About

Schönbrunn Palace was the main summer residence of the Habsburg family and houses a massive palace building and extravagant gardens. The land here has been owned by Austrian rulers since 1569 when Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II purchased the land to use as a hunting ground.

The present form of the palace was built in the 1740-50s during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, who received the property as a wedding gift. Franz Joseph, the longest reigning emperor of Austria, was born and died at the palace.

Following the downfall of the Habsburg monarchy in 1918, the palace was preserved as a museum. The palace has occasionally been used for important events, notably hosting a meeting between John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev in 1961.

Today, visitors can tour both the ornate interior of the palace as well as its expansive and beautiful gardens.

How to Visit

The palace is open daily year-round from 8:30am – 5:30pm. The gardens are open daily from 6:30am – 7pm.

The gardens are free to enter and don’t require a ticket. Tickets to enter the palace are available on the palace’s website. There are in-person ticket sales but since tickets are only for specific time slots it is recommended to buy tickets ahead of time to ensure you get a time that works for you.

There are several options for tickets when visiting Schönbrunn that vary in length, content, and price. I recommend doing the Grand Tour, which is a 60 minute tour with an audio guide. This is the only tour option that gives you access to all the rooms in the palace. Tickets cost €29 for adults, €21 for children, and €24 for students and disabled people.

There are two shorter audio guided tours: the Imperial Tour and the State Apartments. The Imperial Tour is 40 minutes and costs €24 for adults, €17 for children, and €20 for students and people with disabilities. The State Apartments tour lasts 25 minutes and costs €20 for adults, €13 for children, and €17 for students (age 19-25) or disabled persons.

If you’re looking for something even more in-depth there are two options for guided tours with an actual tour guide instead of an audio guide. The Maria Theresa tour includes a visit to the former empress’s summer apartment. The Franz-Joseph tour includes a tour of the former emperor’s apartment. Both tours are up to an hour long and cost €33 for adults, €23 for children, and €28 for students and people with disabilities.

The palace is easily accessible via public transportation thanks to nearby metro and tram stops. To get there by metro, take the U4 line and get off at the Schönbrunn stop. You can alternatively take the 10, 52, or 60 trams, getting off at the Schloss Schönbrunn stop.

Once you get off of the train or tram, you can follow the signage to reach the entrance of the palace. If you bought tickets online you can skip the ticket line and keep going to the entrance. On the way you’ll need to leave any bags at the coat check. Just before the turnstiles there is a well-marked desk where you can pick up your audio guide, which is included with the ticket.

About

The Belvedere Palace was built to be the summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy. Construction on the palace began in 1696 and the complex is split into two baroque palaces, the Upper and Lower Belvedere. In between the two palaces are beautiful gardens filled with fountains and sculptures.

Today, the palaces have been converted into art museums. The Upper Belvedere houses the world’s biggest collection of art by famous Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, including his most famous piece, The Kiss. The Lower Belvedere is home to a collection of medieval art.

How to Visit

The Upper Belvedere is open daily from 9am – 6pm and the Lower Belvedere opens an hour later at 10am. The grounds of the palace are always open at least 7am – 5:30pm but are sometimes open earlier or later depending on the season; full information is available on their website.

Tickets for the Belvedere Palace are available in-person or online, but are cheaper online so that is the recommended way to buy them.  You have the option to buy tickets for each palace separately or you can purchase a combined ticket. For both palaces, children under 19 can get in free.

For the Upper Belvedere, regular tickets cost €16.70 and student and senior tickets cost €13.40. Tickets for the Lower Belvedere cost €14.60 for adults and €10.90 for students and seniors. The combined ticket costs €24 for adults and €19.90 for students and seniors and includes access to both palaces. When visiting the Upper Belvedere you must select a time slot and arrive at that time, for the Lower Belvedere your ticket gives you entry anytime of day.

If art is not your thing or you only have time to visit one palace, definitely prioritize the Upper Belvedere as it is the more significant museum with greater variety and more famous pieces. If art is really not your thing, the Belvedere Gardens are worth visiting on their own and are a great place to take pictures or just relax on a bench. The gardens are free to enter.

