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Vienna travel guide
Guide me through Vienna
Magnificent buildings, lavishly decorated palaces, and gilded opera houses fill romantic Vienna with imperial nostalgia. This feeling is enhanced by its annual Ball Season – with the Viennese Waltz and elegant formal attire in full display, and Vienna’s classical music history. Home to world-famous composers such as Mozart, Brahms, and Beethoven, nostalgic coffee houses round out the impression. But the city limits include more than Baroque treasures – the Austrian capital boasts extensive parks, beautiful vineyards, and exquisite gastronomy.
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Vienna Top 5
Relax at a coffeehouse
Visit a palace
Tour the historic center
Attend a ball or opera
Party under the railway arches
Best things to do in Vienna
The Highlights
Dive into the Viennese culture by spending some leisurely hours over a creamy coffee and a piece of cake in one of Vienna’s shabby-glamorous coffeehouses for which the city is so famous.
Taking a Free Walking Tour at the beginning of your visit is a great way to get to know Vienna’s rich and royal history (don’t forget to tip your guide at the end).
A visit to the Austrian capital is not complete without seeing at least one of its highly ornate palaces. Visit Schönbrunn Palace from the outside and inside. Tour the State Rooms and Imperial Apartments, stroll the palace gardens, and walk from the palace to the Gloriette for a great view of the city. The Vienna Imperial Carriage Museum is located on the palace grounds as well.
Another Baroque treasure is the Belvedere Palace. The palace is home to a fantastic art collection featuring pieces by Renoir, Van Gogh, and Monet, and its gardens are filled with beautiful ponds, flowers, statues, and fountains.
The Imperial Palace called Hofburg is the official residence of the President and another attraction not to be missed on your trip to Vienna. Tour the impressive Schatzkammer (treasury) and the Kaiserappartements and hear the Vienna Boy’s Choir sing Mass in the Hofburg Chapel. If you fancy horses, make your way to the Spanish Riding School located on the palace grounds. You can book a performance, attend a morning exercise, join a tour or take a peek at the horses from the windows on Reitschulgasse.
Surprisingly compact, the historical center can be explored easily on foot. Walk the Ring road and see its highlight, the Rathausplatz, where the Parliament, the Town Hall, the Palace of Justice, the State Opera, the University, and two major museums are located.
See St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the beautiful Romanesque and Gothic cathedral of Vienna with its iconic colorful roof. Explore its interior with the catacombs and climb both towers for an excellent view of the city.
Learn about the history of the Jewish population in Vienna by strolling one of the city’s prettiest squares, the Jewish Square. The square is home to a Holocaust Memorial known as Nameless Library.
Best museums to visit in Vienna
Museums
Due to its rich history and culture, Vienna offers superb museums. Art lovers get their money’s worth at Museums Quarter, the former imperial stables that have been turned into a collection of museums, galleries, cafés, and festivals.
See the Leopold Museum for Art Noveau and Expressionism or the mumok Museum of Modern Art. One of the best art museums in town is the Albertina – housed in the Imperial Palace with a vast collection of prints and drawings as well as temporary exhibits. Visit the Museum of Art History Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna’s art museum that outshines them all – with one of the world’s greatest collections of Old Masters and interesting antiquities. Go to the MAK Museum to enjoy applied arts. The Secession building hosts a gallery with contemporary exhibits.
The Natural History Museum showcases interesting prehistoric and anthropology exhibits as well as a planetarium. Visit the Freud Museum to learn about the life of the famous founder of psychoanalysis. The House of Music shows in a fun and interactive way exhibits of the world-famous classical composers Mozart, Schubert, Schoenberg, and Strauss. To learn more about the life of Mozart, visit the Mozart Museum.
More fun activities to do in Vienna
Other Activities
Top 5 • Highlights • Museums • Delicacies • Travel Tips • Transportation
The Austrian capital is the perfect place to experience an Opera, whether you’re a first-time or an experienced opera viewer. See a performance at Vienna Volksoper or Vienna State Opera either sitting or standing (Stehplatz tickets can be purchased last minute and are cheaper). Here, as well a ballet performance by the Vienna State Ballet can be enjoyed, which counts as one of the best in the world.
If you prefer spending a rather modern night out, party under the railway arches. Small clubs and bars, food trucks, and live music performances can be found right under the subway between the stops Thaliastraße and Nussdorfer Straße. In summer, a safe bet for fantastic nightlife is Danube Island, where you can find beach bars, a waterpark, restaurants, and nightclubs.
For those with more time on their hands, take a day trip to Bratislava, the charismatic capital of Slovakia with its medieval center located just one hour away by train or bus. On the outskirts of Vienna, you can find the Wiener Wald, a hiking paradise inside a beautiful woodland.
Especially when traveling with kids, a visit to the Schönbrunn Zoo can be a real highlight. In the world’s oldest zoo, visitors can stroll the grounds on their own, take a specialty tour, or have breakfast in the aquarium or rainforest. A visit to the Prater, Vienna’s amusement park can be a fun experience as well.
Best food to try in Vienna
Local Delicacies
Vienna boasts an incredible culinary scene. Try the city’s quintessential platter – Wiener Schnitzel – with a slice of lemon. Tafelspitz (boiled beef) is served in a pot of broth and accompanied by hash browns, vegetables, and sauce. Eaten as either meal or dessert, Kaiserschmarrn (fluffy shredded pancake with raisins) is a dish you should not miss while in Austria. Another treat for the sweet tooth is Vienna’s famous Sacher Torte, a rich chocolate cake with apricot jam. Have a Kaiserspritzer (a cocktail of white wine, mineral water, and elderflower syrup) to relax after sightseeing.
Visit Naschmarkt, a huge open-air food market offering fresh produce and a variety of food options (closed on Sundays). Or pop into Demel, Vienna’s oldest café and bakery to enjoy pastries, Vienna’s famous Sacher cake, and strudels. Take a wine tour to nearby Wachau Valley to try the local wine and marvel at the surroundings.
Best travel tips for Vienna
Useful travel tips
Depending on the season you are visiting Vienna, the city shows its temporal charms. During Autumn, many traditional wine taverns, so-called Heurigen, are open all over town and offer besides of excellent wine local snacks, or buffets. Especially during wine season, a visit to one of the wine-producing villages surrounding Vienna, such as Stammersdorf (filled with family-run Heuringen), can be an unforgettable experience.
If you are visiting during winter, the Austrian capital dresses up for the Christmas season, when enchanting Christmas markets pop up throughout the city.
Don’t miss your chance to participate in Vienna’s glamourous ball season beginning in January and ending in April. From traditional to alternative balls, there is a ball for everyone.
Vienna is an easy capital to handle. Find the week’s cultural program in the local magazine Falter or see the listings of the free monthly program at the tourist office.
Transportation tips for Vienna
Transportation
Top 5 • Highlights • Museums • Other Activities • Delicacies • Travel Tips
The public transportation system is extensive and features the subway, trams, buses, and trains. Buy your tickets at the machines within the stations. Get the Vienna City Card if you are planning on doing loads of sightseeing and using public transport. There is a city airport train CAT that connects the airport to the city center, but you can also use the cheaper, but slower regular train.