Buitrago de Lozoya

Buitrago de Lozoya is a 1,854 inhabitants small town by river Lozoya in Sierra de Guadarrama, in the northern part of the Community of Madrid (Spain). Its old town is very well preserved and was declared BIC (Bien de interés cultural) in 1993.

How do I arrive to Buitrago de Lozoya?

  Buitrago de Lozoya isn't as well connected as other places in the region but it can still be reached easily from Madrid. 

• Bus: there are buses every hour to Madrid (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes) from Buitrago de Lozoya, reaching Plaza de Castilla Bus Station. 
• Car: if you rented a car, Buitrago de Lozoya can be reached from Montejo de la Sierra (aprox. 20 minutes), Torrelaguna (aprox. 25 minutes), Rascafría at Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (aprox. 30 minutes) or from Madrid (aprox. 1 hour).

History

The history of Buitrago de Lozoya begins in the 11th century, when the king Alfonso VI of Leon and Castile gave privileges to this area in order to be repopulated. In 1368 king Henry II of Castile gave it as a manor to Pedro González de Mendoza, mainteining it on the House of Mendoza till the early 19th century. The period in which Buitrago reached its peak of importance was between the 15th and 16th centuries, particulary under Íñigo López de Mendoza, Marquess of Santillana. From the 16th century onwards it lost its strategical importance and started losing population, only recovering that importance during the Peninsular War (in this period the town walls were burnt by Napoleon troops). It wasn't until after the Spanish Civil War when Buitrago de Lozoya recovered some importance due to the construction of a reservoir in river Lozoya and the motorway A1 that connects Madrid and Burgos.

What can I visit in Buitrago de Lozoya?

  Buitrago de Lozoya is a nice town to walk and discover why it was named BIC. It's perfect as a first stop when visiting the north of the Community of Madrid on a day trip.

These are Buitrago de Lozoya's main attractions:

• Buitrago de Lozoya Castle: 15th century castle with a mixture of Gothic and Mudéjar styles that was used as a palace too. Joanna la Beltraneja, Isabella I of Castile's niece and claimant to the throne of the Crown of Castile, lived here.
• Buitrago Town Walls: walls with Muslim origin that were built around the 11th century, restored in the 15th century by the Crown of Castile. It is divided in two parts, adarve alto and adarve bajo, being the former the one that keeps more defensive elements (such as towers or the castle).
• St. María del Castillo Church: Gothic church first built in the 14th century that has suffered some changes with time. Its main entrance is in Flamboyant style and its tower is beautifully built in Mudéjar style. It was damaged during the Spanish Civil War and rebuilt in Neomudéjar style.
• Picasso Museum (11-13:45 and 16-18 Tue-Fri, 10-14 and 16-19 Sat, 10-14 Sun; free): small museum that contains around 60 works given by Picasso to his barber and friend Eugenio Arias, native from Buitrago de Lozoya.
• Buitrago Old Bridge: Medieval bridge built over river Lozoya.
• Forest Palace: early 17th century palace built in Renaissance style by Iñigo López de Mendoza for the House of Mendoza. Today just some ruins remain from the palace.

Buitrago de Lozoya Castle

St. María del Castillo Church

Montejo beech forest

Only 15 km northeast it can be found Montejo de la Sierra (353 inhabitants), a small village located in entrance to Sierra del Rincón. Like many of the villages in the area, it keeps traditional housed made of blackboard (named arquitectura negra) that make them worth to have a walk. Close to it is located Montejo beech forest (guided tour booking on advance; free), one of the southernmost beech forests in Europe (part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. This wonderful place is full of beeches and other types of flora and fauna, making it one of the most visited beech forests in Spain (particulary in autumn). Continuing to the border with Castile-La Mancha it can be reached the picturesque village of La Hiruela (57 inhabitants), that keeps traditional architecture, apiaries and coal cellars. There's a small museum, La Hiruela Ethnographic Museum (guided tours on Sat and Sun), that shows the visitor the traditions and way of living in this mountanous part of the Community of Madrid. Going 32 km south from Buitrago de Lozoya it's located the town of Torrelaguna, 4,760 inhabitants. This place has some important religious building such as St. María Magdalena Church, 14th century Gothic church comanded by Cardinal Cisneros (native from the town) with an interesting Plateresque altarpiece; and cute squares such as Plaza Mayor or Plaza de la Montera. Contuing a bit there's one of the most rural destinations in the region of Madrid, Patones (541 people). It's one of the brightest examples of arquitectura negra and declared BIC in 1999.

