Vienna Sightseeing & Travel Guide

Vienna, the city that never woke up. Pearl of the Balkans. The biggest trash can of Eastern Europe. Mock it, as you wish - it is and remains a significant city and proves highly popular among tourists. Vienna is - as I am confident you have found out already - the capital of Austria, but also the biggest city of the nation (with a population of 1.7 millions) and due to its past as a capital of a vast empire, it is packed with sightseeing attractions, things to do and places to go to. All that makes Vienna a "European grade A capital" that I would rank among the top 6 with Rome, London, Prague, Paris and Budapest in terms of general appeal.
For an overview of the central attractions, see my "Vienna Sightseeing Map". Photos from the city's sights can be found at my "Vienna Photo Gallery". For those readers that are in a rush, have a quick look at the 10 most highly recommended attractions of Vienna here:
Top-10: Best Attractions of Vienna
1.) Schönbrunn Palace, Gardens & Zoo
2.) Belvedere Palace & Austrian National Gallery
3.) Museumsquartier: District of Museums
4.) Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History)
5.) Ringstraße Road: 19th century boulevard (by tram!)
6.) Churches: Stephansdom Cathedral &
Karlskirche
7.) Zentralfriedhof Cemetery & Composer's Honour Tombs
8.) Hofburg: Treasury, National Library, Albertina & more
9.) Heurige Wine Taverns & vineyards in outskirts
10.) Arts: Staatsoper National Opera &
Burgtheater
Vienna: General Orientation
So what is there to see and do? Vienna is divided into 23 districts. The central first district "Innere Stadt" is the historic city centre, which is surrounded by Ringstraße, a 19th century boulevard with most representative buildings. The Ringstraße runs where the city walls were until their destruction - an inner circle that is echoed by an outer one, the Gürtel. From the first district, several major roads extend to the outskirts - for example, the Mariahilferstraße or the Wienzeile. The latter one connects the first district with the Palace of Schönbrunn.
Vienna is framed by the hills of the Vienna Woods in the West and - at least the historic parts - by the Danube in the East. Other important landmarks are the Donaukanal and the Alte Donau, old Danube River beds. For a list of attractive look-outs, see my article on "Vienna from Above".
Grade A Capital: Video of What to See in Vienna
A concise, but pretty cool intro to Vienna sightseeing, unfortunately with the usual sightseeing sterotypes.
Sightseeing Guides to Vienna's Districts
District Overview - 1st (Innere Stadt) - 2nd (Leopoldstadt) -3rd (Landstraße) - 4th (Wieden) - 5th (Margareten) - 6th (Mariahilf) - 7th (Neubau) - 8th (Josefstadt) - 9th (Alsergrund) - 10th (Favoriten) - 11th (Simmering) - 12th (Meidling) - 13th (Hietzing) - 14th (Penzing) - 15th (Fünfhaus)
- 16th (Ottakring) - 17th (Hernals) - 18th (Währing) - 19th (Döbling) - 20th (Brigittenau) - 21st (Floridsdorf) - 22nd (Donaustadt) - 23rd (Liesing) - Ringstraße - Surroundings
Vienna's Museums & Exhibition Venues
See also my "Complete List of Museums" in Vienna.
Art Museums: Kunsthistorische Museum (Museum of Art History) - Albertina (Museum of Graphic Art) - "MuseumsQuartier" (Museum District) - MUMOK (Museum of Contemporary Art) - Leopold Museum (Museum of Modern Art) - Gallery of Austrian Art in Schloss Belvedere (National Gallery) - Liechtenstein Museum (parts of the private collection of the Princes of Liechtenstein, mostly Baroque Painting) - Secession - Museum for Applied Art MAK - Lehrsammlung of the Academy of Fine Arts - BA-CA Kunstforum (temporary exhibitions, usually modern) - Museum of Young Art MOYA (21st century art) - Ernst Fuchs Privatmuseum - Künstlerhaus - KunstHaus Wien (contemporary)
History Museums: Heeresgeschichtliches Museum ("Military History Museum") - Wien Museum (City Museum) - Jewish Museum, Stadttempel & Museum am Judenplatz - Musikerwohnungen (Composers' Flats) - "House of Music" - Mozart House Vienna - Schatzkammer (treasury) - Ephesos Museum - Habsburg's Arms Collection and a Museum of Old Musical Instruments - Josephinum (History of Medicine) - Freud Museum - Museum Aspern-Essling (Napoleonic Wars)
Other Museums: Technisches Museum (Industry &
Technology) -
Austrian Film Museum - "Haus
des Meeres" (Aquarium) - Hofmobiliendepot (Imperial Furniture)
- Naturhistorisches Museum (natural history)
- Zoom Kindermuseum (Museum for
Children) - Tobacco Museum - Vienna Theatre Museum - Ethnology Museum
-
Wiener Planetarium -
Nationalparkhaus Lobau
Cathedrals, Churches & Chapels: Religious Sightseeing
See also my list of Vienna's Churches.
