not needing to touch the perimeter for balance, we tried on one of those corridors, and then realized – after going faster than before- they have a 3% slope. I was actually quite impressed after only 30 minutes to feel safe on the skates. I’ve been skiing since I was 3 and only skated counted times so it takes me a while to get used to the moves.
After that we headed to the Quartier museum with yes, another Christmas market. The city gets dark so early that it looked like you were walking at night in a full of life city, but it was only 5pm.
We took the metro after some walking to Karlsplatz, had a kebab and met up with our friend again for some beers in a library decorated bar – it even had a secret chamber, pulling a book you’d get to the beer storage room – so cool.
Hundertwasserhaus
Vienna Prater and Viennese giant wheel (Wiener Riesenrad)
St. Stephen’s Cathedral Stephansdom and christmas market
Lunch
St. Peter’s Church (Peterskirche) – Peterskirche – Plague Column (Pestsäule) (potser tinc alguna foto del carrer on es veu?)
Imperial palace/ Hofburg palace
Austrian Parliament building
New City Hall (Rathaus), ice skating and Christmas market
Museum quartier
DAY 3
Had savoury waffles to start the day and walked down to get to Karlskirche. Once there we saw – oh, no! – had another Christmas market in front of it. This one though had a petting zoo for kids as well. I’m sure I’ve never seen more Christmas markets in one city in my entire life!!
Some more walking (about 10 minutes) took us to the Belvedere Palace, where we walked around on another Christmas market and enjoyed a walk through the gardens. Heading back to the city centre, next to the museum quartier where we were last night, we found the National Library.
Right in front of it there was a man selling tickets for a concert, and we ended up buying tickets for a Concert in the Schonbrunn palace. The concert took place almost daily (if I’m not mistaken) and was this time as an exception in the Queens room with a maximum of 90pax.
We rested our feet and warmed our bodies with a tasty Wiener schnitzel and chicken schnitzel right in front of the library and after caught the U-Bahn to the palace. Visits to the palace finished at 17h00 so we walked around the gardens and surprise: another Christmas market, this time with a giant Christmas tree with lights and an orchestral ensemble singing from time to time.
Because the concert was first in-best seat, we walked in early to get to the Queens room. After all, we did see some rooms of the palace. We were in the fourth row, not even 2 m away from the musicians. Two violins, 1 viola, 1 cello, 1 double bass, one piano and a flute gifted us with an exceptional concert. I had goose bumps all the time. Every two songs a soprano and tenor would sing.
I am so thankful I was convinced to go because I don’t think I’ve ever been so pleased in my life. That is how good it was.
There is nothing better after a crazy week than Rome for the weekend. If you’re showing two dearest friends around, it is better.
Here’s our itinerary to make the best out of 48 hours in Rome. Let’s dive in!
Where to sleep in Rome
If you want good price and local nightlife nearby, the area called Campo de Fiori is great. We slept between Campo de’ Fiori and Piazza Navona.
Once you arrive leave your bags at the accommodation and walk around to get a feel for the small local bars and restaurants in the area. Grab a drink and a bite and start your weekend the right way with delicious Italian food.
What to visit and do – Day 1 in Rome
Piazza Navona
Living barely 4 minutes away from the square, we visited it first thing in the morning, sat down for the first Espresso of the day and continued towards Piazza di Spagna.
Piazza di Spagna
Piazza di Spagna is one of the most visited attractions in the city for a reason. Always lovely to see the hustle and buzzle of locals and tourists on the stairs.
I remember my mum telling me on my first time in Rome – you always have to climb up the stairs to see the roofs of the city. So that’s what we did.
Fontana Di Trevi
Walking down Via del Corso we arrived to the always crowded Fontana Di Trevi passing through Piazza Colonna. We did the coin throwing ritual – legend says if you do that it guarantees your return to the city at some point in your life.
Pantheon
Next one is the Pantheon in Piazza della Rotonda. We arrived there when the light of the day started to fade, but when we finished admiring the ceiling and the whole building, there was an amazing singer and guitar player outside who got together a huge crowd and made us sing along to some well-played songs.