The Belvedere is located fairly centrally in the city, not far from the main train station. There’s no particularly close metro station; the closest station is Südtiroler Platz on the U1 line, which is about a 15 minute walk from the palace. Luckily the D tram line has a Schloss Belvedere station, which drops you off right outside the entrance to the palace grounds.

About

The Hofburg Palace was the main imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty and is one of the most recognizable buildings in the city. It was originally built in the 13th century but was expanded several times after. Since 1946 it has been the official residence and workplace of the Austrian president.

The palace complex is a series of interconnected buildings, many of which have now been turned into museums. The main section of the Hofburg palace contains the Sisi Museum and the Imperial Apartments. The Sisi Museum is dedicated to Empress Elizabeth, nicknamed Sisi, who is a beloved and revered figure in the city. The Imperial Apartments are where she and her husband, Emperor Franz Joseph, lived and worked.

Two more popular attractions located at the Hofburg are the Spanish Riding School and the Imperial Treasury. The Spanish Riding School is home to the famous Lipizzaner horses and visitors can come to watch their training and performances. The Imperial Treasury houses some of the most significant historic and religious artifacts from the Habsburg dynasty.

In addition to these main attractions, additional places in the palace complex that some people may be interested in visiting include the National Library, Ephesos Museum, Arms & Armour Collection, and the Historical Musical Instruments Collection.

How to Visit

Most attractions in the Hofburg complex have daily hours of 9am – 5:30pm. One exception to this is the Spanish Riding School which is open daily 9am – 4pm.

While the different museums are all within the Hofburg Palace complex, they are operated as separate museums and require separate tickets. The exception to this is the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments which are located in the same building and combined into a single ticket.

Tickets to the Sisi Museum can be purchased online and must be purchased for a specific entry window. Tickets for adults cost €17.50 and children’s tickets are €11. This ticket includes admission to both the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments as well as an audio guide. According to the website the audio guided tour lasts about 75 minutes.

Tickets for the Imperial Treasury can be purchased online or in person and do not require a timed entry slot. Tickets cost €14 for adults, €12 for students and seniors, and children 18 and under get in free. You can also purchase audio guides for €5 for one, €7 for a pair, or €8 for a family (2 adults and up to 3 children). I’d highly recommend getting the audio guide for this as you’ll get a lot more information this way.

Tickets for events at the Spanish Riding School are purchased online for a specific date and time. There are three main options for performances: Training, Lipizzaner Special, and Performance.

The training option is the cheapest with standing tickets costing €16 for adults and seated tickets ranging from €18-€27. The training session lasts for about one hour and admission begins 15 minutes before the start of the event.

The Lipizzaner Special is a 45 minute performance which acts as a condensed version of their longer performances. Tickets are €21 for standing seats, and range from €42 – €105 for reserved seats.

Finally, there is the Performance ticket. The standard performances are approximately 70 minutes long but on special occasions there is a Gala performance lasting about 90 minutes. Standing tickets cost €33 and reserved seats range from €65 – €160. For Gala performances these are raised to €43 for standing and €80 – €216 for reserved seats.

There are so many things to see at the Hofburg Palace that you can’t see them all at once so I recommend seeing different parts on different days or just prioritizing what seems most interesting to you. I’ve only had the chance to visit the Imperial Treasury so far and it was a fantastic museum. I spent about 3 hours there and found the artifacts to be incredibly interesting the audio guide provided tons of insightful information

The palace is located near the center of the city and is easily accessible regardless of where you’re coming from. The nearest metro station is Herrengasse which is on the U3 line and is less than a 5 minute walk from the palace. It is also less than a 10 minute walk to the Hofburg from the Stephansplatz (U1, U3) and Volkstheater (U3) metro stations. Additionally, there are several bus and tram stops nearby.

About

St. Stephan’s Cathedral, colloquially known as Stephansdom, is the city’s cathedral and probably its most iconic landmark. Construction began on the cathedral in the early 1300s on the site of two older churches.

The cathedral’s gothic exterior is striking and impressive with a tall spire and two bell towers. The inside is equally ornate and beautiful. In addition to viewing the impressive architecture, visitors may also climb the stairs to the summit of both towers for great views of the city as well as an up-close look at the architecture.

