Travel Tuesday - Week 3 - The Austrian National Library - Vienna, Austria

TRAVEL TUESDAY

This week for Travel Tuesday, we are heading back to Vienna, and the Austrian National Library. I visited during my holiday in April (I also visited a really cute and quirky bookstore, you can see my review by clicking the link). 

Vienna is the Capital City of Austria and this means that it is a great all-around tourist city. Perfect for a weekend city break, we spent 2 nights there and had plenty to see, do, and explore. We went on riverside walks and had a delightful brunch at a riverside cafe, called Kylo, which had a lovely terrace overlooking the peaceful riverside. Here's the link to Kylo, if you're visiting Vienna and can make time for brunch here, I'd recommend it! 

It also wouldn't be right to visit Vienna without coffee and beer. Of which there were plenty. Magic Mike, my other (and occasionally better) half, is a craft beer lover and this was a haven for him! So many great places for whatever mood you may be in. Google Maps never got it wrong for us :). The travel options are great and it's a good city for walking (or hiring a bike, it's very cycle friendly). 

Anyway, the National Library! It's in a great, easily accessible location - only a few minutes walk from St Stephen's Cathedral (we didn't go inside here but regret that decision a little, as it looked incredible from the outside). 

The library is set in multiple buildings around a square, very regal looking, and the entrance fee set us back about 15 Euros. They do have student prices but beware, if you're an old student (like me, at 37!) you won't be eligible for student prices, as they are only valid for students under 25. This might be different elsewhere in Vienna/Austria but it was certainly the case here. Let's just pretend I didn't think the cashier was complimenting me on my complexion when she incredulously asked my age, and move swiftly on.  

What to say about the library itself? The State Hall to be more specific. 200,000 books are held here and the setting is absolutely beautiful, ornate, and really, quite humbling. Given the age and provenance of the books, there's no touching or roaming the stacks allowed, so it's more like a museum (though there is a reference library here too, which we didn't visit). 

The library also showcases art/music/literature at different times throughout the year. When we visited, State Hall was also home to an exhibit celebrating 200 years since the birth of the composer, Anton Bruckner. One word of advice, follow the exhibit in the correct order, we ended up playing out a Benjamin Button-style visit on the poor guy and learned about his life and achievements from death to birth. It was unique but a little confusing (and once we had started, we felt obliged to continue!). 

We were there for around 90 minutes in total, which was plenty of time to soak in the ambiance and explore the exhibits at an easy pace. There were no queues either, which is always a pleasant surprise for tourist locations. This was in April though, so I would expect it to be more busy during peak season. 

If you enjoy sprinkling a little culture in your city breaks, the Austrian National Library is well worth a visit. Here's the link to their website for tickets, pricing, and information. 

Have you visited? What exhibits did you see? Any great Vienna recommendations for my next visit?

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