Where can I eat in Buitrago de Lozoya?

In case of eating in Buitrago de Lozoya, a good idea can be the restaurant Portachuelo (Avenida de Madrid 21).

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Posted in: Europe,Madrid region,Spain

Madrid

Madrid is a 3,266,126 inhabitants city flowed by river Manzanares, being the capital city and most inhabited city of the Community of Madrid and Spain. This city has an imperial and multicultural heritage due to it's time as Habsburg capital city, hosting influenced of both West and East Europe. It's considered a leading European music center and one of the most liveable city in Europe.

How do I arrive to Madrid?

 Madrid is a very big city and the capital city of Spain so there are many way to arrive there from many places:

• Plane: the most frequent way to arrive to Madrid is by plane is using Madrid-Barajas International Airport, 19 km south east from the city. To go from the airport to the city, there are buses every hour (even in the early hours) and trains (CAT is faster 5-10 minutes faster than average train line but more expensive). Another choice that is sometimes cheaper is flying to the near city of Bratislava (Slovakia), just 60 km from Vienna. To go from Bratislava to Vienna there are buses from the airport (1-2 hours).
• Train: the main train station is Wien Hauptbahnhof. There are trains to Salzburg (2.5 hours, 40€), Linz (1.5 hours, 30€), Graz (2.5 hours, 25€), Innsbruck (4 hours 15 minutes, 60€). Trains from Vienna to Bratislava cost 10€ and last 1 hour.
• Bus: from Vienna Bus Station there are buses to almost all over the country.
• Car: if you rented a car, it's a 2 hours journey to Graz and Linz, 2 hours 45 minutes to Salzburg and 4 hours 50 minutes to Innsbruck. To other foreigner cities it takes 1 hour to arrive to Bratislava (Slovakia) and 1 hour 40 minutes to reach Brno (Czech Republic).

Once in Vienna, as in many European capital cities, the best ways to move are using public transportation (Madrdi Metro, train and buses), bicycles or walking.

History

 The first settlements in what is now Vienna were the Celts, later Germanic tribes and after it, the Romans, which founded Vindobona as a defensive point in the Danube river. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire it was occupied Avars by Hungarians till the 9th century, when Charlemagne conquered it and added it to the Eastern March, which later grew into the duchy of Austria. During Middle Age Vienna was an important ally of the Pope and it was first inhabited by Babenberg dynasty and later Habsburg dynasty, becoming de fact the capital of the Holy Roman Empire since 1437 (except when it was invaded by Matthias Corvinus of Hungary), having a huge cultural and scientific development. During the 16th and 17th centuries Vienna was threatened twice by an Ottoman invation (Siege of Vienna in 1519 and Battle of Vienna in 1683) and it suffered a plague which reduced a third its population; despite this, Vienna was the center of Baroque-style in Europe. In the Napoleonic wars Austria was defeated by France in Battle of Wagram, becoming its ally till the French defeat in Russia, when the chancellor Klemens von Metternich changed again Austrian Empire's side. When France was defeated, in the Congress of Vienna, the Austrian Empire's territories were preserved. In 1857 the city walls were demolished and, after the loss in the Austro-Prussian War, Austria gave more power to its inner nacionalisms, becoming the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During Franz Joseph I's reign the country had an important development but after Franz Ferdinand (heir presumptive of the Austro-Hungarian throne) assaination in Sarajevo in 1916, WW1 started, which ended with the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After WW1 Vienna became the capital city of the Republic of German-Austria and then the First Austrian Republic, remaining a high center of culture and modernism and called red Vienna (because the socialdemocrat SPÖ won always there until Dolfuss' dictatorship). In 1938 took place the Anschluss (union with Germany) and became part of Nazi Germany till the end of WW2. After the war, Vienna and Austria were firstly divided like Germany but in 1955 the Austrian State Treaty created the Second Austrian Republic. It's the third UNO's capital (after New York and Geneva) and since 1995 it belongs to the EU.

