My day in Vienna was in the midst of dreary weather, but the charm of the city more than made up for the gray skies. Vienna is known to have been a center of art and culture in Europe for hundreds of years. During my time here, I also discovered the city's culinary side, and its famed cafe culture. 

The Schönbrunn Palace was my first stop for the day. No pictures were allowed inside, but it was an interesting tour of the various rooms used by the Habsburg as an imperial summer palace.

There was a Christmas market in the garden in front of the palace, which seemed to be a key staple during my trip to Europe in late November. 

An Austrian dumpling. This. was. really. good.

Apparently a must-try. 

I have to admit my visit to the Belvedere Museum was largely with the goal of seeing The Kiss by Gustav Klimt. However, perusing through the rest of the museum was definitely a worthwhile experience.

 Again, no pictures allowed of the major artworks, but I managed to sneak a few. 

A few shots of the intricate architecture inside the Belvedere. 

The court-yard outside. 

Würstelstands are famous around Vienna, serving up the city's famed Viennese sausages in various forms. Try one with a beer. Worth it on a cold, rainy day. Bitzinger Würstelstand near the Albertina Museum is the one I visited, highly recommend. Try their sausage with a dollop of mustard and grated horseradish. 

Vienna has been known as the coffee-house to the world. Cafe culture is evidently a big part of the city, where the locals gather and historical luminaries have cumulated to exchange ideas.

One coffee house, known as the Cafe Sacher, has a famed Sacher-Torte chocolate cake that supposedly one cannot leave Vienna without trying. Personally, I found the cake slightly dry, but the coffee was good. 

Café Central first opened its doors in 1876, and has been graced with the presence of many literary and cultural luminaries since.  Sigmund Freud in particular was known to have been a fond patron of the cafe. Its interior decor and arched ceilings are something of note while visiting. 

Café Landtmann, another cafe that has been graced with the presence of famed psychologist Sigmund Freud. 

Wiener Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz

More food!

A choir performance taking place inside the city hall, that I happened to stumble into upon exploring the building's interior. 

A skating rink in the midst of the market. It seems in central Europe, rinks aren't in the hockey arena style that we typically see in North America but rather lanes winding into a one-direction path. Must make for a more interesting journey, in my opinion. Definitely will make time for skating in my next visit.