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Amazing Amsterdam

October 23, 2026

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Location: The Netherlands

I have been to Amsterdam four times, but each time was on a brief 24 hour layover. I knew I needed to explore this city more deeply, and on this travel itinerary we finally made it happen. Nine days to discover Amsterdam and the surrounding area. Here are my favorite things from Amazing Amsterdam.

Amazing Amsterdam History in Brief

Amsterdam began as a modest 12th-century fishing village built around a dam on the Amstel River

12th to 15th Century

1275: Count Floris V granted the settlement a toll exemption, marking its first written record.
1306: The town received official city rights.
1345: A Eucharistic miracle turned the town into a prominent medieval pilgrimage destination.
15th Century: Growing trade, the herring industry, and a beer monopoly expanded its local influence, though devastating fires forced a transition from wooden to brick architecture.

17th Century

1602: The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was founded, establishing a global trade and spice network.
1613: Construction began on the iconic Grachtengordel (canal ring), which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Culture and Wealth: The city blossomed into a global center for finance, the world’s first stock exchange, art (including Rembrandt), and a safe haven for religious refugees.

18th & 19th Century

18th Century: Competition from London and economic stagnation eroded Amsterdam’s trading dominance.
1795–1813: French revolutionary forces occupied the region, leading to the bankruptcy of the VOC and severe economic decline.
1814: Following the defeat of Napoleon, Amsterdam was designated the official capital of the newly formed Kingdom of the Netherlands, while the Industrial Revolution and the 1876 North Sea Canal revitalized its port.

Modern Era

World War II: Nazi occupation brought severe hardship, including the tragic deportation of the city’s Jewish population and the “Hunger Winter” of 1944–1945.
1960s–1970s: Amsterdam reinvented itself as a global epicenter of counterculture, youth movements like Provo, and liberal social policies.
Today: A thriving European metropolis of nearly more than one million residents, balancing a historic canal landscape and deep financial roots with modern tourism and urban growth. (Wikipedia)

Throughout the city markers remember those who were taken by the Nazi’s in WWII

Amsterdam Today

Home to more than a million people and a million bicycles, you will also be joined by more than 24 million tourists who visit Amsterdam each year. So you need to know the following;

Bikes rule. Bikes take priority over all other vehicles or pedestrians. Never step off a sidewalk without looking both ways.

Make a reservation. The day we visited the Van Gogh museum in October it was sold out. Many people were being turned away at the door. I made reservations a few months in advance. For the Anne Frank House even more. If you want to dine at any popular spot, even a casual Brown Cafe, make a reservation. I made four dining reservations several weeks in advance.

Use public transportation. A taxi or Uber will take longer and cost much more in this crowded city. Public transportation is very easy. We used the tram, the subway and the train during our visit. For the tram and subway it’s easy to tap on and off with your iPhone using Apple Pay or a credit card. Using the train you easily purchase a ticket at the ticket kiosk at the station. Amsterdam Centraal Station is a destination in itself and you should visit the transportation hub even if you don’t plan to use the train.

Wear layers. We saw rain, warm sun, wind and drizzle. Carry a small backpack so you can layer up.

Amazing Amsterdam Our Favorite Things

We spent four days enjoying the city and the things that are of interest to us – mostly art, history and food. Then we spent another four days doing day trips using the train to other famous cities in the region. Here are the things we recommend in no particular order;

Tours

Ollantay Food Tour – one of the best food tours we have ever done, and that is saying a lot. Our guide Barni was wonderful and we ate, and laughed and learned so much. In fact the food we had on this tour ended up being our favorite meal of all the places we ate in Amsterdam. Book this tour!

Walking Tour GPS My City. We use the GPSMyCity app in nearly every city we visit and in Amsterdam there are several options. We enjoyed the self-guided city tour which brought us to the Old Church, New Church, Dam Square, Centraal Station and the Royal Palace. Additionally the walking tours tuck you into small neighborhoods and show you lovely views of the canals.

Eco Tours Canal Cruise we chose Eco Tours because they are a smaller company and it seemed to fit our style. We boarded at the main canal next to Centraal Station for our hour long tour with wonderful historic and humorous narrative. It rained while we were on the boat but it was no problem and we still enjoyed it very much.