Madrid's top 10

If you have little or you just don't want to visit all Madrid, here's a list of the 10 places you can't miss in Madrid.

1. Prado Museum.
2. Queen Sofia Modern Art Museum.
3. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
4. Retiro Park.
5. Royal Palace of Madrid.
6. Puerta de Alcalá.
7. Templo de Debod.
8. Enjoy Madrid's nightlife scene.
9. Hundertwasser House.
10. St. Charles Borromeo Church.

What can I visit in Madrid?

Vienna is visited by aprox. 7 million people per year because of it's history, culture and buildings. There's a card that allows you to get into some monuments for free and get discounts (Viena Pass). Whether or not buying it, it's up to you; but it's very recommended checking and comparing the places you want to visit and their price and the card's one. Some of the state owned museums are free on Sat afternoons. These are the main sightseeing points:

• Queen Sofia Art Museum (10-21 Wed-Sat and Mon, 10-14:30 Sun; 5€/ free  adults/ retiree, students and people under 18): . There's also a branch of this museum located at the Crystal Palace (10-22 from Apr to Sep; 10-19 Oct and Mar; 10-18 from Nov to Feb; free), in Retiro Park.
  
• Jesus de Medinaceli Basilica (): .

  

  Portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni
  by Domenico Ghirlandaio
  

• Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (12-16 Mon; 10-19 Tue-Sun; 13€/ 9€/ free  adults/ retiree and students/ kids): art museum which has the 2nd largest private art collection after the British Royal Collection, Thyssen-Bornemisza family one. It complements perfectly Prado Museum and Queen Sofia Museum, having works from English, Dutch and German schools as well as Impressionists, Expressionists and 20th century paintings. Among them, some of the highlights are Portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni by Domenico Ghirlandaio, Venus and Cupid holding a mirror by Rubens, View of Vessenots, Auvers by Van Gogh and others by Dürer, Canaletto, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Renoir, Monet, Degas, Kandinsky, Dalí or Lichtenstein.
• Naval Museum of Madrid ():
• Plaza de Oriente: .

  

  Royal Palace of Madrid
  

  
  
• Royal Palace of Madrid (10-20 from Apr to Sep; 10-18 from Oct to Mar; 10€/ 5€/ free adults/ retiree, students and kids under 16/ kids under 5): . On Wed and Thu 18-18:30 it's free for EU citizens.
• Madrid Cathedral (): . Below it can be found Madrid Cathedral Crypt (10-20), luminous crypt built in Neo-Romanesque style in 1911. It has more than 400 columns and 20 chapels and hosts the remains of the mural of Nuestra Señora de la Flor de Lis, one of the only examples of Romanesque art in the Community of Madrid. 
  
• Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales (10-14 and 16-18:30 Tue-Sat; 10-15 Sun; 6€ /free adults/kids under 5): parks next to Hofburg whose highlights are many statues (like one of Mozart), a Butterfly House and an art nouveau conservatory. .
• Haus der Musik (10-22; 13€ /6€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 12/kids under 3): sound and music museum provided with hi-tech interactive and multimedia expositions to explore the music history and composers. It's located in the Palace of Archduke Charles, where Otto Nicolai (founder of the Vienna Philharmonic) lived.
• Literature Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 5€ /4€ /free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): museum about Austrian literature from the 18th century to nowadays, presenting F. Kafka's, J. Nestroy, A. Schnitzler, I. Aichinger or F. Mayröcker's work. It also has a surprising objects room based on literacy characters.
• Mozarthaus Vienna (10-19; 11€ /9€ /4.50€  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): only remaining house where the famous musician Mozart lived. It shows how was the society in the end of the 18th century and some original scores.
• Kunstforum (10-19 Sat-Thu; 10-21 Fri; 11€ /6€ /4€  adults/students/kids under 17): museum which has interesting temporary expositions of Modernistic or Contemporary important artists like Frida Kahlo or Balthus.

