2 Key Travelers

Two full days in Vienna behind us, and Day 3 kept the pace with another full itinerary.

We started the morning with breakfast at Café Eiles, chosen mostly for its proximity to our hotel and public transportation. A quick, no-fuss meal before heading out for the day’s adventure.

From there, we hopped on public transportation to meet up for our scheduled bike and wine tour. After two days of walking, Tazia decided it was time to switch things up and pedal our way through Austria.

Now, to be honest, Tina and I weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Neither of us are big wine drinkers, Tina hates bicycling, and I’ve become a bit of a cycling snob (so I was worried about the quality of the bikes). But Tazia—who loves both wine and biking—was all in.

The day began with a 30–40 minute train ride through the city and into the countryside, where we picked up our bikes. To my relief, they were actually decent quality, though not e-bikes—these required real pedaling.

Once we started riding, though, the countryside opened up around us and it honestly felt like something out of The Sound of Music—rolling hills, green vineyards, and a group of us pedaling along in the sunshine.

Our first stop was a cooperative vineyard, where hundreds of local farmers contribute grapes used in the wines. We sampled the first of what would be about eight glasses of wine throughout the day—some white, some red—and even as non-wine fans, Tina and I were both pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed them. We did a little shopping too, and Tazia picked up Riesling-flavored hard candies… which, upon closer inspection, actually contained alcohol.

From there, we rode into the small town of Dürnstein, where we had about 45 minutes before lunch. Looming above the town is the castle where Richard the Lionheart was once held captive. Our guide mentioned that no one on his tours had ever made it up to the castle and back in time. Naturally, I thought: challenge accepted. Tina and Tazia stayed in town to shop, while I powered my way up the mountain. Made it, with time to spare, and the views were absolutely worth it.

After lunch, we visited a family-owned winery, whose owner had a fascinating journey into winemaking. Once again, the wines were excellent, and with each pour we found ourselves forgetting that we weren’t “wine people.” By the end of the tour, we had worked our way through the day’s full eight tastings and agreed that the combination of sunshine, cycling, and wine made it all taste even better.

We ended the ride with a pedal back to the bike drop-off, caught the train back to Vienna (just barely!), and reflected on a day filled with vineyards, castles, and more wine than we expected.

All that biking (and tasting) worked up an appetite, so after a quick rest at the hotel, we made our way to Bauernbräu for dinner. Another authentic Austrian pick from Tazia, with hearty portions and plenty of local flavor. I handed over my dinner choice to the waiter and ended up with a wild boar stew—an excellent decision. Tina and Tazia made equally great choices from the menu.

After a long day in the sun, we called it a night. It was our last evening in Vienna before heading to Croatia, and we left grateful that we made this city a stop on the journey.

Reviews:

Café Eiles – 🔑🔑🔑

Bike & Wine Tour – 🔑🔑🔑🔑🔑

Bauernbräu – 🔑🔑🔑🔑