Canal Cruise is a must when in Amsterdam

Museums

We did not visit the Anne Frank House since we had done it before and tickets are difficult to get. We booked in advance for both the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh. The Van Gogh was sold out on the day we visited…you definitely need to plan ahead for these three popular museums.

The Dutch Masters

Rijksmuseum My husband and I are big fans of the Dutch Masters, particularly Rembrandt, and the Rijksmuseum is THE place to go for these incredible masterpieces. We spent four hours and loved every minute of it. This museum underwent a ten year renovation in the early 2000’s. It is a remarkable place not to be missed.

Rembrandt’s famous The Night Watch is undergoing restoration at the Rijksmuseum

Impressionist

Van Gogh Museum This is Amsterdam’s most visited museum. It really is remarkable. It has been expanded since the last time I visited about 15 years ago. Tickets should definitely be reserved in advance. The story of Vincent Van Gogh and his life’s triumphs and tragedies is told through narrative and his remarkable works of art.

Don’t Miss These Museums

Rembrandt House Museum – this was an unexpected treasure. I only learned about this museum after arriving in Amsterdam. We did not book ahead, walked in and got tickets easily. It is a fascinating look at the life of Rembrandt and his family, in the fully restored home he owned and lived in for twenty years. Learning more about this remarkable, talented and intelligent man was a bonus to our time at the Rijksmuseum.

Our Lord in the Attic – in the mid-1600’s all religions were forbidden in Amsterdam except Protestant. Catholic Churches were seized and synagogues were closed. Slowly secret hidden places of worship sprang up in homes, basements and in attics. This museum is a unique and astonishing look at a wealthy merchants home, its narrow and winding stairs that lead to a most remarkable hidden church in the attic. The property has been authentically restored and few visitors even know it is there. You should visit Our Lord in the Attic. Fair warning – lots of stair climbing involved.

And More

As we wandered this beautiful city we also visited the Floating Flower Market where you can buy fresh flowers, bulbs to take home and many other souvenirs. We visited several cheese shops, and we recommend the Henri Willig that offers a museum and tasting. The area known as 9 Streets is the heart of the central district and is fun to just get lost in. The Red Light District is still an active working area…it’s not for everyone, but you might stumble into it without even knowing. No photos of the ladies!

Wander and you will be surprised what you might find

For a quiet respite in this very busy city, take a stroll through Vondel Park. This beautiful, long and narrow park is a hidden gem of green in the middle of the city.

Amazing Amsterdam Where to Eat and Drink

Amsterdam is brimming with restaurants, but we found it to be more international cuisine than local Dutch fare. Our favorite foods of our entire visit were the foods we had on the food tour (see above). But we did enjoy the following restaurants below. It is highly recommended that you get a reservation for any sit down dining option or you may be disappointed.

Moeders – Reservations a must for this tiny spot where you can enjoy local dutch favorites.

Cafe de Rieger – One of Amsterdam’s famous Brown Cafes you definitely need a reservation here. Great service and food.

Heertje Friet– Amsterdam is known for it’s fries and we enjoyed fries at Heertje Friet twice because it was so good.

Herringstall Jonk Absolutely the best and freshest thing we ate during our entire time in Amsterdam was on our Food Tour and the stop at Herringstall Jonk. We had incredible local herring, perfectly prepared as well as the Dutch favorite Kibbeling, a traditional Dutch street food made from bite-sized pieces of white fish (traditionally cod) that are dipped in a spiced batter and deep-fried until golden and crispy. Amazing.

Deep fried cod bites called Kibbeling at Herringstall Jonk. Yum.

Brouwerij T’ij The Brewery in a Windmill I read about this place on another blog post and I knew my husband would love it. It’s a bit off the beaten path but easy access via tram and we visited for a couple of beers one afternoon.

PllekAmsterdam Noord We wanted to try taking the free ferry across the river Ij just for the fun of it. So on our final day in Amsterdam we did just that, and did a short walkabout and had a lovely dinner at Pllek. Built right on the river in a bunch of stackable containers, it was a fun destination.

