Sightseeing OverviewThe heart of Vienna is the
Innerestadt – the area that lay within the city walls, until they were demolished in the mid-19th century. It is here that some of Vienna’s most popular tourist attractions can be found, along with pedestrianized streets lined with countless shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. The center point is the
Graben (literally ‘moat’), which is a wide square lined with shops and pavement cafés under large umbrellas. Following the demolition of the city walls in 1857, the Ringstrasse was laid out
and some of Vienna’s most beautiful buildings were built along it, between 1858 and 1865. Among the most important are the
Staatsoper (State Opera House),
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts),
Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum),
Parlament (Parliament),
Rathaus (City Hall) and
Burgtheater.
Although most major attractions are in the First District, the other inner districts have much to offer. Leopoldstadt (Second District) lies on the eastern side of the Danube Canal, it is here that the massive
Prater can be found. Landstrasse (Third District) includes the
Schwarzenberg Palace and the
Konzerthaus, although the main attraction is the
Belvedere Palace. Wieden (Fourth District) is a small neighborhood that is just as fashionable as the First District. Most of the city’s activity centers are around Karlsplatz, with its domed namesake,
Karlskirsch. Margareten (Fifth District) is more residential and the historic homes of Schubert and Gluck still stand here. Mariahelf (Sixth District) includes Vienna’s busiest shopping street,
Mariahilferstrass. The
Naschmarkt (Produce Market) and the
Flohmarkt (Flea Market), on Saturday morning, add to the excitement, while the surrounding streets are packed with Beisls (small restaurants), theaters, cafés and pubs. Neubau (Seventh District) includes the
Spittleburg Quarter, where the old houses have been renovated into boutiques, restaurants, theaters and galleries. Josefstadt (Eighth District) was once the area favored by civil servants – the Josefstadt Theater, the city’s oldest (1788), is still in operation. Alsergrund (Ninth District) is often called the academic quarter – Freud’s home, now a museum, is located here, as is the
Lichtenstein Palace, which now houses the
Museum of Modern Art.
Tourist InformationWien Tourismus Albertinaplatz/Ecke Maysedergasse
Tel: (01) 24 555. Fax: (01) 24 555 666.
E-mail:
info@wien.info Website:
www.wien.info Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900.
Other tourist information offices are located in the airport arrivals area. These provide information, make reservations and supply brochures, maps and the
Vienna Card (see below). A number of annually printed guides are available, including
Kunst &
Genuus (Arts & Delights),
Architecture,
Konzert-
Cafés, monthly events and even a
Gay Vienna guide.
PassesThe
Vienna Card offers discounts at 200 attractions, theaters, shops, cafés, restaurants and
heurigen (wine taverns), as well as on the CAT train from the airport. It also includes unlimited travel on the U-Bahn, bus and tram networks (including night buses) for 72 hours. Passes are available from tourist information offices, hotels and
Wiener Linien sales and information counters for €16.90. Vienna Cards are also available for purchase in advance with a credit card (tel: (01) 798 440 0148).
Key Attractions:Stephansdom (St Stephen’s Cathedral) The imposing
St Stephen’s Cathedral marks Graben’s eastern end and is easily spotted, due to its brightly colored roof tiles, from more distant viewpoints. Construction began on the cathedral in the 12th century and was completed in 1433. Major restoration and rebuilding work was necessary after the cathedral caught fire at the end of World War II.
Stephansplatz 1
Tel: (01) 515 523 767.
Website:
www.stephansdom.at Opening hours: Daily 0600-2200; services Sat 1900 and Sun 1015 (Sep-Jun), Sun 0930 (Jul-Aug); guided tours Mon-Sat at 1030 and 1500, Sun 1500.
Admission charge.
