REMEMBERING VIENNA AND DUBROVNIK
A graduation trip to Europe allows for moments of inspiration amongst old-world charm and bustling city streets
Vienna and Dubrovnik, while only 600 kilometers apart, both offer magnificent yet widely contrasting experiences of central Europe. Vienna, the city of music, consistently boasts of luxury and paradise in either inconspicuously quaint streets or pompous royal palaces. Meanwhile, the hidden gem that is Dubrovnik appears to be a rustic and bustling city on the coast of the Adriatic sea with eye-catching red, terracotta rooftops all over its charming Old Town.
SURROUNDED BY SPLENDOR
Grandeur, affluence, gold, and music are the first thoughts that come to mind when I recall the first stop of my Europe trip, Vienna. Whether I was having an apple strudel inside the local Gernst cafe or getting lost in the Schoenbrunn Palace, I was constantly given the impression that Vienna is an isolated utopian city that is disconnected from reality.
However, let me make it clear that the said grandeur and fantasy aren’t at all similar to Las Vegas’ flashy neon lights and tall skyscrapers. Instead, Vienna’s grandeur exposed itself gracefully throughout every little corner of its city. The consistent appearance of antique golden ornaments, glass chandeliers, and painted ceilings in every room and cafe easily transported me to my childhood (and current) desires of living like royalty. If you can’t picture it yet, search Anastasia (the movie) on Google Images and you’ll get a glimpse of the image I’m trying to recreate. Needless to say, Vienna has a very high standard of living so expect high prices too.
At the end of our trip, my family and I agreed that Vienna deserves much more attention in the media than it has at present since most only travel to see the Eiffel Tower or the canals in Venice. On the other hand, every single, tiny part of Vienna is picturesque. Just take a walk anywhere in the old city, and you’ll discover that every tourist site is just a few minutes away. Although spending 3 days in one city might seem a tad bit long, we still didn’t have enough time to visit all the main attractions.
THE BELVEDERE PALACE
To start our first day in Vienna, we visited the Belvedere Palace early in the morning. I can still vividly recall the very moment I walked into the palace gates. We took a 2 to 3-minute walk from a local bakery, and as we took a right turn from an unostentatious street, the grand Belvedere Palace seemed to have suddenly popped out of nowhere. The palace prominently stood out from its surroundings with its size, colorful gardens, mint green rooftops, and Baroque architecture.
The palace was created in the eighteenth century to serve as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of
Savoy. And yes, I said summer residence. It was and is still incredibly difficult to comprehend how an amazing palace was only used for a summer getaway. I mean, I could have lived in their closet, and I would have been perfectly satisfied. Besides its facade, the interiors of the palace were also meticulously detailed, and its art collection was outstandingly complete.
The art collection displayed international art, and Austrian art from the medieval ages until today. One of Austria’s most notable artists includes Gustav Klimt, and his large collection of art is displayed in this museum. His most famous artwork, which is definitely worth a visit, is The Kiss. You might recognize this particular painting from films and whatnot, but the sight of this painting in real life is a different experience altogether.
As a whole, the Belvedere Palace is easily one of my favorite museums of all time. The palace gardens, exquisite interiors, and wide range of local to international and medieval to modern art successfully hooked in. Moreover, the size of the whole palace was not too large and thus it wasn’t overwhelming. The trip to the museum only lasted from around 8 in the morning to 12 noon, which I felt was the perfect amount of time to finish and still appreciate everything in the palace.
Otherwise, if you’re a museum buff and you think that 4 hours is way too short for one museum, then definitely pay the Schönbrunn Palace a visit wherein you’ll need a mini train to get from point A to B. And if that’s still not enough, the Museum Quarters will undoubtedly get you satiated, since it comprises of 9 installations for you to spend a whole day in.
CAKE RIVALRIES
Vienna takes its pride for cakes on another level. Therefore, it is an absolute must for you to try their cakes and strudels. A popular Viennese specialty, the Sachertorte, was originally made for one of Austria's noble families royalties, but it quickly became one of Vienna’s most famous dishes. Then, in the 1930s, legal rivalries on who gets to claim the rights to the name ‘the original Sachertorte’ between Hotel Sacher and Demel bakery occurred. Twenty-something years later, both parties finally agreed on a settlement that eventually won Hotel Sacher its official rights to the name.
Being a lover of sweets and chocolate, I made it a point to visit both Hotel Sacher and Demel Bakery to find out what the commotion was all about. After multiple tastings and gained calories, I eventually found out that the Sachertorte was composed of two layers of light, airy chocolate cake separated by apricot jam and topped with chocolate icing.
In the end, I had to disagree with the legal consensus. Demel Bakery was a beautiful museum of pastries and cakes in itself. The antique and golden interiors of the bakery, plus the beautiful open-kitchen
already made the visit worthwhile. More importantly, their Sachertorte was the perfect balance of sweet and tart from the chocolate and apricots. However, do not let me sway your opinions, I still strictly recommend visiting both bakeries for the complete experience.
SCENIC DUBROVNIK
Dubrovnik’s hillside landscape, proximity to the Adriatic Sea, and beautifully preserved medieval Old Town have permanently etched an unforgettable image in my mind. Despite undergoing much destruction from past civil wars, the Old Town has still kept its original, untouched charm because of its people’s determination to rebuild and maintain its beauty.
Initially, my only motivation to visit Dubrovnik was to see King’s Landing from the television series Game of Thrones. However, little did I know that Dubrovnik would exceed my expectations in every possible way. The joyous people, delicious food, and scenic views all add up to why I have deeply fallen for this city.
Immediately upon our arrival at the airport, we were welcomed by our chatty cab driver who expressed infectious enthusiasm and love for Dubrovnik. He made it clear to us that the locals were indeed very proud of their home. In fact, we learned that the locals rarely emigrate due to the plain and simple reason that there is no need and want to. As we further explored, we began to fully understand the locals.
Despite being only an hour flight away from Vienna, Dubrovnik had no similarities with Vienna whatsoever. While Vienna is complete with the classic renaissance European architecture, Dubrovnik is distinctly known for its simple and consistent design of red rooftops and white walls all over the city. Since Old Town sits at the base of a hill where it meets the sea, the view from the top overlooking Old Town is simply priceless.
The whole city is very small compared to Vienna, and so we were able to finish the city’s sites in two days. So, we spent our third and last day in the peaceful Island of Lokrum which is just a quick ferry boat ride away. If you visit Dubrovnik, you most certainly have to visit this small island where you’ll find peacocks and wild rabbits running around in an uninhabited natural garden.
VIEW FROM THE TOP
Speaking of a priceless view, I strongly recommend the cozy Airbnb I luckily found for my family. Although my parents had daily complaints about the tiresome flight of stairs that led to our home, I still fully recommend it for its perfect location. While it has a great view from above, it’s also only a 5-10 minute walk from Old Town. Anywhere you stay in Dubrovnik will come with a flight of deadly stairs anyway.
By the time you and your friends finally climb that last step and walk into the apartment balcony, you’ll automatically forget the stress and witness the most spectacular view of the Adriatic Sea engulfing the whole of Old Town. On top of this breathtaking view, we were hosted by the sweetest locals. The host even taught us a bit of Dubrovnik history, since she works as a full-time historian. At that moment, I completely understood why she wanted to be a historian for a city like this. I mean, who wouldn’t?