Lovely dinner at Pllek in Amsterdam Noord

Sea Salt Saloon in Utrecht – while visiting Utrecht we had our favorite meal of our entire visit to The Netherlands. Book ahead if you can and do not miss the freshest and most delicious seafood restaurant around.

Razor clams in butter tarragon sauce. OMG.

Amazing Amsterdam Day Trips

Haarlem

Haarlem – If you have the time, a few hours in Haarlem is a lovely trip. Only 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal, we had a sunny day and spent three hours wandering around Haarlem. We enjoyed a lovely lunch right on the canal at Spaarne 66, had Instagram worthy photos at Molen de Adriann windmill. We visited the Town Square, Cathedral and a few cute shops as well as Jopenkerk, a brewery inside an old church.

Spaarne 66 restaurant sits overlooking the Spaarne River

Delft

Delft – It would be easy to combine Delft and The Hague on a day trip, but we did not realize this and only planned Delft. On our next visit we will see The Hague. Delft is very small, has an interesting Town Square, Old Church and New Church. But the main reason you visit Delft is to visit the Royal Delft Museum and Factory. I loved this so much, especially because you actually see the amazing Craftspeople at work. Three hours is enough in Delft.

Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans – do not miss Zaanse Schans. We were lucky to have beautiful weather for our visit to the outdoor Windmill museum. I highly recommend you do this visit on your own, not necessary to go on a big tour bus. It’s so enjoyable to wander at your own pace, go inside the working windmills and even take a short hike if you like. The Wooden Shoe workshop is also very fun and entertaining. We hoped off the train in Zaandam just to get a photo of the famous “Lego” building – a very unique architectural hotel right at the train station.

We visited two working windmills – this one is grinding chalk to make paint

It was hard to chose which photo to share…

Excellent demonstration at the Wooden Shoe Workshop

A quick stop for this photo opportunity in Zaandam.

Utrecht

Utrecht – our final day trip by train was to the lovely town of Utrecht. Although Utrecht is the fourth largest city in The Netherlands, it feels so much smaller and more peaceful than Amsterdam. We did not know we needed to book tickets to the Underground Museum ahead and it was sold out. So plan better than we did. There is also a guided tour up the 456 steps to the top of the tower. I couldn’t do that because of my knee, but apparently it is worth it. Don’t believe anything you see about an elevator…it does not exist. We used our GPSMyCity app to do a self guided tour and enjoyed it very much. See above for my recommendation about the amazing seafood meal we enjoyed in Utrecht.

Taking a break at New Square in Utrecht with famous Dutch Bitterballen

Amazing Amsterdam

You do not need to spend nine days in Amsterdam, but if you have the time it really is worth it. If you don’t have enough time, you might consider three days in the city, and one additional day for a day trip. Amsterdam has four seasons, so consider that in your planning. Our October visit was nice, a few showers and wind. The city was crowded even in October. I don’t think I would want to be here at the height of the summer season. And spring of course is when the tulips bloom, so that is a whole other scenario for crowds.

Thank you for reading my post Amazing Amsterdam. We really loved our long stay in this incredible city and I think you would too. See last weeks post The Baltic: Tallinn Estonia, Riga Latvia, Vilnius Lithuania here. From Amsterdam we now move on to a week in Egypt. Follow us on Instagram to see daily posts as we continue 103 Days of Travel.

We are always grateful for your comments, shares, pins and time on our website. Thank you. Bedankt.

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Away We Go! 103 Days of Travel!

August 21, 2026

Laureen

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After a six months break back in the Pacific Northwest to have total knee replacement and recovery, it’s time to get back on the road. We are excited to finish year ten of our Grand Adventure with a busy, but interesting itinerary that includes both some old favorites and some new to us destinations. Away We Go! 103 Days of Travel!

Ten Years

As we head out to finish our 2026 travels, we also are completing our tenth year of travel in retirement. Oh the places we have seen! If you have been following along…thank you. As we finish 2026 we also will be saying farewell to this blog. I have been writing this blog for FOURTEEN YEARS! It’s time to say goodbye at the end of 2026. However it’s not the end of our travels! We will continue to travel and share our adventures on Instagram. But for this upcoming 3.5 month itinerary…we will still be here sharing weekly travel posts every Friday.

