Vienna, the capital of Austria, lies in the country’s east on the Danube River. This beautiful city has a never-ending wealth of things to do and see throughout the year. It also consistently ranks as the city that offers the highest quality of life in the world. World-renowned artists and intellects like Mozart, Beethoven, and Sigmund Freud have shaped the legacy of this stunning city. The City of Music, Vienna, has a musical heritage that includes composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Johann Strauss, etc. It entices locals and tourists alike with world-class events, coffee-house culture, fabulous eateries and wineries, artisan shops, and exciting street markets.
Vienna charms and seduces its visitors with amazing architecture, the masterpiece–filled museums, imperial palaces, and the dazzling Ringstrasse. Tourist attractions include Schonbrunn Palace, Hofburg and Habsburg palaces, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Vienna State Opera, Prater park, the royal palace in Belvedere, and the city’s famous museums. Also of interest is the Museums Quartier district where historic and contemporary buildings display works by Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, and other artists. The elegant Ring Road around the Innere Stadt district features government and public buildings including the 18th-century Burg Theater. You can also enjoy the distinct coffeehouse and vineyard dining cultures of the city. The Christmas markets in winter are also a famous tourist attraction. Regardless of how many times you’ve visited, this city has a never-ending supply of attractions to keep you completely intrigued.
{ 1 } Visit Beautiful St Stephen’s Cathedral
The St. Stephen’s Cathedral is also known as the symbol of the city. It’s rich history, cultural diversity, works of art, and religious dimension certainly make it the spiritual center of the city. In other words, this cathedral is faith set in stone that has shaped people’s lives for centuries. You can opt for a guided tour of the cathedral and interesting sites. You can also take a tour on your own and explore the cathedral at your leisure. Sites of interest include the cathedral, catacombs, cathedral treasure, the attic, and the south and north towers.
{ 2 } Explore Vienna On City Walks
If you’re an explorer at heart and enjoy walking through the town discovering new sights and things, you would love this walk. You can experience music, art and stunning architecture in this city walk. It leads to all the main sights, beautiful parks, and impressive sights in Vienna city center. You can visit the Vienna State Opera, the Albertina, Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum), the MuseumsQuartier, Secession, etc. Lovers of music would like to visit the Musikverein, John Strauss Monument, the Mozarthaus, the House of Music, and the Vienna Konzerthaus. Another way to explore Vienna is to walk along the Ringstrasse and enjoy the buildings and monuments situated on this road. Interesting places include the Burggarten and Burgtheater, Heldenplatz, the Parliament, City Hall Park, Minoriten Church, Am Hof Square, Hoher Market, etc.
{ 3 } Visit Schonbrunn Palace and Hofburg Palace
Schonbrunn Palace Park, in Hietzing, was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. The 1,441-room Baroque palace is certainly one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historical monuments in the country. This park is also home to impressive fountains, statues, monuments, trees, and flowers as well as the magnificent Gloriette. You can enjoy the Imperial Carriage Museum, Crown Prince Garden, Orangery Garden, Maze & Labyrinth, Zoo, Palm House and Desert Experience House in this park.
The Hofburg is also the former principal imperial winter palace of the Habsburg rulers and today serves as the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria. Built in the 13th century in the center of Vienna, this palace was expanded many times. It is also home to numerous museums with outstanding collections, the Spanish Riding School, a congress center, the seat of the Austrian Federal President, and the historic Heldenplatz.
{ 4 } Easy Accommodations In Vienna
Whether you are traveling for a few days or going for a long vacation, Vienna has great resources to make your stay a pleasant one. Online hotel bookings are pretty common and easily available. However, if you don’t want a hotel stay there are also options for other suitable accommodations. The youth hostels, hostels, and camping facilities in Vienna have something to suit every taste. Moreover, you can also find housing for rent in Vienna pretty easily if you want to avoid the hotels and hostels. It is also easy to get tourist information and general information about the city. The public transport is also easily available with added facilities like Paycard and the Vienna City Card to aid your money problems.
