Poppy the dog, with the help of her owner, ranks some tasty sausages in Germany, Austria, and more.
My frump , Poppy , got her EU pet passport last yr , and ever since , we ’ve jumped on any chance to put it to practiced role . So , when a work trip-up to Hamburg descend up , I could n’t refuse turning my pleasure trip across the pool into a six - land road trip .
It was n’t until I map out my itinerary , however , that I realise we were headed to some badly sausage balloon - obsessed cities , like Munich and Vienna . Since Poppy is a Chiweenie — half Chihuahua , half Dachshund — I knew I necessitate to release this misstep into a wiener dog ’s hot dog tour of Europe .
I live with a psychiatrical disability , andPoppyis my service dog , trained to alarm me before I have a terror flak . Poppy is also an avid traveller . She joins me on the road between two and three time a calendar month , and she has take around 90 flight and visited 11 countries . We travel to Europe frequently , and Poppy ’s EU pet passport permit us to go back and away without beat a pricey outside health credential each time .
Poppy enjoying a wiener in Vienna.|Photo by Becca Blond for Thrillist
From saucy currywurst in Hamburg to cheese - stuffed Käsekrainer in Vienna and paprika - laced Kolbász in Budapest , our 1,700 - sea mile road trip had Poppy eating her length in hot dog . ( really , she just had petite pungency . Sausages are n’t good for andiron ! )
Below are the results of our gastro expedition , complete with sausage review and a dog - favorable hotel recommendation for each city .
Hamburg, Germany
Currywurst at Kleine Pause4/5 paygrade
Our tripper set out in Hamburg , where we were told we had to try a local forte call the Currywurst . This is a grilled sausage drenched in tomato ketchup and groom powder sauce . There is much debate over the stemma of this beloved German sausage dishful , which involves soaking a grilled wiener in tomato ketchup , Worcester sauce sauce , and curry powder sauce . According to local lore , German writer Uwe Timm purportedly feed on platters of Currywurst at Hamburg ’s Großneumarkt in 1947 . But most people attribute its creative activity to Berlin and collation - bar possessor Herta Heuwer , who accidentally concocted it on a rainy September night in 1949 by mixing ingredient she had on hand into a sauce and serve it with a blimp .
But Currywurst was new to me , so I ’ll always associate it with Hamburg . I headed toKleine Pausein the alert St. Pauli neighborhood near the famed Reeperbahn . The small café has counter service only and serves a range of sausage , include vegan selections . Once you rank , you’re able to dine at one of the outside tables .
Poppy being fed a delicacy.|Photo by Becca Blond for Thrillist
Often chopped over a seam of fries and then smother in cetchup sauce , the Currywurst at Kleine Pause was serve on its own ( I urge ordering a side of fries to go with it ) . The cafe was packed when we arrived , and we had to wait a few minutes to snap up a table . When we pose down , I noticed many people had ordered the same dish . The sausage was good but just a little too saucy for me to love . Poppy , I assume , agreed .
Where to Stay : Le Meridien HamburgLocated on the money box of the Outer Alster Lake in the voguish St. Georg neighbourhood , Le Meridien is the perfect resting post if you also want to bask a lakeside perambulation with your puppy . The city center is accessible by Uber , boat , or a 50 - instant walk . It welcomes dogs of all sizes for an additional EUR 25 per Nox .
Prague, Czechia
Czech Klobása at Original Prague SausageRating : 4/5
From Hamburg , we drove six hour to Prague . The urban center is renowned for its traditional Czech sausages , notably the Klobása . This regional specialty is typically made with pork , sometimes beef , or a mixture of both , seasoned with garlic , salt , pepper , and other spices , and then smoked to accomplish a distinctive flavour . Klobása is often grilled and served with mustard and mess in a toasted roll , making it a popular street food .
We pulled into Prague just before the sun go away down , and I want to watch the sunset from the Charles Bridge with Poppy , so we headed to theOriginal Prague Sausageto grab a Klobása in a toasted bun . The takeaway shop is just a few minute take the air from the span .
Poppy thinks all these sausages are lip-licking good.|Photo by Becca Blond for Thrillist
I sleep together this sausage , and Poppy also could n’t get enough and seek to eat way more than I would let her . It had a robust discernment , and the grain was unbendable and gamey . I also loved how the flavors mixed — the smokiness of the blimp went well with the mess , mustard , and cetchup , and the toasted bun tied it all together . The photo ops of my ween on the bridge at sunset chowing on this wiener were also priceless .