  

  Liria Palace

• Liria Palace (9:45-14 Mon, 9:45-14 and 15:45-18:30 Tue-Sun from Mar to Oct; 9:45-14 Mon, 9:45-14 and 15:45-18:30 Tue-Sun from Nov to Feb; 14€/ 12€/ free  adults/ retiree, students and kids under 12/ kids under 6 and Mon 9:45 and 10:15): 18th century palace built and owned by the House of Alba, considered the 2nd most important palace in Madrid after the Royal one. The palace has parts of the large collection of this family like Alba bible (1430 illuminated bible), several portraits of Alba duchies and duchenesses made by artists like Goya, plus paitings by other reknown artists (such as Tiziano, El Greco, Renoir or Winterhalter) and furniture from those years. The palace was destroyedd during the Spanish Civil War but shortly afterwards rebuilt. The visit lasts 65 min and it has an audioguide included.
  
• Anchor Clock: art nouveau clock built in 1911. At midday there's a "parade" in the clock with the most famous people that have lived in Vienna.
• Cerralbo Museum (9:30-15 Tue-Sat; 10-15 Sun; 3€/ 1.50€/ free  adults/ reduced/ retiree, students and kids): .
• Casa Gallardo:
  
• Parque del Oeste: Here it's located one of the favourite places of locals, Templo de Debod (10-14 Tue-Fri, 10-19 Sat-Sun; free). This ancient Egyptian temple, first built by Adikhalamani (Kushite king of Merë) around 200 BC, was dismantled in Egypt when Aswan Dam was built and gifted to Spain as a sign of gratitude for the help provided by Spain in saving Abu Simbel temples and rebuilt in this park in 1968.
• St. Antonio de la Florida Chapel (9:30-20): 18th century Neoclassic chapel built by Flilippo Fontana for the Spanish king Charles IV. It's famous for the ceiling and dome frescoes depicting the miracles of St. Anthony of Padua by Francisco de Goya. It's also Goya's final burial place after his remains (but the skulll) were transferred from Bordeaux in 1919.
  
• Jewish Museum (10-18 Sun-Fri; 12€ /8€ / free  adults/students/kids under 18): located in Eskeles Palais, this museum shows the history of Jews in Vienna, since their settlement around Judenplatz till nowadays. There are expositions about religious art and the Holocaust. The ticket also allows you the entrance to Judenplatz Museum (10-18 Sun-Thu; 10-14 Fri), a museum which shows the excavated rests of the Vienna medieval synagogue, which was destroyed by the Archduke Albert V.
• Austrian Resistence Historical Archive (9-17 Mon-Fri; free): located in the Old Town Hall this exposition shows the resistence against the Nazi occupation and its effects.
• Scotts Church (10-17 Tue-Sat; free): 12th century church and monastery founded by Benedictine monks from Scotia Maior (Ireland). It's façade is from the 19th century and it has an interesting shop and a museum.
• Hola.

  

  National Library of Spain
  

  
  
• National Library of Spain (10-20 Mon-Sab; 10-14 Sun; free): 19th century Neoclassic major public library designed by Francisco Jareño y Alarcón that is considered the largest in Spain and one of the largest in the world. One of its main roles is keeping a copy of every book, map, magazine... since the 18th century, having around 30 million of objects. 
• National Archaeological Museum (9:30-20 Tue-Sat; 9:30-15 Sun; 3€): main museum in Madrid and Spain on archaeology. It's collection is focused on the history of the Iberian peninsula from Pre-history to early modern period. Some of its most spectacular pieces are the Iberian sculptures Lady of Elche and Lady of Baza, the mausoleum of Pozo Moro, pyxis of Zamora, Recceswinth's treasure or the Guanche mummy. It has an important collection on Ancient Greece, mainly consisting of pieces from Magna Graecia. It's located in the same building where the National Library of Spain is.
  