Note that many churches of Vienna (and there are many, many churches in Vienna) are a mix of styles due to alterations. This applies especially to very old ones. For the category, I chose the original or - if the church was strongly altered at some point in it history - the most significant current style.
Romanesque Churches: St. Ruprecht - St. Laurenz Kirche - St. Jakob Heiligenstadt
Gothic Churches & Renaissance: Stephansdom (National Cathedral) - Maria am Gestade - Minoritenkirche - Augustinerkirche Church - Michaelerkirche - Franciscan Church - Deutschordenskirche - Malteserkirche - Burgkapelle - Salvatorkapelle - Kirche am Hof
Baroque & Rococo: Karlskirche - Peterskirche - Schottenstift Monastery - Jesuitenkirche - Bernardiskappelle at the Heiligenkreuzerhof - Dominican Church - Piaristenkirche - Carmelite Church - Rochuskirche - Mariahilferkirche - Stiftskirche - Salesianerinnenkirche - St. Ulrich - Gardekirche - Kahlenbergkirche - Kirche am Leopoldsberg - Bergkirche Rodaun - Paulanerkirche - St. Joseph (Sonnenhofkirche) - Dreifaltigkeitskirche - Servitenkirche - Lichtentaler Pfarrkirche - Kalvarienbergkirche - Annakirche - Schwarzspanierkirche - Kirche der Barmherzigen Brüder - Kirche St. Leopold - Kirche St. Thekla - Elisabethinenkirche - Kirche St. Aegyd (Haydnkirche) - Kirche Maria Geburt (Waisenhauskirche) - Januariuskapelle - Capuchin Church (Kapuzinerkirche) - Ursulinenkirche - Schottenstift Abbey - Annakirche Breitenlee - St. Nikolaus Stammersdorf - St. Jakob Penzing - Nussdorfer Pfarrkirche - St. Aegidius Pötzleinsdorf - St. Gertrud Währing - Wallfahrtskirche Mariabrunn - Rochuskapelle Penzing - Pfarrkirche Ober St. Veit - Pfarrkirche Oberlaa - St. Nepomuk Döbling
Classicist & Historicist: Votivkirche - Dorotheerkirche - Maria vom Siege - Mechitaristenkirche - Griechenkirche - Assisi Kirche am Mexikoplatz - Russenkirche St. Nikolaus - Kirche St. Georg - Kirche St. Barbara
Art Nouveau & Modern: Kirche am Steinhof
- Karl Borromäo Church - Wotrubakirche
- St. Erhard Mauer -
Pfarrkirche Neulerchenfeld -
Heilig-Geist-Kirche Ottakring
Palaces, Palais & Castles of Vienna
See also my list of Vienna's Palais and my introduction to the "Vienna Palais"
Hofburg: Albertina - Kaiserappartements - Schatzkammer Treasury - Neue Burg Gardens & Heldenplatz - Museums of Ethnology & Ephesos - National Library - Augustinerkirche - Spanish Riding School - Burgkapelle & Vienna Boys' Choir - Arms Collection & Old Instruments
Gothic & Renaissance: Schloss Neugebäude - Schweizertor (Hofburg)
Baroque & Rococo: Schönbrunn Palace - Belvedere - Ballhaus (Chancellery) - Palais Kinsky - Palais Auersperg - Palais Trautson - Palais Schwarzenberg -Palais Favorita (Theresianum & Diplomatic Academy) - Palais Liechtenstein - Palais Schönborn - Schloss Hetzendorf - Schloss Neuwaldegg - Palais Augarten - Schloss Alterlaa - Erzbischöfliches Palais - Palais Dietrichstein - Palais Harrach - Stadtpalais Liechtenstein - Stadtpalais Prinz Eugen - Palais Damian - Palais Batthyany-Schönborn - Palais Porcia - Palais Starhemberg - Palais Esterhazy (Wallnerstraße) - Palais Sternberg
Classicist & Historicist:
Palais Rasumofsky - Palais
Ferstel - Münze Österreich - Hermesvilla in the Lainzer
Tiergarten - Schloss Wilhelminenberg - Palais Coburg -
Palais Epstein - Palais Cumberland - Geymüller Schlössl -
Palais Niederösterreich - Produktenbörse
- Justizpalast -
Wiener Börse Stock Exchange -
Palais Strozzi - Palais Grassalkovics
- Palais Clam-Gallas -
Palais Pallivicini -
Palais Zichy
Theatres, Opera & Concert Halls of Vienna
See also my List of Theatres in Vienna and the Vienna Theatre Museum
Opera: Wiener Staatsoper (National Opera) - Wiener Kammeroper - Volksoper - Theater an der Wien
Theatre: Burgtheater Theatre - Akademietheater - Theater in der Josefstadt - Volkstheater
Concert & Music: Raimund Theatre - Wiener Konzerthaus - Musikverein Concert Hall - Etablissement
Ronacher - Kursalon Hübner
Other Architecture, Memorials & Landmarks
My guide to "other attractions" of Vienna is not finished. Please come back later.
