Vienna (Eyewitness Travel Guide)

It looked good on first looking through it but it didn't keep my attention for the duration of the stay.
It is well illustrated, the maps quite good, and it is quite comprehensive in terms of buildings and museums (well it is Vienna).
However, as someone who usually likes the eyewitness guides as a quick way of getting around, this one seemed a bit clinical and didn't appeal so much. Maybe I just didn't appreciate the detail in the book as much as I should have. In addition to the architecture, I enjoyed the Spanish riding school and the Butterfly House in the city, so as the week progressed I would have liked a bit more variety in the content, and some descriptions that would give me a real feel for the place.
Others may well have a different perspective?
As an aside, had some great Viennese cakes :-) - but I don't understand the excitement over the Sachertorte, thought it was very dry and not much flavour.

Nice pictures, lacks depth (1/1 people found this helpful)

Normally I'd go for an edition of the Rough Guide to get me round a city. I decided I wanted some pretty pictures as well- just in case I'd missed something when planning my visit. This book is heavy due to all the kaolin drenched glossy pictures (17 ounces/ 480g)- I'm starting to fret a little already about my hand luggage allowance (we're planning to travel without the anxious wait around the baggage carousel) .

It is however a complete pictorial guide to being a tourist in Vienna. I doubt we'll get very lost (as we normally do) on this trip as the full colour photos are distributed round a 3D projection of a district or building complex. There's a plan of the main airport and helpful photos of what a policeman and a 72 hour Vienna card look like. In some way it takes all the pleasurable guessing out of a trip to an unfamiliar place.

Where it doesn't score is the social detail- which I can best describe in these terms- The Eyewitness guide provides pictures of a wealth of Viennese patisserie- including the chocolate with cream confection "Mohr im Hemd". The Rough Guide to Vienna (Rough Guide Travel Guides) explains that this translates literally as the politically incorrect description "Moor in a Shirt".

In future I think I will purchase the Eyewitness guide first to see if a city has sufficient distinctive architecture, art galleries and yummy snacks to tempt me to visit. However it's back to the Rough Guides for insight.

Very good guide book (0/0 people found this helpful)

A very extensive guide of Vienna. It lists lots of history, local information and sights. Good map about the city centre, but you will need a local tourist map with the bus lines marked if you like to explore the outer city. These will complement each other. The information is generally very accurate, but of course and especially during August, which is holiday season, check the opening hours beforehand. A very recommended book if you like to wander around on your own and not with some tourist group.

extremely helpful! (1/1 people found this helpful)

I used this book, when being in Vienna with my husband for our honeymoon. It really helped us to find our way through the Habsburgs' palaces and the famous viennese cafes!! Austria's capital is merely one palace that consists of huge, elaborately constructed buildings! This book provided us with very accurate info about the city's history as well as many hidden historical attractions (e.g the catacombs under the Stephansdom and the Habsburgs' graves), which we would not have been able to discover without it! Its maps proved to be very precise and easy to use, also! I strongly recommend it to those who are interested in Austrian history and traditions!

Vienna (Eyewitness Travel Guide)

Stephen Brook

Reader Reviews:

Loved the city, book OK (2/2 people found this helpful)

Nice pictures, lacks depth (1/1 people found this helpful)

Very good guide book (0/0 people found this helpful)

extremely helpful! (1/1 people found this helpful)

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