Destinations > Europe > Austria > Vienna
Sights
topPalaces
Hofburg Palace
Burg Ring and Ballhaus Platz (First District), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 533-7570
Open daily Sep-Jun 9am-5:30pm, Jul-Aug 9am-6pm. Guided tours of the Sisi apartments daily, 2pm.
This vast complex of buildings was the city residence of the Habsburg royal family. The private apartments in the Imperial Chancery wing are on public display, preserved in the style of the Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elizabeth (Sisi). The rooms are stunning, though the attached museum devoted to Sisi, who is something of a martyr to the Austrian people, is a tad depressing. The Hofburg also houses one of the world’s finest treasuries, filled with riches from the Austrian and Roman empires. And it’s well worth catching a Sunday performance of the Vienna Boys Choir at the Hofurgkapelle (the chapel is small, so arrive early or get tickets in advance). Check the schedule here.
Spanish Riding School
Dating from the 16th century, the Spanish Riding School in the Inner Stadt is a unique chance to admire graceful Lipizzaner stallions in action. This is the only institution where equestrian skills are still practiced in their classical form. Performances are seasonal and take place mostly on weekends – get seats on the ground floor or the front row of the balcony for the best view. There’s also a small museum located in the stables, explaining their history and the horses’ breeding and training.
Schloss Schönbrunn
Schonnbrunner Schloss-Strasse (13th), Vienna
Tel: 81113-239
Palace open daily Nov-Mar 8:30am-4:30pm; Apr-Jun, Sept-Oct 8:30am-5pm; Jul-Aug 8:30am-6pm
Now a World Heritage site, this palace was the summer home of the Habsburgs, and is considered one of Europe’s most splendid. It was built by Leopold I between 1695-1713, and later substantially redesigned in Rococo style by Empress Maria Theresa to accommodate her 16 children. The Imperial Tour of the palace interior takes you through 22 rooms, while the Grand Tour offers 40 rooms. Highlights include the sumptuous Grand Gallery and the Mirror Room, where the 5-year-old Mozart once performed a private concert for the empress. The palace also has a wonderful children’s museum, which explains how children lived in Imperial times.
Marionettentheater Schönbrunn
This puppet theater stages marvelous versions of the Magic Flute, Hansel and Gretel, and other popular works. Check the schedule for performances (and book in advance during the busy summer months).
Children’s Museum
Daily 10am-5pm
Guided tours in English by appointment only
This interactive museum shows what the life of an imperial child was like. Young visitors can play with Imperial toys or lay the table for an Imperial banquet. On the guided tour, they’ll learn fun facts about the palace and get to dress up as a prince or princess.
Schönbrunn Park
This large pleasure garden is especially fun for kids, featuring a hedge maze, a labyrinth with a kaleidoscope, climbing pole, games and riddles, a spectacular glass palm house, and several charming pavilions.
Schönbrunn Zoo
Open Nov-Jan 9am-4:30pm, Feb 9am-5pm, Mar 9am-5:30pm, Apr-Sep 9am-5:30pm, Oct to end of daylight savings 9am-5:30pm
Founded by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1752, it’s one of the world’s oldest zoos and is home to a variety of exotic animals, including koalas and pandas.
topMuseums & Galleries
The Belvedere
Prinz Eugen Strasse 27 (Third), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 7955-7134
Daily 10am-6pm; stables open 10am-noon
Built as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, this magnificent Baroque palace is jam-packed with impressive works of art. The upper palace houses an excellent display of Austrian art, including the world’s largest Klimt collection – the highlight is Klimt’s beloved Kiss. The lower palace holds Baroque and Medieval works.
Albertina
Albertinaplatz 1 (First), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 53480
Daily 10am-6pm; Wed 10am-9pm
Located in the southern section of the Imperial Palace, this former royal residence houses one of the world’s largest collections of graphic art, including Durer’s famous Hare and works by da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rubens and Cezanne. The staterooms are also worth a visit.
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Maria Teresien Platz 5 (First), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 525-240
Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm; Thurs 10am-9pm. Guided tours in English Tues 11am, Fri-Sat 3pm
This imposing building contains the Habsburg’s vast and spectacular art collection, and is considered one of the world’s greatest museums. On display are masterworks by Rubens, Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Titian, Rembrandt, and Velazquez, a major selection of Bruegels, and many others. There’s also a large collection of antiquities and coins.
Naturhistorisches Museum
Burgring 7 (First), Vienna. Entrance is on Maria Theresia Platz.
Tel: +43 1 521-770
Open Thurs-Mon 9am-6:30pm
Located in an identical building across from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, this museum’s excellent and wide-ranging array of archaeological, anthropological, mineralogical, zoological and geological objects grew out of Emperor Franz Stephen’s personal collection. Highlights include the famed Venus of Willendorf.
