Europe 2018: Budapest, Vienna, Prague, and Ludwigsburg

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We went from Budapest to Vienna, Prague, and finally Ludwigsburg: a stretch of art, history, zoos, concerts, food, and a truly ridiculous attempt to take a Prague tram.

Where we ate

City Place Rating What I thought
Budapest Két Szerecsen — Budapest platter and Hungarian dinner to start the trip.
Budapest Menza — Sour cherry soup with ice cream, veal paprikash, and plum pálinka.
Budapest Bigfish — Lunch before the House of Terror.
Budapest Cyrano — Goose liver, figs, duck, foie gras, and pálinka.
Budapest Gettó Gulyás — Bone marrow, rooster testicles, and a mojito that was too hot.
Budapest Strudel House — Cherry strudel.
Budapest New York Café ★★★☆☆ Beautiful room and live piano; the food was fine.
Vienna Gigerl — We came back three times for schnitzel, spätzle, strudel, and more.
Vienna Weibel’s Wirtshaus ★★★☆☆ Wiener schnitzel: not bad. Local beer with a good smell.
Vienna Zu den 3 Hacken — Bratwurst and apple strudel.
Vienna Café Hawelka ★★★★★ Warm, tangy apple strudel; maybe the best of the trip. The waiter was the menu.
Vienna Meierei im Stadtpark ★★★☆☆ Sour cherry tart was good; short ribs were drier than expected.
Vienna Loos American Bar — English Blackthorn and De Rigueur cocktails.
Vienna Demel ★★★★☆ Better coffee, cake, and a melange.
Prague Lokál Dlouhááá — Sausages, mashed potatoes, and Pilsner Urquell.
Prague U Parlamentu ★★★★★ Delicious food, local history, and a good laugh.
Prague Dutá Hlava ★★★★☆ Traditional Czech and Colombian dishes. Very good.
Prague Kantýna ★★★★★ Great meat options. We went back; still tasty.
Prague King Solomon — Goose drumstick and stuffed cabbage.
Ludwigsburg Blauer Engel — Tea and pretzel before heading to the lakes.

Where we stayed

In Vienna we stayed at the Hotel Royal, right in Old Town. In Prague, we checked in to the King’s Court Hotel. We also stayed in Budapest and Ludwigsburg.

Places and detours

Budapest gave us Memento Park, the House of Terror, the Hungarian National Gallery, and a playful pair of polar bears at the Budapest Zoo. A boat ride on the Danube finished one day.

Vienna packed in the Spanish Riding School, Schönbrunn, the Belvedere, the Albertina, St. Stephen’s, and concerts at Karlskirche. Ksenia says I fell asleep at the Mozart concert. I disagree.

In Prague we toured the castle, saw the Mucha Museum and the Museum of Communism, walked the Jewish Quarter, and fought station closures and ticket machines before finally reaching Old Town Square. We finished with family, a wine festival, and lakes around Ludwigsburg.

Day by day

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