Days 21 - 23 Stiles-Con V in Vienna

Friday morning we took a 2-hour guided walking tour of the old town (District 1). It gave us a great overview of the history of this capital city and better understanding of why there is such a concentrated collection of impressive buildings (it was the capital of the Habsburg Empire for over 600 years). An afternoon tour of the Austrian Parliament building was super interesting.

On Saturday morning we headed across town to the famous Kutschkermarkt and encountered an antiques market! And of course we had to stop and have coffee and cake at a Viennese coffeehouse!

☕ 10 Fun Facts About Viennese Coffeehouses
1. Water with your coffee isn’t an accident—it’s a palette cleanser and was a way to showcase the pure mountain water (the tradition continues today).
2. Cake is practically mandatory. The Viennese didn’t invent cake, but they did perfect the art of pairing it with coffee—Sachertorte and Apfelstrudel are the two of the most popular options.
3. It’s a UNESCO-protected pastime.
Since 2011, Vienna’s coffeehouse culture has been listed as “intangible cultural heritage.” In other words: the act of sipping slowly and reading newspapers is officially historic behavior. Love this!
4. Your waiter might out-elegance you.
Expect bow ties, long aprons, and a touch of aloofness—Viennese waiters act as if the coffee is royalty.
5. The furniture tells a story. Expect marble tables, velvet banquettes, and ornate decor from different eras.
6. The coffee house is a democratic club in disguise. Writers, philosophers, and chess players have shared tables here—everyone from Freud to Trotsky once nursed a cup in these establishments. Equal opportunity caffeine!
7. One coffee = unlimited time.
Unlike modern cafés that side-eye your laptop after 40 minutes, Viennese houses let you camp out all day.
8. The names of the drinks are stories themselves. From the Einspänner (cream-capped espresso for one-horse carriage drivers) to the Melange (the Viennese cousin of the cappuccino), each coffee has a backstory.
9. Some coffee houses are cultural landmarks (with lines of tourists way too long for us). Café Central and Café Sacher (birthplace of the Sachertorte) are two that we passed on.
10. It’s the slowest fast food on earth.

We decided on the Upper Belevedere Museum as our one art museum option. The Klimt exhibit was definitely the highlight! Seeing “The Kiss” up close was amazing.Read more