• Sigmund Freud Museum (10-18; 12€ /7.50€  adults/students): house where Freud lived during its more prolific years, from 1891 to 1938. It has personal objects and temporary expositions.
• Josephinum (only guided tours): museum located in a surgeon academy built by Joseph II which has one of the weirdest collections in Vienna: 200 years olds wax midwifery, operation tools and operation paintings.
• Mary Annunciation Servite Church: 18th century church inspired in the architect Andrea Palladio and which has the tomb of general Ottavio Piccolomini.
• Liechtenstein Museum (only guided tours): Baroque-style palace with a garden with sculptures and has Hans-Adam II (Prince of Liechtenstein) art gallery, with paintings like Portrait of a Man by Raffaello or Portrait of Clara Serena by Rubens and one of the most precious pieces of furniture in the world, Badminton cabinet.
• Schubert's Birthplace (10-18 Tue-Sun; 5€ /4€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): house where F. Schubert since his birth till he was 5 years old. It's very small but has an interesting exposition about his life and work and about his glasses, one of his more peculiar characteristics.
• Romanticism Museum (9:30-20:30 Tue-Sat and 10-15 Sun from May to Oct; 9:30-18:30 Tue-Sat and 10-15 Sun from Nov to Apr; 3€/ 1.50€/ free  adults/ reduced/ retiree, students and kids):
• Museum of History of Madrid (10-20 Tue-Sun; free): museum placed in the former Royal Hospice of San Fernando, 18th century building with Baroque façade. Inside there's a collection of paintings, maps and objects which show Madrid's history and traditions from 16th century to our time. It has temporary expositions too.
  
