Updated November 2019

World Capital of Music

​Vienna boasts a lot of culture and history. It has many names, but considering that some of the world’s most famous composers lived here, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss, and Johannes Brahms, Vienna has served as a musician’s dream.

I also highly recommend going there around Christmas time, as there are some incredible Christmas markets scattered throughout the city.
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Tips

To/From Airport
​The Vienna Airport, “Flughafen Wien”, though on the outskirts of town, provides fast and easy transport into the heart of the city. There are two options, the CAT for ~12€ or the S-7 (S-Bahn 7), for ~4€. Even though they both take about the same amount of time, the CAT is well advertised, with their green signs plastered near the exits, but the S-7 is much more affordable.

In any case, go to one of the red ticket booths and you can easily buy a ticket and choose any destination. “Landstraße (Mitte-Wien)” is a good transfer point in the city center. The trains run at x:18 and x:48 each hour

Getting back to the airport, same process, just in reverse. Trains leave around x:49 and x:19.
Public Transit (U-Bahn)
​The U-Bahn is the extensive “metro” system in Vienna, and all the train stations are VERY straight forward. Unlike Paris’s 14 train Metro system, there are only 5 U-Bahn lines and the station names, for the most part, are named after the plaza or area. So, if you need to get to Stephansplatz to see the Stephansdom, there is a station just for that.

Single-way tickets are 2.40€ for any distance and can be bought at ticket kiosks. One can also buy an all-day ticket for 8€. Additional deals can be used to extend for multiple days, and there is also the Vienna weekly ticket (valid from Monday to Monday at 9.00 am) for 17.10€.

1-Day Plan

Like most large cities, it is difficult to see ALL that Vienna has to offer within one day, but here is a sample itinerary.
9:00 - 11:00 AM: ​​​​Schönbrunn Palace
Take the U4 and get off at the Schönbrunn stop.
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The palace means "beautiful spring" in German. Legend has it that Emperor Matthias found a spring on the grounds of the estate and exclaimed "Oh, what a pretty spring" back in 1569 when he purchased the land. 

Emperor Leopold I commissioned Baroque architect Fischer von Erlach in 1696 to design a hunting lodge for his son, Crown Prince Joseph and later Emperor Joseph I. As one of the greatest architects of the time, Johann Bernhard Fischer Von Erlach also built buildings like the Karlskirche, Palais Schwarzenberg, and the Winter Stables. Sadly, the building was not completed due to the sudden death of Emperor Joseph I.

Empress Maria Theresa received the estate as a wedding gift, and she remodeled and completed the palace in the 1750s. Having it become the center of the Habsburg court. It was supposed to be built on top of the hill—where the Gloriette currently stands—and be four times the size of Versailles, which it was based upon, but due to costs, it is what is seen before you.

​There are variety of different tickets that one can buy depending on what hopes to see. I would recommend the "Classic Pass", which grants access to the palace, the Privy Garden, Orangery Garden, Maze, and Gloriette.
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Front entrance of the Schönbrunn Palace
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: ​​Karlskirche (St. Charle's Church)
Take the U4 and get off at the Karlsplatz stop.

Karlskirche is located in Karlsplatz. It incorporates many different architectural styles from Greco-Roman to Baroque to potentially Asian pagodas. The center façade resembles a Greek temple portico, while the two columns are modeled after Trajan's column in Rome. The tower pavilions have baroque elements.

Built in 1713, a year after the great plague epidemic, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles VI, built a church for St. Charles, a patron saint who served as a healer for plague sufferers. Through an architectural competition, Von Erlach (same architect who designed the original Schönbrunn Palace) won the competition and the church was completed in 1737.

It costs ~10€ to enter, and inside, besides the beautiful decor, there are annual art exhibits. In 2019, there were giant, plastic balls hanging in the center. One can take the panorama elevator to the top, one is greeted with a beautiful view of Karlsplatz and the paintings adorning the roof.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: ​​Heldenplatz (Heroes' Square)
​A beautiful square created when Napoleon's troops tore down the city's fortifications here. Deciding to leave the space open, Vienna now showcases some incredible sights. Recommend heading through the Burggarten, then taking a counter clock-wise loop to end up in the Volksgarten.
Burggarten lies in the southwestern part. It was the former private imperial garden for Emperor Franz I that now has a glass house which contains a tropical plant and butterfly house (Schmetterlinghaus) and a winter house for botanical gardens (West side).Today, it is most known for the Mozart monument moved here in 1953, but there are also other notable statues such as Herucles and the Nemean Lion, Franz I (husband to Empress Maria Theresa), and Emperor Franz Joseph. Part of the park was also converted for recreational space for the Spansih Riding School, so one might catch a glimpse of the Lipizzaner stallions around.
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Hofburg Palace, which was the original location of the Habsburg court. The court itself was interconnected with multiple buildings and houses the Sisi Museum (showcases the life of Empress Elisabeth), the Imperial Apartments (where Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth lived), and the Silver Collection (Imperial porcelain and cookware).

