I am a born and raised Budapester, and I do love my city. Despite this fact, I am going to urge you to leave the capital in the upcoming weeks (forgive me my dear Budapest!!) and visit another capital: Vienna.
How to Get There
Vienna is the perfect destination for a weekend trip because you can reach the city from Budapest in about 3 hours, and there are a variety of easy transport options. I have been to Vienna by bus as well as train, and both were comfortable ways of travelling. If you choose the train you can buy so called “trip tickets” (“kirándulójegy”) to Vienna. These are valid for 4 days and one round-trip ticket costs 25 euros. There is also an option to buy a €34 trip ticket which includes public transportation (“városi közlekedéssel”) – then for the first two days you can use public transportation in Vienna free of charge. If you prefer taking the bus, you have several options. Orangeways and Volánbusz offers daily bus rides to the Austrian capital. When I took the bus to Vienna I chose Orangeways, the ticket is quite cheap – 3750 forints for one direction. Be prepared however as the service level tends to match the relatively cheap price tag!
What to See and Do
I am constantly amazed by the sheer immensity of activities and events Budapest has on offer and the same can be said for Vienna. I am not going to talk about traditional Top 10 places you should see in Vienna (Stephansdom, Belvedere, Schönbrunn, Hundertwasserhaus etc.), you can easily find information about these on the Internet. I am only going to recommend two programs which are available only temporary in Vienna.
Matisse visits Vienna (20 September 2013 - 12 January 2014)
This autumn, Vienna’s famous fine art museum, the Albertina, hosts an exhibition under the title Matisse and the fauves. “Fauves” means “wild animals”. It refers to a group of young artists from the turn of the century. Henri Matisse was the head of this group and they created a scandal in 1905 when they displayed their paintings at the 3rd Paris Autumn Salon. Their style is characterized by vivid, luminous colors and hasty brush strokes. The critics compared them to wild animals, hence the name for the group. Though the movement did not last long, it was a significant moment in the history of Modernity. The majority of these paintings are available to view for the first time ever in Central Europe, so don’t miss the exhibition if you are interested in fine art. (Tickets: Adult – €11.90; Students under 26 - €8.50)
Note: The Permanent Collection (Monet to Picasso) of the Albertina will be on tour till 10 December 2013.
Wiener Adventzauber
Christmas is coming and in Vienna that means the season of Christmas markets or Weihnachtsmarkt or Adventmarkt. The markets have a long history going back to the Middle Ages, nowadays they are visited by around 3 million people each year. They are popular among Austrians and, obviously, among tourists as well. From the middle of November the markets will be scattered throughout the city. The main market can be found at Rathausplatze which becomes a real winter wonderland during this period and is a must see! Vienna is famous for its harsh weather, but do not be afraid of the cold – one cup of hot Glühwein (mulled wine) will keep you warm for hours! Note: From the beginning of December, Volánbusz will offer bus tickets for one-day Vienna trips, specifically for those who would like to visit the Christmas markets.
Alexandra Medzibrodszky, Hungary, History
Images: www.albertina.at, www.joobili.com
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