• Vienna State Opera: a 1869 opera house built in Neo-Renaissance style who belonged to the Emperors till 1920. There are guided tours (7.50€ /3.50€  adults/kids) which last 40 minutes.
• Musikverein: a 1870 concert hall, home of the very famous Vienna Philharmonic. 
• Sorolla Museum (9:30-20 Tue-Sun; 10-15 Sun; 3€ /1.50€ /free  adults/reduced/retiree, students and kids): .
• Neue Berg Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 10-21 Thu; ticket included in the Art History Museum one): this place, part of the Art History Museum, has 3 museums: The Ephesos Museum (has pieces form the archeological site of Ephesos), the Imperial Armory (exhibits arms and armors) and the Collection of Historic Instruments (shows Renaissance and Baroque instrument).
• Leopold Museum (10-18 Wed-Mon; 13€ /9€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 7): museum which was created with Rudolf Leopold collection, made of 19th century and Austrian Modernism works of art. The main works of art are The Self Seers (Death & Man), Mother with two children and Cardinal and Nun by E. Schiele, Death and Life by G. Klimt. There are works of other painters like A. Egger-Lienz, R. Gertsl or O. Kokoschka. There's a combined ticket for Leopold Museum and MUMOK for 20.50€ /16€  adults/reduced. 
• MUMOK (Modern Art Museum) (10-19 Tue-Sun; 14-19 Mon; 12€ /8€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): 20th century art museum focused in Fluxus, an intermedia concept art movement. There are also expositions on other movements like Viennese Actionism, Expressionism and Cubism and the expositions change regulary.
• Kunsthalle (11-19 Tue-Sun; 8€ /2€ /free  adults/students/kids under 19): expositions hall where Contemporary local and international works of art are exposed temporarily, usually made of video, photography and new technology.
• Secession (10-18 Tue-Sun; 9.50€ /6€ / free  adults/reteree and students/kids under 10): museum created by some Modernist artists like Gustav Klimt, Josef Hoffmann or Kolo Moser. Among its highlights are Beethoven Frieze by G. Klimt and the building's gold cupola, which is known among Viennese like golden cabbage. 
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• Natural History Museum (10-18:30 Tue-Mon; 12€ /7€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 10): 19th century museum, Art History Museum's sibling, which host an amazing collection with minerals, fossils and meteorite's pieces. It also has the impressing Venus of Willendorf, sculpture from the 30,000 BC. 
• St. Charles Borromeo Church (9-18 Mon-Sat; 12-19 Sun; 8€ /4€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 10): 18th century church which is considered the best Barroque-style church in Vienna. It has a lift to its big cupola, enabling watching closer J. M. Rottmayr's frescoes.
• Vienna Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 10€ /7€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): museum about Vienna's history, from Neolithic to the 20th century. It has, among others, Celtic coins, medieval Fürstenfiguren, Loof's furniture and E. Schiele and G. Klimt's paintings.
• Stadtbahn Pavilions (10-18 from Apr to Oct): Modernist train pavilions built in 1898 by O. Wagner for the first public transport in Vienna. The best ones are located in Karlplatz.
• MAK (Museum of Applied Arts) (10-18 Tue-Mon; 12€ /9€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): museum which is about handicraft and daily objects in different periods, from Renaissance to art deco. There are many weird objects that will draw your attention. Some of its more important objects are Wiggle Chair by F. Gehry or Stoclet Frieze by G. Klimt.
• Stadtpark: big municipal park which has statues of famous artists, like Schubert or Strauss II, and a 19th century music hall, Kursalon Hübner, with waltz concerts.
• Vienna Giant Wheel (also known as Riesenrad) (10-21:45; 12€ /5€  adults/kids): this 1897 giant wheel which has appeared in many films like in Orson Welles' The Third Man, James Bond's The living daylights or Before Sunrise by R. Linklater. Its spin lasts 20 minutes so you can have great panoramic views.
• Prater: central and biggest park in Vienna with many black poplars and chestnuts, a swimming pool, a golf course and many facilities.
• Madame Tussauds Museum (10-18; 23€ /19€  adults/kids): Viennese version of this worldwide museum has international was sculptures of people like Michael Jackson or Nicole Kidman and Austrian celebrities like Francis Joseph I or Sigmund Freud.
• Johann Strauß Apartment (10-18 Tue-Sun; 5€ /4€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): house where J. Strauss lived and compose the famous waltz The Blue Danube. It has musical instruments, furniture and paintings that belonged to him and allows to know more about this famous musician and composer.
• Danube Tower (10-24; 14.50€ /9.90€ /free  adults/kids under 14 and retiree/kids under 6): tallest building in Vienna with a rotating restaurant and views from all the city and further.
• Belvedere Palace (22€ /19€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): this palace is, in fact, divided into two palaces: Upper Belvedere (9-18) and Lower Belvedere (10-18). It's one of the most beautiful Barroque-style palaces in the world, built for Prince Eugene of Savoy. It's rooms are full of paintings by G. Klimt, E. Schiele and O. Kokoschka and its gardens, Belvedere Gardens, are great to have a walk.
• Belvedere 21 (11-18 Wed-Sun; 8€ /6€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): museum with 20th and 21st century art and a collection created by the sculptor F. Wotruba. Blickle Kino, a 1950 cinema, and Salon für Kunstbuch, museum's shop (where you can buy works of art) are also part of the facilities of the museum.
• Museum of Military History (9-17; 7€ /5€  adults/reduced): museum, located in Vienna's Arsenal (built in Neo-byzantine style), whose objects go from the Thirty Year's War to WW2. It has pretty interesting objects like weapons, uniforms, the car where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was murdered (fact which started WW1), Nazi propaganda and Hitler's speeches after Anschluss. Taking pictures or video costs 2€.
• St. Marx Cemetery (6:30-20): 18th century cemetery where Mozart is buried.
• Hundertwasser House (10-18 Tue-Mon; 12€ /5€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 10): this bizarre block of flats built by F. Hundertwasser ha curved lines and colourful walls. In front of it can be found Kalke Village, also designed by Hundertwasser.
• Imperial Furniture Store-Furniture Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 9.50€ /8.50€ /6€  adults/retiree and students/kids under 14): 18th century store which hosts one of the most important furniture collections in the world, which belonged to the Habsburg family. Its most popular elements are Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este's Egyptian cabinet, M. Thonet's wood designs and Prince Eugene of Savoy's bedroom.
• Hayden House (10-18 Tue-Sun; 5€ /4€ /free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): house where the musician J. Hayden used to live 200 years ago. Here you can learn more about his life, his music, and policts and society in the 19th century.
• Schubert's last residence (10-18 Tue-Sun; 5€ /4€ / free  adults/retiree and students/kids under 19): Schubert's brother house where F. Schubert composed in his final days, like the lied The Sheperd on the Rock. This museum shows how where his last days.
• Schönbrunn Palace (8-18:30 from Jul to Aug; 8-17 from Nov to Mar; 8-17:30 rest of the year; 17.50€ /16.20€ /11.50€  adults/retiree and students/kids under 18): this is the summer palace of the Habsburg, built in Barroque-style and which has 1,441 rooms (only 40 can be visited). The most popular rooms are Franz Joseph I and Sisi's (his wife) ones. The Schönbrunn Gardens are incredible, built in French-style with fountaintes, sculptures and decorative elements (like fake Roman ruins), specially highlighted the Gloriette (kind of triumphal arch). 
• Wagenburg Museum of Carriages (8-18:30 from Jul to Aug; 8-17 from Nov to Mar; 8-17:30 rest of the year; 8€ /free  adults/kids under 18): museum with Austrian monarchy carriages, from small ones for kids to Francis Joseph I's one, weighting 4,000 kg and having gold, Venetian glass and cherubs.
• Hietzing Cemetery (7-sunset): cemetery where distinguished Viennese people, like G. Klimt or O. Wagner, where buried.
• Klimt Villa (10-18 Tue-Sun; 10€ /5€  adults/students): this former Gustav Klimt's house is a Neobarroque-style house has furniture reproductions on what used to be his house, his erotic sketches and pictures.
• Museum of the Americas (9:30-15 Tue-Sat; 10-15 Sun; 3€ /1.50€ /free  adults/reduced/retiree, students and kids): .
• Beethoven Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 7€ /5€ /free adults/students/kids under 19): located in Heiligenstadt (spa town), Beethoven came here to improve his deaf, writing here the Second Symphony, Variations for piano opus 34 and 35 and parts of the three Sonatas for violin opus 30. This museum shows his life and work. 
• Vienna Forest: this forest is Vienna's green lamb (45 km of wooded hills) has some very nice paths which allow to get in touch with nature. The most popular is the path 4 (7.2 km, 3 hours) which arrives till the Jubiläumswarte and another one is path 1 (11 km) starting and finishing in Nussdorf and reaching Kahlenberg, hill with vineyards.