Additionally, visitors can get tours of both the cathedral itself as well as the catacombs beneath it.

How to Visit

Stephansdom is open to visitors daily except Sundays from 9am – 11:30am and 1pm – 4:30pm. On Sundays and holidays visitation is only allowed from 1pm – 4:30pm.

The front section of the church is free to visitors and does not require a ticket. To go beyond the front section you will pass a ticket desk where you must pay in cash only for a ticket.

If you want the full experience purchase the All-inclusive ticket which costs €20 for adults and €5 for children ages 6-14. This ticket includes the entire cathedral, the north and south towers, and a tour of the catacombs. I didn’t buy this ticket when I went, but if I could do it again I would have.

Basic entry to the cathedral costs €6 for adults and €2.50 for children up to 14. The pricing is the same for standalone cathedral tours, catacombs tours, and the north tower. The south tower is slightly cheaper at €5.50 for adults and €2 for children.

Cathedral tours are available in English at 10:30am daily except Sundays and at 3:30pm daily in German. These tours meet in front of the souvenir shop inside the cathedral and must be bought separately from any other ticket.

Catacombs tours are conducted in English and German simultaneously and happen frequently throughout the day. The full list of times is available on the cathedral’s website. I really enjoyed the catacombs tour and definitely recommend it to anyone visiting, the tour guide was funny and insightful and it was a very unique experience. I would note that you might want to avoid this if you’re claustrophobic as they didn’t seem to limit the number of visitors and the space is somewhat cramped.

Overall, this is one of the best things to do in the whole city and you can spend as much or little time exploring it depending on your interests. I personally recommend going with the all-inclusive ticket to get the best experience.

Stephansdom is located right in the heart of the historical area of the city. It is located on Stephansplatz, which gets its name from the cathedral. Stephansplatz has its own metro station on the U1 and U3 lines that lets you off right outside the cathedral. Alternatively, there are a few bus stations nearby.

About

Peterskirche is a baroque church in central Vienna which was built between 1701 and 1722. It was designed to resemble St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and was the first domed structure in Vienna.

The church was built in a small area so it is not particularly large, but the interior is impressively decorated and filled with beautiful art and architecture. There is lots of gold stucco adorning the interior and the painting on the inside of the dome is quite impressive.

How to Visit

The church is open on weekdays from 8am – 7pm and weekends from 9am – 7pm. Do note that mass is held here Sundays at 10am , 11:14am , and 5pm, weekdays at 11am, 12:30pm, and 5pm and Saturdays and 11am and 5pm.

St. Peter’s Church is free to visit and does not require tickets to enter. You are free to enter anytime during the opening hours.

Peterskirche is located in the historical center of the city just a short walk from St. Stephan’s Cathedral. The closest metro stations are Herrengasse (U3) and Stephansplatz (U1, U3). There is also a bus station right by the entrance of the church.

About

Schmetterlinghaus, literally “Butterfly House”, is a unique attraction located in the Burggarten outside the Hofburg Palace. It is a tropical greenhouse with hundreds of butterflies living in almost natural conditions.

There are around 40 different species of butterfly inside Schmetterlinghaus and, to accommodate them, the temperature inside typically ranges between 80 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit (26 – 35 °C) with about 80% humidity. Visitors are able to walk along a path through the greenhouse to get an up-close look at all the beautiful butterflies and a variety of tropical plants.

How to Visit

During the busier months, from April to October, the Butterfly House is open 10am – 5:45pm. In Winter months November through March it closes two hours earlier at 3:45pm.

Tickets for Schmetterlinghaus are bought in person and can be paid using cash or card. Adult tickets cost €9 while senior and student tickets cost €7. Once you purchase your ticket from the front desk you are immediately able to enter the greenhouse.

Schmetterlinghaus is located on the edge of the Burggarten just outside the Hofburg Palace. This means it can be accessed in the same way as the palace. The closest metro station is Herrengasse (U3), but it is also about a 10 minute walk from Stephansplatz (U1, U3). There are also bus and tram stations that can get you a little closer to the greenhouse.

About

Karlskirche, named after St. Charles, is the most notable Baroque church in Vienna and is considered one of the city’s greatest buildings. It was built between 1713 and 1737 on the orders of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in honor of his patron saint following the end of the latest plague epidemic.

