I’m fresh back from my vacation through the German-speaking countries! Vienna was great and I got to meet up with a friend there to make it even better. It’s a gorgeous and historic city, but there are some lessons I learned while in Austria.

You only need two days there.

Unless you really love art, classical music, and Habsburg history, two days is all you need. I stayed three full days and felt like I was running out of things to do. Plus, every museum charges admission and prices begin to add up. There are some really great museums. I went to the Albertina, but there are many museums around. Gustav Klimt is a saint to the Viennese, and you can see some of his artwork at the Belvedere.

If you are in Vienna for a few days, you can take a few day trips. I went to Bratislava, but I didn’t really enjoy it. Writing a full article on Bratislava isn’t worth it. There are also some vineyards that make Austrian wine about 40 minutes outside the main city.

Be prepared to fork over your youngest child to pay for your trip.

I guess I’m spoiled in Madrid. I’ve mentioned how I can get high quality coffee for €1.40 right by my door. Meanwhile in Vienna, paying less than €3.50 for a coffee is unheard of. My first two mornings in Vienna, I spent over €8 on coffee and a pastry! Needless to say I went to McDonald’s from there on out.

You can definitely find some more affordable options, but if you are spending most of your time around the touristy areas, €20 per person per meal is about the norm.

On top of that, museums usually cost over €10 for entry and St. Stephen’s Cathedral was a total rip-off if you ask me. They charged me €6 to basically take an elevator to look at the roof of the building.

Sisi is a total legend.

Elisabeth, better known as Sisi is beloved by people in both Austria in Hungary. She got married to Franz Joseph when she was 16 in 1854, but she wasn’t thrilled. She gave birth to four children, but began to feel trapped. Sisi started traveling all over Europe and hardly spent any time in Vienna.

In 1889, he only son committed suicide and she fell into a heavy depression. After that, she spent even less time in Vienna. In 1898, she was stabbed in the heart by an Italian anarchist who had originally planned to murder another person, but ended up killing her.

Nowadays, you can find Sisi all over Vienna in every tourist shop. If you are interested In learning more about Sisi and the Austrian Habsburgs, there are two palaces to go to in Vienna: Schönbrunn Palace and Hofburg Palace. Schönbrunn is a little farther outside the city and was considered the “summer home”. There’s also a large zoo in the park around the palace. Hofburg Palace is right in the middle of the city, not far walking distance from St. Stephen’s Cathedral. This was the “winter home” for the family, and it’s also where Spanish Horse Riding School is.

The Opera is a must, even if you don’t understand it.

I was a little nervous when my friend proposed to go to the opera. My knowledge of opera and theater is sub-zero. Whenever opera appears as a category on Jeopardy, I know I will get every one wrong. Well, we found some somewhat affordable seats, so we decided to go.

The Vienna Opera House is absolutely gorgeous. I wish we had had some more time to just explore, (but we were getting ice cream). Tours of the opera house are available for a very affordable price. It is truly jaw dropping.

We went to see an opera called Dantons Tod. It ran an hour and a half and we had little screens in front of us that translated the lyrics. Even German speakers had their subtitles on. I didn’t always understand what was going on, but it was definitely an experience I’ll never forget.

Wiener schnitzel is the second leading religion after Catholicism.

My first night in Vienna, my friend took me to a schnitzelhaus. There are many different types of Wiener Schnitzel. The true form is veal, but most people stick to the pork version. If you’ve had escalope or milanesa, it’s the same thing. So basically, the thing they claim is so Viennese, is really not! It’s still worth a try!

Also, be sure to try some Sacher cake. It’s chocolate cake with a fruity kick. You can go to the hotel where it was founded, but be prepared to wait in a very long line.

The daily passes for the U-Bahn (metro) are worth it.

If you’re going to be in Vienna for a few days, getting the 24 hours pass, or even the 48 hours pass, is worth it. An individual ticket is €2.20. The 24 hour pass is €8, so if you plan on taking four trips on the U-Bahn, it’s the better deal.

Or you can “ride black”, as the expression says in German, and just not buy a pass. You have to validate your passes before you ride, but there is also a high chance no one will check you. I unfortunately had a bad experience in Berlin one time, so I don’t chance it.

Vienna is what you make of it.

If you know you want to party, don’t come to Vienna, and don’t complain when the nightlife scene isn’t good. Vienna is known for Mozart, operas, and infiltrating royal bloodlines throughout Europe without wars (aka Habsburg dynasty). If you want a party, go to Budapest. Be prepared for stores to be closed on Sundays or to close around 8 PM. It’s a different way of life, but it doesn’t mean it’s bad. I had a lot of fun in Vienna and it’s best when enjoyed with someone else.