Gothic: Spinnerin am Kreuz - Heumühle Wieden
Baroque: Trinity Column - Zeughaus Imperial Armoury - Bohemian Chancellery - Vermählungsbrunnen (fountain) - "Kapuzinergruft" (Emperors' Tomb) - National Library - Tiergarten Schönbrunn Zoo - Spanish Hospital - Donnerbrunnen
Neo-Classical to 1918: Houses of Parliament - Urania - Kuffner Sternwarte - BOKU University - Vienna University - Roßauer Kaserne - Technical University - Kriegsministerium - Dreimäderlhaus - Akademisches Gymnasium - Hochstrahlbrunnen (fountain) - WUK - Strudelhofstiege - Postsparkasse - Otto Wagner Villa I & II - Wasserturm Favoriten - Zacherlhaus - Nussdorfer Wehr - Kornhäuselturm - Zacherlfabrik - Dorotheum (Auction House) - Hosenträgerhaus - Ferris wheel (the Riesenrad) - Palmenhaus & Schmetterlingshaus - Universitätssternwarte - Rathaus City Hall - Trabrennbahn Krieau - Lusthaus - Galopprennbahn Freudenau
Architecture & Attractions after 1918:
Ernst-Happel-Football-Stadium - Apollo Kino
- Donauturm -
Destructor of Spittelau - Flak Towers - ORF Zentrum
- Gänsehäufel - General
Hospital AKH - Funkhaus
- Haas Haus - Gasometer City - Wienerberg City -
Public Library - United Nations Office
Vienna (UNO City) - Stadthalle
Wien - Karl-Marx-Hof - Rabenhof - Millennium Tower -
Heldendenkmal Soviet Memorial - Messe Wien -
Westbahnhof Station - Maria Theresien Kaserne
- Werkbundsiedlung -
Theodor-Körner-Hof -
Ringturm -
Hochhaus Herrengasse - Österreichisches Verkehrsbüro -
Feuerhalle Simmering -
Vienna Airport
Themes, Neighbourhoods & Vienna Areas
Another article in preparation: "Vienna Squares, Neighbourhoods & Themes"
Vienna from above - Naschmarkt market - Ringstraße - Vienna Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) - Vienna's coolest
neighbourhoods - Heurigen (Wine Taverns) - Why I dislike Vienna - Cafes of Vienna & Coffee - Donaukanal, a canal of the Danube - Mariahilferstraße - Vienna
Cemetery Photo Gallery - Altes AKH
hospital campus - Day-Trips to Vienna's
Surroundings - Prater - Vienna by City Bike - Cycling in the Surroundings - Am Hof
Square - Graben, Kohlmarkt, Neuer Markt Shopping
Areas - Parks of
Vienna - Hoher Markt -
Vienna with Children - Augarten Porcelain
- Donauinsel Island -
National Park Donauauen - Brunnenmarkt
- Wiener Stadtbahn - Hohe Warte
- Grinzing - Spittelberg -
Bermudadreieck -
Freyung
Square - Türkenschanzpark -
Karlsplatz -
Prostitution - Diplomatic Academy
Vienna - Beer & Microbreweries
- Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants
- Stuwerviertel - Praterstern
- Venediger Au -
Prater Hauptallee -
Heustadelwasser -
Jesuitenwiese - Konstantinhügel
- Wurstelprater - Handelskai
Vienna Travel Practicialities
Free wireless lan in Vienna
-
Vienna Webcam - Embassies in Vienna - Weather in Vienna - Music Videos on Vienna - Markets of Vienna
- Festivals & Events of Vienna
Vienna throughout the Year
January -
February -
March - April -
May - June -
July - August
- September -
October -
November - December
back to "sightseeing"
Further Reading
Top-attractions of Vienna (ranking)
Official website of the Vienna Tourism Council
Official Website of the Austrian Tourism Council
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