It’s not a bad time to visit Vienna. March has a chance of decent spring weather but it’s not peak tourist season.
So you miss the crowds that swarm across parts of the city in high summer. Unless, of course, Easter happens to fall in the month (as in 2027).
- Book a classical concert experience* for March
- See also:
Top activities in March 2027
So what little treats can you expect apart from the usual museums, concerts, tours, and similar?
My quick tip
Vienna has plenty of light classical concert experiences to offer. I’ve become a bit of an advocate for the performances of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons at the baroque Karlskirche church.
The lead violinist left quite an impression on me with his stage presence, for example.
Exhibitions
(The Jewish Museum main location)
Vienna always has numerous art and other exhibitions going on at any one time, and many delights will come your way in March 2027. So far…
My highlights
- Two exhibitions cover the life and art of renowned Austrian artist Franz West. The Albertina Modern focuses on his art (only until March 29th), the Wien Museum on his biography and Viennese connection
- The Albertina Modern also showcases modern and contemporary works by Australian artists
- A small exhibition by the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Palais Lobkowitz throws new light on the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini
- The Naturhistorisches Museum looks at the origins of its collection but also takes a sociocritical look at that same history. And the museum presents insights from archaeogenetic analysis of two burial grounds from early medieval times
- Viennese fashion across the early part of the 1900s features at the Leopold Museum, particularly in terms of the Wiener Werkstätte and the exchange with Paris
- The MAK tackles issues around interior design and housing socioculture between the world wars in Austria: the remarkable era of social housing
- Enjoy your last chance (until March 28th) to journey through the history of colour in the form of several centuries’ worth of fashion trends at the Wien Museum
- Travel even further back into the past for an exhibition of intrigue, murder and more at the very highest levels of society in ancient Rome and Egypt: Crime Scene Ephesus at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, but hosted in the Neue Burg (until March 29th)
- The biographies of some of those Viennese Jews who fled Austria during the era of fascism feature in the No Way Home exhibition at the Jewish Museum. The museum also explores the origins of oriental studies and the relationship to Jewish identity
Easter markets
(A market booth for decorated Easter eggs)
The Easter weekend in 2027 falls in late March. This means the Easter markets will begin earlier in the month.
These seasonal markets make a rather nice holiday diversion. As well as arts & crafts of a higher quality, you also get to enjoy a variety of local snacks and specialties…though many inevitably live at the relatively unhealthy end of the nutritional spectrum. Cough, sausages, cough.
Music & film
March typically hosts a number of festivals as Vienna slowly emerges from its winter sleep. For example:
Vinyl & more
The Ottakringer Vinyl & Music festival (March 6th and 7th) is a market, fair, exhibition, and live music festival rolled into one.
Held in a working brewery, it harks back to the days when music was “real” and not this manufactured nonsense the kids listen to these days. Why, I remember when all you needed was a washboard and a…sorry, pass me my slippers.
Actually, the festival combines a retro feel with contemporary dynamism. “Authentic” is the word I’d use.
I hope for the return of the Wiener Instrumente Salon, with various instrument makers collecting to showcase their skills and products.
And if that’s not enough music for you, then further options are:
- The Vienna Blues Spring usually starts up in earnest in late March (exact 2027 dates TBA) with a host of national and international bands, singers, and musicians from the genre
- The ÜBERGÄNGE festival of sacred and secular music (2027 dates TBA)
- …and the International Accordion Festival commonly fills much of the month (2027 dates TBA)
Film fun
(The Votiv Kino cinema hosts showings of the Festival du Film Francophone)
One or two notable film festivals typically brighten screens in March. For example:
- Enjoy animated films showcased through the Tricky Women/Tricky Realities festival (2027 dates TBA)
- The Festival du Film Francophone introduces us to French-language cinematic treats (2027 dates TBA)
Art, design (& models)
(Palais Ferstel is worth seeing in its own right, whatever the event)
March seems to ignite the art and design fair world into action. For example:
- The WIKAM or Vienna International Art and Antiques Fair has a spring edition (2027 dates TBA) that takes place in the rather lovely Palais Ferstel
- The SPARK Art Fair Vienna hits town (2027 dates TBA) in the Marx Halle
- The CITY DESIGNQUARTIER nestled in the historical surrounds of Palais Niederösterreich last time out (2027 dates TBA)
And on the model front, March also sees the appearance of:
- SCALE & PAINT (2027 dates TBA): an international exhibition dedicated to model building: miniatures of vehicles, figures and scenes with a retail section, too
And more…
March also brings us:
- Aperitivo Spring (2027 dates TBA): a mindful drinking festival with a focus on the lighter side of alcoholic beverages
- The mit alles culinary festival for gourmets and those who enjoy the more refined side of life in the kitchen (2027 dates TBA)
Take your last chance
(Vienna city centre in winter. Or maybe not)
March is the final full month of the Viennese ball season.
And March might be your last opportunity to indulge in some winter sports until, well, next winter:
- The Wiener Eistraum open-air ice skating experience runs until March 7th in 2027. And the skating season at the open-air rink at the Eislaufverein normally ends sometime in March too
- Vienna’s “local” Alpine ski resort at Semmering may still be open and is suited to a day trip out to the slopes
Treat yourself to a spa day
(Follow the signs for the spa)
With the weather still liable to turn chilly at times, you can always dip into warm water.
- The Vienna spa complex (Therme Wien) has various indoor and outdoor thermal pools, as well as the usual array of spa offerings: from Swedish massages to Austrian pastries
- Alternatively, float serenely in a heated saltwater tub at the Schwerelos Floating Centre in the centre of town
Seasonal tip…
Enjoy the spring flowers
(A meadow in one of Vienna’s parks)
It’s all a little dependent on the weather, obviously, but March should (could?) see the emergence of the green shoots of spring, with tulips, daffodils, and other flowers perhaps optimistically forcing their way up through the soil.
The municipal gardens department does an excellent job of filling Vienna’s many parks (and roadsides) with spring colour. A couple of tips, if the climate allows:
- Try the sculpted gardens at the Schönbrunn and Belvedere palaces
- The Lainzer Tiergarten is a managed nature protection area with free-roaming deer and wild boar, paths through the woodland, playing areas for kids, and places to eat
- The Vienna woods (Wienerwald) cover the hilly west of the city, with numerous walking trails and restaurants dotted throughout
- The city-run Hirschstetten nursery and botanical gardens remain a well-kept secret and the outdoor areas usually open from mid-March
- The Prater is famous for its entertainment complex, but go beyond that to find a huge park area full of woods, meadows, and water features