My dog, Poppy, got her EU pet passport last year, and ever since, we’ve jumped on any opportunity to put it to good use. So, when a work trip to Hamburg came up, I couldn’t resist turning my jaunt across the pond into a six-country road trip.
It wasn’t until I mapped out my route, however, that I realized we were headed to some seriously sausage-obsessed cities, like Munich and Vienna. Since Poppy is a Chiweenie—half Chihuahua, half Dachshund—I knew I needed to turn this trip into a wiener dog’s hot dog tour of Europe.
I live with a psychiatric disability, and Poppy is my service dog, trained to alert me before I have a panic attack. Poppy is also an avid traveler. She joins me on the road between two and three times a month, and she has taken around 90 flights and visited 11 countries. We travel to Europe frequently, and Poppy’s EU pet passport allows us to travel back and forth without getting a pricey international health certificate each time.
From saucy currywurst in Hamburg to cheese-stuffed Käsekrainer in Vienna and paprika-laced Kolbász in Budapest, our 1,700-mile road trip had Poppy eating her length in wieners. (Actually, she just had tiny bites. Sausages aren’t good for dogs!)
Below are the results of our gastro expedition, complete with sausage reviews and a dog-friendly hotel recommendation for each city.
Poppy being fed a delicacy. | Photo by Becca Blond for Thrillist
Currywurst at Kleine Pause
4/5 Rating
Our trip began in Hamburg, where we were told we had to try a local specialty called the Currywurst. This is a grilled sausage drenched in ketchup and curry powder sauce. There is much debate over the origin of this beloved German sausage dish, which involves soaking a grilled wiener in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and curry powder sauce. According to local lore, German writer Uwe Timm supposedly feasted on platters of Currywurst at Hamburg’s Großneumarkt in 1947. But most people attribute its creation to Berlin and snack-bar owner Herta Heuwer, who accidentally concocted it on a rainy September night in 1949 by mixing ingredients she had on hand into a sauce and serving it with a sausage.
But Currywurst was new to me, so I’ll always associate it with Hamburg. I headed to Kleine Pause in the lively St. Pauli neighborhood near the famed Reeperbahn. The small café has counter service only and serves a range of sausages, including vegan selections. Once you order, you can dine at one of the outdoor tables.
Often chopped over a bed of fries and then smothered in ketchup sauce, the Currywurst at Kleine Pause was served on its own (I recommend 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 grab a table. When we sat 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 Hamburg
Located on the banks of the Outer Alster Lake in the trendy St. Georg neighborhood, Le Meridien is the perfect resting post if you also want to enjoy a lakeside stroll with your pup. The city center is accessible by Uber, boat, or a 50-minute walk. It welcomes dogs of all sizes for an additional EUR 25 per night.
Poppy thinks all these sausages are lip-licking good. | Photo by Becca Blond for Thrillist
Czech Klobása at Original Prague Sausage
Rating: 4/5
From Hamburg, we drove six hours to Prague. The city 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 achieve a distinctive flavor. Klobása is often grilled and served with mustard and pickles in a toasted bun, making it a popular street food.
We pulled into Prague just before the sun went down, and I wanted to watch the sunset from the Charles Bridge with Poppy, so we headed to the Original Prague Sausage to grab a Klobása in a toasted bun. The takeaway shop is just a few minutes walk from the bridge.
I loved this sausage, and Poppy also couldn’t get enough and tried to eat way more than I would let her. It had a robust taste, and the texture was firm and juicy. I also loved how the flavors mixed—the smokiness of the sausage went well with the pickles, mustard, and ketchup, 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 Stay: Andaz Prague
Opened in 2022, Andaz Prague is a stunning, artistic, and modern hotel located at the edge of Old Town. It welcomes dogs for EUR 25 per night.
Käsekrainer at the Wiener Würstelstände
Rating: 5/5
We headed to Vienna from Prague, just a few hours’ drive away. Going on a weiner road trip without stopping in Wein wouldn’t have been right. Here, we tried Käsekrainer, a sausage made from pork and beef and infused with small chunks of cheese, usually Emmental. When cooked, the cheese melts, creating a deliciously creamy and savory filling inside the sausage. It’s typically grilled or fried and served with mustard, ketchup, pickles, and sometimes kraut on a freshly toasted bread roll.
