Vienna, the Charming City

Vienna (‘Wien’ in German) is the capital of Austria and famous for its grand Baroque and Gothic architecture. It is also known for its classical music and has extensive vineyards within the city limits. I visited Vienna in September 2024 with my cousin for a short week, just after storm Boris swept through parts of Central Europe, including Austria. The heavy rains caused some flooding, but thankfully, Vienna wasn’t hit too hard. Despite the rain on the day we arrived, we were lucky to enjoy three beautiful, sunny days afterwards. Read here my recommendations and experience of Vienna.

City Centre

I like to start my trips by exploring the city centre, in Vienna, this is known as the Innere Stadt. We chose to explore it on foot, as the weather was a bit unpredictable. However, I am also a fan of starting with a bicycle tour, to see a lot at once and get some historical context along the way.

The city’s highlights, such as the Hofburg Palace and its gardens (Burggarten, Heldenplatz, Volksgarten), the Natural History Museum, the Kunsthistoriches Museum, Rathaus, Burgtheater, Staatsoper, and Albertina, are all close by. These beautiful buildings also house museums where you can delve into the city’s rich history and culture.  My favorite places to walk around were the Museums Quartier, Palais Ferstel (with elegant cafés and boutiques) and Reitschulgasse, where you can catch a glimpse of the famous Lipizzaner horses in their stables through Plexiglas. For shopping you could go to Graben for more high-end boutiques or Neubaugasse. And as you stroll through the city centre, don’t miss Vienna’s charming traffic lights.

There are also many beautiful churches that you can walk past or visit for free, such as St Peter's Church, St Stephen's Cathedral and Votive Church. As Vienna is known for its classical music, it is possible to attend a performance in the evening in one of the churches. We attended a one hour-long “classical ensemble" in St Peter's Church, which I highly recommend. This church is stunning and more intimate, with fewer people able to fit inside, making the experience feel extra special. Since we don’t typically listen to classical music, we opted for the shorter performance, and the time flew by. It was well worth it. We booked this through GetYourGuide.

Beyond The City Centre (my favorite activities)

Besides the many landmarks in the city centre, there are two places a little further away that I find the most beautiful: Belvedere and Schönbrunn Palace. Both are surrounded by scenic gardens that you can explore for free. Schönbrunn’s garden runs uphill, giving you great views of the palace and the city below. Both sights are easy to reach by public transport. If you are on your way to Schönbrunn, consider making a quick stop at Ikea Westbahnhof (also the place where you probably have to transit between transport). The building is very cool, contains 160 trees and has a rooftop offering views over Vienna.

Another gem is The Danube river (Donau in German), which flows through Vienna and offers a mix of urban and natural attractions. The green surroundings of the Danube are perfect for walking, cycling or enjoying a relaxing picnic by the water. In the summer, artificial beaches like CopaBeach and Pier22 provide free swimming spots, often with nearby food and drink stands, making Vienna an ideal summer destination. You could easily spend a whole day here.

One of the unique aspects of Vienna is that it is the only capital city with extensive vineyars within its borders. These vineyards offer the perfect opportunity to escape the crowds, you can walk through the hills with stunning views of the city and the Danube in the distance. There are several routes you can choose from, covering different distances. You can find maps of the various routes using the link below.

www.wien.info

Wiener Weinwandertag

Jedes Jahr im Herbst findet der Wiener Weinwandertag statt. Auf insgesamt vier Routen kann die Weinlandschaft erwandert werden.

Along the way, you can stop at traditional wine taverns called Buschenschank. We did the Neustift – Nußdorf route, about 10 kilometres long, and ended at Buschenschank Mayer am Nussberg. Keep in mind that most wine taverns are only open on weekend, although some, like Mayer, open as early as Thursday. It is a good idea to check their opening hours online and their homepages, as the weather can affect opening times. As we walked on a Thursday, it was pleasantly quiet on the route and we stopped at only one tavern. If you prefer to stop at several taverns, I recommend doing the hike on a weekend, when more are open.

Spanish Riding School

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna, is one of the oldest and prestige schools in the world. It is dedicated to preservation of classical dressage with the Lipizzaner horses, whose performances in the Winter Riding School at the Hofburg Palace are also a tourist attraction. At the school, only male horses are ridden, and their movements are rooted in natural expressions. Performances are only in the weekend, but during the week you could visit one of the morning training sessions that lasts about an hour, featuring two half-hour segments where you can see the horses execute special movements. I found the one-hour training a bit too long and one-sided, but the architecture of Winter Riding School itself is beautiful. For my next visit, I would prefer a guided behind-the-scenes tour of the stables and both the Winter and Summer Riding Schools. The stables are located across the street from the Winter Riding School and you can peek through the plexiglass for free to see horses being prepped or relaxing under heat lamps in the morning.

Food ideas

• Hildebrandt Café: Perfect for breakfast and lunch, this cozy café has a glass house and a garden area.

• Café Telegraph: Located close to the Votive Church, offering good breakfast and lunch options.

• Magdas LOKAL: A community-focused restaurant, serving international and Austrian dishes, made from seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

• BackWerk: A popular chain for those on the go! They serve tasty sandwiches, yoghurt and other quick bites, perfect for a picnic. You will find them scattered all over Vienna. 

• Würstelstands: An important part of Vienna’s street food culture. They offer a quick and delicious meal on the go in central locations or near public transport.

• Billa: Austria’s favorite supermarket chain can be found all over Vienna. You can grab breakfast, lunch, or even dinner at their city centre locations, where they offer buffet-style options in bowls. 

• Kolas Beisl: This central pub serves amazing pitas, a great spot for a casual but tasty meal.

• Trattoria de Angelo: A small but excellent Italian restaurant in the city centre.  

• Beim Hofmeister: A classic Austrian restaurant in the heart of Vienna, the ideal place for traditional dishes.  

• Naschmarkt: Vienna’s best-known market. It is full with stands and restaurants. We visited this market early in the morning during the week, which was perfect for a quiet experience as the vendors were just setting up.

Transport

Public transport in Vienna is well developed and includes buses, trains, trams and underground lines, making it easy to get around and allow you to stay a little further out of the city centre. From the airport to the city centre, you can take the train and have two main options: 

• CAT (City Airport Train): This express service takes just 15 minutes and costs around €15 for a one-way ticket. You will find ticket kiosks located throughout the airport as you head towards the exit.

• ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways): A cheaper alternative (~€4.30) that takes slightly longer. Tickets are available at the airport train station. 

Once in the city, you can buy tickets that cover trams, buses, and underground lines (but not trains). Depending on how long you are staying, there are several options to choose from: single ride tickets, 24-hour, 48-hour, or 72-hour passes, weekly tickets or even longer if needed.

Our itinerary:

• Day 1 - Afternoon arrival and a relaxed city stroll.

• Day 2 - Explored the city centre and finished with Vienna’s classic ensemble.

• Day 3 - Started at Naschmarkt, visited the Spanish Riding School (training or tour) and Schönbrunn Palace and spent the late afternoon at the Danube.

• Day 4 - Visited the Belvedere in the morning, followed by a scenic vineyard walk just outside the city.

• Day 5 - Early departure.