What’s Next

To peak your interest and answer the most often question I get (Where are you going next?), here is our plans from August – December 2026 – 103 Days of Travel ;

New York City

7 Days Hotel

First stop a week in New York City to spend some time with our youngest son and his wife. On this visit we will try to see some of the hidden gems of the city, some places most tourists don’t go.

Greenland

8 Days, Partially Guided, Two Hotels

Long on my bucket list we will finally make it to Greenland. We have eight days and lots of wonderful things planned including iceberg spotting, kayaking and much more.

Denmark

4 Days, Apartment

From Greenland we head to Coppenhagen Denmark for a very brief visit with our cousins there as we regroup and head off to one of the most remote places we have ever been.

Svalbard

4 Days, Hotel, Two Guided Tours

I have been following a woman on Instagram for the past couple of years who lives on the tiny remote island of Svalbard near the North Pole. And I have been infatuated. Time to go see what we can see on a very brief visit.

Finland

Lapland 5 days, Hotel, Multiple Guided Tours

Helsinki 4 days, Hotel

Six years ago when we had to abandon our itinerary because of COVID, Finland (and the next three countries) were very highly anticipated destinations. Now we finally have them back on the schedule. We will spend ten days in Finland in Lapland and a few days in Helsinki.

Estonia

5 days, Hotel

We will cross the Baltic Sea on a ferry from Helsinki to spend five days in Tallin Estonia and the surrounding area.

Latvia

4 days, Hotel

It’s about five hours by bus from Tallin to Riga Latvia, where we will spend another five days exploring this beautiful area.

Lithuania

4 days, Hotel

Another bus takes us on to Vilnius Lithuania. We hear this area is stunning and fall is spectacular.

The Netherlands

Ten days, Airbnb, Day Trips by Train

Next we fly to Amsterdam. We have visited Amsterdam three times, but each time was on an overnight layover from the USA. Finally we are going to see it properly with a ten day stay. Our visit will include multiple day trips to cities in the surrounding region.

Egypt

6 days, two hotels, fully guided

Now this may seem odd to fly all the way to Egypt from Amsterdam BUT for ten years we have been hoping to visit the Grand Egyptian Museum. When we were in Egypt about 8 years ago, they said it would open the following year. Well, after more than twenty years in the making, this fantastic museum opened in late 2025. And we must go. We have a few other things we want to do while we are in the area, so stay tuned for more on all of that!

Switzerland

2 Days, Hotel

A quick two days in Zurich, a new to us city, as we leave Cairo and head to Portugal

Azores (Portugal)

28 days, Airbnb

We LOVED our month in Portugal in 2018, and have always wanted to see more. But this time we are headed to the Azores, an island group off the coast of Morocco that is part of Portugal. We will have an entire month to both relax and explore.

Back to NYC

9 days, Hotel, Thanksgiving with family

Then it’s homeward bound for the Christmas holidays. But before we do that, we stop back in The Big Apple for Thanksgiving and more with our son and his wife. New York during the holiday season has always been on my wishlist. Finally.

Come Along For the Ride Will You?

Will you come along for the ride? This trip is three and half months, mostly in cool or cold climates, and covers a wide range of natural, historical and delicious destinations. Four of these countries are new to us, and the rest we have visited before. I’ll be covering it all right here in the final few months of this MY FAB FIFTIES LIFE blog AND with daily posts on our series 103 Days of Travel on Instagram. Please follow our Instagram page.

Away We Go! 103 Days of Travel.

Thanks for reading my post Away We Go 103 Days of Travel and for following The Grand Adventure all these years. Let’s go out with a bang shall we? We are so appreciative when you comment, share and pin our posts. Thank you.

