Renowned for its natural landscapes, music, literature and art, Austria is a wonderful destination to visit in Europe. Austria was the third country we visited on our European tour earlier this year. After traveling around Rome and Venice in Italy, we crossed to Austria in Central Europe, which lies in the Eastern Alps. Most of us are familiar with some aspects of Austrian culture having grown up watching the classic 1965 film The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews. The real von Trapp family once lived in Salzburg and the movie was filmed mainly in and around the city.
While we didn’t get to visit the filming locations of The Sound of Music in Salzburg, we got a taste of it in Vienna. Vienna, the capital of Austria is known as the “City of Music” since it’s the birthplace of many famous classical composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Strauss. Of all the European cities we visited, Vienna felt the most clean, neat, and organized. It’s not surprising that classical musicians thrive here. Everything felt so orderly.
Here’s a list of some things you can do in Vienna, Austria (including free attractions) based on the highlights of our trip.
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Stroll around Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens
Once the residence of Habsburg emperors from the 18th century to 1918, Schönbrunn Palace is an architectural masterpiece known for housing outstanding examples of decorative art spread within 1,440 rooms.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Vienna is well worth a visit. You can go on guided tours inside Schönbrunn Palace with an expert tour guide to explain the history, but the sprawling gardens, which serve as a recreational area and park, are open to the public for free all year round.
You can stroll around the sprawling grounds daily from 6:30 am, and it’s a popular place for locals to jog and enjoy nature.
We bought food from a nearby grocery and enjoyed picnics in the gardens the two days we were here. We weren’t able to explore the whole park, as it’s huge! Be sure to wear comfy shoes while exploring.
Visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Austria’s most prominent national symbol, this magnificent cathedral is known for its intricately tiled roof and its nearly 500-foot-tall South Tower, which provides amazing views of the entire city.
We visited a LOT of churches around Europe that most have become a blur, but this church was one of the most remarkable and distinctive ones we visited.
The 137-meter-high spire and richly decorated roof are the city’s most important Gothic edifice and represent eight centuries of architectural history. The cathedral is another major tourist spot you can visit for free in Vienna, though admission fees apply to specific areas within the church.
Tourists can also explore the catacombs containing the tombs of Habsburg royals, cardinals, archbishops, and victims of the Great Plague of Vienna or go on crypt tours. It’s also possible to ride an elevator to the top of the cathedral’s north tower to get a closer look at the mosaic-tiled roof.
Walk around ‘The Ring’
The Ring (also known as Ringstrasse) refers to a series of wide boulevards that encircle almost the entire historic city center of Vienna. It’s about 6.5km long and (possibly) has the greatest number of historical sights lining its edges than any other road in the world. The Ringstrasse is part of the architectural ensemble that identifies Vienna’s inner city as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tourists can explore freely on self-guided walking tours to admire museums, theaters, gardens, and parks. Some notable landmarks here include :
- The Rathaus town hall with its huge square and park
- The State Opera House
- The Kunsthistorisches Museu (which has paintings by old masters and other art collections)
- Various monuments to Radetzky, Goethe, Grillparzer, Maria Theresa, Liebenberg, and Schiller;
- The Volksgarten with its lovely rose garden
- Stadtpark with its famous Strauss statue, and loads more.
Another key landmark often recommended for first-timers is the Hofburg Palace, which was the residence of Austrian sovereigns for over 600 years. This sprawling complex of 18 wings, 19 courtyards, and 2,600 rooms was originally a medieval fortified castle dating from the 13th century. It serves as the seat of power for the Austrian president.
Here’s a handy walking map of major landmarks around The Ring from http://www.visitingvienna.com/ring/.
Admire architectural landmarks
Vienna is also well-known for being one of the trailblazers in architecture. Everywhere you look, you’re bombarded with sights of beautiful buildings, churches, subway stations, cafés and apartments, showcasing the splendor of various architectural styles. Vienna’s architecture is a mix of styles and periods, including Baroque, Art Nouveau, Imperial and Gothic.
Some of the most notable examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Vienna include The Secession Building, a landmark building with floral ornaments; the Karlsplatz Stadtbahn Station, an iconic metro station landmark; The Majolikahaus and Muse House; and The Postal Savings Bank designed by Otto Wagner.
Even without knowing their history, every random doorway, wrought iron window grill, and building we passed looked so photogenic that it got overwhelming after a while. All the buildings are so beautifully preserved and clean. Themed walking tours around the city are an option for serious architecture enthusiasts.
Try unique forms of local transport or tours
Vienna felt very peaceful, walkable and safe, so it’s a great place to try using local transport. It was easy to navigate the streets while walking, and easy to hop on board their local trains.
I was amazed at how Vienna’s modern public transportation works with an honesty system.
Unlike other European cities, there were no ticket barriers at stations and no formal, permanent ticket checks on subways, local trains, trams and buses. Some of the stations like Stadtpark were stunning.
Those who want a unique way to explore can hop on different local transport to visit top attractions in the historic center. We spotted Royal E-Cars and gold eco-tricycles with live guides who offer private day tours.
Wander around the Hundertwasserhaus
Another fun, architectural highlight in Vienna is the Hundertwasserhaus, a colorful and unique residential housing that resembles a mosaic of shapes and colors designed after the idea and concept of artist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
The building’s design makes use of irregular forms and incorporates natural features of the landscape. If you look closely, you’ll see that the apartment complex has rolling floors and a roof covered with earth and grass. What’s interesting is that anyone who lives in the Hundertwasser House has “window rights” or the right to decorate the outside area of their windows however they like to distinguish themselves from their neighbors.
