I recently shared a blog post about our days spent in Budapest here, and today I wanted to share more about our time spent in the next country on our big summer “babymoon” vacation… Vienna, Austria!

Truth be told, I didn’t know much about Vienna or Austria prior to this visit.  Christian had visited Austria once before when he was young but not for very long.  We both love visiting new places together, so it was exciting to anticipate what we might see.

Once we left Budapest, the tone changed for the trip because we were starting a little “babymoon” adventure.  Christian starts his job in September, so there was no better time to extend our stay and visit some new places.

And babymoon bliss it most definitely was.  After it’s all said and done, I must say… Vienna was our favorite part of the entire trip for numerous reasons.  The weather was amazing, the staff at The Ritz-Carlton Vienna went above and beyond to ensure it was the most special and memorable time, and the history and beauty of the city and country left us with our jaws on the ground.  We were not ready to leave when the day finally came to move onto Switzerland!

I knew there were palaces to be seen in Vienna, but I did not fully anticipate majestic and stunning they would be.  Nothing was too crowded. There were amazing audio guides taking us through each experience, and Christian’s peak of the trip was the House of Music (mentioned below).  One of my favorite parts of the trip was walking through the Vienna cobblestone streets at night and then returning to the Ritz-Carlton room to take a big bath in their huge soaking tub (photographed above) and elevating my feet. 

I realize that sounds ridiculous.  But we walked 7-9 miles every day. Thankfully I was back in my packed and prepared clothing and shoes, but I still felt like my calves and feet belonged to someone else.  The swelling and calf muscle situation of pregnancy has been one of the bizarre surprises of pregnancy but that’s neither here nor there.

I’ll be doing a separate post with tips for Europe travel and will include some pregnant gal tips separately in that post!

WHERE WE STAYED

The Ritz-Carlton Vienna | This hotel completely blew us away.  It’s huge, and you can smell the intoxicating fragrance of the lobby before you even enter the hotel!  Upon arrival we visited the spa, which was the dreamiest way to kickstart our last big adventure before baby.

Our room had these incredibly tall ceilings with huge windows showing a view of the city, and the bathroom alone was a showstopper, and it had the most stunning tub of anywhere we stayed – the only one I made sure to take advantage of!  We have a master bathroom remodel ahead of us, and I literally was inspecting the tub with Christian.  We agreed it was the perfect tub.  I’m so glad I photographed it!

If we ever have the privilege of returning to Vienna, I wouldn’t look anywhere else.  The location was perfect for touring the city and all of the palaces.  There were plenty of excellent restaurants within walking distance, and I can’t imagine staying at more fabulous hotel.  It set the tone for 10 more days of travel European travel and babymoon fun. 

The Ritz-Carlton is where we shared with our families that we were having this baby, it’s where we celebrated our last big trip before the baby, and I know it is where we will continue to celebrate time together with and without our kids in the future.  It’s a major perk that there’s a fabulous Ritz-Carlton in both Atlanta and Lake Oconee that are next door to us at home!

DINING

DSTRKT Steakhouse | This was one of our top meals of the entire babymoon.  Christian loves a great steak and DSTRKT is one voted of the top steakhouses in Europe.  The sommelier picked out a non-alcoholic Prosecco for us to enjoy (so thoughtful!), we shared a steak, truffle fries and creamed spinach.  While too full for dessert, we returned another night just for coffee and their iconic cheesecake.  That was insane.  I didn’t eat cheesecake for the rest of the trip because I knew nothing would top it.

This was also the restaurant where we ate breakfast every morning and it was the best way to start the day.  We would tuck into a little table by the patio and drink cappuccinos and eat croissants and chia pudding while planning our activities for the day.  Loved it.

Plachutta | This restaurant was a recommendation from the hotel for one of their favorite spots for a traditional Austrian meal.  Both the hotel and our helpful server recommended the boiled beef (an Austrian favorite), so Christian and I shared it on their big patio outside.  I loved all the vegetables in the bone broth, and the creamed spinach and roasted potato sides were absolutely delicious.  Would definitely recommend!

Demel | Christian found this chocolate shop online, and we popped in for an afternoon treat. Turns out, Christian the tour guide strikes again – it’s famous amongst both tourists and locals!

Da Capo Pizzeria | We were so hungry and had pasta on the brain, so we saw this highly rated restaurant and took a stroll.  Our server had a pregnant wife so we just asked him to pick his favorite pasta, pizza and salad that had all cooked ingredients and he did a fantastic job!  Mocktail included.  Favorite Italian meal of the trip.

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ACTIVITIES

Schonbrunn Palace | Ok… where do I even start?!  This was the “summer home” of Sisi and the royal Austrian family and it’s beyond.  BEYOND.  The tour left me speechless, the gardens are massive and we spent an entire afternoon here.  Worth it on every level.

Imperial Treasury | This exhibit took me by surprise.  It was so much fun to see all of the capes and robes of royalty, down to the royal crib!  A small exhibit but absolutely worth a stop.

The Hofburg | A must when you visit Vienna!  We spent a large part of one of our days exploring Hofburg, and it was absolutely breathtaking. This included Sisi’s apartments and the royal silver collection.  It was so fascinating to learn about the woman that so much Austrian history is centered around.

House of Music | Christian’s peak of our entire Europe visit – the House of Music.  As the son of a piano teacher, a college physics major and an ear specialist… it was his Mecca.  The museum is divided into several floors that take deep dives into word renowned Austrian composers (Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss).  It also shares what sound and music sound like in the womb to the breakdown of the physics of sound.  I’ve never been to a museum like it!