See last week’s post Walla Walla Washington to Hood River Oregon Road Trip

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Europe Travel

Visiting Vienna Austria

History, Beauty, Music & Charm

May 31, 2024

Laureen

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Location: Vienna Austria

Vienna. Wein. Wow. Somehow in all my travels Vienna had eluded me. Now that I have been there, I have no doubt I will be back. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in Europe – right up there with Budapest and Paris, two of my favorites. But Vienna is not Paris and it’s not Budapest. It is its own unique city with fascinating ancient and recent history and a charm and beauty like no other. Today let’s talk about Visiting Vienna Austria.

Vienna is home to incredible art and antiquities

UNESCO

The rich and varied history and significant cultural and archaeological influence of Vienna have made its historic core a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here is what the UNESCO website has to say about the distinctive history of Vienna.

Vienna, situated on the Danube River in the eastern part of Austria, developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a medieval and Baroque city, eventually becoming the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

During the Ottoman conflicts in the 16th and 17th centuries, the medieval town’s walls, which surrounded a much larger area, were rebuilt and provided with bastions. This remained the core of Vienna until the medieval walls were demolished in the second half of the 19th century

n 1683, Vienna became the capital of the Habsburg Empire and developed rapidly, becoming an impressive Baroque city. The Baroque character was expressed particularly in the large palace layouts such as the Belvedere Palace and garden ensemble. A growing number of new palaces were built by noble families, many existing medieval buildings, churches, and convents were altered and given Baroque features, and additions were made to representative administrative buildings.

Several historic Viennese buildings are now associated with the residences of important personalities such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert, when the city played an essential role as a leading European center for music. (Source UNESCO)

Habsburg Dynasty 600 Years

Charles II of Spain – Born 6 November 1661, Charles was the only surviving son of Philip IV of Spain and Mariana of Austria, who were uncle and niece. While European nobility commonly married within the same extended family to retain property, the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs were unusual in the extent to which they followed this policy, resulting in poor health and disfigurement as seen here. (Wikipedia)

The Habsburg Dynasty was in power for more than 600 years.

The Second World War created havoc in the city. Vienna was bombed 52 times during World War II, destroying much of the city. However, today the city is fully restored and more beautiful than ever. (Photo Google Images)

Visiting Vienna Austria

We had six days to explore this beautiful city. Prior to arrival we had booked several activities, as well as a room at the Mercure City Center hotel, an easy walk from the main historic center of the city. Our room was comfortable, staff was excellent and the breakfast was well done each morning. Here is how we spent our time Visiting Vienna Austria.

Stephen’s Cathedral, built in the 12th century, in the historic center

Arrival

Our early flight from Belgrade got us to Vienna around 10am. Efficient exit process through Vienna International Airport and to our hotel before 11am. Too early to check in, we dropped our bags, and headed out for a full day.

Visitors flock to Vienna and carriage rides are popular

Kunsthistorissche

We started at the world renowned Kunsthistorissche Museum. We had purchased tickets in advance, but I think in April we could have walked in. But during the busy summer months, you should reserve your tickets. Built in 1891 the museum is home to a vast collection of the Habsburg Imperial Family and considered one of the premier museums in the world. You could easily spend an entire day. We were there for about three hours and barely made a dent. We focused primarily on painting and sculpture. When I return to Vienna I will certainly see this museum again.

Leopold Museum

Our next stop was the Leopold Museum, Vienna’s Art Nouveau collection featuring Austrian artists including the incomparable Klimt. The modern art collection of Dr. Rudolph Leopold makes up the majority of the work, including a vast collection of the works of Egon Schiele and many other artists of the Vienna Succession Movement.

Austrian National Library

We popped into this beautiful building on our way to the MozartHaus and found a wonderful surprise. Since 2005, the collections have been located within the Baroque structure of the Palais Mollard-Clary. Founded by the Habsburgs, the library was originally called the Imperial Court Library. Stunning architecture as well as antiquities share the space with a vast collection of ancient tomes

MozartHaus

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived the final ten years of his short life in Vienna with his family. The house he lived in and composed some of his greatest works, is now a museum to his life. Surprisingly ordinary, the house sits on a main street within the historic core. Touring the MozartHaus museum includes a well done audio guide with facts and details about the life of this remarkable talent. However, the movie Amadeus was actually filmed mostly in Prague.