The building also has more than 200 trees and shrubs on the balconies and roof terraces, making the Hundertwasserhaus a green oasis. I love how the trees grow from inside the rooms and how the branches extend out the windows.
For the privacy of residents, the Hundertwasserhaus can only be viewed from outside, though some areas on the ground floor have cafes and souvenir shops. There’s also a Hundertwasserhaus Museum you can visit.
Right opposite the Hundertwasserhaus is the Hundertwasser Village, which is open to the public. Created out of a tire workshop, the complex is a small shopping center with a “village square,” a bar, and numerous stores in the typical Hundertwasser style.
Shop for souvenirs
What are the most popular souvenirs in Vienna? For luxury travelers, the top things to buy in Vienna include Viennese Porcelain (known for its intricate designs and exceptional craftsmanship), Austrian Wine, Austrian-made Swarovski crystals (world-famous for its brilliance and precision-cut designs), artisanal chocolates, and traditional dirndl dresses. More affordable and popular picks include Viennese coffee, t-shirts, bags, accessories, fridge magnets, postcards, and loads more.
Merchandise with Klimt artwork is very popular in Vienna. Gustav Klimt was one of the most prominent Austrian artists. His painting ‘The Kiss”, which depicts two lovers embracing with gold leaf and a background adorned with gold, silver and platinum flakes, is one of the most iconic and recognizable paintings worldwide.
The original painting is currently housed in Vienna’s beautiful 300-year-old Upper Belvedere Palace. In case you want to take a piece of the iconic artwork home, many shops around Vienna (and the whole of Europe) sell merchandise that depicts the painting on shirts, scarves, pillows, postcards and more.
During our trip, I started collecting cat postcards from Europe and one of my favorite finds was this gold-embossed postcard of two cats in the style of “The Kiss” that I found in a cafe in Vienna’s Hundertwasserhaus complex. Isn’t it stunning?! I love it!
Catch a classical Viennese concert
Aside from visiting Schonbrunn Palace, one of the main highlights of our visit to Vienna was watching a classical Viennese concert at Palais Eschenbach. The historical building was opened in 1872 by Emperor Franz Joseph I and the entire structure is preserved inside and out.
We watched a classical music performance by the Vienna Supreme Orchestra, which featured the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, and the Strauss Dynasty, true masters of operetta.
While I was expecting this to be a serious and formal performance, the concert was a pleasant surprise, with singing, ballet, and entertaining skits throughout, including a few numbers from The Sound of Music.
The concert featured waltzes, polkas, and some amazing arias and duets. The VIP Category puts guests very near the stage and includes a copy of the concert program and a concert CD.
Klook.comSample schnitzel, strudel and other local delicacies
Austrian cuisine is known mainly for its hearty meat-based dishes and desserts which share similarities with Germany, Hungary, and other neighboring countries. One of the top recommended dishes was Wiener Schnitzel (breaded and fried cutlet of meat), so we had to try it at least once.
Schnitzel is typically served with a side of fried potatoes. The servings in Austria are quite large, so I’d recommend sharing one dish if you want to try it. I just wish it also came with some kind of sauce. When in Vienna, you’ll also want to try some of the Vienna sausages – even if they’re the Wurst.
For dessert, you can try Apfelstrudel, a flaky pastry filled with apple filling, similar to apple pie but in pastry form. This national dessert is a staple in every coffee house and restaurant in Vienna. Sachertorte, a chocolate sponge cake with apricot jam and dark chocolate glaze, is also one of Vienna’s most famous culinary specialties.
If you’re looking for souvenirs to take home, Mozartkugeln (or Mozart Balls) are the most famous sweets from Austria. These are small chocolate balls that contain a mix of nougat and marzipan. Viennese coffee is world-renowned so set aside some chill cafe time.
If you want to try a unique local beverage, look for Almdudler. This herbal lemonade / soft drink is made of apple juice and a blend of 32 natural alpine herbs while the Coke-like bottle features a couple in traditional attire.
Enjoy local Viennese beers
Sampling local beer is one of my favorite pastimes, so we had to look out for unique Viennese beers.
Based on grocery finds, the most popular mainstream Austrian beer brands were Gosser, Ottakringer, Schloss Eggenberg and Stiegl.
We also hunted down Vienna Kraft, an award-winning craft brewery located inside Vienna’s first community food market Gleis//Garten.
There’s a whole range of core range beers and seasonal beers to try fresh from the tank, which you can enjoy, surrounded by palm trees in this lovely beer garden.
There are a lot of bars to choose from, but this spot is worth a visit for beer enthusiasts looking to explore Vienna’s growing craft beer scene.
Where to stay in Vienna
While in Vienna, we stayed in Renaissance Wien Hotel Vienna, a family-friendly hotel near the city center of Vienna. The style of the hotel combined Viennese tradition and modern style elements.
From the hotel, we were able to walk to Schonbrunn Palace, some top city destinations, and affordable dining spots.
There was a train station nearby and a good grocery nearby where we bought food and drinks to augment our restaurant meals, which can be quite pricey. The buffet breakfast had an extensive selection. All the rooms offered free Wi-Fi. Find other places to stay in Vienna, Austria here.
We probably missed a lot of things to do in Austria. Two days isn’t enough to explore Vienna, but the short trip was a great introduction to the city highlights.
Next stop, Slovakia!