Vienna City Guide
The City of Dreams
Grüße aus Wien
Vienna is the home of Baroque elegance, Imperial Palaces, the Habsburgs, Mozart, Beethoven, Klimt, Opera, Art, opulent Coffee Houses and irresistible Cakes.
Experience the Imperial splendour of Vienna, visit museums and cafes, enjoy Viennese cuisine and have the opportunity to go to an opera or a musical performance.
This Vienna City Guide provides advice and tips so you can plan your holiday including accommodation, transport and restaurant guides.
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Quick Vienna Planning Summary
♦ Arriving in Vienna– Getting to the City from the Airport, by Train, Bus or Boat
♦ We recommend using Vienna’s world-class Public Transport
♦ Plan with our Free One-Day or Two-Day Vienna Itineraries
♦ Top 30 Vienna Bucket List
♦ Planning to visit the Vienna Christmas Markets? Buy ourVienna Christmas Market Itinerary
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Our Recommendations | Where we stay in Vienna
♥ Perfect for families, we loved staying in a Maisonette (two bedrooms over two floors) at the König von Ungarn -directly in the centre of Vienna behind Stephansdom.
♥ Motel One Staatsoper, a great mid-range choice one block from the Opera and close to everything.
♥ I also love staying at the Hotel Pension Museum in Spittelberg, directly across from the U3 Metro Stop and Museums Quartier and Theaterhotel & Suites Wien in the 8th district- where I used to live, so this hotel feels like home.
You can find more hotel recommendations in our Vienna Hotel Guide
Vienna Concerts
Attending a classical music concert in Vienna, the heart of classical music, is an excellent way to complete your magical visit to the Christmas markets.
♥ Vienna's Opera House is world-class. Tickets go on sale two months in advance on the first day of the month and sell out quickly. Book Vienna Opera Tickets directly
♥ The Musikverein, Vienna’s premier concert hall and home of the Vienna Philharmonic. Book Musikverein Tickets directly.
♥ Popular concerts include Vivaldi-Four Seasons by Orchestra 1756 Concert at Karlskirche and the Mozart Concert in the Golden Hall of Muzikverein.
Vienna Highlights
♥ Visit the Spanish Riding School. Have a look behind the scenes of the 60-minute Guided Tour, witness a Spanish Riding School training session of the Lipizzaners and their riders, or see a Spanish Riding School Performance.
♥ Guided tour Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg
♥ Schönbrunn Palace
Essential Vienna Planning Tips
Click on one of the topics below to start planning your visit to Vienna.
Getting to Vienna
Vienna Public Transport Guide
Vienna Tours & Tickets Guide
Top 30 Things to Do & See in Vienna
12 Best Things to Do on a Rainy Day in Vienna
Vienna Christmas Market Itinerary
Vienna Easter Markets
Top Vienna Highlights
Historic Innenstadt
The historic Innenstadt (city centre or 1st District) is encircled by the Ringstraße and is resplendent with Baroque buildings, palaces, museums, churches and historical buildings and the vast majority of all sightseeing attractions.
The Ringstraße
The 5.3 km Ringstraße is the grand boulevard that circles the first District, and is home to many of Vienna’s most important architectural buildings, including the Opera, the Kunsthistorische Museum, the Hofburg, the Parliament, the Rathaus (photo), the University and the Votive Kirche.
Stephansdom
Stephansdom (St Stephen’s Cathedral) is one of Vienna’s most important monuments and located in the centre of Vienna-both spiritually and geographically. The Gothic cathedral dates to the 12th century. Climb up the 343 steps of the South tower for a view of Vienna and visit the Catacombs. Kirche.
Vienna State Opera House
Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) is one of the leading opera houses in the world. To see the opera, you can either buy a ticket to an Opera or Ballet performance, or take a guided tour of the building.
Museums
Thanks to the Habsburgs’ extensive art collections and the home of the Fin de Siècle Vienna Secession Art movement of the late 19th century, Vienna is a paradise for art and museum lovers, with over 100 museums. The top three art museums are the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History-pictured), the Albertina, and the Belvedere, featuring Gustav Klimt paintings.
The Prater
The Prater is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, once the Imperial family’s hunting grounds. Now the Prater is home to the Wurstelprater, a giant fun park with dodgems, carousels and rollercoasters. Its most famous sight, the Riesenrad, or Giant Wheel, was opened in 1897 to celebrate Emperor Franz Joseph’s jubilee. Enjoy views of Vienna and the Danube from the Riesenrad, the site of the famous scenes in The Third Man
Gardens and Parks
The city of Vienna boasts numerous beautiful gardens and green spaces, including the Volksgarten, a stunningly landscaped park featuring rose bushes, the Empress Elizabeth Monument, and the Temple of Theseus. Burggarten-whose most famous residence is the Mozart Monument, is also home to the Palmenhaus (Palm House) and Schmetterlinghaus (Butterfly House), Stadtpark (City Park) is Vienna’s largest park with its windy paths, ponds and greenery.
Vienna Coffeehouses
No visit to Vienna is complete without visiting a Viennese Café. UNESCO named the Vienna Coffee House on the “National Agency for the Intangible Cultural Heritage” list.
Some of the most famous Viennese coffeehouses include Café Central, Kaffee (pictured), Kaffee Alt Wien, Café Hawelka, and Café Landtmann.
The Palaces
Hofburg
The Hofburg Palace was the seat of the Habsburg Court from 1273 to 1918. The oldest section is the 13th-century Schweizerhof (Swiss Court). Visit the Imperial Apartments, the Imperial Treasury, the baroque riding arena of the Spanish Riding School, home of the Lipizzaner stallions and the Austrian National Library.
Belvedere
The palace was designed by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and built as the summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Unteres Belvedere (Lower) built in 1712-16 has state apartments, ceremonial rooms and the lavish red marble Mamorsaal. The Oberes Belvedere (Upper) built in 1717-23 rises above the manicured gardens and is now a museum housing Medieval art, impressionists and its most famous exhibits of Klimt masterpieces.
Schönbrunn
The famous yellow 18th century Schönbrunn Palace was the Habsburg’s summer residence. Tour the palace’s scrumptious baroque interiors where four-year-old Mozart’s first public appearance was for Empress Maria Therese. Outside, visit the gardens, the Gloriette, the Schönbrunn Zoo (the oldest working zoo in the world) and the Children’s Museum.
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