The 12 absolute BEST things to do on a visit to Vienna

Discover the city with our list of the very best things to do and things to see in Vienna for visitors to the city who like to have cultural experiences, and want to discover the Viennese secret to the good life. These are absolutely the BEST things you can’t miss on a trip to Vienna, according to our expert guides and locals.

Don’t leave Vienna without ticking off all the things on this list:

1. Wander the streets of the historic city centre

No visitor to Vienna in their right mind will skip the undeniably gorgeous historic center of the city, but by venturing beyond the busy main boulevards of Kärntner Straße and the Graben that most tourists stick to, you’ll unlock the real charm of this old city.

 

Aimlessly wandering the city centre’s streets will have you discovering the many narrow, cobblestoned alleyways, and the impressive old buildings that line them. Oh, and be sure to poke your head into some of the inner courtyards of the buildings – more often than not, a breath-taking sight will await you. So once you’ve taken your photo of the magnificent St. Stephan’s cathedral, find a side street, leave the other tourists behind and explore the charming streets of Vienna’s old city centre.

2. Get to know the Viennese love for their wine culture

It’s no coincidence that the German spelling for Vienna – Wien – is so close to the spelling of the word, ‘wine’. Ok, maybe it is, but the point is – Vienna and wine go together like coffee and cake (two other glorious things you’ll discover in Vienna). With 700 hectares of vineyards within the city limits, wine is a big part of the Viennese way of life. They grow it, they drink it, and they have places where they worship it called Heurigen (translation: wine tavern). These places of wine worship are truly unique to Vienna so be sure to plan in a visit to one (or two). And while you’re there, do as the locals do and order some ‘Schmankerl’ to go with your wine, which is like an Austrian take on antipasto, including a selection of cold cut meats, spreads and cheeses. Oh, and try the white wine variety, ‘Gemischter Satz’ – it’s a treat and is only produced in Vienna.

 

If we are to recommend one Heurige to visit, It would be the ancient and easily-accessible, Mayer am Pfarrplatz.

Otherwise, head to the famously charming neighbourhood, Grinzing which is packed with the old wine taverns.

3. Linger in a Vienna coffeehouse

Viennese coffeehouses are seriously like a parallel universe – the old world charm that can be found in them is genuine – time has literally stood still within these institution’s walls (minus the smart phones that people are snapping pictures of the place with). If you have the time, do like the locals do and sit for a while amidst the undisturbed calm and write your postcards, read a book, or one of the many newspapers on offer. Or just sink into one of the booths behind a marble-topped table and soak it all in. Also, ordering coffee without cake is a faux paux in Vienna (ok, maybe not, but it should be). Kaffee & Kuchen are the 2 words you should learn before walking into one of these places, and when the waiter asks you which Kuchen (translation: cake) just answer – all of them.

The popular Café Central will be the fanciest café you’ve ever been in and it also has an in-house pastry chef creating some of the most incredible cakes and tarts that will ever hit your tastebuds. Meanwhile, many locals will argue that Café Diglas and Café Demel can make the same claim.

 

A few Viennese coffeehouses off the tourist track:

Café Jelinek, 1060 and Kaffee Alt Wien, 1010 – they serve up one of the best Apfelstrüdels in the city here.

4. Feast on the biggest Wiener Schnitzel you can find

This flattened, breadcrumbed and deep-fried meat dish is proof that some of the best things in life are simple, as sch-imple as Schnitzel. The Wiener Schnitzel (translation: Viennese Schnitzel), traditionally made with veal, is a guilty pleasure that should be at the top of your Vienna must-eat list. The question of where you’ll find the best Schnitzel is a passionately debated, and sensitive, topic amongst the locals, however, if you don’t mind waiting in a line for a table (or reserving well in advance) we’d suggest you try Figlmüller where the Schnitzels are bigger than the plate. Otherwise, to avoid the tourist crowds, head to Skopik & Lohn or the centrally located Salzamt.