When arriving at Karlskirche, visitors will first note the impressive dome flanked by two large columns which give the church its iconic look. Inside the church is a plethora of decorations including marble carvings, paintings, and other beautiful decor.

In addition to the sanctuary, visitors also get access to the treasury, church model, and terrace. The treasury contains reliquaries and other important artifacts that are kept in the church. The church model allows visitors to get an up close look at the impressive architecture on the exterior of the church. Finally, the terrace provides panoramic views over the city.

How to Visit

Karlskirche is open to the public daily except Sundays and holidays from 9am – 6pm. On Sundays and holidays it is open 11am – 7pm.

Tickets for the church must be purchased in person at the front desk just inside the entrance to the church. Adult tickets are €9.50 and youth tickets are €5. Children 10 and under get in free. Do note that the entrance to the church is not the door in the center, but actually off to the side. If you’re looking at the church head-on from the park side of the church, the entrance is through the archway on the right side.

Karlskirche is located on the aptly named Karlsplatz, which has its own metro station. The Karlsplatz station is on the U1 and U4 lines and is about a 5 minute walk from the church. As with most places in Vienna, there are also bus and tram stops nearby.

About

Prater is a public park in Vienna that also contains an amusement park which is home to the famous Wiener Riesenrad Ferris Wheel. The grounds of the park were originally hunting grounds for the Hapbsurg family. The park was opened to the public in 1766 but continued to be used as a hunting ground until 1920.

Today the park contains a variety of amusement park activities including the famous ferris wheel, roller coasters, and other thrill rides. There are also restaurants and food stalls scattered throughout the amusement park section of the park.

In addition to the amusement park area, Prater has a large section of woodland along with a network of trails for biking and walking. This makes it a great place to visit and enjoy even if thrill rides aren’t your cup of tea.

How to Visit

The Prater park itself is open 24/7 but rides have varying opening times. Some rides, such as the Wiener Riesenrad Ferris Wheel, have their own websites with opening hours so if there’s a particular one you wish to visit make sure to look it up in case its specific hours are posted somewhere.

To enter the park itself is free of charge, it’s open to the public and you can come and walk around anytime you like. The amusement rides are priced individually and tickets can be bought at the entrance to each ride. Prices for rides vary from roughly €3.50 – €15 depending on the ride.

Prater is located on the eastern edge of the city center. The Praterstern metro station on the U1 and U2 lines let you off near the entrance to the park, close to the amusement park rides. The U2 line has several stations past Praterstern that follow the edge of the park and can get you closer to the center of the park if that is where you want to go. Additionally, there are bus and tram stops near most entrances to the park.

About

The Naschmarkt is the most famous and best food market in Vienna. The market itself has existed since the 16th century when it started mainly as a place to sell milk bottles. Beginning in 1793 fruits and vegetables were brought by card to be sold here.

Today, the Naschmarkt has an incredibly wide variety of produce, baked goods, and other products being sold at over a hundred total stalls. There are also several full service restaurants scattered within the market.

Thanks to its size and cultural importance, the Naschmarkt is a fun and interesting place to visit even if you don’t intend to buy anything. However, if you are in the mood for a snack or a sweet treat, I highly recommend trying one (or several) of the stands selling baklava as both places I tried it were significantly better than anything I’ve gotten in the US.

How to Visit

The Naschmarkt is open every day of the week except for Sundays. Stalls typically open around 6am as locals often get food for breakfast here. On weekdays the stalls remain open until around 7:30pm, but they typically close around 5pm on Saturdays. On Saturdays there is also a flea market adjacent to the Naschmarkt.

As with any typical market, the Naschmarkt is free to visit and walk around, you’ll just have to pay if you want to buy something from one of the vendors.

The market is located just outside the historical city center and is easily accessible via public transportation. The closest metro station is Kettenbrückengasse on the U4 line, which exits on the southwestern end of the market. If you’d like to start at the other end of the market, it is less than a 10 minute walk from the Karlsplatz metro station on the U1 and U4 lines. There are also bus stops at either end of the market.

About

The Rathaus is the city hall of Vienna and it was built between 1872 and 1883 in the Neo-Gothic style. It contains the office of the Mayor of Vienna as well as the city council.