Griechenbeisl

It had been a long and productive day and we were starving. Time to visit Vienna’s oldest restaurant Griechenbeisl serving traditional Viennese food for 550 years. We dug into this giant Pork Knuckle with sauerkraut and potatoes and delicious local beer. Perfect end to our first day in Vienna.

Art & Music

Guten Morgen Wein – day two. Today we had booked a walking tour through Get Your Guide of the Imperial Palace area, which encompasses most of the historic center of the city. Our tour included an orientation of the area with stops outside the Hofburg Imperial Palace, the Austrian National Library, the Imperial Gardens, many pedestrian streets and the stalls of the Lipizaner Horses (more on that tomorrow). Inside the Hofburg Imperial Palace Additionally we toured Sisi Museum, where numerous personal items that once belonged to Elisabeth (Sisi) illustrate the true personality of the frequently misunderstood Empress.

Belvedere

We used Vienna’s easy tram system to head out to the Belvedere Museum, the former summer palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Today the beautiful Baroque buildings are the heart of the Belvedere collection including 24 paintings by Gustav Klimt with his golden images “The Kiss” and “Judith”. “The Kiss” is probably Austria’s most famous work of art.

In addition to fantastic art collection, the gardens at the Belvedere are exquisite. Be sure to save time for a lovely stroll around the pond to enjoy the gardens on a sunny day.

To Market to Market

After the Belvedere we hopped back on the tram and headed to the Kutschkermarkt, a neighborhood market outside of the center. Still early in the season, but we enjoyed the beautiful selection of flowers and produce, live music and crafts. Lots of seafood outdoor restaurants here as well, but we opted for a lovely and authentic Italian meal instead.

Mozart Concert

After a quick rest and change of clothes back at the hotel, we were back on the tram heading to a Mozart Concert by the Vienna Music Society. The wonderful concert, with orchestra in period costume, was so much fun, and the Golden Hall was exquisite.

The Musikverein was inaugurated by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1870. The Golden Hall in the Musikverein is known all over the world, not only because of the annual worldwide broadcast of New Year’s Concert by the Vienna Philharmonics, but also for being permanent seat of the Vienna Philharmonics and main stage of the Vienna Mozart Orchestra. I highly recommend this when in Vienna.

The Vienna Music Orchestra preparing to play

Lipizzaner Stallions

When I imagined visiting the Lipizzaner Stallions in Vienna, I imagined traveling outside of the city to big green equestrian field, like I might in Kentucky or Maryland. Oh no. These spectacular horses perform right in the heart of Vienna, in their own Baroque chandelier-ed arena built for the Spanish Riding School in 1729.

The Lipizzaner horse is one of the oldest breeds in Europe. The breed got its start in 1580 when Archduke Charles of the Austro-Hungrian Empire established a stud farm at Lipizza near the Adriatic Sea in modern day Slovenia. This occurred shortly after his brother, Maximilian II, had imported Spanish horses to Austria and founded the court stud at Kladrub. It was from the stud farm at Lipizza that the breed gets its name. Archduke Charles greatly desired to create a horse that was not only suited for war, but also for pulling carriages and performing in the manner of classical riding. Learn more here.

We booked our tickets in advance to see the morning performance of The Spanish Riding School. Not being a horse person myself, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I loved it. Absolutely astonishing the beauty, grace and athleticism of these magnificent animals. The riders also were amazing. It is highly competitive to be a rider at the school and it takes commitment.

To undergo training at the Spanish Riding School means a lifelong education, which is always subjected to the needs of the horses. It is tough, takes eight to ten years and requires iron discipline. The handed-down oral tradition of classic equestrian art still applies today and is passed on from generation to generation. The horse takes center stage and determines the duration of the training. Currently, there are three chief riders, eight riders, five assistant riders, as well as five trainees at the school. Learn more. Do not miss a Lipizzaner performance when in Vienna.

Performance venue for the Lipizzaner Stallions

Weinerschnitzel

Day three in Vienna and I still hadn’t had any Weinerschnitzel – Vienna’s signature dish. So I had read about a restaurant near to the Lipizzaner Stallions called beim Hofmeister. Their website said serving Weiner Traditional food since 1725. So we not only enjoyed a giant Weinerschnitzel but we ended with delicious Austrian Sachertorte as well.

