A Whirlwind Four Days in Vienna: Food, Architecture, Christmas Markets and Sister Time
How a last-minute detour turned into one of our favourite trips
When my little sister got married, she and her husband moved to Cornwall almost immediately afterward for his navy posting. Naturally, my other sister and I wanted to visit her… but after nearly choking at the idea of £300 flights each, we started exploring alternatives. With a bit of strategic Googling (and mild chaos), we realised that a four-day trip to Vienna would cost us just £70 each. So instead of travelling southwest, we booked a budget flight to Austria, and met my other sister there, and turned it into an impromptu sisters’ getaway.
It ended up being one of the happiest, funniest, cosiest trips we’ve had together; full of food, architecture, Christmas markets, and the usual dose of sibling nonsense.
The Food: A Trip Built on Snacks, Pastries, and Colour-Coded Map
Travelling with Heather basically guarantees you’ll never be more than thirty seconds away from your next meal. Before we even landed, she had already created a printed, annotated map of every food stop she wanted to try; bakeries, cafés, schnitzel, pastries, Christmas market stalls… you name it.
And honestly? She nailed it.
We spent most of the trip wandering between cafés, warming our hands on mulled drinks, and taste-testing everything Vienna put in front of us. Pretzels the size of our faces, strudels so buttery they practically dissolved, comforting bowls of goulash, elegant pastries layered like artwork, Vienna really is a dream for food lovers.
There’s something grounding about eating your way through a city. It slows the pace, softens the schedule, and gives you these little pockets of joy throughout the day. This trip was full of them.
The Architecture: A City That Doesn’t Have a Bad Angle
Vienna’s architecture is the kind that makes you stop mid-walk with your mouth hanging open. Every street seems to have its own personality, its own rhythm, its own viewpoint worth photographing. It’s ornate without being overwhelming, grand without feeling cold.
We spent our days wandering from landmark to landmark, taking it all in:
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
A masterpiece in every sense, towering, intricate, and full of history. We climbed the narrow staircase up the spire, and the views were more than worth the breathlessness (and the questionable life choices halfway up).
The Belvedere Gallery
Home to Klimt’s “The Kiss,” which is even more mesmerising in person than you’d expect. The gallery itself is a work of art, airy rooms, gilded accents, and the kind of natural light artists dream about.
The Holocaust Memorial
A stark, powerful reminder set in carved concrete books. Simple, quiet, and incredibly impactful.
Between the landmarks, the everyday buildings were just as captivating, elegant facades, crisp lines, and details that make the city feel timeless.
Christmas in Vienna
If Heather could legally marry Christmas, she probably would. After this trip, she even booked another whirlwind holiday around Europe to France, Switzerland, and Denmark just to visit more markets. So naturally, she pulled us into every Christmas-themed corner Vienna had to offer.
And Vienna at Christmas? Magical is an understatement.
We must have spent 70% of our time wandering Christmas markets, sipping hot punch, browsing handmade ornaments, trying every festive treat we could get our hands on. The stalls glowed under fairy lights, the air smelled like cinnamon and spice, and every corner felt warm and inviting despite the cold.
She couldn’t walk past a Christmas tree without stopping for a photo. I think we documented every tree in central Vienna.
Vienna Christmas Market
This was the showstopper, bright, bustling, full of atmosphere. Rows of stalls, glittering lights, and the kind of festive energy that wraps around you like a warm scarf. Even if you’re not obsessed with Christmas, you will be after a day here.
The Big Wheel: The Part I Loved… Eventually
Sister trips always seem to include at least one activity that pushes someone’s comfort zone, and this time, it was mine. The Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel is a huge wooden gondola-style wheel that lifts you about 200 feet in the air. On a windy day.
I am not great with heights. And by “not great,” I mean I questioned all my life choices the minute the door closed.
But, and this is important, even though I spent most of the ride silently negotiating with gravity, I do look back on it fondly. There’s something special about doing something you’d never pick for yourself simply because you’re with people you love.
And the views really were incredible.
Thoughts on the Trip
Vienna was never the plan, but it was exactly what we needed. The city is stunning, the food is phenomenal, the architecture feels like a warm embrace, and during Christmas it has a kind of cosy magic you can’t replicate.
What made it truly special, though, was the time together, laughing until we wheezed, eating far too much, wandering without rushing, and collecting the kind of memories that live longer than any souvenir.
It’s a trip I’d repeat in a heartbeat.