If you have more time in the day or want to add more days in the city, check out this Rome bucket list.
Night at Trastevere
Crossing the river there’s the Trastevere neighbourhood. The main square is Santa Maria in Trastevere.
We found a restaurant to eat pasta and pizza (of course) and then decided to do another of the typical things in the area: chocolate shots. They are served in chocolate glasses and have cream on top. Delicious!
What to do in Rome for 48h – Day 2
Piazza Venezia
One of the hubs in Rome, we walked around Palazzo Venezia and the Altare della Patria, part of the monument of the first king of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II.
Foro Romano and Trajan’s market
At both sides of Via dei Fori Imperiali heading to the Colosseum we can find ruins. On the left we can see the Trajan’s market, which is thought to be the oldest shopping mall in the world.
On the right we can see Foro di Cesare, and also on the right further down, close to the Colosseum, we arrive to the Foro Romano.
Colosseum
One of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the Colosseum is an imposing building in the middle of the city. We did half a tour inside.
I say half because we wanted to skip the queues to get in and after a bit we decided to wander by ourselves and let the building amaze us. From one side you can see the arch of Constantine. You can see lots of tourists taking the picture with the arch and the Colosseum from down there.
San Pietro in Vincoli
San Pietro in Vincoli is a church that’s known for having Moses statue by Michelangelo inside.
We didn’t have it planned, but after eating lasagne close to the Colosseum the lady in the restaurant suggested it, and because we were really close we decided to go visit.
Bone church – Capuchin Crypt
The guys had read somewhere that there was a bone church in the city, so we walked there. I like walking long distances. It usually takes you far away from the touristy spots. It is not allowed to take pictures, so if you are wondering how it is, you should go there yourself!
We finished our stay going to a very recommended restaurant (both by friends and TripAdvisor) and it didn’t disappoint. They serve delicious italian pizza and pasta.
Everything we did that weekend is on this post. Everything can be easily done with 48 hours in Rome. Have you ever been to the eternal city? Comment below!
I went to Budapest for a weekend in September and the city exceeded my expectations. I’d even go as far as to say, after Barcelona, of course, it’s my favourite city in Europe. I liked the vibe of the city, its monuments, the views of it, the ruin pubs. I liked it all!
My 12 reasons to fall in love with Budapest
Szimpla Kert
One street away from our Airbnb apartment there’s my favourite ruin pub in Budapest: Szimpla Kert. It is an awesome venue with different vibes. There is loud music, drinks, random decoration items, bicycles hanging from the ceilings and people from all ages hanging in the same place. If the fact everyone from different ages loves it doesn’t tell you waht type of place it is, I don’t know what will. My absolute favourite place in the city. Also, they sell carrots. Yeah, imagine my face when a woman with a bowl full of peeled carrots came and tried to make us buy a carrot. Of course, we did, because… Do what you see wherever you go, right?
2. Castle Hill Buda
The building is on top of a hill that overviews Pest and the chain bridge, and that was my favourite lookout from the city. It is a touristy spot but worth the visit. The Pest side of the city is full of steep hills and parks, and it’s more of a residential area, whereas Buda is the urban side of the city.
3. Mathias Church
The building is awesome and the roof is so impressive. Also, there were at least 3 different weddings that day, so the surrounding areas were full of dressed up people with brides and grooms taking wedding pictures.
4. Fisherman’s Bastion
Close to the church there is the Fisherman’s Bastion, and from its arch’s you can see the Danube river and the impressive building that the parliament is.
5. Chain bridge
Talking about tourist spots, the Chain bridge is the most crossed bridge in the city. It also was the first permanent stone bridge to connect Pest with Buda.
6. Saint Esteban Basilica
Although we decided to not get in, we sat down for a beer in the square in front of the Basilica and there were food trucks and stands with typical food. The vibe that the city has is just incredible.
7. Vaci utca
We walked along Vaci utca, the commercial street of the city. Cars are not allowed on the street, so you can freely walk and shop until the end of it. I liked that the main commercial street had car circulation forbidden. Everyone was walking freely and it felt like the right thing to do in a city.