{ 5 } Tour The Royal Palace In Belvedere
The Royal Palace Belvedere Park Of Vienna, Austria By Andy_Den/Shutterstock
The Belvedere is a historic building complex in the city of Vienna, Austria. It consists of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, the Belvedere Museum, and the Palace Stables. The famous Baroque architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt built the palaces in the 18th century. Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736) had commissioned these palaces as his summer residence. This ensemble listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site includes the Upper and Lower Belvedere and an extensive garden. Today the Belvedere houses the greatest collection of Austrian art dating from the Middle Ages to the present day, complemented by the work of international artists such as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, and Max Beckmann. You can book a guided tour of the Belvedere to enjoy all that it has to offer.
{ 6 } Enjoy The Famous Museums Of Vienna
Vienna is well-known for its music, arts, and cultural legacy. It is home to more than 100 museums which house everything from world-renowned 16th-century oil paintings to curious objects. In fact, the MuseumsQuartier is the largest museum complex in the city with more than 10 museums and cultural institutions in a massive Imperial building. The Kunsthistorisches Museum is the most popular of all Vienna Museums. It is a treasure chest of classical art and one of the leading princely collections in Europe. Other interesting and popular museums include the Belvedere, the Albertina, Wien Museum, Mozart House, Sigmund Freud Museum, Natural History Museum, Imperial Treasury, Museum of Military History, Leopold Museum, etc.
{ 7 } Viennese Wining And Dining
Also called the city of coffee, Vienna is famous for its traditional coffee house culture, concert cafés, coffee roast houses, ice cream parlors, and the Vienna coffee festival. Other than coffee, Viennese cuisine and wines are also very popular. Experience the best of Viennese cuisine from restaurants and bistros to the hot dog stands in the streets. Enjoy Vienna’s finest wines in Viennese Hueriges (wine taverns) all across the city. There are also Vinotheques and wine bars, Vienna Huerigen Express, and Vineyard and Wine Cellar Tours available. You can also take a walk along the vineyards in many Viennese villages like Neustift, and Grinzing. You can also enjoy a cozy evening in the vineyards with a great view and fine wine.
{ 8 } Day Trips To Stift Melk And Bratislava
The Melk Abbey situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube River is one of Europe’s great sights. Fire destroyed the original edifice which was established as a fortified Benedictine abbey in the 11th-century. Today’s 18th-century Baroque abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 to designs by Jakob Prandtauer and his disciple, Josef Munggenast. The monastery church is the highlight of this abbey. Other interesting places include the Bibliothek (library) and the Marmorsaal (Marble Hall) both graced with a ceiling fresco by Paul Troger.
Bratislava, the capital of neighboring Slovakia, is close to the Austrian border and only 67km from Vienna. Bratislava stretches on both banks of the Danube and in the foothills of the Little Carpathian Mountains. Interesting places to visit include the SPN Square, the Bratislava Castle, Michael’s Gate, Grassalkovich Palace, and the Devin Castle. You can also take a walking tour of the Old Town and experience the authentic culture of Bratislava.
{ 9 } Trend Shopping At Christmas Markets
Shopping in Vienna, especially in the Christmas markets is a novel experience indeed. Vienna is filled with shopping streets and pedestrian zones offering luxury goods as well as antique and flea market products. You can shop in the old city or head to shopping markets like the Kohlmarkt and the Vienna Naschmarkt. From the middle of November until Christmas, Vienna’s prettiest squares transform into magical Christmas markets. The most famous of these are the Vienna Christmas World on Rathausplatz, the Christmas Village on Maria-Theresien-Platz, the Old Viennese Christmas Market on Freyung, and the Am Hof Advent Market. Also of interest are the markets in Schonbrunn Palace, Belvedere, Karlsplatz, Spittelberg, Stephansplatz, the Winter Market on Riesenradplatz, and the Imperial and Royal Christmas Market on Michaelerplatz.