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Visiting Vienna

What to do in Vienna

to-do list

So you checked in at the hotel, cursed gently for forgetting the travel adapter, and debated the morality of packing up the free shampoo on the first day. What to do now?

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Useful overview articles

Espresso or Kleiner Schwarzer

(Don’t visit Vienna without dropping into a traditional café)

For a summary of the city and all it offers visitors, read my introduction to Vienna. These articles then have more specific advice and tips:

  • How can I see a classical concert? You’re in the right city for a bit of Beethoven. Or Brahms. Or Mozart. Or Mahler. Or Schoenberg. Or Strauss. Or…you get the picture
  • What exhibitions are on? My curated list of current and future exhibitions at all the top venues: art, design, architecture, photography, history, science, music, etc.
  • Where should you eat? Discover the delights of the coffee house, café-confectionery, Heuriger and more
  • What should you see? Big overview of the main sights and tourist attractions throughout the city, split by area, season and celebrity (if you want to follow in the footsteps of Klimt or Mozart, for example)
  • What must you see? My Top 10 favourite sights, many of which also tick the boxes on some traditional Vienna landmarks
Kunsthistorisches Museum as the sun goes down

(The KHM combines historical architectural beauty with top art)

  • What should you experience? Ideas for immersing yourself in the authentic Viennese experience. May Will involve food. Particularly cake. And coffee
  • What can you do in a day? Three different one-day itineraries, depending on whether your main interest is art, history, or city life & architecture
  • Where can you shop? An overview of the best places to spend your money: from luxury brands to popular shopping streets and malls
  • What can I do with the kids? We have children in Vienna, too, so the city offers more than just art and architecture. Including a rather excellent zoo
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Sightseeing

Hofburg side of the Michaelerplatz

(The Hofburg home of the Habsburgs dominates sightseeing in the centre)

One option is to simply wander around and soak up the historical atmosphere: just follow my self-guided walking tour through the centre, for example.

For more active sightseers, Vienna has plenty of tours to go on. And see this detailed guide to the city, with maps, photos, insider tips, musician & artist trails, and more.

Afterwards, reward yourself with coffee and cake in one of the traditional cafés; the historical coffee houses are a destination in their own right.

Events

The Wiener Eistraum main rink

(The square in front of the Rathaus hosts various festivals, including open-air ice skating in winter)

A capital city and top tourist destination can’t survive on nice buildings alone. Vienna provides no shortage of entertainment to keep locals and visitors alike in good spirits.

For a look at the more prominent festivals and other events for visitors in the annual Viennese calendar, browse this monthly event overview.

The event listings cover various food, music, film, and other festivals. But outside of those, Vienna has three major opera houses, numerous classical music venues, as well as several English-speaking theatres and cinemas.

(And, if you do run out of things to do, you can always just watch the football down the pub or in the stadium.)

Experiences & tours

Boat on the Donaukanal

(A trip down the Donaukanal is an option)

There’s a lot to be said for simply indulging in a few authentic local experiences, such as coffee and cake, open-air markets, and sausages.

As mentioned earlier, I also have specific tour recommendations for you, including detailed guided and self-guided suggestions for:

  • Walking tours, including walks covering particular eras or themes
  • Info on how to follow in famous footsteps:
    • Famous film & TV locations for such movies and productions as The Third Man, Vienna Blood, Before Sunrise, MI5, and more
    • Locations linked to the life & works of famous musicians, artists, and others, including Empress Elisabeth, Klimt and ten composers
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Christmas, New Year, Easter

View across the lake to Upper Belvedere and the market

(The Christmas market at Belvedere)

Vienna takes on a special ambience during Christmas (my favourite season) and New Year.

It all begins in early to mid November with the appearance of the first Christmas markets, best experienced through the steam rising from a mulled wine or a bag of freshly-roasted chestnuts. Yeah, I’m a sucker for tradition.

Then the Christmas lights go on and we have all the advent activities. The New Year festivities follow, along with the New Year markets.

Talking of seasonal markets, they also feature heavily during the Viennese Easter.

Day trips

Salzburg old town and fortress

(I will grudgingly admit that Salzburg is jolly nice)

Finally…if you want a change of scene, various other cities, sights, and experiences are within an easy day trip by car, bus, train, or boat.

The page of suggestions remains a work in progress as I slowly make the trips myself. Not an easy task, as I’m not used to travelling anywhere you can’t reach by tram.

But I have the Alps, Salzburg, Melk, Klosterneuburg Abbey, the Carnuntum Roman reconstructions, and the Schloss Hof country estate covered, as well as a list of organised bus and/or boat trips to places like Budapest, Hallstatt or Bratislava.

But why would you ever want to leave a city where you can enjoy coffee and Sachertorte, followed by a bit of Mozart or Strauss in a venue they once performed in?

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