We headed to the Wiener Würstelstände Spittelau stand near the subway junction of the U4 and U6 in north Vienna. The stand is just across the street from the city’s famous environmentally-friendly, modernist-style waste disposal center, which creates enough energy to heat 60,000 households. The place was popping even a few hours past lunchtime on a weekday.
The Käsekrainer was my favorite sausage of the trip. I think cheese makes everything better (as does Poppy), so the fact that this sausage was stuffed with it was delightful. The Wiener Würstelstände’s version was served with two long dogs in a bun, and I topped mine with kraut, pickles, mustard, and ketchup. It wasn’t the easiest sausage to eat, as the cheese squirts out when you bite it, but the flavor was incredible. Poppy tried to grab the entire sausage out of the bun when I set it down for a photo. The only part she didn’t love about this stop was wearing a hot dog costume for the photo opp.
Where to Stay: Hotel Prater Vienna
This family-owned hotel in a historic area between the Vienna Prater and St. Stephan’s Cathedral has an old Viennese ambiance. It welcomes dogs of all sizes and does not charge pet fees.
Poppy is ready to eat a sausage in Budapest. | Photo by Becca Blond for Thrillist
Hungarian Kolbász at Pinczi hús-hentesáru
Rating: 4.5/5
Next up was Budapest, a city I had never been to before but always wanted to visit. Just a couple hours from Vienna by car, this Hungarian city is known for its Kolbász, a traditional sausage made from pork and seasoned generously with paprika, garlic, and other spices. It can be either fresh or smoked and is typically grilled or fried. The rich paprika flavor gives the sausage its distinctive taste and vibrant color. Kolbász is often enjoyed at outdoor markets, festivals, and as street food in Budapest.
At the recommendation of a few locals, we headed to Pinczi hús-hentesáru, part butcher shop, part restaurant on the Pest side of the city. There is nothing touristy about the shop, and there are no English menus in sight. Using a translator app, I ordered a fried Kolbász with a side of horseradish, mustard, pickled vegetables, and a thick piece of fresh bread.
Where to Stay: Kimpton BEM Budapest
Poppy was the first dog 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 welcome dogs of all sizes and will not charge a pet fee.
Poppy eyes up a delicious Weißwurst and freshly baked pretzel. | Photo by Becca Blond for Thrillist
Weisswurst at Hochreiter Biergarten Viktualienmarkt
Rating: 3.5/5
Munich is famous for Oktoberfest and its “Weisswurst” or “Weißwurst” (white wiener in English). This traditional Bavarian sausage is made from a mixture of finely minced veal and fresh pork back bacon, flavored with parsley, lemon, mace, ginger, and cardamom. Weisswurst is unique because it is traditionally not smoked but cooked in a broth. It has a delicate, mild flavor and a pale white color due to the absence of nitrites. Weisswurst is typically served as a breakfast dish with sweet mustard, freshly baked pretzels, and a refreshing Bavarian beer.
There are many places to get Weisswurst in Munich, but we decided on Hochreiter Biergarten Viktualienmarkt because we also wanted a beer garden experience in the medieval old town. There are less touristy spots for authentic sausages, including the nearby Kesselfrische Weißwurst, but this one is at least worth the views of the old town.
Where to Stay: Koenigshof, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Munich
This brand-new property in a striking modern building sits at the entrance to the medieval old town. Rooms are sleek, with copies of famous modern art on walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, many of which look directly at Old Town. It welcomes one dog per room with no size restrictions. It charges a EUR 75 per night pet fee.
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Becca Blond is a Lowell Thomas award-winning travel and lifestyle writer. She has authored more than 30 Lonely Planet travel guides across five continents over the years and her writing regularly appears on websites like Travel + Leisure, The Points Guy, Matador Network, Thrillist, Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor. Becca is an advocate for mental health disabilities and lives with an anxiety disorder for which she travels with her service dog, Poppy.
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Publish date : 2024-07-19 16:19:18
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