10 things to do in Vienna

Vienna is undoubtedly and inarguably gorgeous. Stepping out of Karlsplatz station, it felt like we had been transported to another era. I literally stood in the middle of the street in awe. Similar to Berlin, the architecture was mind blowing and if buildings and construction are your thing, Vienna is the place to visit! I was mesmerised by the pastel coloured buildings, the uber clean roads and terribly crisp air. There are SO many palaces and museums and cathedrals and parks that one could easily be overwhelmed having to trawl through ALL of them; therefore this itinerary when visiting Vienna should help narrow it down for you as each suggestion offers a different vibe from the other. I have highlighted only 10 things to do and see as Vienna packs a punch but these should cover all angles.

Why Vienna?

Ever since I watched Sound of Music, I made a mental note to go to Austria. Salzburg to be precise. This was until I found out that a lot of the acting was done on green screen and only a few scenes were shot in Salzburg. Austria wasn’t completely taken off my list and I was still open to seeing the Sound of Music locations; no matter how few.

So why Vienna? Enter Made In Chelsea. I watched the episode where Fred invited Liv to Vienna to watch him play the Violin and I think he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend on the trip but Toff spoilt the vibe. There was a scene with a horse and carriage ride around the city and from the snippets I saw, I thought it was such a beautiful city. So, I added it to my list of European cities to visit.

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1. Head to Schloss Schonbrunn (Schonbrunn Palace)

If there is one place you should go to, it is the Schonbrunn Palace. Located at Schonbrunner Schlosstrasse, it was the main summer residence of the Hafsburg rulers. It was built around the 17th century and has over 1400 rooms. Look out for the garden in the back as this for me, was EPIC and the highlight of my visit to the palace. It is a UNESCO heritage site and as you can imagine, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vienna.

You could easily spend a whole day in the Schonbrunn Palace just walking and walking. It feels like a village of its own. From the Imperial Carriage Museum to the Schonbrunn zoo (both located inside the palace), you’re guaranteed to have a blast! It is free to enter the palace and walk its grounds and garden; however a visit to the Museum and Zoo will cost you some money!

2. Visit St Stephen’s Cathedral

As soon as you come out of Stephansplatz station, the Cathedral is right in front, it almost slaps you in the face! It is beautiful as expected, mega grand and was probably the busiest tourist spot we visited. You see, with Vienna, almost everywhere and every building is a tourist attraction which means that people are scattered all around the city snapping pictures. This means that you hardly have too many tourists in one location but St Stephen’s Cathedral was different. Probably because it’s the first place everyone goes to and it’s just right outside a station? I’m not sure but it is a must see!

3. Fruits shopping in Naschmarkt

This is the famous Viennese street market and you can find almost anything being sold in it. Food, clothes, spices, ornaments, accessories, everything!! It does get very busy and we had to walk like we were in a slow moving queue; probably because we got there at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon which was very much market peak time!

The sellers were very friendly and a lot of them offered taste menus especially for the drinks. Usually with markets, experiences could be uncomfortable so I was very pleased (and relieved) to have had a lovely experience walking around and shopping in Naschmarkt. I would advise to purchase fruits and spices from there; probably pricier that the average corner seller but you’re guaranteed that you are getting fresh produce! It is only open Monday to Saturday so plan your visit wisely.

4. Light a candle at Katholische Kirche St. Peter (St Peter’s Catholic Church)

Located in Petersplatz 1010 Vienna, it’s a gorggeeeeeous church. I did prefer it to the St Stephen’s Cathedral; probably because it’s tucked away and could easily be overlooked especially at night as it just blends into its surroundings. However, it stole my heart. We got there at night and it looked like it was glistening. We went in and there was Mass going on so we stood for a few minutes and lit our candles before leaving. 

I like to believe that lighting a candle in every Cathedral or Basilica I go to means that I’m leaving my light for God to bless even long after I’ve left the city.

5. Mozart medley at Vienna State Opera

Almost everyone goes to Vienna for the Opera houses. There are a few of them but of course the most popular is the Vienna State Opera. There were so many deals to watch an opera or ballet show; in fact, one seller almost sold a Mozart production to us but the time slots available were just not conducive. He had a 21.15 slot left and we had walked for most of day, we just wanted to go back to the hotel room to rest so sadly, we gave it a pass.