Neue Burg is most notable for containing the National Library (known for its state hall), which connects the Augustinerkirche, but there are also a range of museums, such as the Ephesos Museum (housing ancient Greek and Roman artifacts), the Weltmuseum (full of globes and culture), the House of Austrian History, Arms & Armour collection (medieval weaponry and armor), and the Historical Musical Instruments collection. One of history's most famous moments also happened here, for Adolf Hitler proclaimed from the balcony on March 15, 1938, that Austria was now part of the German Reich.

Burgtor means "castle gate" in German. Austrians rebuilt the gateway after the Napoleonic troops blew up the city fortifications as a symbolic gateway to Heldenplatz and the Hofburg complex, especially after Austria's military victory over the French. When the remaining fortifications were removed around the city as Vienna expaned, the Burgtor remained the last free-standing monument.

Volksgarten Park is located on the opposite side of the square from the Burggarten. It is known for the beautiful rose gardens, the Theseus Temple, resembling Athen's Temple of Hephaestus, and a Sisi Memorial dedicated to Empress Elisabeth
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM: ​​Rathausplatz
Rathaus doesn't mean "Rat House" in German. In fact, Rat means advice or counsel (the German word for Rat is Ratte). As such, it serves as a town hall and is where the local government of Vienna resides. It is a resplendent neo-Gothic building with five towers. While one can't enter the Rathaus, Rathausplatz, the plaza before it, is well-known for its Christmasmarket and the Vienna open-air ice skating rink, Eistraum.

To the southeast, one can marvel at the Parlament building, built in the Hellenic style, for the Hellenes (Greeks) were the first people to put freedom and legality first. The architect was Theophil von Hansen, who is also known for designing the Musikverein and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. On the south-facing entrance, one can see a marble statue of Athena (Greek goddess of wisdom) at the top of the fountain, carrying Nike (Greek goddess of victory) in her right hand. It serves as a place for the National Assembly and the Federal Council (the two chambers of Austria's legislative branch that constitute the Federal Assembly).
1:30 - 3:30 PM: ​​Innere Stadt
Walk to Innere Stadt, where one can stop for lunch
Peterskirche
Hidden near Stephansdom, this unassuming parish church is in the Baroque style. Some say that this could be the oldest church Vienna, first being mentioned in 1137. This church boasts opulence and gold-frilled art and decorum, making it quite a memorable site to visit.
​Stephansdom
This church has a beautiful tower that offers a view of the city. With 343 steps in a spiral and a 5-euro entry fee, it is rather popular. At the top, there are only 4 paned windows in each compass direction to see the entire city, but small placards with images help explain the surrounding area. People ascend and descend from the same staircase, which is an important thing to remember.
​Mozart Museum
Mozart is revered in Vienna. While he did not grow up here, he spent the remainder of his life in Vienna, making more money than even a doctor. Unfortunately, he had a huge gambling problem, so he lost a lot of money, and he died from stress from being overcommissioned. Of course, you can learn all this by paying 9€ to enter the museum, which includes the audio guide. Pictures are not allowed inside.
3:30 - 4:30 PM: Wurstelprater
Like the Schöbrunn Palace, this area first started off as a hunting ground. Then, when the park became open to the public in 1766, stalls, snack bars, and bowling alleys began to open. Now, it boasts many different rides, resembling a county fair or a beach boardwalk. It is known for the Wiener Riesenrad, the tallest Ferris Wheel from 1920-1985.

It is quite an interesting park with Calafati serving as the mascot, a 20-foot tall sculpture of a Chinese man near the ferris wheel.
One can walk from Wurstelprater to the Donauturm and witness the majesty of the Danube (or in German, "Donau") River.

There are a few places where one can swim in the water and one can also see the St. Francis of Assisi Church, a Basilica-style Catholic Church built between 1898-1910. The back of it faces the Danube River, and the layers and beauty of the building make it resemble a castle. The entrance is located on the East side, but the inside of the Church was more minimalistic compared to the others
4:30 - 6:30 PM: Donauturm (Danube Tower)
The Donauturm is located a little far from the city center and offers a fantastic view of the city for 14€. With an outdoor area, an indoor viewing area, a café, and a restaurant, it provides views from northern Vienna 500 feet (150 m) up in the air on the outdoor platform.

One can also enjoy eating at the café or the restaurant, where the prices are not overly exorbitant, and the rotating platform provides great views. It rotates 360 degrees every 24 minutes!

