Vienna is the capital of Austria and you’ll find the city close to the Czech, Hungary and Slovakian borders. It is the kind of city that you be instantly impressed by with grand architecture, equally beautiful parks and gardens, and a vibe that will make you feel instantly relaxed. As well as the city you can also easily experience nature by venturing up to nearby Kahlenberg, a winery region that overlooks the city.
Vienna is famous for many things, including its stunning palaces, baroque architecture and music. If you’re unsure of whether or not to visit Vienna then let us tell you why this city should be towards the top of your list. Here are some of the top reasons to visit Vienna, Austria.
Grand palaces
Vienna is famous for its beautiful palaces and these alone make the city worth visiting (although there are plenty of other reasons as you’ll find out). There are two palaces in particular that we think really stand out. These include the Schonbrunn Palace (seen below) with its incredible yellow facade as well as its equally beautiful interior. The other palace that you may want to visit in Vienna is the Belvedere. This is home to famous art, including pieces by Gustav Klimt and Vincent van Gogh.
A good thing about both of these places is that you can visit the gardens for free. And these are truly stunning with beautiful flower arrangements such as seen below.
Variety of things to see and do
When visiting Vienna there really is a great variety of things to do. It’s also a city that you can visit at any time of year (although we do recommend the warmer months as well as Christmas the most). Some of the things you can enjoy while in the city include wandering amongst the pretty cobbled streets of the Innere Stadt, seeing the many historic monuments, watching a music concert at the concert halls, shopping and relaxing in a coffee shop, to name just a few of the top things to do in Vienna.
Beautiful parks and gardens
Vienna is home to some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Including Volksgarten and the Schonbrunn which during the warmer months it has flowers arranged in wonderful patterns. Seeing these may be one of the best reasons to visit Vienna.
The Schonbrunn is also one of top attractions in the city and is home to the Schonbrunn Imperial Palace, as well as a zoo, swimming pool, and various other attractions.
The Voltsgarten is one of our favourite spots in the city and here you’ll find rows of seats alongside rose bushes. This is also a very central spot so perfect to relax after exploring some of the famous inner city attractions.
As well as those two highlights a few other parks we’d recommend seeing includes Burggarten (near Voltsgarten) and Stadtpark.
Range of outdoor activities
As well as the gardens and parks which are a top highlight of Vienna there are plenty of other outdoor activities to enjoy. Including hiking, swimming and even bungee jumping.
On the outskirts and even fairly central there are various hiking trails and these allow you to follow routes throughout Kahlenberg (a winery-type area) and the various woods surrounding the city. You’ll find lots of hikes and routes and these include everything you need to know for these hikes including the start and end points.
Another top reason to visit Vienna is for the outdoor swimming pools. These are especially worth visiting if the weather is great (so more of a summer thing). You’ll find a pool at the Schonbrunn (it’s a little expensive though), and others include the Strandbad Alte Donau and Schafbergbad Pool. Find more on the Vienna website here.
There are plenty more outdoor activities you can do though besides hiking and the pools. Such as bike rides in the Wachau Valley, boat rides and much more.
Coffee and cakes
One thing that Vienna does extremely well is coffee and cake and the city has a bit of a coffee culture. You’ll find traditional independent coffee houses throughout the city as well as some chains and here you can sit back and relax with a tasty Wiener Melange (Vienna coffee), along with some cake. A famous cake worth trying is Sachertorte, a delicious chocolate cake with a jam centre and rich outer layer.
A few popular places include Cafe Central, Café Landtmann, Demel and Café Sacher Wien but make sure you book in advance if you’re wanting to go to these. Sometimes you can simply turn up, wait a bit and get a table though.
Food and wine
As well as the coffee shops, Vienna also has a foodie hidden gem, and this is the Heurige. These are traditional wine taverns where you can get great food and locally made wine. Some of these are located north of the city and have a vineyard as a backyard. Read more about the Vienna Heurige. When I lived in Vienna heading to these was one of my favourite experiences in the city.
Beside the Heurige you’ll also find an alfresco-type dining atmosphere during the summer months, where you can dine outside on temporary patios outside many restaurants. Some of the traditional dishes that you could try include Wiener Schnitzel, Käsespätzle and strudel.
For suggestions of places to eat head to 14 Top Restaurants and Places to Eat in Vienna.
The Christmas lights and markets
If you plan to visit Vienna during the holiday season around November to December then you’ll be seeing the city during one of the best times of the year. The city has some of the most elegant and impressive lights and decorations. These include giant chandeliers adorning the Graben (one of the most central streets and you can see the decorations below). You’ll also find countless markets all over the city, which are full of stalls selling tasty Gluhwein, snacks, festive items and gifts and more. Just wandering amongst these is a wonderful experience as the atmosphere is fantastic and it really brings out the Christmas spirit.
It’s easy to walk but Vienna also has great transport
Vienna isn’t the biggest city and is very easy to get around. If you’re located quite central, such as District one (the Innere Stadt) then you will be able to walk between many of the attractions in the city. But as well as walking the public transport, consisting of trams, buses and the subway are also very good with an extensive network covering anywhere you might want to go. As well as this it’s very cheap and if you do plan to see a lot during your visit then a 24-72 hour transport pass might be a good idea (or a city transport and discount card). For places to stay that are quite central use the button below.
The good value prices
Vienna is a city that certainly won’t break the bank. From hotels, transport, attractions and food you’ll be able to find plenty of options for all budgets. You can also enjoy free things in Vienna too such as simply seeing the main sites from outside, enjoying the parks, Kahlenberg and much more. For some of the places to see (most of which are free) then head to Best Locations in Vienna for Instagram and Photography.
The viewpoints
Throughout Vienna there are lots of great viewpoints where you can look out and admire the city. Some of these include from hotels such as the bar at 25 Hours Hotel (which we’d also recommend staying at) and Sofitel. Another and possibly our favourite viewpoint is from the Stepansdom Towers. You’ll find a north and south tower where from the top you’ll be able to gaze out over the city and you can also use part of Stephansdoms’ iconic roof in your images as well.
Easy to include Vienna in a multi-destination trip
Austria is a landlocked country and borders many countries including Czechia, Hungary, Slovenia and Germany. Vienna is located towards the far Eastern border and is fairly close to these countries. So due to this prime location it’s very easy to include the city in a multi-destination trip.
This could include nearby cities such as Prague, Budapest, Bratislava and Munich to name just a few options. Most of these are easily accessible by buses and trains and can take several hours. If you’re backpacking or on a big multi-city train journey such as using Eurail or Interrail then we’d definitely recommend adding Vienna to your list of places to visit. For buses have a look on Flixbus and for trains and other transport check out Omio.
Day trip options from Vienna
As we as combining Vienna into a multi-destination trip you could also use the city as a base to visit other nearby places for a day trip. The city has lots of great options including a trip to the Wachau Valley, Salzburg, Hallstatt and many more places. You’ll find lots of options on GetYourGuide and Viator.
You could choose to visit places independently using Austria’s train network which is very comfortable, and reliable and if you book in advance you’ll get some good prices as well. Visit Omio to search for trains, or visit the local train websites westbahn.at/en and OEBB.
Summary
As you can see there are plenty of top reasons to visit Vienna, ranging from the sites and attractions, the foodie experiences and even how easy it is to include in a trip where you’re seeing other nearby places. We hope that you’ve found this article inspiring and it makes you want to visit Vienna. It’s certainly one of our favourite places in Austria and after having lived there as well I would personally recommend it as a top place to visit.
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Image credits
Article main photographs by TravelAndDestinations team. Read more about where we source images.
