Last summer, my family and I decided to travel to Austria. We had always seen and heard about Austria but little did we know that it was a place of beauty and hidden inspiration. The first place we landed was Vienna.

Because we had never visited before, we decided to walk around and familiarize ourselves with the surroundings. Even among the calmness of the quaint parks and coffee shops, Austria still prides itself on its history through their fountains, statutes and intricate architecture. One of my favorite places in Vienna is Old Vienna. It really encapsulates the true beauty of Europe. We soon realized that there was a place for everybody here. It was the perfect blend of ‘past meets present’.

Shonbrunn is an area of Vienna you must see if you ever travel to Austria. In English, “schonbrunn” is translated to “beautiful spring”. If you are fortunate enough to visit Schonbrunn, please make a day of it because it is home to an old imperial palace, stunning gardens and a unique zoo.

What really astonished me was the immensity of Schonbrunn. You could walk for hours on end and still be able to discover new paths and hidden statues along the way. It really makes you think about the Austrian royalty who used to live there and how they spent their time walking through the gardens and hosting their respective guests. I highly recommend walking to the top of the hill at the end of the gardens as you will be able to take pictures of the incredible views. I must have taken hundreds of pictures that day!