Vienna is one of Europe’s grandest cities. Vienna is a city for those that want to indulge in the finer things in life. Known for splendid opera houses, marvelous classical orchestras and grandiose cafes that harken back to a Victorian era when people didn’t leave the house without donning fancy dresses, three piece suits and top hats.

The city itself is gorgeous. Cobblestone streets pave the way between stunningly beautiful buildings featuring Baroque architecture, horse drawn carriages pull tourists in every direction between grand museums and some of the fanciest palaces in Europe. The city is built around a central old town encircled by the famous Vienna Ring Road which is a large boulevard, built in the footprint of the old city walls, along which are some of the cities most famous buildings.

Vienna is built along the Danube River with almost all of the city that you’ll want to visit being located on the South/West side of the river. When picking a place to stay, look for places in what is called the Innere Stadt (the inner city) or around The Hofburg and Kunsthistorisches Museum near the Vienna Ring Road discussed above. We stayed at the Sans Souci Hotel, which was just a bit outside the main part of the old city, but it was an amazing hotel and the walk to and from most of the tourist attractions was super quick and easy. Vienna also has an extremely prolific and easy to use public transportation system featuring tram railways and busses.

Finally, consider buying a Vienna Pass to get great deals on sightseeing while on your trip.

Things to Do in Vienna

Attend a Classical Music Performance

One of the things that Vienna is most known for is its classical music scene. There is no shortage of venues and concerts for you to partake in. From giant concert halls, to gorgeous churches, to small rooms throughout the city. A quick google search will pull up dozens of performances going on every night. Tickets range from $15 to hundreds of dollars and from venues that are very casual to ones that require black tie attire and ball gowns. The music is phenomenal at all price points though. Check out some of the experiences below from getyourguide, but have no fear, if you don’t feel like buying tickets in advance there will be people selling tickets throughout the city when you walk around.

Mozart’s Requiem in Karlskirche

Mozart Concert at the Golden Hall

Classical Concert at Mozarthaus

Attend a Dressage Show at The Spanish Riding School

Dressage is a form of equestrian performance where horse and rider perform complex dance routines from memory. It is considered to be the highest form of horse training. Dating back to the time of Emperor Maximilian II, the Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule) has been entertaining courtesans and tourists alike since 1562. Today, it’s one of Vienna’s leading attractions, and is considered one of the foremost riding schools in the world. During their performances audiences will be thrilled with fabulous displays of equestrian skill within the stunning grounds of the Hofburg Palace.

Tickets to their performances sell out quickly, so be sure to book as far in advance as possible. If available, purchase a package that includes a behind-the-scenes tour and the chance to visit the stables. Be aware though that on days that they are not scheduled to do a full performance they still often sell tickets to “Training Sessions.” This might seem like a cool experience to see how the horses are trained, however, it is not. The training sessions are with brand new horses and they basically just walk them around in circles with leashes for an hour. Don’t waste your time on one of these training sessions. Also, be aware that photos are not permitted during the show as it might spook the horses.

Hofburg Palace

This ornate palace has been the beating heart of political power in Vienna since the days of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Today it still functions as the official residence of the country’s president, as well as home to many of Vienna’s top museums, attractions and galleries, as well as the Spanish Riding School, discussed above. On your trip to Vienna make sure to walk around the palace and discover some of the history and art exhibits that line its halls.

Schönbrunn Palace

This impressive Baroque palace functioned as the summer home of the Viennese aristocracy for 5 centuries, including Emperor Franz Joseph who was born at the palace. The palace has over 1400 rooms spanning over three centuries of differing decor and is one of the most popular tourists attractions in Vienna.

Strudel Tasting at Schönbrunn Palace

While visiting Schönbrunn Palace make sure to stop at the court bakery of the Café Residenz. Here, every hour, an entertaining guide walks you through a traditional recipe for Austrian strüdel and finishes off their show with a small tasting.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Built in the 12th century, St. Stephen’s is located at the epicenter of Vienna’s old town. If Vienna is constructed loosely as a series of concentric circles, St. Stephen’s Cathedral would be its center point. As such, if you climb the daunting 343 steps to the top of its mighty Gothic tower, you will be rewarded with unforgettable views. The cathedral is full of religious relics and a fairly cool catacombs.

Karlskirche

The most beautiful church in Vienna is without a doubt the Karlskirche, which is well worth a couple minutes of your time. Located at the rear of beautiful Karlsplatz park, make sure to take a stroll around the park and check out the gorgeous interior of the church and its stunning organ. You can walk here pretty easily from the center of town or take the tram to Karlplatz Station. This is the perfect place to stop on the way to Schloss Belvedere

Schloss Belvedere

Schloss Belvedere is one of Vienna’s best attractions. There’s actually three separate palaces that you can explore on one ticket, Lower Belvedere, Schloss Belvedere and Belvedere 21. You can buy tickets to all three at any of the buildings’ main entrances. The palaces are gorgeous in their own right, pieces of art themselves, but on top of that they are filled with some truly stunning artwork and sculptures.

Rathaus

Vienna’s town hall or Rathaus, in German, is open for tours on certain days and is worth visiting to see the opulent rooms and halls within.

The Vienna State Opera

Considered one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world, The Vienna State Opera is well worth a stop on your trip to Vienna. If you are looking to see a classical performance or an Opera, this is the place to be. Just look up there schedule and buy tickets well in advance. If you’d like to just poke around and see what the inside looks like, there are 40 min tours that run throughout the day.

Café Central

Vienna’s finest and most venerated café, Café Central, originally opened in 1876. Today it commands long lines of tourists dying to follow in the footsteps of intellectuals like Sigmund Freud and have a typical Viennese Coffee and pastry.

While undeniably a tourist destination these days, it is still well worth the visit to have a great coffee, a fantastic pastry and to enjoy the classical piano and unbelievable atmosphere.

The Naschmarkt

Set between Karlsplatz and Kettenbrückengasse sits Vienna’s iconic open-air market. This is an ideal spot to hang out and try a variety of food from different stalls.

Eat a Sachertorte

When in Vienna, there’s really no way to avoid a great piece of cake. Make sure that you take time to enjoy a slice of Vienna’s signature cake, the Sachertorte. This Viennese delicacy combines chocolate sponge cake, dark chocolate ganache and apricot jam.

You can find this treat just about everywhere, but if you believe the hype, much like Pat’s and Geno’s in Philadelphia there is a fierce rivalry between the Hotel Sacher and Demel over who developed the cake first. These two have even gone to court over the matter. Since there has been no legally binding conclusion to this battle, you’ll just have to try both and decide which is best on your own.

Taste Wine at Weingut Cobenzl

Within Vienna’s city limits are hundreds of acres of vineyards. Austrian wines are underrated on the international scene as the small country does not produce enough to export in great numbers, but the quality is quite high compared to the price point. One of the best wine producers around Vienna is Weingut Cobenzl.

On a visit to Weingut Cobenzl’s you can experience a tasting of their wine selection as well as a tour of their vineyard and cellars. The vineyard is easy to get to via the city’s tram and is relatively inexpensive as €20 gets you a tour of the vineyard, pressing house and cellar, in addition to six samples of their wine.

State Hall of Austrian National Library

The Austrian National Library is one of the most famous and beautiful libraries in the world. It is well worth your time to visit this stunning library and check out its vast collection of books and ceiling frescos.

Hundertwasserhaus

Another place to quickly stop by for some cool photos is Hundertwasserhaus. The brainchild of painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser, this brightly colored residential landmark is on the corner of Löwengasse and Kegelstrasse.