Austria continued - Beautiful Vienna

7 June

Time to move onwards to Vienna after a wonderful few days at Danaupark Camp Krems.  A pretty drive following country roads through small villages, passing fields of wheat and corn.  Into the woods to Klosterneuberg and Donaupark Camping Klosterneuberg situated 12kms from Vienna.  Unfortunately the camp was full so we had to back track 20kms to what turned out to be a great camp, Donaupark Camping Tulln (19 euros) with restaurant and on the Danube cycleway.  

We enjoyed a 12kms ride along the Danube, so lucky to have a great cycleway that will take us into Vienna.

8 June   

A gorgeous day so we cycled all the way along the Danube into Vienna, a beautiful ride!  Followed the cycleway across the Danube to the old town where we parked our bikes near Schwedenplatz metro station along the canal.  A great vibe here with people sunbathing in deck chairs and swimming on ‘Das Boat’ - the floating Beach!  The entire city is cycle friendly with it’s own pathways and traffic lights just for bikers.  

Went for an orientation stroll around the old town, overwhelming with it’s stunning palaces, cathedrals, gardens, parks, churches, museums, architecture and squares with alfresco eateries.  Contemporary and historic buildings blending together to create an impressive cityscape.  

Ate pizza near St Stephansplatz and popped into the Ron Mueck Exhibition in the Volksgarten.  Ron Mueck is an Australian, his ‘Man In The Boat’ is actually half sized and very realistic.

In the evening rode home along the canal passing colourful and creative graffiti sprayed on the stone retaining walls, through Klosterneuberg and back along the Danube.  It was good to see the ‘camp sign’ and Lefty, a 70kms return bike ride.  Weiss beer and schnitzel at the camp restaurant completed an awesome day.

Another visit to Vienna is essential…this time we’ll try the train!!

9 June

Resting our tired legs!  

10 June

Bought two train tickets including a twenty-four hour metro/bus pass (40 euros for two) from the train station, ten minutes walk from camp.  Trained and metro’d to the summer residence of emporers, beautiful Schonbrunn Palace.  Strolled it’s magnificent palace grounds and walked up to the Gloriette which serves as a lookout for the gardens and today has a cafe inside!  

Metro’d to the Belvedere Palace another stunning summer residence with tiered fountains and sculptures.

Back into the old town and visited most of the parks and all the sights including St Stephen’s Cathedral, St Peter’s Church where we listened to a violinist,

Hofburg Palace, the Spanish Riding School, Vienna State Opera.  

Ate ice-cream in the Museum Quarter and lunch in Stadtpark with it’s statue of Johann Strauss and visited Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Burggarten.  
Vienna’s artistic and intellectual legacy was shaped by residents including Mozart, Strauss, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud.

Trained home in the evening after a wonderful day!

11 June - 15 June

Like it here so much we've decided to stay a few more days. 
Purchased a vignette to cover us for Austrian motorways (8.80 euros).

Thoroughly enjoyed walking and biking the Danube.    

Explored the town of Tulln - strolled the newly designed main square lined with cafes and shops, not to mention the museums geared to the Romans.  Evidently the Romans had their equestrian camp in the centre of town.  

Walked over the ‘flower bridge’ to the ‘The Garden Tulln’ along the Danube.  The Garden is Europe’s first and only ecological garden with sixty show gardens.  

Beautiful, clever, educational and fun gardens including a forest walk, ‘dancing fountains’, stunning ponds and of course the frogs!