Hofburg The Imperial Palace until 1918, the
Hofburg is almost a city in itself. Today, it houses the office of the Austrian president, an international conference center, a number of museums, the chapel where the Vienna Boys’ Choir sings and the hall in which the Lipizzan stallions perform. Visitors can tour the
Kaiserappartements (Imperial Apartments), including Franz Joseph's and Sisi's (Empress Elisabeth's) private rooms, the great audience hall, dining rooms and staterooms. The
Silberkammer (Imperial Silver Collection) is also on show. The
Schatzkammer (Treasury), Schweizerhof 1, contains stunning exhibits that exemplify the power and wealth of one of Europe’s most important empires. The Imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire rests here, as does the crown of the Austrian Empire, the 15th-century Burgundian treasure and the treasure of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The
Sisi Museum, which opened in 2004 to commemorate the 150th wedding anniversary of Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph, showcases many personal objects and some of the most famous portraits of the beautiful empress. Last but not least, the State Hall of the
Austrian National Library is a jewel of profane baroque architecture and one of the most beautiful historical libraries in the world, and should not be missed.
Innerer Burghof 1, Kaisertor
Tel: (01) 533 7570 (Imperial Apartments, Imperial Silver Collection and Sisi Museum)
or 525 240 (Treasury).
Website:
www.hofburg.wien.info or
www.hofburg-wien.at Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (Imperial Apartments, Imperial Silver Collection and Sisi Museum); Wed-Mon 1000-1800 (Treasury).
Admission charge.
State Hall of the Austrian National Library Josefsplatz 1
Tel: (01) 534 100.
Website:
www.onb.ac.at Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2100.
Admission charge.
Spanische Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School) For over 400 years, the horses of the
Spanish Riding School have performed their elegant maneuvers at the Imperial Stables. The
Lipizzaner Museum Wien (situated at the stables) traces the history of these renowned performing horses and offers the opportunity to see into the animals’ quarters. The easiest way for visitors to see the horses in action is at their morning training sessions, 1000-1200 Tuesday to Saturday. Tickets to the training sessions, which involve classical dressage exercise to music, are only available at the door on the day. Tickets for the actual performances are in high demand and need to be booked well in advance. The season generally runs from March to June and from September to December. Gala performances vary from month to month, usually Saturday or Sunday mornings and occasionally Friday evenings. Tickets are available on the Internet, by post or by fax and cost and are expensive (standing room is cheaper). Final dress rehearsals before the season starts are cheaper and tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Michaelerplatz 1 (Riding School ticket office), Reitschulgasse 2 (Lipizzaner Museum)
Tel: (01) 533 9031 (Riding School)
or 5252 4416 (Lipizzaner Museum).
Website:
www.spanische-reitschule.com or www.lipizzaner.at Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (museum); Tues-Sat 1000-1200 (morning training sessions). Guided tours Tues-Sat in the afternoon. Gala performances are usually held on Sunday morning at 1100, occasionally on Friday evenings.
Admission charge.
Schloß Schönbrunn (Schönbrunn Palace) Schönbrunn Palace is Vienna’s answer to Versailles and was used as the summer residence of the Habsburgs from the 18th century until 1918. Of the 1,411 rooms in the palace and its adjacent buildings, 40 state rooms are open to the public. The golden-yellow palace is set within equally magnificent gardens, landscaped in the Baroque style, with some fabulous views. The palace and gardens are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The
Gloriette is a triumphal arch that stands on the hilltop behind the palace and affords a stunning view over the grounds and the city beyond. The
Palmenhaus (Palm House) is an excellent example of late 19th-century architecture, with cast iron columns delicately holding up the glass walls and roof. The world’s oldest zoo can be found in the park. It was commissioned in 1752, to amuse and educate the court.
Schönbrunn Palace
Tel: (01) 811 13 ext. 239.
Website:
www.schoenbrunn.at Opening hours: Daily 0830-1700 (Apr-Oct, until 1800 Jul and Aug); daily 0830-1630 (Nov-Mar).
Admission charge
Belvedere The
Oberes Belvedere (Upper Belvedere Palace), which was built in 1721–23, for Prince Eugene of Savoy, offers terrific views across the gardens to the
Unteres Belvedere (Lower Belvedere) and the city beyond. Artwork from the middle ages and the Baroque era is featured in the
Unteres Belvedere. The
Oberes Belvedere houses art from the 19th-century classical, Romantic and Biedermeier periods on the second floor and post-1918 art on the ground floor. The first floor, however, is what draws visitors, with paintings by Gustav Klimt (including
der Küss), Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka and other fin-de-siècle artists.
Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Prinz Eugenstrasse 27
Tel: (01) 79557.
Website:
www.belvedere.at Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800. Closed Dec 24-25.
Admission charge.
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts) This museum was built to house the Imperial Hapsburg collections in one place, although these have now grown to such an extent that some are housed in the
Hofburg and in
Schönbrunn Palace (see above). The grand staircase in the
Kunsthistorisches Museum provides passage to the galleries, which include the Antiquities, Egyptian-Oriental and Coin collections. The
Kunstkammer (art chamber) houses sculpture and decorative arts. The
Gemäldegalerie (picture gallery) has works by Old Masters, including Dürer, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens and Titian, and the most comprehensive collection of Brueghels in the world.
Maria-Theresien-Platz 1
Tel: (01) 525 240.
Website:
www.khm.at Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (until 2100 Thurs).
Admission charge.
MuseumsQuartier On the site of the former imperial stables, this large cultural complex, which opened in 2001, is one of the biggest of its kind in the world. Don’t miss the excellent
Leopold Museum, a must for anyone interested in Austrian art, and
MUMOK, the Museum of Modern Art. The MuseumQuartier is a very pleasant place to hang out for a few hours, especially in summer, as the place is packed with students and young people relaxing outside or in one of the many cafes.
Museumplatz 1
Tel: (01) 523 5881
or 525 70-0 (Leopold Museum)
or 525 00 (
MUMOK).
Website:
www.mqw.at or www.leopoldmuseum.org or
www.mumok.at Opening hours: (
Leopold Museum) Wed-Mon 1000-1900, Thu 1000-2100. (
MUMOK):
Tue-Sun 1000-1800, Thu 1000-2100.
Admission charge.
Further Distractions:Prater The
Prater is a giant wooded park, fairground and the location of one of Vienna’s most famous sights – the century-old
Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel). Harry Lime fought here in
The Third Man (1949) and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy fell in love here in
Before Sunrise (1995).
Tel: (01) 969 7817
or 728 0516.
Website:
www.wiener-prater.at Riesenrad (
Giant Ferris Wheel)
Prater 90
Tel: (01) 729 5430.
Website:
www.wienerriesenrad.com KunstHausWien (Vienna Art House) KunstHausWien is the unmistakable architectural expression of Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s unique vision. Appearing like a Klimt painting as seen through a kaleidoscope, the building contains an exhibition of Hundertwasser’s artwork as well as a bright café with a chic clientele and relaxing garden. The goulash is excellent. The nearby
Hundertwasserhaus is an apartment project, which can only be viewed from the street.
Untere Weissgerberstrasse 13
Tel: (01) 712 0491.
Website:
www.kunsthauswien.com Kaisergruft (Imperial Burial Vault) The
Imperial Burial Vault in the
Kapuzinerkirche (Capuchin Church), which was build between 1622 and 1632, is well worth a visit. The vault became the burial place of the Hapsburgs and the highlight is the double casket of Maria-Theresa and Franz I.
Neuer Markt 1
Tel: (01) 5126 853/16.
Website:
www.kaisergruft.at Haus der Musik (House of Music) The
Haus der Musik is a major addition to Vienna’s museum scene, offering a link between technology and art. It includes the museum of the
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, where visitors are given the opportunity to view the last New Year’s Day Concert; the
Sonosphere, where many aspects of sound are presented, using hands-on computer technology and giant instruments; the
Virtual Conductor, where visitors can use virtual technology to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; the
Brain Opera, an interactive musical environment with unique ultramodern musical instruments. There are also historic displays of great Viennese composers, from Haydn to Berg; a wine bar, a café and several concert rooms. All exhibitions are presented in both German and English and anyone can happily spend hours here, whether musically inclined or not. Open daily 1000-2200.
Seilerstätte 30
Tel: (01) 516 48.
Website:
www.hdm.at
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