Kroll Strudel Cafe, Innsbruck

Previously:

Karaage Restaurant, Innsbruck

While we were in Innsbruck, we had breakfast at Kroll Strudel Cafe and honestly, it's a must visit.  If you're coming to Austria, trying strudel is basically non-negotiable and this place really specialises in it.

Irish coffee EUR 9.20

For my morning coffee, I went with an Irish coffee.  Because why not add a little booze to start the day, right?  It was fragrant, warming and honestly the perfect pairing with everything else.

Caffe Cioccolata EUR 7.90

Tomatensuppe EUR 7.50

We didn't just stop at strudel though.  We also ordered a tomato soup and a sandwich.  The soup was super refreshing and the cream on top added such a nice, smooth touch.  It was also surprisingly filling, especially since it came with a pretty large bread roll on the side.

Ham and cheese sandwich EUR 7.90

Cherry and chocolate strudel EUR 6.40

Now, onto the star of the show, the strudel.  Instead of going for the classic apple (which I'm sure is amazing too), I decided to try the cherry chocolate one.  And wow, I'm so glad I did.  The combination was just perfect.  The cherries had slight tartness that balanced beautifully with the rich chocolate.  Every bite was comforting and just indulgent enough without feeling too heavy.  It felt like a fun twist on a traditional dessert and definitely something I'd order again.

All in all, it was such as delicious and satisfying breakfast.  One of those meals that just makes your travel experience even better. 

Kroll Strudel Cafe

Hofgasse 6, Altstadt, 6020 Innsbruck

Ph: +43 512 574 347

Stay tuned for the next blog:

Karaage Restaurant, Innsbruck

Previously:

Marktbar Studio, Innsbruck

That night, while wandering around looking for dinner, we spotted this tiny little shop.  Nothing fancy at all, but there was this photo of karaage (Japanese fried chicken) that was seriously calling out to me.  I was craving something fried, so it immediately caught my eyes.  

We didn't go in right away though.  They only had two items on the menu, so we thought, "hmmm... maybe let's see what else is around first."  But after walking around for a bit, nothing else really interested us...  So we ended up coming back.  Honestly, best decision ever.

Karaage (Japanese fried chicken meal) EUR 11.80

We ordered both dishes to share and lucky we did, because the portions were actually quite big! 

And I'm not even exaggerating here.  This was hands down the best karaage I've ever had.  Like, seriously.  The batter was super crunchy on the outside and the chicken inside was thick, juicy and full of flavour.  It also came with rice and cabbage salad which made it a really satisfying complete meal.

Kimbap EUR 8.50

The other dish we tried was kimbap, freshly rolled.  Pretty standard, but still really tasty.  It also came with cabbage salad on the side, so everything felt nicely balanced. 

Overall, such a satisfying meal and the price was surprisingly cheap too.  The owner was super nice and friendly too.  Sometimes it's really these random little spots that end up being the most memorable.

Karaage Restaurant

Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 9, 6020 Innsbruck 

Open: 12:00 - 20:00 (closed Monday)

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Innsbruck:

Kroll Strudel Cafe, Innsbruck

Marktbar Studio, Innsbruck

Previously:

Liechtenstein

Okay, so the next place we went to was a town in Austria called Innsbruck.  You might have seen those colourful buildings lined up along the river with mountains in the background.  The kind of view that pops up in travel magazines a lot.  Yep, that's the one... and yes, we were actually there.

Honestly my photos don't even do it justice.  When you see it with your own eyes, every corner just makes you go 'WOW'.  It's one of those places that feels effortlessly beautiful without even trying.

We only spent a night there, which, in hindsight, wasn't enough.  I definitely wish we had at least one more day.  Innsbruck is perfect for just walking around, chilling and casually strolling through the city without any strict plans.

The place we stayed at was called Marktbar Studio.  Super convenient location!  There's no parking inside the building, but there's a public parking spot literally just a 2-minute walk, so it wasn't an issue at all.

It's a self-service apartment, so there's no reception - pretty standard.  We got the code to access the key right before check-in and everything went smoothly.  We stayed in the attic room.  There wasn't much of a view since the windows were quite high up, but the space itself was clean, roomy and well equipped with a kitchen and all the utensils.

Right above the parking area, there's a bakery and a supermarket, which was super handy.  The next morning, we grabbed some pretzels and this soft, sweet bread (I wish I remembered the name!)  It was so fluffy and delicious.  Perfect little snack before hitting the road again. 

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Innsbruck:

Karaage Restaurant, Innsbruck

Liechtenstein

Previously:

A Vignette for Driving in Europe

On the way to Austria, we made a little visit to one of the tiniest countries in Europe: Liechtenstein.  Blink and you might miss it on the map, but this small alpine country is surprisingly charming.  

Liechtenstein sits snugly between Switzerland and Austria, stretching only about 25 km from North to South.  It's actually one of the world's smallest countries, but also one of the richest.  The country is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by the Princely Family of Liechtenstein and the royal residence still sits proudly above the capital.

The capital city, Vaduz, is a small, peaceful and perfect for a quick wander.  Even if you're just passing through on a road trip.  You can walk around the town centre for some visit of museums, sculptures along the streets or some cafes if you want to grab a coffee.  Another a must activity here is to visit Vaduz Castle, the official residence of the prince.  You can't go inside though because the royal family actually lives there, they open only once a year allowing people to go in.  However, the view below is fantastic.  

One of the best photo spots is along the road heading up toward the castle parking area.  From there you get a perfect angle looking down over Vaduz with the castle above and the Alps in the background.  Definitely worth a quick stop for photos.

Also, a fun little souvenir, is that you can get a special Liechtenstein stamp in your passport from Liechtenstein Center in Vaduz.  It is not an official border stamp, but it's a unique memento that a lot of travellers collect.  

If you are not rushing, of course you can stay longer and Liechtenstein offers something more than that, here is great for hiking and cycling too.

Then to drive from Vaduz to our next stop which is Innsbruck in Austria, took about two hours.

Stay tuned for the next blog in Austria:

Marktbar Studio, Innsbruck

A Vignette for Driving in Europe

Previously:

Zermatt - Switzerland

The next place we stay for this Europe trip was Austria.  That day's drive was one of the most challenging parts of the trip.  The fog was incredibly thick - the kind where you can barely see what's in front of you.  Felt like we entering into a spooky mystical world. 

When you cross certain borders by car in Europe, like from Switzerland to Austria, you need to buy a motorway pass called a vignette.  We paid CHF 12.96.  Though, it depends on the duration and you can usually buy it at petrol stations near the border.

Super foggy day

Love this picture - It likes heaven peaking through from the clouds

We stopped at this Shell petrol station what seemed like the last petrol station along the Autobarn, hoping to buy the vignette there.  Unfortunately, they didn't sell it, but the stop turned out to be worth it anyway because I found something unexpectedly delicious.

At the resting area, there was a Marche restaurant and we ordered the kalbsbraten or roast veal.  It came with gravy and was incredibly tender - slightly fatty but in the best way possible.  Honestly, it was so good.  Their sausages were also really tasty.

Another little travel tip: toilets at many European service stations usually require a small payment.  But here, if you buy something from the food court, you get a toilet voucher that allows two people to use the restroom, which is a nice bonus.

In the end, we continued driving and managed to buy the vignette at the last petrol station before the border, just in time before crossing into Austria.  Before heading to our next hotel, we stopped for a few hours in a Medieval country that is often overlooked.  Curious what it is? See you all in my next post 🛫

Stay tuned for the next blog in Liechtenstein:

Liechtenstein