Attractions in Vienna
Vienna is a gift package of sights and attractions. Not least in view of its magnificent castles and beautiful buildings. But you will also find a number of historical monuments and churches, museums and wonderful parks. And the world’s best riding school.
Belvedere Castle
The Belvedere or Belvedere palaces are one of the world’s most important art museums. Belvedere was built for the first time in 1714. Behind was Prince Eugene of Savoy, who has been of great importance to the development of Vienna. Belvedere is located in District 3, southeast of downtown. Take the train or tram to the Südbahnhof.
Schönbrunn castle
Schönbrunn is perhaps the most important cultural monument in all of Austria. A very beautiful palace that is on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites. Schönbrunn is located in District 13, well west of the city center. Take the subway to the station of the same name (ie Schönbrunn).
Zoo Schönbrunn
Europe’s oldest zoo is a nice park with many exciting animals. Perhaps the biggest attraction is the giant pandas. Location right by Schönbrunn Castle, District 13.
Prince Eugene’s Winter Palace
Great Baroque palace from 1702. The architect behind the Winter Palace was Fischer von Erlach. This palace is located just west of the magnificent Stadtpark large park. The address of the Winter Palace is Himmelpfortgasse 8. Keeps open from 0900 to 1700 every day of the week.
Mozart House
In Domgasse 5 (1st district) you will find a 1000 square meter house that gives you the story of the music genius Mozart. It is open every day except Mondays. You can also get to the Mozart House by taking the U1 and U3 subways to Stephansplatz.
The Opera house
The Vienna State Opera was bombed during World War II. In 1955, the opera was reopened and now stands out in all its glory. The opera should not only be viewed from the outside, but also visited for a concert if you are lucky enough to get a ticket. The address is Opernring 2.
St. Peter’s Church
Today’s St. Peter ‘s Church was built in the Baroque style in the early 18th century, but originally there have been churches in this place since before the 9th century. The church is a copy of St. Peter’s Church in Rome. You will find Vienna’s own St Peter’s Church logically enough at Petersplatz 6 in Inner Stadt.
Danube Tower (Donauturm) and Millennium Tower
This tower was built in 1964 and is 252 meters high. If you take the stairs, you have to walk 776 steps to get to the viewpoint. The Danube Tower also has a rotating restaurant on top. The tower is located at Danube Park, right on the east side of the Danube. The address is Donauturmstraße 8. On the west side of the Danube, almost directly to the Danube Tower, you will also see (guaranteed) the Millennium Tower. It is a 171 meter (202 meter if you include the antennas / spiers) impressive glass / steel building that was built in the year 2000.
Karl-Marx-Hof
Karl-Marx-Hof is “just” a municipal building, but not any! It is considered the tallest building in the world. It extends over 1,100 meters and passes three tram stops. Karl-Marx-Hof is located in the 19th district (Döbling). Karl-Marx-Hof’s address is Unnamed Road. Take the train to the Vienna Heiligenstadt Bahnhof, which is the nearest station.
Gasometer City
Originally, these were four large gas tanks with a storage capacity of 90,000 cubic meters, built in 1896. Today, these gas tanks are a city in the city and are called the Gasometer city. Here you will find concert hall, cinema hall, student housing and much more. The gasometer town is south of the center, by the district of Simmering, near the Danube Canal.
Hermesvilla
Hermesvilla is a monumental building given by the Emperor Franz Joseph to his wife. The building dates from 1896. The stately Baroque Hermesvilla is located in the park at the zoo west of the city center, in Hietzing. The address is the Lainzer Tiergarten.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
This cathedral or cathedral has long been a landmark in Vienna. St. Stephen’s Cathedral is stunningly beautiful and has a tower that extends 137 meters up to the sky. The cathedral is located at Kärtner Strasse in district 1.
Jewish Square and Jewish Museum
Not far from St. Stephen’s Cathedral you will find the Jewish Square and the Jewish Museum. Vienna has a fascinating history of Judaism, and the city was the home of more than 50,000 Jews before World War II. The address of the Jewish Museum is Dorotheergasse 11.
Kapuziner Church
This church is perhaps best known for its burial ground and sarcophagi where all the emperors of Austria are. It is well worth a visit and is located in the 1st district. The address is Neuer Markt, which is just off the Opera House and Hotel Sacher.
The Spanish Riding School
Maybe it is the Spanish riding school that offers the best in dressage and equestrian sports around the world? In beautiful Baroque buildings and elegant surroundings, in Vienna you can also enjoy beautiful horses and great events. The address of the Spanish riding school in Vienna is Michaelerplatz 1 in Inner Stadt.
House of Music
The music house in Seilerstätte 30 in the 1st district is an experience world in music. You can even conduct a symphony orchestra and get a rating, look at giant instruments and experiment on computers.
