Top 10 best things to see & do in Vienna

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

There is more information below my YouTube video featuring a walking tour in Vienna. Think I missed an attraction? Leave a comment.

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10. VISIT THE KARLSKIRCHE

The mighty green dome of the radiant Karlskirche (Church of St. Charles) towers over Karlsplatz. It is one of the most important sacred buildings in Central Europe and a symbol of Vienna. The church is the last great work of the eminent Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. Completed in 1739, it was built by virtue of a vow made by Emperor Charles VI during a plague. The Karlskirche is dedicated to the Habsburg emperor’s namesake, St. Karl Borromäus. His life and works are depicted on the two giant columns next to the entrance portal. Inside, the marble look dominates with red and gold accents. The sumptuously decorated high altar is also by the architect Fischer von Erlach while the lavish dome frescoes are by Johannes Michael Rottmayr. Via the organ gallery, visitors reach the outside terrace directly above the entrance portal. From there they have a fantastic view of Karlsplatz, Resselpark, the Musikverein, and the Technical University of Vienna. The small but mighty Museo Borromeo, also called the treasury, shows sacred exhibition pieces, such as the historic traveling clothes of the namesake.

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9. GO PEOPLE WATCHING AT THE NASCHMARKT

Vienna’s best-known market has around 120 market stands and restaurants for a colorful culinary offering ranging from Viennese to Indian and from Vietnamese to Italian. Since the 16th century people in Austria have come to the Naschmarkt to enjoy the many different products which would be brought here by vendors of the city farmers from the outside of the city, and those that came from overseas by boats and ships from different parts of the world that were once connected to the Austrian empire. Today the market has developed into a meeting point for young and old, where a colorful crowd buys fruit, vegetables and various delicacies from every country from dawn till dusk. There’s lots going on at the Naschmarkt, especially on Saturdays because of the weekly flea market. The colorful throng is worth seeing, even if you don’t want to buy anything. Particularly pleasant is sitting outdoors on the Naschmarkt in summer, eating, drinking and watching people go about their business.

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8. MARVEL AT THE IMPERIAL APARTMENTS IN THE HOFBURG

For more than seven centuries, the empire of the Habsburgs was ruled from the majestic Hofburg Palace in the heart of Vienna. From the 13th century onwards, the Habsburgs expanded this huge palace in stages to one of the biggest integrated palace complexes in the world. Since the abolishment of the monarchy, the palace has become the official seat of the Austrian head of state – the federal president. Today, some of Vienna’s most visited museums and collections are housed in the Imperial Palace – mainly with an imperial background, of course. In the Sisi Museum, everything revolves around the world-famous Empress Elisabeth: the story of the real Sisi is told here, in contrast to the cult film series “Sissi”. The former official and residential rooms of the Habsburgs can be viewed in the Imperial Apartments. The Imperial Treasury and the Imperial Silver Collection show valuable insignia (including the legendary crown of the Holy Roman Empire) and extraordinary table services of the Habsburgs.

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7. ATTEND A PERFORMANCE OF THE SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world where the classic equestrian skills (haute école) has been preserved and is still practiced in its original form. Many years of training fuse horse and rider into an inseparable unit, with the Lipizzan horses moving in perfect harmony with the music. During a gala performances, visitors experience unique presentations of the Lipizzans in the most beautiful riding hall in the world (located within the Hofburg), which was impressively outfitted by baroque architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach between 1729 and 1735. It was originally built to provide aristocratic youths with the opportunity to take riding instruction. Since December 2015, the horsemanship of the Spanish Riding School has been classified as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Morning training with music gives a good impression into the training program of the White Stallions; the guided tours include visits to the stables.

• Official website: Spanish Riding School

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6. EXPLORE THE MUSEUMSQUARTIER

The MuseumsQuartier is one of the largest districts for contemporary art and culture in the world. Built in the early eighteenth century as Vienna’s imperial stables and expanded through the addition of modern buildings when the MuseumsQuartier was created, the mix of baroque and contemporary architecture symbolizes the distinctive character of the complex. Today the MuseumsQuartier is a place of encounter and a platform for cutting-edge artistic creation, new discourses, and the exchange of ideas. The site is open around the clock and entry is free; there are no gates and no barriers. The furniture in the courtyards invites visitors to hang out, relax, and chat, and the many cafés and restaurants offer a wide range of culinary options. The most notable museums in the MuseumsQuartier are the lime white Leopold Museum, the dark gray basalt-enveloped mumok – Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation Vienna, the Kunsthalle, and the Austrian Architecture Museum.