Next time, I’ll be sure to book a show ahead of our visit; hopefully it’ll be the exact medley we were being offered as it was such a good compilation.

6. Have a wander Hundertwasser House

Located in the 3rd Viennese district, it is an unusual house but very popular tourist attraction. By now, you must have deduced that Vienna is architecture heaven. This one is an expressionist landmark and has become one of the most visited buildings in Vienna for art lovers most especially. I’ll be honest here; I was not sure what exactly I was looking at or expecting to feel. It was just a house that looked weirdly constructed with trees growing out of it and painted in different colours. It is the ultimate definition of quirky and is a must see as it is quite a massive contrast to the well-structured buildings that you would usually see around the city.

7. Albertina Museum, for a view of the city

This was the only museum on my list to visit and I loved the experience. It is located in Albertinaplatz and as with all the other structures, is beautiful. Now why did this stand out for me you might ask. Climbing to the top of the Albertina, you have a gorgeous view of Albertinaplatz. We could see the Vienna Opera, Café Mozart and even Hotel Sacher from the top and it was such a stunning view.

It also makes for the most gorgeous pictures as you have the city’s backdrop to thank. Climbing up the terrace is free; however, as with all museums, entrance will cost you but it is totally worth it. If there is one museum to visit, Albertina is the one!

8. Spot the Pastel Coloured Buildings

This one, I was not ready for. We stepped out of our hotel’s station, Wahringer Strasse-Volksoper and were immediately transported to Notting Hill or somewhere out of a story book. So cute! Pastel coloured buildings lined the streets leading up to our hotel and even when we went to Hunderstwasser House, we saw so many similar streets as well.

Look out for them in residential areas mainly and see how many colours you can count. I counted pink, yellow, grey, green, blue and of course white. It was just so beautiful and soothing and happy. If I lived in Vienna, I would love to live in one of those houses.

9. Go for a ride at the Spanish Riding School

It was opened in 1735 and its building is quite beautiful. In front, there are horses and carriages ready to offer you a riding tour around the city (not free of course). It is world popular for classical dressage. To see the riding ground, you would need to buy tickets which cost around 15 – 20 euros. However, if you are not willing to pay or horse riding is not your thing, you could just wander around and take some cute pictures.

10. Chill and cool down at Stadtpark

We saved this one for the last day. The sun was shining and we headed down to Stadtpark, which was the best decision of the entire trip. From watching kids play football to seeing a love lock bridge, to watching and feeding ducks in the nearby pond to visiting the John Strauss memorial, it was a perfect day. We found a serene spot and sat on the grass and you guessed right! People-watched!!

As we left the park, we saw the cutest cherry blossom trees and they made me feel all warm inside (cherry blossoms do that to you; they do make you very happy)

Travel Details

• Flights – Austrian Airlines (booked via skyscanner)
• Hotel – H+ Hotel (booked via Expedia and was the best hotel ever).

We wanted to stay away from the center so we could explore a bit more so we chose this 4* hotel in Liechtensteinstrasse district (NW of Vienna city center) which had only just opened in October 2018. They went above and beyond to accommodate our needs and even gave us an upgrade! Plus they had the lushest bar downstairs. Breakfast buffet was great and had a lot to choose from, staff was very friendly and it was an all-round enjoyable stay.

To Note

• Duration Needed – We spent 3 days there and we both agreed it was not enough. I think an extra day would have been perfect.
• Best time to go – I would advice to avoid the summer months to avoid the rush so preferably, spring and autumn. I would avoid winter as well.
• Level of expense – Reasonably priced; similar to London.
• Transportation – We bought the 72 hours city pass with CAT City Airport Train return ticket for 38 euros. We bought it from the airport as soon as we arrived and this worked on trams and trains for the duration of our stay. Transportation is quite straightforward and the trains are very easy to navigate.

Let me know if I’ve managed to entice you into visiting Vienna.

Or if there is a specific place you would like to visit in Vienna and would perhaps need more info. We did visit more sites but the above are my top 10 in terms of variety.

Look out for the next post on where to eat in Vienna. Until then…..

Bisous, ‘Bugo x