Tourist in Vienna
Vienna invites to city walking. It is a cozy and charming town and the distances are not too great. In addition, there are many green areas that invite relaxation.
As in all major cities, there is a well-designed system of sightseeing buses that you can hop on and off as you please. This can be a good option, as you will find sights in virtually all of the city’s various districts.
Day 1 in Vienna
After a good breakfast at the hotel, we suggest starting the day with a city walk to many of Vienna’s major attractions. Our starting point is the Opera House, which is centrally located in the Innere Stadt. This magnificent 1860s building houses one of the world’s best Philharmonic Orchestra. One world-renowned conductor after another has worked here. The New Year’s Ball (you’ve probably seen it on TV) is this year’s event in Vienna.
From the Opera House you go Kärtner Strasse until you reach Prince Eugenes winter palace in Himmelpfortgasse. Prince Eugene hired a renowned Baroque architect (Fischer von Erlach), and the construction started in 1697 and was completed in 1702. If you now return to Kärtner Strasse, cross this road and follow the Johannes Gasse side street, you will reach the Kapuzinerkirche. This church is known for its burial chamber, which dates back to 1619. All Austrian emperors are buried here and they are placed chronologically!
Now it’s time to visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral or St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The cathedral is normally open from 10am. 0600 to 1130. To get to the cathedral, just follow Kärtner Strasse further north. It is easy to see the tower of the cathedral. The southern tower of the cathedral is a landmark in Vienna and extends for 137 meters. Combine your visit with a guided tour of the catacombs. The times for these tours are from 4 p.m. 1000 to 1130 and from 1 p.m. 1400 to 1630. The cathedral is Gothic and must also be seen from the inside. The pagans towers are 65 meters high and symbolize the cathedral’s original width.
After this visit, take the Goldchmiedgasse street to St. Peter’s Church. For centuries a Roman church has stood in this place, but for various reasons reconstruction of the church has been necessary. Today’s St. Peter’s Church was built in the early 18th century. The church is in Baroque style, and inside the church you will see a lot of great Baroque crafts and arts.
From St. Peter’s Church you follow Burgergasse south. You will now come to a pleasant area with a variety of choices for you. Here you will find among others the Spanish riding school, which is definitely worth a visit, even for those who are not usually so interested in horses. Here is also Josefsplatz, where you will find, among other things, the National Library. This Baroque building dates from 1726. Next to the library you will see two buildings from the aristocracy. The house which has number 6 is called Palais Palffy and was built approx. 1575. If you have time, then also visit Burggarten, which is a beautiful garden with fine sculptures and special buildings. In the immediate vicinity you will also find several museums, including the Natural History Museum and the Art History Museum.
If you now go to Burg-ring / Opern-ring, you are back where you started, ie at the Opera House.
Day 2 in Vienna
You cannot be in Vienna without visiting Belvedere Castle or Schönbrunn Castle. Or maybe both? Belvedere is located in District 3, southeast of downtown. The castle was built in the early 18th century and consists of two main buildings. Belvedere also houses museums, and you can admire important works by Renoir and Monet. Belvedere is closed on Mondays. The rest of the week is the opening hours from 10am. 1000 to 1800. Take the train / tram to the Südbahnhof and you will see the Upper Belvedere right next to the station.
Schönbrunn Castle is located in District 13. Schönbrunn means ‘the beautiful well’ and testifies to the power and wealth of the monarchy. The castle is open year-round from 7 p.m. 0830. Closing times vary with the seasons, but are you here before 7 p.m. 1600, it is open. The castle is one of the finest Austria has to show when it comes to Rococo architecture. The whole area invites you to a long visit, and you will also find great park facilities and a very good zoo near Schönbrunn Castle.
Also, take the time for a shopping spree, if only for window shopping. Walk to Augustinerstrasse and Graben. This area is full of antique shops and many other exciting outlets. One tip is to visit the Augarten porcelain factory at Stock-im-Eisen-Platz. Here you will find the world’s most famous Vienna souvenir, a Lipizzaner horse. It is also “forbidden” to be in Vienna without visiting a patisserie. We suggest Demel in Kohlmarkt 14 or Gerstner in Kärtner Strasse 11-15. Both are located in District 1. Demel usually closes approx. at 2000, while Gerstner is open until 2300.
Mozart lived for a period of his life in Vienna and wrote, among other things, Figaro’s wedding in this city. In connection with Mozart’s 250th anniversary in 2006, the Mozart House has been restored and reopened. This 1,000 square foot house tells you the story of Mozart. The address to the Mozart house is Domgasse 5 (1st district). It is open every day from 9am. 0900 to 1800 except Mondays, when it is closed. If you want to see Mozart’s tomb, you will find it at St. Marx Cemetery, located at Leberstrasse 6–8 (3rd district).
Special tips for Vienna
Alsergrund (District 9) was the place where Sigmund Freud lived. You can visit his house in Berggasse 19.