8. Fakanal Etterem
The central market located at the end of Vaci Utca. The building is impressive and it has two different levels inside.
9. Andrassy Avenue
One of the biggest streets in the city. There was a food truck festival on Sunday, so we walked through the food market, grabbed something to eat and walked all the way down to Heroes Square. In there they were doing some kind of horse show and you couldn’t properly see the towers with the horses on top.
10. Szechenyi thermal bath
Its well known Budapest is the thermal baths city, and we decided to go to Szechenyi thermal baths which was the one we found better reviews online and also happens to be the biggest thermal baths in Europe. It didn’t disappoint, there are a lot of different pools with various temperatures (from “shit it’s freezing” to “take me out of here I can’t breathe”) and three outside pools. In one of them people played chess at 28 degrees… so hot to be in there after a while!
11. The Opera
The Opera building is impressive; looking at it at night when the streets are quiet and you can admire all its lights is even better.
12. All Ruin pubs
We also went to a couple more ruin pubs, the only name I remember is Fogas Haz, but our favourite is still Szimpla Kert. Also, that the ruin pub was conveniently located one street away from our cosy apartment and it was also open during the day sure helped.
I know, the first thing that is coming to your mind is “why only 22h”.
Well the answer is the dumbest you could imagine. We decided to buy tickets and with the rush of the moment, never realised we would be coming back after 22h in Athens instead of spending a weekend there. That was the initial plan.
Itinerary for our 22h in Athens
We got to the Athens airport at 4:30am. Decided to sleep there for a bit and catch an early bus to the city to get proper breakfast. We walked from where the airport bus dropped us (in the city centre) to the Acropolis.
Visiting the Acropolis
The plan was to get there right before opening hours at 9am, and there were people already queuing. Turns out going there first thing in the morning was a really good decision: you find fewer people than during other hours and the sun is not as hot.
To ascend to the Acropolis you go up the stairs of the Propylaea, the name that any monumental gateway receives in the Greek architecture.
We got lucky there and saw a guard change.
On the image below you can see Athena Nike. Once in the Acropolis you can see the Erecteum with the caryatids (that are just replicas because the originals can be found in the Acropolis museum) and the Parthenon.
From the Acropolis you can see the Theatre of Dionysus. It is the bigger theatre in Athens just built in the foot of the Athenian Acropolis. We could see they were preparing a concert and later in the day, just walking by, we saw people going to the concert.
Ancient Agora
After visiting the Acropolis we strolled down the hill where it is located to find the ancient agora. You can see the Temple of Hephaestus, particularly I liked that one because you could literally circle it, seeing every front of it.
You can also find the ancient agora museum that was founded in 1957 in the Stoa of Attalos and has a rectangular shape with columns. In the museum, there are different objects found while excavating the area – jewellery, weapons or coins.
After that, we found the cutest little street, it was a narrow street going down the Acropolis hill pretty steep. It had restaurants and bars both sides, making the street their terrace. We sat down for a well-deserved cold beer and asked the waiter for a nice place to have lunch around the area. We continued the same little street down towards the city and found a typical Greek restaurant.
After lunch and all the hours of sightseeing we decided to go to the Arch of Hadrian. On Dionissiou Areopagitou Avenue we found a park to lay down and let the hottest hours of the day pass by.
After the little power nap, we walked around the neighbourhoods of Plaka and Monastiraki.
We found there all the souvenir shops and typical Greek hand made clothes. The streets are full of life, with music coming out of the shops and people walking. There are also lots of restaurants. We found Plaka very pretty; the houses look like the ones in the Greek Islands because sailors that were coming there built them.
We decided to go up to the Philopappos Hill. The hill is close to the Acropolis and more or less at the same level. From the top of this one you get to see the Acropolis and of course, the whole of Athens. It is an amazing lookout and the best part, we just got there by strolling around the city. You can see the Acropolis, the city at your feet and the sea. It was also close to sunset so the city looked just peacefully beauty from up there.
We ended our 22h in Athens having dinner in a romantic restaurant in Plaka. Drinking wine and having deep meaningful conversations. Isn’t this what all day trips are about at the end?