MuseumsQuartier
Museumsplatz 1-5 (Seventh), Vienna
The former site of the imperial stables is now a major cultural complex, home to artistic institutions ranging from a creativity centre for children to art museums, headquarters for dance, film, architecture and theatre, and forums for new media and art theatre. Museums include the Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig (MUMOK), with its large and remarkable collection of contemporary art; the Leopold Museum, focusing on Austrian art; and the Kunsthalle Wein, Vienna’s premier exhibition space for international modern art.
Museum fur Angewandte Kunst (MAK)
Stubenring 5, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: +43 1 711 36-0
Information on guided tours, events Tel: +43 1 711 36-248
Open Wed–Sun 10am-6pm; Tues 10am-midnight. Closed Mon.
Tours in English Sun 12pm; guided tours for the whole family one Sat/month at 3pm
The museum of applied arts offers an eclectic and every-changing range of exhibits from the Gothic era to the present, including a large collection of art-deco furniture and objects together with furniture from the baroque, Renaissance and Biedermeier periods.
Liechtenstein Museum
Fürstengasse 1 (Ninth), Vienna
Tel: 319 5767 252
Open Fri-Tues, 10am-5pm; Closed Wed-Thurs
Rarely crowded because of its suburban location, the Liechtenstein Museum is a lovely combination of exquisite baroque art, fine architecture and relaxing gardens. The residence belonged to one of Europe’s oldest noble families.
Succession Building
Friedrichstrasse 12 (First), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 875-30721
Daily except Monday 10 am-6 pm (Thursday to 8 pm)
Guided tours Saturday 3 pm and Sunday 11 am
A gorgeous example of a particularly Viennese art style, this Jugendstil (art-nouveau) building was designed in 1898 as a showcase for the Secessionist artists who broke away from the traditional Vienna art scene. The group’s most famous member was Gustav Klimt, whose Beethoven Frieze is the building’s highlight. Today, the Secession is the world's oldest independent gallery devoted entirely to exhibitions of contemporary art.
Uhrenmuseum
Schulhof 2 (First), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 533-2265
Open Tue-Sun and public holidays 10am-6pm. Closed Mon.
This fascinating clock museum displays examples from 700 years of timekeeping, from astronomical instruments to tiny wristwatches to computer-driven clocks. More than 1000 clocks are on display.
KunstHausWien
Untere Weissgerberstrasse 13 (Third), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 712-0495
Open daily 10am-7pm (cafe open later). Guided tours available Sun and holidays at noon.
Created by the Viennese artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, this unconventional museum features trees growing out of windows and uneven floors that imitate the floor of a forest.
topChurches, Crypts & Cemeteries
Stephansdom Cathedral
Stephansplatz (First), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 5155-23526
Open daily 6am-10pm, Sun 7am-10pm. Guided tours Sun 1-4:30 pm, Mon-Fri 9-11:30am and 1-4:30pm.
South Tower open daily 9am-5:30pm. Lift to the Pummerin open daily Apr-Oct 8:30am, Jul-Aug 8:30am-6pm, Nov-Mar 8:30am-5pm.
An enduring symbol of Vienna, this richly decorated gothic church dates back to the 13th century. Ravaged by the Turks and Napoleon’s troops, and reduced nearly to rubble in WWII, it was rebuilt to its former magnificence through a major civic effort. The 448-foot south tower, or Steffl, is Vienna’s most prominent landmark, offering a glorious (if currently somewhat obstructed) view from the top of its 343 steps. The north tower holds a great bell, the Pummerin, cast from cannonballs seized from the Turks during the 1683 siege of Austria.
Karlskirche
Karlsplatz (Fourth), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 504-6187
Open Mon-Sat 9am-12:30pm and 1-6pm, Sun & holidays noon-5:45pm
Commissioned by Emperor Karl VI to commemorate Vienna’s deliverance from plague, this striking church is known for its two ornately carved, minaret-like spires, inspired by Trajan’s column in Rome. Inside, lavish frescoes and reliefs add to the Baroque splendor. A special "panorama elevator" has been installed to enable visitors to see the frescos up close.
Franziskanerkirche
Franziskanerplatz (First), Vienna
Founded by the Franciscan order and located on a charming square, this church features a Renaissance exterior and an elaborate Baroque interior (most notably, the magnificent High Altar, by Andrea Pozzo).
Kaisergruft
Tegetthofstrasse 2 (First), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 512-6853
Open daily 10 am-6 pm
Located beneath the modest Kapuzinerkirche, this crypt houses the tombs of the imperial family. Some of the tombs are poignant, some elaborate, and some rather creepy, featuring skulls bearing crowns. The Habsburg hearts and entrails are interred elsewhere (Augustinerkirche and Stephansdom, respectively) – the remains were dispersed in the belief that this would spread the family’s power more widely.
