Who, visiting Austria, hasn’t heard about Sisi? A well known figure, with a fascinating story, and yet frequently misunderstood. I was intrigued with her, ever since visiting Schönbrunn, and wanted to learn more, so I paid a visit to the Sisi Museum.

It’s found in the Hofburg, in the Stephan apartments and here you can find numerous personal trinkets that once belonged to Elisabeth, which are used to help bring the Empress’ true personality to life. Over the tour, you learn about her life as a young girl, about her life at court, the so called ‘Sisi Myth’, her travels as well as about her assassination.

I realise that for Austrians, Sisi is probably such an overtalked subject, a clichee even, but for people who first come here, it’s a pretty nice story that gives you a glimpse into the life of Austrian Royalty.

Last night we chose to have something what many Austrians enjoy – The Käsekrainer. I have tried a few wurst varieties while in Vienna, but so far this one is my favorite. It contains cheese, which really compliments the meat. I bought it at a local supermarket, but I’m guessing it can be found all around.

How do you prepare it?

You cook it in a pan, with a little oil, for 15 minutes on one side, or until you start to hear the cheese popping. Then you turn it over on the other side and repeat the procedure. Simple and tasty!

Serve in a plate, next to a few pieces of bread and of course, mustard. If you like, you can enjoy a nice, cool beer with it too. Mahlzeit!*

By the way, Mahlzeit is what Austrians say for “Bon Appetit”

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In the first few days after moving to Vienna, I had a hankering for cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables. Unsatisfied with the selection from the nearby supermarket, I set out to find a nearby market: there had to be something better. And not five minutes from where I live, I found this colorful, chaotic crowd of fruit and vegetable stands, seeds, incents, music, outdoor shops and terraces where people can chat, have fun and enjoy a nice day out.

There’s a mixture of smells and aromas, things old and new for sale and dishes from all over the world to try out. I haven’t yet tried something prepared entirely there, but I bought some tomatoes for home, which tasted really delicious and fresh. Whenever I need fruit or vegetables now, the nearby Naschmarkt is my first choice. Have you been there yet?

So one can’t move to Vienna without trying their delicious marker – the Schnitzel. For this, we decided to go to one of the most recommended restaurants – Figlmüller, which you can find in the First District. Many people on tripadvisor were saying that it’s a great culinary experience and the best schnitzel in Vienna, so I had to try for myself.

First, we couldn’t find a table, but luckily they opened a second location just a few streets away from the original Figlmüller, so we had better luck there. Wollzeile and Bäckerstraße are the streets of the two restaurants. This traditional restaurant offers schnitzels for over 100 years and the ambiance is really lovely. Waiters are friendly and courteous, other guests seem to be enjoying themselves wholeheartedly and they have really good beer as well. We each ordered a Wiener Schnitzel, with a side dish of potato salad, but as soon as they brought it to the table, I could see that we could have easily split it. The schnitzel was the size of the plate, and I was told it isn’t even the biggest possible size that you can find in Vienna. Wow

It was really delicious, just enough crunch and rich meat, and was beautifully complimented by the potato salad, cranberry sauce and drinks. Of course, I had to take more than half of it to go, but this just meant that I enjoyed it later as well. My recommendation is – you have to try it for yourself.

What other good places for traditional food have you found in Vienna?

This weekend we discovered Haus des Meeres, an Aqua Terra Zoo just up the street from where I live. It’s 9 floors full of various fish, underwater animals and some species of reptiles, birds, monkeys and even bats! It’s really cool if you have the chance to schedule your visit during feeding times – information for which you can find on their website- so you can experience firsthand how sharks, fish and alligators devour their food. Rawr!

I really loved the giant turtle that I’ve seen there – it was a first experience for me – and enjoyed the slow but elegant way they move and twirl amongst the water bubbles. The whole place is very well kept and the animals seem good taken care of.

Aside from the beautiful things that you get to see, there is also a cozy rooftop restaurant, with a spectacular view over Vienna. I spent the better part of an hour admiring the near and far buildings of this beautiful city that I have moved to.

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One of the most magical afternoons of this summer, while the weather still allowed it, was the visit to Schönbrunn Palace gardens. Since its opening in 1779, it has attracted and amazed tourists from all over the world. There is a unique beauty in the stillness of the grass statues which blends perfectly with the neatly cared for flower walkways.

The Botanic Garden is a thing of beauty and all the gardens were artistically designed by landscapists employed by the royal family, at one time or another. Over time, the park was extended and articulated by a maze of avenues, which intersects with walks and vistas, and is meant to be an external continuation of the beauty inside Schönbrunn Palace.

When spring comes and weather allows it again, I will definitely go back and explore some more, or maybe just spend hours on a lazy afternoon laying on a blanket, admiring the sites.

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Pentru cei care locuiesc in Viena, este bine stiut ca pe malul Dunarii se gasesc mandre lebede gata de a fi admirate si fotografiate.

Cum traditia Craciunului este una imbelsugata, iar pe mesele romanilor se afla bucate care mai de care mai imbietoare si gustoase, corpul nostru se resimte si are nevoie de o plimbare asa ca… hop top si noi pe malul Dunarii la plimbare.

Vremea de astazi a fost una placuta, iar lebedele ne-au facut deliciul oferindu-ne un show garantat. Plimbari scurte, jucat intre ele, sau mici conflicte spre incantarea spectatorilor. Data viitoare voi sti sa iau putina mancare de acasa, iar succesul de a sta aproape de mine o sa fie unul garantat.

Daca esti in Viena in aceasta perioada, ai chef de aer curat si o scurta plimbare, profita de ocazie si fa o vizita lebedelor de la statia de metrou Handelskai.

Distractie placuta!