Vienna’s main sights are located in the center, and you can get around them in one day. The city center is ringed by a local boulevard ring — Ringstraße. All traditional sights and the most beautiful buildings stand along this street and are located inside the ring. The second day can be devoted to interesting places outside the Ringstraße.
Town Hall
Start exploring the city at Rathausplatz and the Wiener Rathaus, Vienna’s most important neo-Gothic structure. It took more than 10 years to build. The tower is crowned by the figure of a guardian with a flag at a height of almost 100 meters above the city.
The Town Hall is accessible by free guided tour — every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 13:00, except for Council meeting days and holidays. Tours are conducted in German, but a free audio guide in English, Italian, Spanish or French is available.
In winter, Town Hall Square becomes one of Europe’s best Christmas fairs. In summer, a gastromarket opens here, where you can have a drink and a bite to eat. In addition, a large screen is installed on the square and movies are broadcast in the evenings — a kind of open-air movie theater.
University of Vienna (Universität Wien)
Next to the Town Hall is the main building of the Vienna State University. It is one of the oldest European universities, founded in 1365. Sigmund Freud, Gregor Mendel, Stefan Zweig and Pope Pius II studied here.
Anyone can enter the building: there are no guards or turnstiles at the entrance — everything is accessible. Walk through the high-ceilinged halls, enter the library, look into the courtyard with sculptures.
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Kunsthistorisches Museum)
If you continue along Ringstrasse, past the Parliament building, which is currently under renovation, you will come to Maria Theresien-Platz (Maria-Theresien-Platz). This square also turns into a Christmas fair in winter. In the center of the square stands the Maria Theresia Monument, and on the sides of the square, two twin museums stand opposite each other: the Museum of Art History and the Museum of Natural History.
The Museum of Art and History was opened in 1891 on the basis of the collection of the imperial court. If you only have time for one museum, I recommend the Museum of Art History. It has a large collection of paintings, especially Italian and Dutch paintings. In the permanent exhibition — works by Durer, Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto, Rubens, Vermeer and the largest collection of Pieter Bruegel Senior. In addition, there is art from ancient Egypt, the Orient and Roman sculptures.
- Open: from 10:00 to 18:00, on Thurs from 10:00 to 21:00, Mon — off.
Vienna Opera
Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) is one of the first associations that arise at the mention of Vienna. This city is inextricably linked to music.
Opera appeared here in the XVII century, and the theater building itself was built in 1863 — 1869 on Ringstrasse. It was destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt in the 1950s.
Not only opera, but also ballets are performed here. The famous annual Viennese Ball is also held here.
If you want to go to the opera, look for tickets either months in advance or before the performance. Standing balcony seats are available for 2 €, but you will have to wait in line at the box office. If you don’t want to go to a performance but want to get inside the opera house, you can take a guided tour on Mondays and Sundays for 9 €.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Another symbol of the city is St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom). The cathedral can be viewed from the outside, inside or you can climb one of the towers and see the city from above.
The cathedral is built in the Gothic style, so it is 107.2 meters high and the south tower is 136.44 meters high. You have to twist to take a picture of the whole cathedral.
Inside the cathedral there are sculptures, Gothic stained glass windows, bas-reliefs, the Habsburg tomb and the catacombs — an underground cemetery. You can climb one of the towers and see Vienna from above. It is better to choose the south tower — it is the highest point of the cathedral.
- Website: excursions.
- The Cathedral is open on Mon-Sat from 09:00 to 11:00, from 13:00 to 16:30, on Sundays and holidays — from 13:00 to 16:30, the south and north towers — from 09:00 to 17:30.
- Cost: climb to the south tower — 6 € , to the north tower, cathedral and catacombs — 6,5 € each, full ticket — 16,90 €.
Hofburg
The Hofburg Palace complex in the heart of Vienna consists of dozens of buildings that were erected at different periods during the Habsburg dynasty until 1918. It now houses the presidential residence, museums and a riding school.
There are two green parks around the area that you can walk around for free.
- Entrance: from 15 €. Tickets.
- The Sisi Museum, the imperial chambers, and the silver collection are open daily from 10:00 to 17:00.
St. Rupert’s Church (Ruprechtskirche)
The small, ivy-covered dark stone church is tucked away in the heart of the city. It is the oldest church in Vienna, dating back to the 1st century. Inside, it has ascetic decoration and stained glass windows from the late 13th century.
Today the Rupertskirche is a museum, a concert venue and a venue for cultural exhibitions.
- The schedule is floating: Tues — Thurs from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm to 1:00 pm to 4:45 pm, Fri from 1:00 pm to 4:45 pm, Sat from 12:15 pm to 3:30 pm, Sun — Mon — weekends.
- Admission is free.
Belvedere
This palace and park complex was the summer residence of the emperors. It consists of two parts: the Upper Belvedere (Oberes Belvedere) and the Lower Belvedere (Unteres Belvedere), which are connected by a cascading three-level park with sculptures, fountains and bush labyrinths.
The Upper Belvedere houses the main exhibition and a collection of works by Gustav Klimt, while the Lower Belvedere hosts seasonal exhibitions.
- The Upper Belvedere is open from 09:00 to 21:00 on Fri and until 18:00 on other days; the Lower Belvedere opens an hour later.