Which activities can I do in Vienna?

Vienna is the cultural center in Austria and one of the main cultural spots in Europe, specially related to music. There are many important threaters, concert halls and operas like the following ones: Viena State Opera (Staatsopera, used for ballet, operas...), Musikverein (classical music concert hall par excellence), Burgtheater (the main German language theater in the world, with all kinds of plays and genres), Volksoper (second more important opera house in Vienna, specialised in operettas), MuTh (concert hall of the Vienna's Boys Choir, founded in 1498 by Maximilian I) and Vienna's English Theater (oldest and most established English-language theatre in continental Europe, with all kind of plays). But there are many other activities you can do in this city. A different way of enjoying Ringtraße is going into the Ring Tram (starting at Schwedenplatz), a tram which gives you a 30 minutes journey all over it. In case some rest is needed, there is a very nice spa, Oberlaa Therme Wien (Kurbadstraße 14), or you can relax

having a cruise along Danube river.  In the Danube Island (Donauinsel) many outdoors activities (like sailing, swimming, skating...) can be done and even in some places, there are nudists areas. Talking about outdoors activities one you can do in Vienna even there's no sea, is surfing in 3 City Wave (Schwarzenbergplatz) or simply enjoy others doing it. For food lovers and people who love cooking Wrenkh Cooking School (Bauernmarkt 10) is a great place to learn how to cook Austrian gastronomy. In winter Vienna has plenty of activities, like ice skiing in the Wiener Eistraum (Rathausplatz from Jan to Mar), in front of the City council, which has a nice atmosphere; or enjoying some Christmas market (Christkindlmärkte), available in Rathausplatz, Schönbrunn and Spittelberggasse.

Where can I buy in Madrid?

Vienna has many offers for many kinds of buyers, mostly found in the following streets: Kärtner

Straße, Kohlmarkt, Neubau, Mariahilfer Straße, Freihausviertel, Theobaldgasse , Gumpendorfer Straße and Josefstädter Straße. Dorotheum (10-18 Mon-Fri; 9-17 Sat; Dorotheergasse 17), one of the oldest auction houses in the world (founded in 1707), sells paintings, furniture and daily use objects. Naschmarkt is a market where people can buy meat, fruits, vegetables, spices, cheeses... and food as well. Other markets are Karmelitermarkt, Bauernmarkt Yppenplatz and Brunnenmarkt. In one of Nashcmarkt's corners can be found Flohmarkt (Linke Wienzeile 48-52), a market full of antiquity and second-hand objects. Steiff (Bräunerstraße 3) is the place where teddy bears were invented, is a popular toy shop. In case you want to buy wine you can go to 1130Wein (Lainzer Straße 1); if you prefer beer, you can choose Beerlovers (Gumpendorfer Straße 35). A good place to buy jam is Staud (Yppenmarkt M); for bakery, Blühendes-konfekt (Schmalzhofgasse 19) and for all kind of food, a nice place is Meinl (Graben 19). Talking about fashion, there are some interesting shops like Dirndlherz (Lerchenfelder Straße 54-56), die Schwalbe (Reindorfgasse 38). There are shops where purchising cosmetics and natural products, such as Wald & Wiese (Wollzeile 19), Wiener Rosenmanufaktur (Dernjacgasse 6/1/5). The best shopping centers in Vienna are Palais Ferstel (Strauchgasse 4).