• Official website: The MuseumsQuartier

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5. ATTEND A PERFORMANCE AT THE VIENNA STATE OPERA

The Vienna State Opera is one of the top opera addresses in the world, with first-class productions of the very highest caliber and a different program every day: around 50 operas and ballet works per season, danced by the Vienna State Ballet. The variety of the operatic program is unparalleled anywhere in the world. Premieres are always eagerly awaited – for example, the 2023 season features six operas, including Il trittico and Turandot (both by Giacomo Puccini), Le Grand Macabre (György Ligeti), Animal Farm (Alexander Michailowitsch Raskatow), Lohengrin (Richard Wagner) and Così fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart). For one night of the year, the Vienna State Opera transforms into a large dance floor – for the Vienna Opera Ball, considered to be the biggest meeting point in Austria for artists, politicians and businesspeople from around the world. Over a hundred debutant couples in long evening gown and tails open the ball of balls. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 and inaugurated as the “Vienna Court Opera” (Wiener Hofoper) in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria.

• Official website: Vienna State Opera

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4. WALK THE RINGSTRASSE

Wrapped around Vienna’s historic city centre, the Ringstrasse is one of the most beautiful city boulevards in the world. “It is my will…” – with these words, Emperor Franz Joseph ordered the building of the Ringstrasse in 1857. Nobles and rich citizens hurried to build pompous palaces along this magnificent boulevard. The style in which the buildings were built went down in history as the Ringstrasse style (a type of Historicism). It is marked by a pluralism of styles: numerous architectural forms of previous epochs were imitated. The most noteworthy buildings on the Ringstrasse are the State Opera (built in the style of the Neo-Renaissance), the Parliament, City Hall (Flemish Gothic), the Burgtheater (New Baroque), the university (Neo-Renaissance), the Museum for Applied Art, the Vienna Stock Exchange, and the Votive Church (New Gothic), which were all constructed in the second half of the 19th century. Especially worth seeing are also the Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History Museum, both of which were built in the Neo-Renaissance style.

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3. VISIT ST STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL

Located at the very heart of the city, St Stephen’s Cathedral is the symbol of Vienna. Built of limestone, the cathedral is 107 m (351 ft) long, 40 m (130 ft) wide, and 136 m (446 ft) tall at its highest point. The tower room, from which there is a magnificent view across Vienna, is reached via 343 steps. The construction of the church commenced around 1137 and its exterior design is an amalgamation of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. Sadly, Stephansdom survived the aerial bombings of WWII only for a fire in nearby buildings to spread to the cathedral in April 1945, destroying parts of the building. The iconic building was restored to its former splendor and reopened in 1952. One of the cathedral’s most striking features is its roof: 230,000 colorfully glazed tiles transform the roof into a true work of art and they were laid in such way that create the Royal and Imperial double-headed eagle and the coat of arms of the city of Vienna. The cathedral’s overwhelming interior is a masterpiece of Middle Age craftsmen and artisans.

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2. ADMIRE KLIMT’S WORLD-FAMOUS PAINTING ‘THE KISS’

The Belvedere is a baroque architectural jewel which consists of two palaces (Upper and Lower Belvedere) connected by magnificent gardens. The Belvedere is not only a palace though as it also houses one of Austria’s most valuable art collections – with key works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka. The Kiss (Lovers) by Gustav Klimt is the most famous Austrian painting and the highlight of the permanent collection at the Upper Belvedere. It shows a couple swathed in richly embellished robes embracing in a meadow of flowers on the brink of a precipice. The painting dates from 1907/08 at the height of Klimt’s “Golden Period” when the artist developed a new technique of combining gold leaf with oils and bronze paint. In this early-twentieth-work Klimt was making a general allegorical statement about love being at the heart of human existence. The fact that the painting still retains its immediacy and emotional impact is a testimony to the artist’s extraordinary achievement.

• Official website: Belvedere Palace

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1. VISIT SCHLOSS SCHÖNBRUNN 

Schönbrunn Palace is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and Austria’s most-visited sight. At the end of the 17th century, Emperor Leopold I commissioned the gifted architect Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to build a palatial hunting lodge for the heir to the throne. Half a century later under Maria Theresa’s reign, Schönbrunn Palace was to become the magnificent focus of court life. From that time onwards it played host to the leading statesmen of Europe. Although Austria is now a republic, Schönbrunn has remained a place of political encounter at the highest level as the magnificent architecture of the baroque palace and the exquisite décor of its state rooms has largely been preserved in its original condition. Schönbrunn Palace has a total of 1,441 rooms, 45 of which can be visited. The interiors are in the Rococo style. Mozart made music in the mirrored hall of Schönbrunn Palace as a six year-old prodigy. The palace’s gardens are home to impressive fountains, statues, monuments, trees and flowers.

• Other accolades: Schönbrunn Palace also features in my top 10 list of the most beautiful castles & palaces in Europe.
• Official website: Schloss Schönbrunn

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