It's a regular afternoon in the Peranteau household. Around 4 o'clock I gather the littlest and head over to pick up my son at KiGa (for those of you not in Austria, KiGa is short for kindergarten, which is basically daycare or nursery school for kids form 1 - 6 years old). Like most days, once we get out the door, my son says "See the fishes." And our adventure begins...

We got our first Jahreskarte (Annual pass) to the Haus Des Meeres (Aquarium) two years ago upon the recommendation of a friend. Little did I know then what a life saver it would be, nor how often I would be stopping in on the "fishies." The Haus des Meeres is situated inside one of Vienna's Flaktürme (flak towers) located near Mariahilfestrasse in the 6th district.

Being that the original structure is a tower, a visit to the Haus des Meeres means stairs: a lot of stairs. Which is ok, because with an active toddler, I would pay good money to tire the kid out, and I get some exercise too. It's been a great place for us to head to on rainy days (of which there are many in Vienna) or in the winter when the daylight wanes rather early (watch out - there are bats in the Tropfenhaus). 

Now, in the summer, it can be a bit hot in the the Tropfenhaus (which has a great swinging rope bridge thing that my kid LOVES) but it is also a bit less crowded (especially in July/August when most of the locals head for the hills on holiday). These days, I hear "See the fishes" at least once a week. So, regardless of the temperature, we hop on the 13A and make our way to "See the Fishes." Maybe I will see you there?

What is your favorite spot to take the kids on a regular afternoon? Leave a comment and tell me about your go to places.