Schönbrunn Palace
The Habsburg summer palace and its terraced gardens. Allow half a day; the Grand Tour ticket covers the most spectacular rooms.
About Vienna
Vienna has more imperial gilding per square metre than almost any other capital — and a coffee-house culture worth slowing down for. The Innere Stadt is compact enough to walk in a morning; the rewards are in lingering.
Map of Vienna
Explore Vienna by interest
Museums & Culture
Belvedere (Klimt's The Kiss)
Upper Belvedere holds The Kiss and the world's largest Klimt collection, in a baroque palace overlooking gardens.
Albertina
Compact, well-curated — strong Monet, Picasso and Schiele holdings, with views over the State Opera from the terrace.
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Bruegels, Vermeers and Caravaggios in the imperial collection, plus one of the city's most beautiful café-rooms inside the museum itself.
Theatres & Concert Halls
Vienna State Opera
A 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival opera house and company, the first major building on the Ring Road, built between 1861 and 1869 to plans by Sicard and van der Nüll.
Burgtheater
The national theatre of Austria, opened in 1741, regarded as the most important German-language theatre and one of the most important theatres in the world.
Musikverein
A concert hall in the Innere Stadt district, on land granted during construction of the Ring Road to the Society of Friends of Music by Emperor Franz Joseph.
Wiener Konzerthaus
A concert hall in the third district, opened in 1913, which has always aimed to present both traditional and innovative styles of music.
Popular Tours
Schönbrunn Skip-the-Line + Guided Tour
Bundled palace entry with a historian — eliminates the worst of the morning queue.
Vienna Coffee-House Walking Tour
Three of the historic cafés (Central, Sperl, Demel) with tastings and the back-story of each.
Mozart & Strauss Concert at Kursalon
Touristy in the best way — costumed orchestra, two hours, plenty of Strauss waltz.
Where to Stay
See full Vienna hotel guide →Innere Stadt (1st District)
Inside the Ringstrasse. Walk to every museum and the State Opera; expect premium prices.
Neubau (7th District)
Boutique, design-led and walkable to the MuseumsQuartier. Excellent restaurants and small bars.
Wieden (4th District)
Residential, quieter and a few minutes by U-Bahn from the centre. Good value and the Naschmarkt on the doorstep.
Practical Info
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Getting There
Fly into Vienna International (VIE). The CAT (City Airport Train) reaches Wien Mitte in 16 minutes; the cheaper S7 takes about 30 minutes for a quarter of the price.
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Best Time to Visit
April to June, September to October, plus December for Christmas markets