Zentralfriedhof
Simmeringer Hauptstrasse (11th), Vienna
Open daily 7am-dusk
Austria’s largest cemetery holds the graves of many important political figures, artists, writers and composers, including Brahms, the Strausses, Beethoven and Schubert as well as the first president of the Republic, Dr Karl Renner. A field of crosses towards the back commemorates the Austrian dead from both world wars and the 1848 Revolution.
topMusic & Theater
Staatsoper (Opera House)
Opernring 2 (First), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 5144-42250
Open daily except Mon; several guided tours a day
Vienna’s first opera house, the Neo-Renaissance State Opera, was widely criticized when it opened in 1869 (leading one of the architects to commit suicide). Largely destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945, it was reconstructed and fitted with new technology, and is now considered one of the world’s premier opera venues. The grand interior is worth a tour even if you aren’t able to see a performance.
Mozarthaus
Domgasse 5 (First), Vienna
Open daily 10am-7pm
Tel.: +43 1 512 17 91
Email: info@mozarthausvienna.at
Mozart lived in this apartment for 3 years, while composing the Marriage of Figaro – it’s the only one of his Vienna apartments that still exists today. Devoid of period furnishings, the rooms have a spare, modern look, though the wooden floors, paneling and shutters are original. Audiovisual installations provide a comprehensive overview of the composer’s life and works. A must for any Mozart fan.
Burgtheater
Dr-Karl-Luger-Ring 2 (First), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 51444/4140
Guided tours 3pm daily; performances Sep-Jun; tickets 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat
The second-oldest theater still in existence and one of the most important theaters in Europe, “die Burg” puts on an all-German program of classical and contemporary spoken theater. Designed in Italian Renaissance style, with frescos by Gustav and Ernst Klimt, the theater opened in 1888, but closed soon for refurbishment when it was discovered that some of the boxes faced away from the stage. Though heavily damaged in WWII, it was painstakingly restored.
Musikverein
Bösendorferstraße 12 (First), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 505 81 90
Tickets: tickets@musikverein.at
This grand concert hall is a Viennese institution, built in 1870 by the Society of Friends of Music to bring classical music to the public. Now home to the Vienna Philharmonic, it is considered one of the top three concert halls in the world.
topParks & Gardens
Stadtpark
Beautifully manicured, this centrally located city park is best known for its statue of Johann Strauss playing the violin. There’s a large playground at the park’s center, and an orchestra plays Viennese music most summer afternoons from the charming Kursalon at the edge of the park.
Burggarten
Opern Ring and Goethegasse (First), Vienna
Burggarted open daily 6am-dark (from 6:30am Nov-Mar)
Schmetterlinghaus open Apr-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-4:45pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6:15 pm; Nov-Mar daily 10am-3:45pm
Tel: +43 1 5338570
Created for the Hofburg in formal English style, the Burggarten is now open to the public. The art-nouveau greenhouse has been turned into butterfly house (Schmetterlinghaus), with hundreds of live, free-flying tropical butterflies.
Volksgarten
Open daily Apr-Nov 6am-10pm, Dec-Mar 6:30am-10pm
Tel: +43 1 533 9083
Located next to the Burgtheater, it’s known for extensive rose gardens and ornate fountains. There’s also a garden modeled after an ancient Athenian temple and two open-air cafes (one with a huge outdoor dance floor).
Wiener Volksprater
Amusement Park: Hauptallee and Austellungsstrasse (Second), Prater, Vienna
Tel: +43 1 21114
Open mid-Mar–Oct 10am-1am (closes earlier in the colder months)
Ferris wheel: 10am-8pm winter, 10am-midnight summer
Commonly known as the Prater, this enormous parkland is divided into two areas; the first is still green space, with many cycling and walking trails, and the second is a famous amusement park featuring numerous booths and rides. The main attraction is the Riesenrad, a venerable giant Ferris wheel offering fantastic views of the city.
topOther Notables
Hundertwasserhaus
Kegelgasse 36-38 (Third), Vienna
Tel: 0900-900-913.
This funky and eclectic apartment block was designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a unique force in Viennese art and architecture in the late 20th century. Giving municipal housing his own playful twist, he covered every surface with reused materials in every conceivable color and style. The apartments are private residences (and so can only be viewed from the outside), but the complex also features several shops and cafes.
Haus des Meeres
Esterhazypark (Sixth), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 587-1417
Daily 9 am-6 pm (Thursday to 9 pm)
Located in the unlikely setting of a World War II anti-aircraft tower, the House of the Sea exhibits over 3,500 animals. Huge water tanks on the ground floor contain free-swimming sharks and turtles; the upper floors house a series of aquariums containing beautiful coral reefs. There’s also a huge conservatory containing a miniature rain forest filled with tropical birds and monkeys.