Vienna Travel Guide
Vienna is among Europe’s most walkable cities, and each district has its own distinct vibe. The ancient paths of the First District give way to the Donaukanal—the branch of the Danube that runs through the city.
Take a tram around the Ringstrasse, which circles the inner city, to see the breadth of the architecture or stop at an iconic café for a coffee and a strudel. Across the river, you’ll find the newly vibrant Second District, Leopoldstadt. Once primarily home to a Jewish population and immigrants, in the last decade it has become a haven for artists and bohemians who have opened new restaurants, revitalised the Karmelitermarkt, and rediscovered the Prater amusement park, where you can find the famous Riesenrad Ferris Wheel.
Naschmarkt is a weeklong draw for foodies and chefs. On Gumpendorfer Strasse, fans of Midcentury Modern will fall in love with the furniture wares. In the Seventh district, Neubau, the small streets house some of the city’s quirkiest boutiques. And in the middle of the city is the glorious Museums Quartier—former Hapsburgs stables turned into an art Mecca.
Enjoy this Vienna travel guide.
Things To Do in Vienna:
We fell in love with everything there is to do in Vienna on our trip. There are grand palaces, historic squares, Medieval churches, World-class museums, a focus on the arts, and tons of avenues for socializing in Vienna. It doesn’t even matter what time of year you visit as there is always a ton to see.
1. Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens
About Schönbrunn Palace: When the Hapsburg royal family took control of this riverside property 1569, it was considered very rural in the woods outside Vienna. In the 1700s, Emperor Charles VI and his daughter Maria Theresa started to turn the property from a hunting lodge into a true estate. This included gardens, fountains, and a zoo which today is the World’s oldest.
When beloved Empress Sisi moved to Schonbrunn in the mid-1800s, the estate moved to palace status as it grew to 1,441 stately rooms and grand halls. Empress Sisi had an unlimited budget along with a taste for fashion and design. Today you can tour dozens of the main rooms, along with the grounds, garden, zoo, and carriage museum. The powerful property, along with interesting stories of the iconic rulers we mentioned, easily makes Schonbrunn the top attraction to see in Vienna.
2. Prater Amusement Park
Just North of Vienna’s main tourist area is a 200-year-old amusement park called Prater which is bound to spark nostalgia. Featured in the acclaimed James Bond film, Living Daylights! The best things about this amusement park is that there is no admission fee, you only pay for what you ride.
The island, called Leopold, that Prater Park sits on was once part of royal hunting grounds before finally being opened to the public in 1766. The island also served as the home of Vienna’s Jewish community from the 1400’s on. Even if you don’t go for the rides, make sure to visit the Swiss House Beer Garden which adds another level of fun. The beer garden is open daily until 11:30pm March 15th-October and is closed for the Winter. Do yourself a favour and put Prater park on your itinerary for a truly Viennese experience.
Be sure to go on the big wheel and the scary ghost ride!
3. Town Hall
When Vienna’s Medieval city wall was torn down in the mid-1800s to make way for the grand boulevard known as the Ringstrasse, the Old Town Hall from 1316 was abandoned in favor of this new spectacular Neo-Gothic building.
Completed in 1883, the 321-foot-tall tower of Town Hall (Rathaus) dominates the large square below it of it. If you choose to hike up the 331 steps to the top of the tower you’ll have great views of Vienna. The tower is capped with a 17-foot-tall Rathausmann who stands guard over the city. The watchman might not look that big from the ground but he weighs over 1400 pounds and is so large that he would need a size 31 shoe!
In the Summer months, a full-sized movie screen takes up the entire side of City Hall as it plays free outdoor movies over the park and Beer Garden. The Rathaus Platz Beer Garden has authentic food, great beer, and wine from all over the world with good prices and a ton of perfect outdoor seating. Most of the Beer Garden workers are often in traditional Austrian dress which makes the whole experience that much more unique. In the Winter there is a large outdoor ice staking rink set up in the park and the entire City Area turns into a Christmas Village.
4. Visit a Cafe
Just like Munich is known for its beer halls, Vienna is famous for its wonderful cafes. With mouth-watering deserts, great conversation, flavourful coffee, and unique atmospheres, Vienna’s cafes serve as the cities melting pot. From paupers to kings, everyone has sipped a cup of joe was sampling chocolate cake.
The cafes really saw their place cemented into the culture of Vienna in the mid-1800s through early-1900s when famous psychologists, poets, and revolutionaries met to philosophize and share their thoughts. No list of the top ten things to do in Vienna is complete without a stop a cafe. While the two most famous cafes are Demel and Sacher, there seems to be at least one amazing cafe on every block in Old Town Vienna.
