Your guide to visiting Vienna
Many tourists love heading to European cities like Paris, Barcelona, Rome and Berlin and the Austrian capital of Vienna has often been overlooked. This is more than a little surprising since Vienna has everything you could wish for in a fun and easy city break.
Magnificent palaces, chic shopping opportunities and family-friendly attractions are just some of the highlights of a holiday in Vienna. So let’s take a look at some of the key reasons why you should think about booking a trip to the capital of Austria. Looking for where to stay in Vienna? My recommendation for a hotel in Vienna would have to be the Grand Hotel Wien, it’s just stunning!
Vienna’s unbeatable palaces
Few cities can match the sheer grandeur of Vienna. The famous Habsburg dynasty loved to show off their wealth by building all manner of fantastically opulent palaces. One of the very best is the Hofburg Palace that is very conveniently located right in the city centre.
This sprawling fortress complex was the home to the fabulously luxurious Habsburg court life and there’s much fun to be had in visiting the imperial rooms and suites of legends like Empress Elisabeth. Take a trip to the Schatzkammer to see some incredible medieval jewellery, and don’t forget to check out the Winterreitschule that has the famous Spanish Riding School that shows off the weird yet compelling sight of equestrian ballet.
If you are willing to take a trip to the outskirts of Vienna, then you will be rewarded by yet more opulence in the form of Schonbrunn Palace. This has all of the imperial hallmarks that you’d wish for, but its real charm lies in walking about the palace grounds that features a great little zoo, and is famous for hosting the yearly classical music extravaganza.
Artistic extravagance in Vienna
Vienna is well known for its incredible artistic legacy. At the turn of the 20th century this city was a world leader in visual arts with the likes of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele pushing the envelope of what we could expect from a traditional painting. Fans of the art nouveau are in for a treat as many of the buildings in the city centre bear the proud legacy of this ornate design trend. But it’s the Secession building that showcases the best of the art movement with Klimt’s famed Beethoven Frieze getting pride of place.
We would definitely recommend that you head up to the sumptuous Belvedere Palace. Here you will be treated to a spectacular collection of artworks that even contains Klimt’s iconic masterpiece, The Kiss. In fact, Vienna is completely spoiled with top-class art museums and galleries. Whether you are inspecting famous works by Durer, Titian or Caravaggio in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, or are getting weird down at the wonderfully odd Hundertwasser House, then it’s clear that Vienna is an art-lover’s paradise.
We can’t ignore Vienna’s immense music heritage either. Classical legends like Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert all spent plenty of time in this music-loving city, and the fun House of Music museum can give you a good introduction to the history of music in Vienna. But we would definitely recommend that you try and book a ticket for the extravagant Musikverein in order to see classical music in a remarkable setting. Or you could even get the tram out to the cemetery at Währinger Ortsfriedhof to see the graves of legends like Beethoven, Schubert and more.
Eating and drinking in Vienna
Austrian cuisine is well known for its hearty portions that are guaranteed to fill you up as you enjoy the highlights of Vienna. We are all familiar with famous dishes such as the immortal wiener schnitzel but there’s plenty more to this city than these. Vienna has plenty of great restaurants like Schone Perle that provide a relaxed setting and are more than willing to serve up some interesting vegetarian options.
But it’s when you hit the dessert menu that Vienna really comes into its own. Vienna’s cakes and pastries are truly legendary, and where better to fill up on these delicacies by heading into one of the many lovely cafes dotted around the city. Places like Cafe Central were favourites for historical figures like Freud, Trotsky, Stalin and even a young Adolf Hitler. These cafes are very grand and they are perfect for relaxing in so you shouldn’t feel too rushed as you enjoy a nice Wiener melange coffee and treat yourself to some truly decadent cakes.
Vienna is also well known for its crisp and elegant white wine, while its schnapps is perfect for helping you digest the hearty meals. The city also has a strong beer culture with brands like Ottakringer, Stiegl and the ubiquitous Gosser showing off a great local brewing heritage.
Plenty of fun in Vienna
It’s easy to be overawed by the sheer grandeur of Vienna. But it’s important to remember that you don’t have to be a Habsburg monarch to have a good time in this city. There’s plenty of fun to be had on jumping on one of the many excellent trams for a great way to see the grand buildings on the Ringstrasse.
The city doesn’t make too much of a feature of the Danube River. By visiting the legendary Prater over the canal, you’ll get to see that the Viennese love to have plenty of fun. The Prater theme park has been in existence for well over 100 years, and it’s packed with all of the rollercoasters, ghost trains, and even cool crazy golf attractions that you could wish for. Be sure to take the fun mini-train out to explore some of the surrounding scenery and see just how big this theme park is.
Above all, Vienna is an easy-going city that’s relatively walkable and is also packed with many interesting independent shopping boutiques. If you head to the quiet streets behind the impressive St Stephen’s Cathedral, you will find no shortage of stylish fashion retailers and quaint bookshops. And with no shortage of cool bars and chic cafes to keep you going, it’s easy to see why Vienna is such a hit. If you’re looking for a budget stay in Vienna, check out the Hotel City Residence, it has all the required basic amenities and is only around 700 yards away from the historic city. And if you do visit, enjoy your stay in Vienna!
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