Before or after, one can also explore Danube Park, one of Vienna's largest parks.
6:30 - 9:00 PM: Attend an Opera or a Concert
Wiener Staatsoper (Opera House)
During WWII, since Hitler only travelled by train, the Allies wanted to hamper his movement by bombing different train stations. The Americans had the directive to bomb the train station in Vienna, which can be seen by its green roof. Unfortunately, the Opera House also has a green roof and was accidentally bombed.

One can take a guided tour inside the Opera House or attend an opera if tickets are available.
Musikverein
A concert hall that is home to the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. The “Great Hall” (also know as the Golden Hall) is considered one of the finest concert halls in the world, due to its acoustics.

​Anyone can buy 7€ standing room tickets, but since the concert was not full, we were lucky enough to be given seats instead. Interestingly, people saved their coughs and let out like a barrage during the short breaks between pieces. In addition, there is a lot of clapping. When the last piece ended, people clapped for 10 minutes straight, which was an interesting thing I learned.

Check out their website to see more accurate information about concert times. They usually start around 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the evening.

Cultural Plan

Vienna loves its museums so much that it has a whole area caalled "Museumplatz" where quite a few museums are located.
  • Belvedere Palace: Art museum with the largest collection of Gustav Klimt paintings and other Viennese painters. It is a historic building complex made up of Baroque palaces built during the time when the Habsburgs ruled.
  • Jewish Museum Vienna: Museum showcasing Jewish history and life in Austria. The first Jewish Museum in Vienna was founded in 1896, and it was the first Jewish museum in the world.
  • House of Music: First museum of sound and music in Vienna with interactive exhibits.
  • Beethoven Pasqualatihaus: Beethoven worked in Vienna for 35 years, spending 8 years living in the 4th floor apartment in this building. He worked on his 4-8 symphonies and the "Fidelio" opera here. The building is called "Pasqualatihaus" for it was named after the owner, Josep Benedikt Baron Pasqualati.
  • Kaisergruft (Imperial Crypt) or Kapuzinergruft (Capuchi Crypt): The burial chamber beneath the Capuchin Church and monastery is known for housing bones of 145 Habsburg royalty and urns of 4 others.
  • Natural History Museum and Kuntshistorisches Museum: The natural history and art museum, respectively, were both commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph I and intended to be part of the Imperial Forum. They face each other with identical facades.
  • Sisi Museum: Dedicated to the most mysterious Habsburg Empresses.Sisi, nickname for Empress Elisabeth, was the wife of  Emperor Franz I, known for her beauty. She lived a paradoxical life having married young and living a controlled life in royalty.
  • ​Snow Globe Museum: The only snow globe museum in the world with over 3,000 snow globes from around the world.

Local Spots

Naschmarkt
It does not mean "night market", because it is also open during the day. It is considered Vienna’s most popular market and is almost a mile long. It started off in the 1500s selling milk bottles made of ash or “Asch”, leading to the name “Aschenmarkt” which transitioned over time to “Nashmarkt”. It sells herbs, cheese, lots of dried fruit, scarves and hats, fish, candy, and all sorts of food options as well.
Kahlenberg
Located in the Northwest, Kahlenberg is a mountain in the Vienna Woods with lots of different trails. Laying in the foothills of the Eastern Alps, there are a variety of nice trails to explore. Most people like to come here for the vista point located near the Viennese vineyards or to enjoy the Cafe Kahlenberg and Skyline Lounge restaurant.

It takes about an hour one-way. Take the U4 to the last station, then take the 38A bus towards the peak. 
Rooftop Bars
While, there are plenty of spots to grab a drink, heading to Der Dachboden at the top of the 25hours Hotel is a great way to end the night as they are open until 1 AM and offer a relaxed and casual bar scene.

Christmas Markets

These are small Christmas market stands that start to open the second or third week of November through the first week of January. They have booths that sell a lot of different knick-knacks, foods, crafts, and other interesting items.

The most well-known Christmas market is located near the City Hall, Rathaus with a circuitous ice skating rink (see. Although it is considered both pricey and touristy, the lights and decorations are fantastic, called Eistraum.

The other markets that one can visit are in Stephansplatz, Karlsplatz (known for homemade crafts), Schönbrunn, and MuseumsQuartier. They are all relatively close to each other, so very easy to hit all of them.

