"Tosca" in Vienna

Our agents travel to some pretty awesome destinations. When they return, our excitement to hear about their adventures is almost as great as their excitement is to share them. In ON LOCATION, they talk about the little nuances that make each place special. From Peru to South Africa, Switzerland, and Croatia, experience a fantastic second-hand journey and maybe take away some travel inspiration while you’re at it.

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My son, Riley, invited me to accompany him on a trip to Vienna only one week before departure. He had been planning this trip since last September as he’s wanted to attend the opera, “Tosca,” in the Vienna Opera House for many years now.

We departed Salt Lake City the afternoon of January 31, and made our way to Vienna, via Amsterdam, where we arrived late afternoon on February 1. Our hotel was located outside of downtown Vienna but extremely close to a subway station, which was the mode of transportation we utilized our entire stay.

We went into Vienna our first night and ate a traditional schnitzel dinner in a restaurant located deep underneath the city streets. The food was delicious and was accompanied by two musicians who added a traditional feeling ambience to the evening. I wandered the restaurant and found several large rooms that would make for an ideal location for a group’s lunch or dinner.

The following day we headed to a café called Demel as Riley had learned they were an excellent spot for the enjoyment of local foods such as sachertorte, a dense, layered chocolate cake. My favorite was kaiserschmarrn, a delicious, scrambled pancake served with plum preserves.

We also visited the Naschmarkt, home to food stalls and restaurants where you can pretty much find any food you want. It was there I tasted a special cheese and meat, direct from a butcher. Though it didn’t look very appetizing to me, it was actually quite tasty.

Our night at the opera was definitely a highlight as the venue is exquisite and steeped in history, and the stage sets and opera singers were beyond belief. I was honestly somewhat dreading this event, but truly ended up mesmerized and not wanting it to end.

One afternoon we visited Modling, Austria, a simple 30-minute train ride from Vienna. It’s a small, picturesque village full of boutiques and restaurants, as well as a beautiful church we were able to enter and visit. Our dinner that night was cordon bleu complete with traditional potato salad and a desert of strudel.

From the architecture to the shopping to the cuisine, this was a trip I shall not soon forget. It all went smoothly, and I found myself loving everything about this remarkable destination.