to travel is an opportunity
Day 12 & 13: Classical Gradeur Vienna
Final tour location
A gorgeous hotel.
Wow, this is it! Last two nights of our grand tour. After checking in our hotel, and resting, we did our last orientation walk with a local tour guide. We rode the train and our first stop was at Stephen's Cathedral.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Austria's most prominent national symbol, this magnificent cathedral is known for its intricately tiled roof and its nearly 500-foot-tall South Tower, which provides amazing views of the entire city. It was a busy area and I can’t blame them for the cathedral is just an iconic place here in Vienna. We then stroll Graben St. where street performers, busy shops are on site and some historic landmarks.
Sisi Museum
House of Austrian History
Vienna State Opera
Swiss Courtyard of the Hofburg Palace
All Day in Classy Vienna!
The following day, we visited the Third Man Museum, a private museum created with pure passion. It’s a must for film fans and anyone interested in Vienna’s post-war history. Had our lunch break at Nasch Market and for our final major stop was the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Fine Arts Museum), one of the greatest museums in the world. The interior itself was breathtaking, with marble columns, staircases, and statues. Inside, we admired art spanning five millennia—from Ancient Egypt to the modern era. Highlights included masterpieces by Dürer, Raphael, Titian, and Velázquez, as well as the world’s largest collection of Bruegel paintings. After the group tour, Brian and I headed to Schönbrunn for lunch before returning to our hotel.
Third Man Museum
Fine Art Museum
A beautiful collection of stories told through color, form, and time.
SAVORY SEND-OFF
Here's Ms Jackie giving a toast to our amazing tour guide and educator Michael and shared how great of the tour it was. It was her birthday as well and she jokingly said "thank you for coming to my birthday''. hahahaha I love her. We enjoyed our last group dinner together—a special night full of laughter and memories, the perfect way to end our journey. ​
Here is Michael, giving us our tour wrap-up briefing. It was sweet of him that he gave us a printed copy of our group picture as a remembrance. Did our last buddy check, made a toast and head to the restaurant for our farewell dinner. ​
It was indeed a memorable experience.
"til next time....
And here's Will, our awesome, nice and friendly bus driver. He doesn't even need to use a GPS during the entire trip. His navigation skills of small European town roads is incredible.