St. Stephen’s Cathedral | One of the most well-known landmarks of Vienna, you must see the magnificence of St. Stephen’s.  Afterward we walked by Mozart’s apartment on our way back to the hotel which was also very cool!

St. Peter’s Catholic Church | We were passing by this church on our way back to our hotel so we decided to stop in.  It was stunning and Christian thought it was even more beautiful than St. Peter’s.

If you follow me on Instagram, you can also find video captures of this trip saved in the “Vienna” saved stories which will give you more of an idea of each place!

Thanks so much for reading, and stay tuned for Geneva and Paris recaps!  XO –

brought to you by Ritz-Carlton

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We spent a little less than three days in Budapest, but the feedback I got from you guys is that it would be helpful to have each country broken down into individual posts.  So I’m going to aim to go with that!

The Formula One race with Ritz-Carlton is what brought Christian and me to Hungary, and it was the most unique experience!  As many of you might already know, racing in Europe is much different than the States.  It’s an elevated and elegant sport with some of the most well-known drivers in the world in some of the most luxurious cars in existence.

Ritz-Carlton and Mercedes AMG Petronas have a partnership which means that they not only partnered in Budapest but in cities all over world at different races in Germany, Singapore, Russia – you name it.

After arriving Thursday evening, I attended the practice run at the track all day Friday.  I had the privilege of seeing some of the Mercedes race cars up close and personal.  One of the most interesting elements of the entire process to me was how the engineers and mechanics behind each team are superstars too.  They work around the clock to ensure the best chances at winning for the team.  There are so many more hands in the pot than I realized!

During this experience, so many of you recommended the Netflix series about Formula One racing.  Which now I most definitely must watch!  I know this series further elaborates on the relationships and roles behind-the-scenes, which I would love to learn more about.  There is so much more that goes into it than just the stars behind the wheel.  And the Mercedes team will be participating in the second season.  I hear it should be a juicy episode so I’ll most definitely be tuning in.

We did spend most of our time with the Ritz-Carlton team, learning about Formula One and the stars behind the Mercedes-AMG Petronas racing team, but did squeeze in some sights during our stay.

WHERE WE STAYED

Ritz-Carlton Budapest | The location of this hotel is prime.  A short walk to tons of restaurants and a beautiful, intimate hotel – it offers all the European charm that you look for when finding a hotel for your vacation.  We chose to take advantage of the incredibly quick laundering services at the hotel several times, which was amazing.  This hotel had quite a bit of luxury toiletries in the bathrooms which I found so nice after such a long travel journey.  I’m a sucker for fab toiletries!

One of the most unique parts of this hotel to me was the amazing spa pool (pictured below).  It had sky lights with sun pouring in and looked like the dreamiest place to take an afternoon off.  I also loved the Kupola Lounge where breakfast was held each morning.  It was the most beautiful room with art all over the walls and a stained glass cupola ceiling – really something to see.  We always went there for breakfast but they have an afternoon tea that looks like so much fun!

DINING

Zeya Restaurant | This was our first meal upon arrival with the Mercedes AMG engineers, and it was wonderful! A great dinner spot and where I first realized that racing was seriously more complex than I ever could have imagined.

Deak St. Kitchen | This was our last dinner of the trip, and it was so special!  Christian enjoyed an incredible wine pairing with his meal (hello, #jealous – but I had a delicious mint mocktail!) and my favorite part was the dessert, a DIY snickers.  So fun!  The dining room at Deak is so beautiful, it really was such a special ambiance to wrap up Budapest with.

Other Recommendations:  Mazel Tov and New York Café were both heavily recommended to us, but we weren’t able to swing by on this visit.  However, if you can swing it, I’ve heard both are exceptional!  I was told to ask for the main dining room at Mazel Tov and that New York Café isn’t the best foodie spot but is fabulous for a glass of champagne, afternoon tea or coffee.

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ACTIVITIES

Buda Castle | The massive Buda Castle is home to the National Gallery and Budapest History Museum. The courtyards and the grounds are free to roam around anytime, but you enter you’ll need to purchase a ticket.

Fisherman’s Bastion | Christian saw this on the day I was at the race track.  From this vantage point, you’ll get a great view of the Danube River and the Hungarian Parliament building.  Fisherman’s Bastions is one of the most visited spots in Budapest, so know that you won’t be alone!  The streets nearby have plenty of cute café’s for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon stop.

Matthias Church | This beautiful church is right next to Fisherman’s Bastion.

Chain Bridge |  You can’t miss this huge bridge and Budapest landmark.  Be sure to also stop by the Shoes on the Danube memorial.

Hungarian Parliament Building + St. Stephen’s Basilica |  We walked by both of these but didn’t go in.  I don’t believe you can go into the Parliament Building, but for a small donation you can enter the church/bell tower.

Ruin Bars & Thermal Baths | We walked through some ruin bars, but the smell reminded me of daytime on Bourbon Street… so we didn’t stay long.  But still very cool to see!  Visiting the thermal baths is a very popular tourist spot, but we were still without our luggage which meant we had no swimsuits.  My personal doctor on this trip, Dr. Barnes, also didn’t think a pregnant lady should be in the baths.  I don’t think my actual OB would have approved it either so we opted to skip.  But, I know people really love them!

If you follow CBL on Instagram, you’ll see videos of these experiences saved in the “Budapest” saved stories.  Stay tuned for a Vienna, Austria recap coming next… some of our favorite parts of the whole trip!

Thanks so much for reading and for all of your advice and recommendations along the way.  You guys are the best.  XO –

brought to you by Ritz-Carlton