Besides the shops, these Christmas markets are also known for selling mulled wine or Glühwein (sounds  like Glue Vine) that occasionally come in these adorable stocking-shaped mugs. They also have different flavors, such as an Apfel-Zint Punsch (apple cinnamon “punch”), a Quitten-Rum Punsch (a quince rum “punch”), a white wine Glühwein, and even one that has Malibu in it!
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When you purchase your drink, you also pay an extra 4€  deposit for the mug. When you are done with the drink, you can return the mug for your deposit or keep the mug. Here are some of the mug designs:

What to Eat

Sachertorte (saw-hehr-tort-eh)
One of the most famous and well-known cakes in Vienna, the Sachertorte is a creamy chocolate cake with it is origins in the early 1800s. It was named after Franz Sacher, the chef who made this cake for Prince Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna.

Although there are many disputes about which café has the best Sachertorte, The one from Sluka, a small bakery in the 1st district and near Stephansdom, is my favorite. It was a decadent and moist cake with a slight taste of orange with each bite due to the apricot jam. It was not overly sweet, and the unsweetened whipped cream on the side makes for a good pairing. The original Sachertorte was created at Cafe Sachertorte and though it was delicious, at twice the price of the one from Sluka, it was not worth the cost. However, the Sacher liqueur and hot chocolate was quite delicious from Cafe Sachertorte.
Wiener Schnitzel
A staple in Vienna, Wiener Schnitzel is veal that is pounded flat and fried. However, an alternative is the pork schnitzel, which tastes just as good. 

​Poland also has their own version called kotlet schabowy, which uses pork. 

These can be found everywhere, but ​7Stern Bräu​ was one of my favorite places for it.
Wiener
Might’ve heard of the “Wiener”? Well, legend has it that the hot dog sausage was invented by a butcher living in Frankfurt, Germany, but from Vienna. Neither city is proud of the invention, so in Frankfurt, they refer to it as a “Wiener” and in Vienna, they refer to it as a “Frankfurt”.

Most places won't sell "Wieners". Instead, check out Käsekrainer​ sausages. ​Bitzinger Würstelstand Albertina, a hot dog stand by the opera house, offers a delicious one.
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Weiner Schnitzel (7Stern Bräu)
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Käsekrainer - Hot Dog Cheese Sausage in Baguette (Bitzinger Würstelstand Albertina)
T​he many cakes in Vienna are truly worth the cost and simply amazing. They have cafés at almost every corner and one will never have enough to eat. In Vienna, the term Conditorei is used to describe a place to buy cakes and pastries. Here is a fun and certainly not exhaustive list:
  • SLUKA: My personal favorite. It has beautiful interior designing resembling the Schönbrunn and Belvedere palaces and Empress Elisabeth frequented this Konditorei. There are two locations, but the one at Rathausplatz was the original.
  • Demel: One of the most famous Konditorei in the city, it has served as an official supplier to the Habsburg court


Kipferl
​Food-wise, technically, the French croissant actually has its origins in Vienna. Supposedly, back in 1683, when the Ottomans tried to invade Vienna, Viennese bakers raised the alarm and the Austrians won. In celebration, the croissant was created (they call it a kipferl) shaped in the Turkish crescent. When Marie Antoinette (yes, the Marie Antoinette) married King Louis XVI, she brought the croissant (her favorite pastry) with her to France. Today, in France, they refer to specific types of pastries as viennoiserie, which refers to any pastry that uses a yeast-leavened flaky dough sweetened with fruit, chocolate, creams, or sauce.
Other Dishes
  • Brötchen are German bread rolls, and Trzesniewski created a nice tasting of open faced bread sandwiches 
  • Erdäptelpuffer: Potato with cheese 
  • Lebekäsesemmel: Ham & cheese deli slice sandwich that are sold from carts throughout the city. It is only considered a snack though.
  • Tafelspitz: Boiled beef dish that was a favorite of Emperor Franz Joseph

Viennese Tidbits

Fun things to look out for in Vienna

  • In the underground tunnel connecting from the Opera House to the Nachtmarkt, there is a passage with mirrors and words representing important numbers, such as how much money is spent on the military worldwide, the amount of garbage generated in Vienna since January 1st, 2019, books borrowed in Vienna, or the number of days until Chernobyl is habitable again.

  • There are steps along the side of Danube River, where one can actually walk down and swim in it (usually during summer time)

  • Some of the crosswalk signs are fun to watch, such as two people holding hands with a heart in between them

  • Around Christmas time, extravagant lights displays are hung around the city

  • Their drinking fountains look like old well pumps

  • Might spot k. u. k. and k. k. abbreviations on signs throughout the city. These refer to the Habsburgs, since K in German refers to royalty, with Emperor as Kaiser and king is König. The k's here represent kaiserlich and königlich (imperial and royal)

  • The horses for the horse-drawn carriages have little cloth slides for the poop to slide into a bucket rather than onto the street

Other Resources

As responsible travellers, it is important to gain insight from other travellers. I highly recommend checking out these other sites:

Wander Within a Day
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