I visited Paris along with other European capitals during an interrailing trip around the continent and there was somewhere that I much preferred over the French capital with friendlier locals, stunning food and dazzling architecture. Each European capital offers up something unique and different, but one really stood out to me when I was on a recent European trip and it blew me away more than Paris ever did. The city I loved way more than Paris is Austria’s capital, Vienna.

One word to describe Vienna is ‘stunning’. The buildings here are absolutely beautiful and so well preserved. From the palaces to the cathedrals, there are so many gorgeous things to look at there. What’s even better is that Vienna isn’t too pricey when you are simply walking around and taking it all in, which is what I did as I was blessed with sunny and warm weather during my trip in Spring. Vienna is by far my favourite European capital I have visited so far and I was way more impressed with it when I compare it to my experience of Paris. 

My first day in Vienna consisted of walking around the historic city centre, which is in fact a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Iconic sites here include St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Vienna State Opera and Hofburg Palace. 

It is worth simply walking around the capital and finding some gorgeous buildings as well as nice places to grab a traditional Viennese coffee and a schnitzel. But there is plenty more on offer as well. 

During my second day in Vienna, I visited Belvedere Palace, taking in the grandure of the gorunds and getting some lovely photos of the building itself while in the gardens. I have never seen a set-up so beautiful, which was gorgeously complemented by the sunshine that day. 

I didn’t pay to enter the museum here, but it has received great reviews from people who have done it. For me, I was happy to explore more and take in as much of the city as I could in my short amount of time there. 

From there, I went to the Prater theme park which was free to enter. There are a huge amount of rides and attractions here, so you pay per ride. There are also restaurants and bars here and in some of them, you will find traditional musicians playing Austrian folk music which was a wonderful thing to see. 

On this day, I also walked out to Cope Beach, a more suburban area with riverside bars and areas to relax. On my third day, which was my last day in Vienna, I spent some time at Hofburg Palace, chilling on the grass in the lovely gardens, grabbing an Austrian beer in the greenhouse bar and restaurant and taking in these stunning surroundings. 

During my time in Vienna, I also visited the Nachtmarkt, which was near the hostel I was staying in. Here, you’ll find plenty of bars, restaurants and local vendors selling Austrian food, beer, wine and goods. 

This was followed by a few days in Munich before heading to Stuttgart, then Paris. I had high hopes for Paris because I had never been to the iconic French capital before. I enjoyed it, but not half as much as I enjoyed Vienna. 

As expected, Paris was extremely busy. After all, it is one of the most visited cities in the world. But it was a bit overwhelming for me. 

I also got the impression that locals there are pretty sick of tourists, so it was hard to relax at times. However, I did enjoy sitting in corner cafes, enjoying a glass of wine and eating some delicous Parisian food such as French onion soup and French cheese. 

But I am not in a huge rush to get back to Paris. Vienna is still on my travel list, even though I have already spent three days there. The city has quite a laid back vibe but still has plenty to do, the perfect balance and my idea of a great city break destination. 

Plus, the weather in Vienna tends to be quite nice in Spring and Summer, with temperatures reaching as high as 28C in July. Vienna is by far the best city break I have had in Europe so far.