Sound of Music in German

We booked ahead tickets for Rodgers and Hammerstein iconic Sound of Music at the beautiful Volksoper theater. Even though the show was in German, we know the songs and the story well enough to enjoy it nonetheless. It was a great performance, with highly talented cast and great sets. I recommend it when in Vienna.

Bratislava

I will have a separate blog post coming up about our day trip to Bratislava Slovakia (my 134th country), but let me suggest here what a nice day trip it is. If you have the time, take a day to cross the border and visit this lovely medieval city of Bratislava Slovakia. An easy one and half hour drive on a clean and efficient Flixbus bus system is a perfect way to go for less than $20 round trip. During the summer months you can also enjoy a Danube River cruise from Vienna to Bratislava and back with a six hour stay in the city. Watch for an upcoming blog post with more details about our day four visit to Bratislava.

Two Icons

There is still much to see in beautiful Vienna, and on day five we hit two iconic Vienna sites. I recommend booking tickets ahead for both the Vienna State Opera House and the Schonbrunn Palace.

Vienna Opera House

I have been to several opera performances in my travels, and I’m not personally a connisseur of opera. But you don’t need to love opera to love this tour. We booked ahead and I’m glad we did as the tours were sold out. This backstage tour of how this beautiful theater puts on over 300 performances a year was one of the most interesting things I have ever done. Get your tickets here.

Schonbrunn Palace

Schloss Schonbrunn is not to be missed on a visit to Vienna. It is Vienna’s most visited site so get your tickets ahead. Lots of tour busses full of visitors come here, so be prepared for lines, even if you have advanced tickets.

Tickets include an audio guide, which was really well done and easy to understand. The wealth and opulence of this summer residence of the Habsburgs is mind-boggling. Reminiscent of Versailles, Schloss Schonbrunn became the glittering focus of court life during the reign of Maria Theresa. From this time on, it played host to the leading statesmen of Europe.

We arrived an hour before our ticketed entrance time and spent an hour exploring the gardens, forest, labyrinth and walking up the hill to the summer gazebo. Here the view back towards the city, and down to the palace is beautiful.

We entered the palace at our ticketed time, dropped our backpack and went through security. Picked up our headset and then began the tour. All of that took about half an hour. The tour itself you can take as long as you want going from room to room guided by the audio. We spent about two hours.

We found the Vienna tram an easy way to get from the city to Schonbrunn Palace, about 5km outside of Vienna.

Evening Refreshments

Since it was such a hot and beautiful day, we ended this day five with beers sitting along the river watching the boats go by. Then a simple cold meal of the popular Vienna Brotchen open faced sandwich at Trzesniewski. Delicious.

Final Day

There are many more museums in Vienna that we did not see…we will save these for our next visit. We had a late flight on our final day, so we decided to get a late check out at the hotel, and spend the day on the Danube River.

First we enjoyed a walk from the Tram station on the Danube island in the middle of the river. Then we walked along the river front near the river cruise port. Sitting along the river we enjoyed a cold drink before boarding the cruise. We had booked the cruise onboard Blue Danube City Cruise. Our choice was the shorter option of about an hour and half, but a longer three hour cruise with lunch is also available. Although the loud speaker was very difficult to understand when sitting outside, we still learned a lot and enjoyed just seeing the sites from the water on a very beautiful day. Of most interest was passing through the locks.

Lugeck

We hated to leave beautiful Vienna, but it was time. So we booked at table at the famous Lugeck in the heart of the beautiful historic center. We enjoyed a lovely meal outside under the umbrellas, as we reminisced about this fantastic city and all it has to share.

Danke Schön Wein

What an amazing city and I truly think I could spend a couple of months here. Thank you Vienna. Danke Schon Wein. You are a shining example of preservation and graceful growth in the modern world. I will return. Danke.

Thank you for reading our post Visiting Vienna Austria. See last week’s post Visiting Serbia for the First Time here. Be sure to come back next week for a mega post about my ten days in Madagascar.