One of the friends I made during the tour to Etosha decided to join me for my next part of the trip. We spent the rest of the week travelling together. He had already been in Windhoek before, so after waking up we started the day with a tour around the city. We walked to see the church, the zoo park and the parliament park as well. Went to the craft markets in the street where I bought my first and only souvenir (a necklace that can also be used as a belt) then went to the Namibia art craft building. After returning to the hostel for lunch we spent the rest of the day in the pool getting a tan and swimming. Windhoek is a city that can be visited with about 2 to 3 hours.
Day 5: transfer from Windhoek to Swakopmund
Thank god I had someone to talk to for the 5 hours journey, it would have been so boring without him!
On arrival to Swakopmund we went down to the beach and spent the evening having deep meaningful conversations about different topics. Among them if we could beat a cheetah fighting with only our body or which was the weight difference between a full-grown male cheetah and lion. We obviously had to look it up later. The waves crashing on the sand, the promenade with the stars and the moon, all accompanied by friends and beer. Couldn’t get better.
Picture credit: @ridingdownadream
Day 6: Sandboarding and desert horse riding
What an exhausting day. We woke up to go sandboarding. They picked us up and we drove to the dunes. After trying different boots and helmets to make sure they fit us perfectly we started climbing up the dunes. Yes, no lift or anything, just our legs carrying the board and us. Sandboarding is an eco-friendly activity because the dunes are part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park and no one is allowed to build anything permanent – hence why we had to climb up. After a well deserved break and waxing the tables, we started the lesson.
Considering I’ve been skiing since I was 3, I thought my balance would be better on top of the board. I guess I didn’t have confidence and ended up on my knees an awful lot of times. Anyway, I didn’t see it, but the instructor kept saying I was getting better. Well, I guess if we consider from falling 20 times to falling 8 an improvement then yes, I improved.
After every time going down we had to climb the dune again. It got easy compared to the first one, but it was still quite hard. Walking in the sand is trickier that I thought. We need to consider that the sun was hot even with the breeze. After a bit we changed and did the Dazzie, that is the name they give to thelie down sandboarding. They never do stand up sandboarding so it’s as smooth as possible for the lie down.
The first 3 seconds when they push you from the top and you see yourself racing on the sand the adrenaline rush is quite big, but after trying to put your feet down in the sand and realising that stops you or redirects you, I just let myself go! Markus, the friend I met in Etosha, and I were racing each other to see who got the fastest speed. We were tires in 64km/h and he beat me on the last one arriving to 69km/h. To end up the activity we stand up sandboarded to the bottom of the dunes. We had a lot of soft drinks (in need of sugar) and lunch.
Arriving at the hostel and realising how tired we were, we had to take the longest shower ever – I had sand everywhere!
And after getting ready I was picked up to go horse riding while Markus went skydiving. I did it in the Okakambe stables and Noah, the guide, explained the name of my horse to me: Rooisand. I don’t speak Afrikaans [yet] so rooi wasn’t a word to me before. It means red sand, which I think it convenient.
We went on an amazing ride through the riverbed of the Swakop dunes. We were on the called “moonland” and galloping whilst enjoying the sundowner. It was on the top of the bucket list, so beautiful to be racing with Rooisand and watching that stunning scenery. It was truly breath taking. Although we never saw any springbok I could see the trails on the sand. By the time I got to the hostel it was 8pm and we went straight to bed – that’s how tired we were!!
Day 7: Drive back to Windhoek
A good 6am breakfast before they picked me up and a “see you later” that was hard to say to my travel buddy. I’m on my way to Windhoek again, my time in Namibia is ending. The good thing was, the staff at the Chameleon Backpackers already knew me (I stayed there every night while in Windhoek) and they made me feel at home again joking with me. I spent my last night playing the quiz they organize at the bar, playing pool and drinking Smirnoff Storms. The good hostel life! I definitely recommend them while in Windhoek!
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3. Mathias Church
Arriving at the hostel and realising how tired we were, we had to take the longest shower ever – I had sand everywhere!
