Touring Vienna on a Double-Decker Bus

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VIENNA, AUSTRIA — I had an afternoon to myself once my son-in-law Matt and I arrived by train in Vienna, known here as Wien. Matt works part of the week here and the rest in Burghausen, a small Bavarian city on the border of Austria. (More on that next week.)

While riding the train to Vienna I found several hop-on, hop-off bus tours online. I downloaded the app for one of them and bought a 24-hour pass for €34, about $40. I learned long ago that this is an excellent way to get an initial feel for a large city. Matt left for his office, while I walked out of the train station, called the Wien Hauptbahnnof, or Vienna Central Station. (Thank goodness for Google Translate.)

It took a few minutes, but I finally found the kiosk for the bus tour. I had purchased a pass for the Blue Line, which seemed to cover more of the city. I asked the young man at the kiosk if he spoke English: Sprechen Sie Englisch? (Despite having taken one semester of German in college, I only know two complete sentences. The other is Ich spreche kein Deutsch: I don’t speak German. I can say “Please” and “Thank you” as well. If you need to find the bathroom in a restaurant, one just says “Toilette?” That’s about it for my German acuity.)

He looked at me and laughed. “Of course!” he replied in flawless English. “Hey, is that the new iPhone 17 you have there?” I was clutching it tightly in my hand. I had purchased it a few days before flying to Munich because of its superior camera. It now serves as my brain — useful when traveling in places where I don’t speak the language. Without it? Things could get tricky.       He directed me to a bus idling nearby, instructing me to get off at the first stop to switch to the Blue Line. This first bus was on the Yellow Line — called the Imperial Tour because it emphasizes palaces and castles. I grabbed a pair of cheap earbuds from a box by the driver, climbed aboard, and went to the top level for better photo perspectives. Each seat had an audio guide box with options in German or English. I was soon joined by a Canadian couple from British Columbia. We exchanged pleasantries.

The first stop was Upper Belvedere Palace, completed in 1723. I dutifully hopped off and wandered around a while, snapping photos. (One accompanies this piece.) I decided not to buy an admission ticket since time was limited.

After a couple of false starts — which was fine given the magnificent scenery — I finally boarded the Blue Line bus and decided to stay on and not hop off. (Pro tip: When shooting through glass, if you aim the lens at an angle, there is little to no reflection. It also helps if it is an overcast day, as was this one.)

We passed the Wiener Riesenrad, a giant Ferris wheel built in 1897 by English engineer Walter Bassett, who died broke just ten years later. Scheduled for demolition in 1916, the Ferris wheel survived —  ironically — because the government was too broke to dismantle it, likely due to World War I. Originally built with 30 gondolas, it was severely damaged in World War II and rebuilt with only 15. I was tempted to take a ride, guessing the view of Vienna would be spectacular. Next time.

The tour crossed the Danube River, where a lone tugboat was pulling a barge. The Danube flows for 1,770 miles through 10 countries, from the Black Forest in Germany through the Danube Delta in Romania, eventually emptying into the Black Sea. Along its banks stands the Donaupark-Aussichtsturm (Danube Park Observation Tower), built in 1964 for an international garden exhibition. Several construction cranes loomed behind it — modern Vienna is experiencing a building boom.

The tour ended within walking distance of Matt’s work apartment. Relying on Google Maps, I walked the mile or so there. That night, we enjoyed a true Bavarian feast at a nearby restaurant — my final meal in Vienna.

For now.

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