Where can I eat in Madrid?

The most typical dish in Vienna, and probably in Austria, is the Wiener Schnitzel (thin, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet). Other typical dishes from Vienna city are Goulash (Hungarian meat stew seasoned), Tafelspitz (boiled beef in broth, served with a mix of minced apples and horseradish), Beuschel (a ragout containing veal lungs and heart), Backhendl (spiced portions of chicken breaded and crispy deep fried), Zwiebelrostbraten (roast beef slices in its sauce with onion), Schinkenfleckerln (ham stew with baked noodles) and Bauerschmaus (cold meat tray). The most popular dessets are Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancake), Apfelstrudel (apple-filled pastry) and the Marillenknödel (apricot small dumplings) in summer.
For desserts and ice-creams Eis Greissler (Mariahilfer Straße 33) is the best idea and in the Royal Schönbrunn Bakery (Hofbackstube Schönbrunn) you can enjoy a class and later taste how to cook strudel. There are nice places to have breakfast or coffee like Cafe Central (Herrengasse 14), Vollpension (Schleifmühlgasse 16), Waldemar (Altgasse 6), the vegan Cafe Harvest (Karmeliterplatz 1), Cafe Goldegg (Argentinierstraße 49) or the popular Cafe Sacher (Philharmoniker Straße 4).

There are many places to eat cheap food like Bitzinger Würstelstand (Albertinaplatz 1) for sausages, Trzesniewski (Dorotheergasse 1) for sandwiches. For typical Austrian food some nice places are Schank zum Reichsapfel (Karmeliterplatz 3), Meierei im Stadtpark (Am Heumarkt 2A), Ubl (Preßgasse 26), Maxingstüberl (Maxingstraße 7), Stomach (Seegasse 26). Some restaurants are specialised in soups like Soupkultur (Wipplingerstraße 32) or Suppenwirtschaft (Servitengasse 6). In Vienna it's very popular the beisl, mixture of inn and bistro where you can order traditional food; some of the main are Griechenbeisl (Fleischmarkt 11), oldest restaurant in Vienna; Wrenkh (Bauernmarkt 10), the vegetarian Tian Bistro (Schrankgasse 4), Joseph Brot (Landstraßer Hauptstraße 4) or HaasBeisl (Margaretenstraße 74). There are many choices of foreign food like the Thai Mamamon (Albertgasse 15), the international Blue Mustard (Dorotheergasse 6-8), the French Cafe Français (Währinger Straße 6-8), the Italians Wetter (Yppenplatz 1), La Tavolozza (Florianigasse 37) or La Salvia (Schellhammergasse). There are some modern food restaurants like Lingenhel (Landstraßer Hauptstraße 74), Skopik & Lohn (Leopoldsgasse 17), Said The Butcher To The Cow (Opernring 11). For higher budgets you can try Steirereck (Am Heumarkt 2A), Plachutta (Wollzeile 38), Tian Restautant (Himmelpfortgasse 23) or Julius Meiln (Graben 19). 
 In the district of La Latina it's a good idea eating at Calle de la Cava Baja with traditional Spanish restaurants, tapas bars and regional Spanish meals.

The city has also a vast pubs and clubbing offer, with places like Das LOFT (Praterstraße 1), Supersense (Praterstraße 70), Botanical Garden (Kolingasse 1), POC (Schlösselgasse 21), Meinl's Weinbar (Graben 19), Strandbar Herrmann (Herrmannpark), Loos American Bar (Kärntner Durchgang 10), Cafe Hawelka (Dorotheergasse 6), Cafe Sperl (Gumpendorfer Straße 11), the beer artisans The Brickmakers Pub & Kitchen (Zieglergasse 42) or the disco Volksgarten (Volksgarten).

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Posted in: Europe,Madrid region,Spain