- Entrance: Lower Belvedere — 14 €, Upper Belvedere — 16 €, ticket to both — 22 €, park — free.tickets, playbill.
Hundertwasserhaus (Hundertwasserhaus)
It is difficult to imagine and describe the architecture of this house. It is just a residential house, but it looks like it was built by a mad storyteller. Multicolored sectors, flowing lines flowing one into another, ivy on the walls — all this creates a unique look that cannot be forgotten.
The architect’s idea was that man can harmoniously exist in natural conditions. Therefore, the house does not look like an ordinary gray box, but resembles a hilly area overgrown with grapes, ivy and grass.
The house can only be seen from the outside, tourists are not allowed inside.
Cemetery (Zentralfriedhof)
Vienna’s central cemetery, despite its name, is on the outskirts of the city. But if time permits, it’s worth a visit.
This is one of the largest cemeteries in Europe: an area of more than 2 square meters and about three million graves. So make a plan in advance — choose the graves you want to see, and just walk around the rest of the time. The cemetery is more like a huge park, and the sculptural tombstones look solemn.
Strauss, Schubert, Beethoven, Gluck, and presidents of the country are buried in Vienna’s central cemetery. An exact plan of the cemetery with honorary burials as well as an audio guide is available at Gate 2.
- Open daily from 07:00 to 18:00 hours, church from May to October from 08:00 to 17:00 hours, November to February from 08:00 to 16:00 hours.
Schönbrunn
Schönbrunn is a palace and large park outside the center of Vienna. In imperial times it was the main summer residence of the Habsburgs. The palace itself is huge — 1,441 rooms — the largest Baroque structure. Now only 40 rooms are open to the public: you can see with your own eyes how the Austrian emperors lived, ate and slept.
Around the palace is a large park with sculptures, fountains, a Japanese garden, a labyrinth, a greenhouse and a zoo. On the hill rises the Glorietta Pavilion, which used to serve as a dining room and a hall for celebrations. It is now a café with a panoramic view of the entire park.
Schoenbrunn Zoo was founded back in 1752. It is one of the best and oldest zoos in the world: more than 700 species of animals live here. The zoo is especially proud of the pandas.
The territory of Schönbrunn is impressive — you should come here for a few hours, and if you visit the palace and the zoo — for a whole day.
- The palace is open from 08:00 to 17:00, the park from 06:30 to 17:30 in winter and from 6:30 to 21:00 in summer, the zoo from 09:00 to 16:30 in winter and from 09:00 to 18:30 in summer.
- Admission: Sisi Museum — 15 €, mini-tour of 22 rooms — 18 €, tour of all rooms — 22 €, furniture collection — 10,5 €, complex ticket — 36 €. Entrance to the park is free of charge. Zoo — 22 € for adults, 11 € for children. Labyrinth — 5,5 €. Glorietta — 4,5 €. Orangery — 4,5 €.
Karlskirche
Karlskirche (Wiener Karlskirche) is a Catholic church that is especially dear to Austrians because it was built in honor of the city’s deliverance from the plague.
The church is built in the Austrian Baroque style with architectural elements from different cultures. The dome of the Karlskirche is reminiscent of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. You can climb inside the dome and see Vienna from above.
In winter, the square in front of the Karskirche turns into a Christmas fair. And in the evening, in the light of lanterns, the cathedral looks especially majestic and mysterious. Inside, the cathedral is even more solemn and even pompous: frescoes, sculptures, bas-reliefs.
- Admission for adults — 8 €. Tickets.
- Open Mon-Sat 9:00 — 18:00, Sun 12:00 — 19:00.
Prater Park
A huge amusement park in the Leopoldstadt district. Its Ferris wheel can be seen from afar. The wheel was installed in 1897 and is open all year round. There are attractions for all tastes and ages: mirror maze, laughing room, roller coaster, go-karting, trampolines and the Madame Tussauds museum with wax celebrities.
The Prater is a great place to experience the local cuisine: try classic Viennese sausages, pork knuckle and potato pancakes, and strudel for dessert. The Sweizerhaus beer garden, opened in 1766, is also located here.
- Website: tickets.
- Open: 10:00 a.m. — 10:00 p.m.
- Entrance to the park is free, the Ferris wheel is 12 € for adults, there are family and group tickets, rides range from 1,5 € to 5 €.
Reichsbrücke
Vienna is divided into several parts by the Danube, the Danube Canal and the Vienna River. To connect the different parts of the city, Vienna has built hundreds of large, small and quite inconspicuous bridges.
The most famous is the Reichsbrücke, the imperial bridge. It connects the two banks of the Danube. It is the only bridge that survived the Second World War.
The Reichsbrücke is not only used by cars, but also by the subway, and there are also pedestrian and bicycle paths. The bridge offers a great view of the expanse of the Danube. Directly from the bridge you can go down to the island of Donauinsel. It is an artificial island with a recreational area, where sports fields are adjacent to bars and nightclubs.
These are only a small part of Vienna’s sights, but they make up Vienna and allow you to get to know the city. If you have time, check out the Sigmund Freud Museum, have a Sacher cake in the café of the same name, or go for a walk in the famous Vienna Woods outside the city.
