Vienna, Austria’s capital, is one of the places that will charm you on a first sight and will compel you to come back to it to discover more. Elegantly seated on the banks of river Danube, this ancient city is alive with art, music and historical sites.
Vienna streets were once paced by geniuses such as Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud and legacy of these and many other masters is still felt and maintained throughout numerous museums and historical buildings.
Quick facts
- Name: Vienna
- Founded: 500 BC
- Population: 1.9 million
- Area: 414.65 km2 (160.10 sq mi)
- Known as: Capital of Austria, ‘City of Music’
Surrounded by Ring Road, famous Innere Stadt district, hosts various government and public buildings, including Vienna State Opera, most famous opera house in the world.
After strolling to city’s many landmarks, you can always stop at the restaurant for a coffee and one of famous Austrian desserts, such is Sachertorte, so you can have complete Vienna experience!
For more detailed information about Vienna, please visit our new website, All About Vienna (coming soon). Apart from tourist information, this website will be packed with resources for people who want to relocate and live in Vienna.
Main attractions in Vienna
There are quite a few attractions in Vienna, both within a city limits and in immediate surroundings. We are listing here only top twenty or so.
Schönbrunn Palace. Spectacular, 1400-plus room baroque palace with lavish interiors, which also includes large gardens with a maze. Hofburg. Baroque style, former principal imperial palace, nowadays official residence and office of President of Austria. Belvedere. A historic building complex in Vienna, consisting of two baroque styled palaces, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables;
St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Also known as Stephansdom, is a medieval Roman Catholic church in Vienna, a central landmark. Prater. Large public park with Vienna’s 2nd district hosting iconic giant Ferris wheel dating back from 1897. Vienna State Opera. A world-famous opera house with largest repertoire and major productions.
Rathaus. Vienna City Hall and the seat of local government, located on Rathausplatz in the Innere Stadt district. Built in 19th century in Neo-Gothic style.
Schönbrunn Zoo. Also known as Vienna Zoo; this zoo is located on the grounds of the Schönbrunn Palace. It is a home for about 500 species of animals, including giant pandas, Siberian tigers and elephants. Founded in 18th century.
Hundertwasser House. A unique apartment block with roof forest. Designed by artists, colourful apartment block is a green oasis in Vienna.
Albertina. Art museum housed in Habsburg palace, featuring largest graphical collection in the world, including Dürer’s “Hare” and Klimt’s studies of women. About 65,000 drawings and one million of old masters’ prints are housed there.
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien. Fine arts history museum in a palace. Decorated with lavish interiors and it is crowned with an octagonal dome. It hosts Habsburgs art collections and antiquities.
Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel. Wiener Riesenrad. Permanent fairground ride and exhibition with giant Ferris wheel located in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Vienna.
MuseumsQuartier. Restored Baroque district filled with museums in both modern and historic buildings. Located in the 7th district of Vienna. Karlskirche. Also known as Rektoratskirche St. Karl Borromäus, this 18th century Habsburg domed cathedral is located in Karlsplatz in Vienna. Classical music concerts are regularly organized there. Naschmarkt. Vienna’s largest food market. Originating from the 16th century, features more than 100 food and vintage stalls and restaurants.
Spanish Riding School. Classical horse-riding school in Vienna with famous white Lipizzaner stallions. Dating back to 18th century this school also offers tours shows.
Austrian National Library. The largest library in Austria, housing over 12 million items. Founded in 14th century and built in Baroque style, this library also houses papyrus and ancient globe designs.
Stadtpark. Large public park in Vienna, spreading over 28 acres. Featuring a river, ornate bridges and gilded Johann Strauss statue.
Leopold Museum. Located in the Museumsquartier in Vienna, this museum is home to one of Austria’s largest collections of modern art, featuring artists like Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka and Richard Gerstl.
Stephansplatz. Famous square in Vienna, located in old town at the geographical centre of the city. It is named after St. Stephan Cathedral or Stephansdom, one of the tallest churches in the world.
Austrian Parliament Building. Built in second half of 19th century, this monumental building hosts now two houses of Austrian parliament and it is rich in architectural features and artistic details. Guided tours are available through visitors’ centre.
From other attractions in Vienna we also recommend: Secession, Museum of Natural History Vienna, Wien Museum Mozart apartment and St. Peter’s Catholic Church.
Top things to do in Vienna
Visiting top attractions listed above (and many more) is a must, numerous city’s museums and art galleries is also recommended, although you will need more than city break to do so as there are more than 100 museums!
From other things to do in Vienna, we recommend: tour Vienna with bike by yourself or with guided bike tour and this is fun activity for entire family. If traveling with children, there is a nice zoo next to Schönbrunn Palace and also horse riding school with elegant Lipizzaner stallions.
Here you can create your travel itinerary for your next trip to Vienna or elsewhere in the world.
Festivals and events in Vienna
Vienna is famous for its festivals and events and first one starts on the very first day of the New Year – 1st January – World Famous New Year Concert, by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; 1st May celebrations in Prater; Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival) in May-June, Life Ball (June-summer), AIDS charity event, the biggest in the world; and many Christmas related events, such as Christmas markets and fairs.
Read more: Festivals and events in Vienna
Interesting facts about Vienna
Here are some interesting facts about this amazing city:
- The world’s oldest carousel is located at the Prater park fairground.
- Vienna’s water supply comes straight from the mountain springs in the Alps, so inhabitants can have pure mineral drinking water straight from the taps.
- Vienna was recently ranked as a city with the highest quality of living in the world.
Read more: More interesting facts about Vienna
Best time for flights to Vienna
The peak season for flights to Vienna is January, April and December. The low season for purchasing tickets is February, June and September.
Vienna is served by Vienna International Airport (VIE). Direct flights to Vienna are offered by 48 airlines.
Top hotel offers for Vienna
These are current top hotel offers for Vienna. The list is updated automatically when page is refreshed so please come back here to see the latest offers.
Safe travels!