We went to Café Leo for breakfast, since it was close to the apartment. We all had the Viennese Breakfast, which consisted of a soft boiled egg (in an egg cup), soft roll, cheese, marmalade, cucumber, and tomato. It was more filling that it sounds, and a great way to start the day!
Mozarthaus
One of the days highlights was Mozarthaus Vienna (also known as the Figaro House). Mozart lived in this house, in the first floor apartment (what we’d call the 2nd floor in the U.S.) from 1784 to 1787, and it’s the only Mozart residence in Vienna that still exists. The house is now a museum featuring many aspects of Mozart’s life and work, including the refurbished rooms where he once lived. During his time in this apartment, Mozart composed his opera The Marriage of Figaro (hence the nickname Figaro House) and three of the six Haydn Quartets.
The apartment includes servants quarters and a guest room (which was used extensively, particularly after one of his frequent parties). The apartment was not only the most opulent residence Mozart ever lived in, it was considered a high-end apartment, fitting of Mozart’s station. Mozart was 26 years old when he, his wife, and first child moved in. The couple would welcome their second child while living in the apartment.
Baumkuchen/Trdelník
We stopped for a snack at a baumkuchen/trdelník stand. Baumkuchen is the German word for “tree cake” or “log cake”, and is made on a spit by brushing layers of batter and rotating the spit around a heat source, resulting in rings of cake. Ingredients include almonds, cinnamon, vanilla sugar, caramel, and peanuts. What drew us to the baumkuchen was the smell. We were walking through the streets of Vienna after the Mozarthaus, and this amazing smell hit us like a ton of bricks. We tracked down the source, and this was it!
This delicious treat also goes by the name trdelník, which is a traditional spit cake originating from the northern part of the historical Kingdom of Hungary, now recognized as a popular pastry in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Every stand we saw used both names.
Wiener Christkindlemarkt At Night
In the evening, we headed back to the Wiener Christkindlemarkt at Rathausplatz so we could see it at night. Apparently so did everyone else—it was very crowded! It really is spectacular at night. Not only the market stalls themselves, all lit up, but the surrounding park has lit displays throughout, and there’s a Nativity Trail with many different Nativity Scenes to look at. There’s also an ice skating track. It’s not a rink, it’s a meandering track that works its way around the park.
Zach and I had pulled pork hot dogs that were a dog cut open and layed in flatbread, topped with pulled pork, onions, and cheese. Teresa and Allison had more traditional hot dogs (albeit very large ones).
We loved this Christmas Market, although by the end of the trip it had fallen in ranking, but it was still a must-see market. It would be at the top if you have kids, since there’s so much more to do (ice skating, ferris wheel, carousel).
Here’s a short video of a giant heart floating from one part of the plaza to another. Unfortunately, I stopped recording just before the end (I thought it was done, lol). Once the giant heart “landed” in the tree, the entire tree lit up with smaller red hearts. It was pretty cool.
Light of Creation Light Show in the Votive Church
After the Christmas Market (and a quick drink at the Einstein Bar), we went to the Votive Church for the “Light of Creation” light show. Here’s how the Light of Creation website describes the show:
“Light of Creation” is a 30-minute immersive light show that tells the story of creation through a captivating blend of light projections, music, and architecture. Held in the magnificent Votivkirche in Vienna, this show offers a unique opportunity to experience the beauty and grandeur of this historic building in a new light.
The show was absolutely amazing. It felt longer than 30 minutes, but in a good way. The way they used the contours of the church with the light was incredible. If they’re still doing this show when you visit Vienna, I highly recommend it. There are a few video snippets down below, after the photo dump, so you can get a taste of what it was like.
Wiener Christkindlemarkt Photo Dump
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