5. Eat and drink your way through the Naschmarkt

Owning the title as the biggest market in the city, the Naschmarkt is a big and beautiful chaotic mess of a market where stall vendors will charm you into trying their wares, and you’ll find a wealth of restaurants, cafes and wine bars in which to sit and take in the buzzing atmosphere of the market. Visit the Naschmarkt on a Saturday morning, and the show gets even livelier and more interesting when a flea market attaches itself to the food stalls. If you’re a fleamarket fiend, you’ll love it, and even if you’re not, you’ll garner an education on Vienna’s present and past when rummaging through the piles of antiques up for sale.

 

5. Eat and drink your way through the Naschmarkt

Once upon a time, there was the Austro-Hungarian empire, and during that peaceful period of Vienna’s history, the royals and the aristocracy didn’t hold back when building their summer and winter residences, which means what we’re left with today are the glorious relics of the palaces peppered around Vienna. Be sure to pay a visit to one during your stay in Vienna. While the grand & impressive Hofburg (the main palace residence in the city centre) is made for marvelling from the outside, spending half a day wandering around the inside of either the Belvedere palace, or the bigger and more popular Schönbrunn palace is a must on the to-do list. If you do decide to venture out to Schönbrunn, which we highly recommend you do, be sure to take a walk in the palace gardens which span for kilometres. Also, walk up to the other fancy looking building up the top of the hill behind the palace known as the Gloriette. It used to be the emperor’s glasshouse, but is now a café with a spectacular panorama of the city.

7. Lunch on-the-go at a ‘Würstelstand’

A Würstel translates as a sausage, but what this humble cylindrical tube of meat means to the people of Vienna is much more than this simple definition can convey. Around the streets of the city, you’ll see small stands, reading ‘Würstelstand’ on them – be sure to head to one around lunchtime and try one of the many different variations of sausage on offer.

If you want to go for something uniquely Viennese, order a Käsekrainer – a pork sausage with little balls of melted cheese inside. While it may seem sickeningly indulgent at the time, it will surely pop up in daydreams long after your Vienna trip is over. It goes especially well with a beer, which is the locals’ drink of choice at a Würstelstand. A centrally located Würstelstand worth visiting is Zum Scharfe Rene – here, the friendly man behind the counter, Rene, speaks a bit of English and loves telling tourists all about his original sausage creations, which he makes himself.

8. Marvel at the diverse array of eye-popping architecture around the city

If you’re an avid architecture fan, you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store when walking Vienna’s streets. Here, you can feast your eyes on an extraordinary collection of architectural beauty. The sheer diversity of styles across the city is truly astounding.

 

Buildings will constantly appear that showcase glorious chapters of architectural history, from Baroque to Art Nouveau. Be sure to seek out the creations of legendary architect Otto Wagner, who shaped much of the city’s aesthetic and will leave you snapping endless photos. Meanwhile, a visit to the vibrant, nature-inspired Hundertwasserhaus makes for a fascinating way to spend half a day, where you can learn about the revolutionary thinker behind the building, who called himself Hundertwasser (meaning: Hundred Waters).

9. Ride one of the oldest Ferris Wheels in the world, the Riesenrad

It may be old, but the Riesenrad is still as much of a wonder today as it was when it was first built in 1897. Riding in one of its wooden carriages is truly an experience worth having. Not to mention the view you’ll enjoy when this slow-moving old giant carries you to the top.

It’s no secret that Vienna has produced some of the most famous musicians and artists the world has ever seen or heard. We highly recommend experiencing some of their masterpieces during your stay, whether that means spending time in front of Egon Schiele’s disturbingly beautiful and deeply moving paintings at the Leopold Museum, admiring the works of the old masters at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (the Museum of Art History), or attending a classical concert at the Musikverein or the Konzerthaus.

If contemporary art is what you’re after, pay a visit to MUMOK, catch a photography exhibition at WestLicht, or head to the Kunst Haus Wien, where you can also see work by the fascinating painter and architect Hundertwasser, whom we mentioned above. And be sure to set aside an evening for the magnificent opera house. Even if opera isn’t usually your thing, the building alone is well worth the visit.

Vienna State Opera House

11. Explore the MQ