my feet don't want to go to sleep

There is a desk at the Austrian airport to help people who thought they booked a ticket to Australia. When I landed I did mean to be there, although I did consider visiting the desk to see if I could make my way to Aus. But I had 2 weeks of hard work ahead of me – I was in Vienna to support the client treatment team at Cartier. There was a new high jewelry collection launching and the showcase was here. Clients were coming from all over the world and Cartier hired me to support the hospitality. So far I was 3 for 3 on work international trips since returning to the US. Cayman Island for skinceuticals in ’22, Milan for Armani Beauty in ’23, and now Cartier in ’24.

I signed an NDA so what I won’t tell you about are the clients and the hotels. But what I will tell you about is the museums, experiences, and restaurants. This type of event planning takes the cake, or should I say the torte. The Café Sacher Wien is famous for their chocolate delicacy. These are custom curated per individual experiences where uniqueness is more important than cost, every planners dream come true. What it comes with is high expectations and 24/7 availability.

To start, we stayed at the Vienna Marriott Hotel. It is centrally located and has a delicious breakfast. All the tap water in Vienna is drinkable so ditch the plastic bottle and bring your own reusable one.

To eat, this is the high end spectrum, your Michelin star restaurants, critically acclaimed chefs, the restaurants literal billionares visit. Some are surprisingly more affordable than you would think.

Restaurant Pürstner – classic Austrian fares

O boufés – Mediterranean fare, its sister restaurant Konstantin Fillippou is the more expensive

Brasserie Palmenhaus Wien – gorgeous greenroom style restaurant in the park

&flora – vegetarian forward

Café Central – most famous cafe in Vienna

Fabios – incredible italian food

DaRose Vienna Restaurant – steaks and cocktails

THELL – the best meal of the trip, funky and unique and out of the main city area

To experience, the culture here is music and art. Classically famous for Mozart most of the art here follows the more traditional sense but there is still a sense of the modern to be found.

Wolfgang-Schmitz-Promenade – I channeled the early mornings from jet lag and ran along this promenade. Filled with street art, people waiting for ferries, friends sitting having a drink, and people playing basketball. It became my favorite place.

Wiener Staatsoper – Opera, go for the ballet I was stunned

Albertina – museum with funky exhibits

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien – museum with classic art like the Tower of Babel

Gartenpalais Liechtenstein – grand palace

Prater – amusement park with a gorgeous ferris wheel

Belvedere Palace – museum with more classic art like Klimt’s The Kiss. Go at 8am when it opens for less of a chaotic experience.

Imperial Treasury Vienna – the crown jewels and other incredible tapestries the royals wore

Mozarthaus Vienna – the apartments Mozart lived in turned into a museum showcasing his life and works

Vienna Pride – the central loop shuts down for the parade that the Wiener tram kicks off, naturally

When I finished the event, I moved to a neighborhood called Neubau for a couple days as my parents were on a cruise with a stop in Vienna! After 2 weeks in Vienna I felt like a local and showed them around. The entire area of Vienna is walkable and safe but to save time I’d suggest using the trams or the subway. They work on the honor system but they do have transit police that check tickets at the exit. Tourists beware.

The vibe over in Neubau is calmer, restaurants more affordable, and vinyl shops. I had a vegan schnitzel that was incredible. I changed money there easily, used the subway, and felt relaxed. After working at that level of attention and perfection I needed this little apartment and weekend to center myself back to the backpacker I love to be.

Landia – for the vegan schnitzel

Schnitzel Wirt – for the og, bring cash

Weinorgel – bar with an organ converted into taps

From Vienna so much of Europe is accessible, I took a ferry to Bratislava and a train to Hungary. Whether you are going to travel like a Habsburg or not, this is a city worth seeing.