5. Saint Stephen's Cathedral
When Saint Stephen’s Parish was established in 1137 sat outside the walls of Vindobona next to a Roman cemetery. Over the centuries the chapel grew into a mighty cathedral and the focal point that modern Vienna was built around. Saint Stephens is our favourite church in town and made a strong push as the top thing to do in Vienna. Make sure to climb the 466-foot-tall South Tower called Old Steve for breathtaking views of Old Town.
The front door is the oldest part of the church and is nicknamed the Giant’s Door for a mastodon leg that once hung above it. The Gothic interior is filled with Renaissance artwork and flooded with colourful light from Medieval stain glass windows. In-the-know travelers make sure to visit the catacombs where you can see the guts from the Hapsburg rulers as well as tombs of local religious leaders. A special treat is the underground Virgil Chapel from the 1200s which can only be accessed through the metro station in Saint Stephen’s Square.
6. The Museum Quartier
The Museum Quartier is more than a collection of World-class museums, it is truly a grand work of art in itself. In the late-1800s, Emperor Franz Joseph was working on his grand Kaiserforum complex to show the might and sophistication of Austria. As seen in this 1865 mockup sketch, it was to include additions to Hofburg Palace and a mega-sized central forum surrounded by grand buildings. While the project was never completed because the monarchy fell, the project did give us a lot to be excited about.
The main highlights of the Museum Quartier are the two massive twin museums on opposite sides of a central garden. On the North side, the Museum of Natural History (Naturhistorisches) holds an interesting collection of fossils, taxidermied animals, and other artifacts. The most famous piece is the 4-inch-tall Venus of Willendorf Statue. This statue depicts a naked female figure which was carved into limestone somewhere between 22,000-24,000 BC.
On the South side of the square is the highly rated Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches) which holds Vienna’s greatest collection of paintings covering very fun loving art from over a 200-year span. Even the building itself is a piece of art as the common spaces inside are breathtaking. The Koonst, as it is called locally, also holds an amazing Egyptian Museum. Don’t forget to check out the Museum Quartier’s central garden which is dominated by a large fountain capped by a statue of Empress Maria Theresa.
Helpful tips
1. GETTING AROUND VIENNA:
Centered on Old Town before branching out along major roads and the river, Vienna’s helpful metro system is very easy to use. Once you are in the compact Old Town you won’t even need the metro much as it is very pedestrian friendly zone, but it is still important to know about. Along with out maps of the different areas to explore around town we have also included interactive route maps for the most helpful metro lines.
2. WHERE TO STAY IN VIENNA:
For the most part, central Vienna is extremely safe for a city its size and there aren’t any shady neighborhoods immediately around Old Town. Try to stay in or around Old Town if you can afford it. If you can’t then make sure you stay within walking distance of the metro so you can at least get to Old Town quickly without paying for a cab. When deciding where to stay just outside of the Ringstrasse focus around the River canal and our list of Other Sights.
3. HOW TO GET TO & FROM THE AIRPORT:
Centered on Old Town before branching out along major roads and the river, Vienna’s convenient metro system is straightforward to use. Once you are in the compact Old Town you won’t even need the metro much as it is very pedestrian friendly zone, but it is still essential to know about. Along with out maps of the different areas to explore around town we have also included interactive route maps for the most important metro lines.
4. GERMAN LANGUAGE TIPS:
Munich in German is München (Mew-Chin)
Hello is Hallo (Ha-Low)
Good Morning is Guten Morgen (Goo-ten Morgen)
Good Day is Guten Tag (Goo-ten Tahg)
Good Afternoon is Guten Abend (Goo-ten Ah-bent)
Good Night is Gute Nacht (Goo-te Nah-cht), remember it’s not Guten
Goodbye in person is Auf Wiedersehen (Owf Vee-da-zane)
Informal Goodbye is Tschüss (Ja-oose), can also use Tschau (Chow)
Goodbye On The Phone is Auf Wiederhören (Owf Vee-da-hur-run)
Thank You is Danke (Dunk-ah)
Do You Speak English? is Sprechen Sie Englisch (Spa-wreck-ins Zee Ing-Lisch)?
Cheers for drinking is Prost (Pro-st)
Zum Wohl (sum voil), meaning To Your Health, can be added at the end of any cheers, but is most commonly used when toasting with wine.
At Oktoberfest you will also hear Ein Prosit (Eyn Proz-it) which means I Salute and is usually followed by Der Gemütlichkeit (Dar Gay-mute-lish-kite) meaning I Salute Our Friendship & Good Time. The most popular song at Oktoberfest, Ein Proist, will repeat this theme every 15 minutes you are in the tents.
What’s Your Name? is Wie heißen Sie (Vee Hi-sin Zee)?
My Name is… Ich heiße (Eek Hi-sa) …
How Are You is Wie Geht Es Dir (Vee Gates Deer)
I’m Doing Well is Ich bin gut (Eek Ben Goot)
Bathroom Signs Herren (Hair-in) is men and Damen (Dom-in) is women
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Have you ever been to Vienna or is it on your list? We look forward to your comment.
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