Where to stick : Andaz PragueOpened in 2022 , Andaz Prague is a arresting , artistic , and modern hotel located at the edge of Old Town . It receive dogs for EUR 25 per night .
Vienna, Austria
Käsekrainer at the Wiener WürstelständeRating : 5/5
We headed to Vienna from Prague , just a few time of day ' drive off . Going on a weiner road trip without stopping in Wein would n’t have been good . Here , we test Käsekrainer , a sausage made from pork and bitch and infused with small chunks of cheese , usually Emmental . When cook , the cheeseflower thaw , creating a scrumptiously creamy and piquant filling inside the blimp . It ’s typically grilled or fried and served with mustard , cetchup , pickles , and sometimes kraut on a freshly pledge bread roll .
We headed to theWiener WürstelständeSpittelau stand near the subway junction of the U4 and U6 in north Vienna . The stand is just across the street from the city ’s renowned environmentally - well-disposed , modernist - style waste disposal centerfield , which creates enough energy to heat 60,000 household . The topographic point was belt down even a few hours past lunchtime on a weekday .
Poppy is ready to eat a sausage in Budapest.|Photo by Becca Blond for Thrillist
The Käsekrainer was my favorite sausage of the trip . I think cheese make everything better ( as does Poppy ) , so the fact that this sausage was engorge with it was delightful . The Wiener Würstelstände ’s adaptation was serve with two long dogs in a roll , and I topped mine with kraut , pickles , Indian mustard , and ketchup . It was n’t the gentle sausage balloon to exhaust , as the cheeseflower squirts out when you sting it , but the flavor was incredible . Poppy tried to grab the entire sausage out of the bun when I place it down for a photo . The only part she did n’t love about this stay was wear down a hot dog costume for the photo opp .
Where to Stay : Hotel Prater ViennaThis fellowship - have hotel in a historic area between the Vienna Prater and St. Stephan ’s Cathedral has an old Viennese ambience . It welcome dogs of all sizes and does not charge pet fees .
Budapest, Hungary
Hungarian Kolbász at Pinczi hús - hentesáruRating : 4.5/5
Next up was Budapest , a metropolis I had never been to before but always wanted to visit . Just a couple hours from Vienna by car , this Hungarian metropolis is known for its Kolbász , a traditional blimp made from pork barrel and seasoned munificently with pimiento , garlic , and other spiciness . It can be either wise or smoke and is typically grilled or fried . The rich Capsicum annuum grossum flavor gives the blimp its classifiable taste and vivacious color . Kolbász is often enjoyed at outside markets , festivals , and as street food in Budapest .
At the recommendation of a few local , we channelize toPinczi hús - hentesáru , part butcher shop , part restaurant on the Pest side of the city . There is nothing touristy about the store , and there are no English menus in sight . Using a translating program app , I set up a deep-fried Kolbász with a side of horseradish , mustard , pickled vegetables , and a thick piece of unfermented shekels .
Poppy eyes up a delicious Weißwurst and freshly baked pretzel.|Photo by Becca Blond for Thrillist
Where to Stay : Kimpton BEM BudapestPoppy was the first blackguard guest to stay at the soft opening of this pet - friendly hotel . When it opens to the public on July 15 , the elegant hotel will receive Canis familiaris of all size and will not charge a preferred fee .
Munich, Germany
Weisswurst at Hochreiter Biergarten ViktualienmarktRating : 3.5/5
Munich is famous for Oktoberfest and its " Weisswurst " or " Weißwurst " ( whitened wiener in English ) . This traditional Bavarian sausage is made from a mixing of delicately minced veal and wise pork back Francis Bacon , flavor with Petroselinum crispum , maize , macebearer , ginger , and Elettaria cardamomum . Weisswurst is unique because it is traditionally not smoke but cooked in a stock . It has a soft , mild flavor and a pale lily-white color due to the absence of nitrites . Weisswurst is typically serve as a breakfast dish with sweet mustard , freshly broil pretzels , and a refreshing Bavarian beer .
There are many spot to get Weisswurst in Munich , but we resolve onHochreiter Biergarten Viktualienmarktbecause we also want a beer garden experience in the mediaeval old town . There are less touristy spot for authentic sausages , including the nearby Kesselfrische Weißwurst , but this one is at least deserving the purview of the old town .
Where to remain : Koenigshof , a Luxury Collection Hotel , MunichThis brand - novel place in a striking modern building sits at the entering to the medieval old town . suite are sleek , with copies of famous modern fine art on walls and floor - to - roof window , many of which look directly at Old Town . It welcomes one dog per room with no size limitation . It charge a EUR 75 per dark pet fee .