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Europe Travel

Andorra – The Heart of the Pyrenees

April 5, 2024

Laureen

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Location: Andorra la Velle

Andorra, officially known as the Principality of Andorra, is a small landlocked country located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. With an area of just 468 square kilometers, Andorra is one of the smallest countries in Europe. Despite its size, Andorra boasts a rich history, stunning landscapes, and a unique cultural heritage. Andorra – The Heart of the Pyrenees.

Third Time’s The Charm

We had considered visiting Andorra on two earlier occasions; before starting the Camino de Santiago and on a previous visit to Barcelona. Both times the logistics just didn’t work. So the third time is the charm. We had a few days to fill before heading to Greece, and a quick visit to Andorra seemed a perfect fit.

Andorra nestled between France and Spain

Mountain Majesty

The country is known for its picturesque mountainous terrain, making it a popular destination for outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. Andorra is home to several ski resorts, including Grandvalira and Vallnord, which attract tourists from around the world during the winter months.

Andorra’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, with visitors drawn to the country’s scenic beauty, duty-free shopping opportunities, and vibrant cultural festivals. The capital city, Andorra la Vella, is a charming town with a mix of historic architecture and modern amenities. The city is also known for its quaint shops, bustling markets, and delicious local cuisine.

Our Brief Visit

We took the regularly scheduled Andbus from Barcelona which was convenient and comfortable (although I wished for a restroom). The three and a half hour bus ride started at the Barcelona Airport and ended at our hotel for the bargain price of $75 per person roundtrip. We spent three nights at the historic Hotel Pyrenees. The nightly rate in March was $80 for a comfortable room that included an amazing breakfast. If you plan to ski you might want a car, but for our brief visit we knew we could walk everywhere we wanted to go in the capital city of Andorra la Velle.

There is wonderful dining and shopping in Andorra la Velle and we engaged in a little bit of both. I highly recommend two restaurants when visiting that we enjoyed;

Spanish Tapas at Izai

After a long travel day we ended up at this amazing restaurant right across the street from our hotel. We were looking for an early dinner, so we were presented the Tapas menu and what an unexpected treasure this place was. Absolutely delicious from tuna sushi to charcuterie. I highly recommend you visit Izai.

Authentic Mexican at Cantinita de la Adelita

We walked past this Mexican restaurant in the morning and the menu looked amazing so we tucked back in later in the afternoon. Spectacular selection of authentic Mexican treats in the heart of Andorra. I highly recommend you visit Cantinita de la Adelita.

Amazing guacamole at Cantinita de la Adelita

We did a lovely hike on a sunny but chilly morning on the Rec de Sola trail above town, giving us views back across the valley. We walked through the town and did a bit of shopping. Then we took some time to visit the Church of Santa Coloma is one of the oldest in Andorra. Dating to the pre-Romanesque period, it was built between the 8^th and 9^th centuries and has a rectangular nave and quadrangular apse. Its current appearance comes from the refurbishment carried out during the 12^th century, when the four-storey Lombard-style circular bell tower was added. It is one of the most photographed places in Andorra.

A River Runs Through It – the Gran Vilira

On our final day in Andorra la Velle we spent several hours at the famous Caldea Thermal Spa. Many people come to Andorra la Velle just to experience this state of the art and beautiful facility. We bought tickets that included dinner at Blu Restaurant, and for $18 we were amazed how good it was. Then we headed to enjoy all of the pools, spas, ice baths and saunas. Caldea also offers classes and massage and much more. It’s an absolute must when in Andorra la Velle.

Enjoying the grapefruit pool, just one of many options

The Heart of the Pyrenees

Despite its small size, Andorra has a unique political system known as a diarchy, with the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell in Spain serving as co-princes of the country. Andorra is also known for its low taxes and high standard of living, making it an attractive destination for expatriates and retirees.

Overall, Andorra is a hidden gem in the heart of the Pyrenees, offering visitors a perfect blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and outdoor adventure opportunities.

Thank you for reading my post Andorra – The Heart of the Pyrenees. See last week’s post When in Rome and stay turned for more upcoming Europe posts as we head next to the Mediterranean.

Don’t miss last week book review Lincoln on the Verge

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