Expert: Edgar Mendez Chacon - 7/2/2004

Question
Dear Edgar,
Thank you for your information.  Do you by any chance have a contact phone number or fax or email for the Hotel Post, Pension Nossek and Pension Pertschy.  I am unable to find the info on the net.  I'd appreciate your help.
Thank you kindly,
Monica

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Followup To
Question -
Dear Edgar,
Our visit is Sept 19 - Oct 2, 2004
Please advise a budget pension hotel for the 4 days in Vienna, local restaurant (not the restaurant that are patronize by tourist), and local sites. We plan to take the Euro Rail to Budapest and also to Prague.  Can you please advise how long the the journey to Budapest and should we book 1st class train ticket?
Your information is much appreciated
Thank you kindly,
Regards,
Monica

Answer -
Hello Monica,

I would suggest staying somewhere within the Ring since it is very convenient to walk to the many different sights.  I have stayed at Hotel Post which is a short 5 minute walk to the center of the city at Stefansdom.  It is conveniently located and has a great breakfast buffet.  I have not stayed myself at the following places but have heard from other travelers who have enjoyed them.  Pension Pertschy is a four star pension located between the Hofburg and Stefansdom in the heart of Vienna. It used to be Palais Cavriani built in 1725.  Another place right in the center of Vienna on the Graben (part of the pedestrian walking area) is the three star Pension Nossek.  This area is right next to Stefansdom and Kartnerstrasse which is a famous shopping street in Vienna.  The subway is just a two minute walk away.  You can find out more about these three places, as well as book online, at the Vienna Tourist Board's website at www.info.wien.at

Here is what I consider my "must see sights" for Vienna.  Visit the collection of Gustav Klimt paintings (including his famous painting "The Kiss") at the Upper Belvedere palace, which also has paintings by Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka, two other well known Viennese artists. See the crown jewels from the Hapsburgs, including Charlamegne's crown at the Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury, in English) at the Hofburg, visit the summer residence of the Hapsburgs at Schonbrunn and stroll throught the gardens there.  Climb the spire at Stefansdom for a beautiful view of Vienna.  Also at Stefansdom you can visit the catacombs beneath the cathedral.  See the sarcophagi of the Hapsburgs stored in the Kapuchiner Kirche.  Some of the sarcophagi are really elaborate, especially the one of Maria Theresa and her husband. Opera is always enjoyable in Vienna (they have two opera houses there).  You can get cheap standing room tickets the day of the show for about $5.

If you like visiting zoos, I really enjoyed the zoo at Schonbrunn, which is the oldest in the world and has a pretty good selection of animals.  On the weekends there is the weekly flea market held at the Naschmarkt where it is fun to try and find a bargain on something that the local residents are selling.  Finally, one of my favorite places in Vienna is the Central Cemetery where many famous composers are buried including Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss and Schonberg.  The tombs are very ornate in the cemetery and it is a nice place to stroll on a beautiful afternoon.  Mozart is buried right up the road from the Central Cemetery at the St. Marx Cemetery where there is a nice gravesite set up for him.  You can also go out to Kahlenberg, which is the highest point around Vienna and get a good view of the city, but I found it to always be hazy when I went so the view was not that great in the afternoon.  From Kahlenberg, there is a walking path that leads through the vineyards around the area and takes you down to Neustift am Walde where I was living.  I think the path may continue on from there, too.

If you would like to do some daytrips out of Vienna, the Austrian Rail system usually has some pretty good deals to places nearby with some add-on items.  I once went to Puchberg am Schneeberg on a deal where you get your train fair out to the town, a ride on a steam train up the mountain where you can hike for a while and a coupon for a free dinner at a restaurant in the town.  Another time we went to Neusiedler See and you got a free bike rental to go biking to the lake and along the vineyards.  You can go down one of the main train stations and there should be different brochures with the current specials the train system has.

It's a little under 3 hours to get to Budapest from Vienna.  I've never taken 1st class train in Europe and the 2nd class trains are quite comfortable and there is no need to spend the extra money for the first class cars.

Here are a few restaurants that you may want to try that aren't part of the regular "tourist circuit".  Schnitzelwirt is a place where the locals go for huge portions of Wienerschnitzel.  The schnitzel hangs over the plate it's so big!  It's located at Neubaugasse 52 and I think it's the 7th district that it's located in.  Zwei Lieseln on Burggasse has a nice courtyard with some outdoor seating and cheap food.  One of my favorite places for pizza and pasta is at Pizza Bizi right near the Stefansdom on the corner at Rotenturmstrasse.  It is usually filled with college students and you can also have them make different pastas at cheap prices.  Great place for an afternoon or late night snack or meal.

I hope this helps you out some and let me know if you have any more questions!

Edgar  

Answer
Hello again Monica,

Hotel Post's telephone number is 43-1-515830.  You can check out their website at: www.hotel-post-wien.at/index.html.en

Pension Nossek's telephone number is 43-1-53370410.  I don't know if they have their own website but you can email them at pension.nossek@faxvia.net

Pension Pertschy's telephone number is 43-1-534490.  Their website is www.pertschy.com/h_pension1_e.html

Let me know if I can help you out in any other way!

Edgar