On top of the Rathaus is a knight, known as the Rathausmann, carrying a long flag pole with the city flag. The inclusion of this knight is a clever trick from the architect to avoid rules set by Emperor Franz Joseph. After Franz Joseph survived an assassination attempt, he donated money to build the Votivkirche and decreed that no new secular building could exceed the height of this church, whose tallest towers stood at 99m. Friedrich Schmidt, the architect of the Rathaus built the tallest towers at 98m tall to abide by this law, but when accounting for the height of the flagpole held by the Rathausmann the building reaches 103.3m in height. This made it the second tallest building in Vienna behind the Stephansdom Cathedral.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 1pm, visitors can get a guided tour of the interior of the Rathaus. The meeting place for the tour is also the tourist center, where visitors can find guides and information on attractions around the city.

Beyond visiting the interior, the exterior of the Rathaus is impressive to look at and is a beautiful example of Neo-Gothic architecture. The park surrounding the building is a great place to walk around and take photos.

How to Visit

The park around the Rathaus is open anytime of day and is free to visit. The city information area is open weekdays from 7:30am – 5pm.

To go inside the Rathaus you’ll need to join a guided tour. These tours are free and you cannot purchase tickets online. You’ll need to go to the tourist information at the Rathaus in order to request a ticket. Tickets are issued beginning at 8am on the day of the tour and a maximum of 50 people will join the tour.

Tours only occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 1pm. They are conducted only in Germany, but audio guides are available in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Russian. Audio guides are free of charge but guests will need to leave a form of ID as a deposit to ensure they are returned.

I didn’t have the opportunity to go on the tour when I was in Vienna so I can’t speak to the quality of it. However, if it had aligned with my schedule I definitely would have tried it since it’s free and sounds like an interesting experience.

The Rathaus is located on the western edge of the historical city center. The closest metro station is Schottentor on the U2 line. There are several tram stops that can drop you off closer to the entrance of the building and its surrounding park.

What to Eat

Local Dishes

While Austrian cuisine may not be as world-renowned as nearby countries like Italy and France, I find it enjoyable and look forward to the food I can get here. These are some of the best local foods to look out for on your trip:

Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel): Pastry stuffed with apples and sometimes raisins, flavored with cinnamon and sugar. Can be eaten as dessert or a snack with coffee, typically served with whipped cream or vanilla sauce.

Einspänner: A shot of espresso topped with a healthy portion of whipped cream.

Goulash (Gulasch): A thick meat stew typically made with beef and flavored with tomato, paprika, and other spices. Typically served with potatoes, bread rolls, or dumplings.

Käsekrainer: A cheese-filled sausage that is typically sold at small sausage stands on the street. Can be served with mustard and/or in a roll or baguette.

Kaiserschmarrn: Fluffy scrambled pancakes covered in powdered sugar often served with apple or plum compote. Typically eaten as a dessert.

Pork Knuckle (Schweineshaxe): Actually pork knee, roasted for hours at low temperatures and served on the bone with sides. Portions are often big enough for two people.

Sachertorte: Famous Viennese chocolate cake topped with a thin layer of apricot jam and smooth chocolate.

Wiener Schnitzel: The most famous Viennese dish, made from a thin veal cutlet that is breaded and pan fried. It is typically served with lemon and potatoes and can also be made from pork or chicken.

Great Restaurants

Vienna is a city with endless great restaurants serving all types of cuisines. These are some of my favorites from my travels:

Alaturka: Cheap and tasty döner shop near Westbahnhof

Kaffee Alt Wien: A cute cafe near the center of the city that has excellent apple strudel

Ferhat Döner: Popular take-out only döner shop on Keplerplatz

Gasthaus Buchecker & Sohn: Traditional Viennese restaurant near Karlskirche

Restaurant Otto Weingartshofer: A traditional restaurant that serves great schnitzel (pictured above)

Wiener Würstl: Outstanding sausage stand in Stephansplatz with great Käsekrainer

Würstelstand Steinmetz: Tasty sausage stand on a pleasant pedestrian street

Zanoni & Zanoni: Fun gelato shop that serves elaborate ice-cream creations