Why go?
The Austrian capital is a first-class crowd pleaser. Among stunning Baroque architecture and neoclassical palaces is a treasure trove of masterpiece-filled museums, must-see sights like the Hofburg Palace and Spanish Riding School, and a Unesco-listed café culture. There is also a musical heritage that stretches from Beethoven to Brahms.
Location
Most river cruise ships dock beside Reichsbrucke – Vienna’s most famous bridge – or Schwedenplatz, both offering access to the old city centre and sights in the Innere Stadt within minutes via U-Bahn lines 1 and 4.
Can I walk to any places of interest?
Halfway across Reichsbrucke is Donauinsel, the island that separates the old and new courses of the Danube. Less than a mile away is the 1960s-built Vienna Tower with a 150-metre-high viewing platform, and it’s 20 minutes to the iconic 100-year-old Giant Ferris Wheel. Schwedenplatz Square is much closer to the main tourist sights: the world-famous Hofburg Palace is a 15-minute walk away.
Getting around
Vienna boasts one of Europe’s most efficient public transport systems, with waits of longer than 10 minutes for a train, tram or bus highly unlikely. To hop on and off, purchase a 24-hour pass for the entire network for only €8/£7.
What to see and do
What can I do in four hours or less?
The Austrian capital is as charming as cities come, with baroque architecture, romantic coffee houses and riverside promenades all making for a lovely half-day stroll. Start on Ringstrasse – dubbed the most beautiful promenade in the world, its leafy length of monumental 19th-century palaces hosts sights including the Vienna State Opera, the Flemish-Gothic City Hall and the intricately stuccoed Museum of Fine Arts.
Stroll across the lawns of Heldenplatz to find a magnificent building scape of the sprawling Hofburg Palace, then continue via the Unesco-listed baroque tangle of the Innere Stadt to Stephansdom – a Gothic triumph of hypnotic mosaic tiles and elaborately chiseled stone towers rising to 68 metres.
If climbing the 343 steps up the South Tower doesn’t appeal, take the lift up the North Tower for equally great views. Sup a pick-me-up in the bohemian art nouveau ambiance of nearby Kleines Café – reportedly Vienna’s smallest café – then continue towards the Danube to find colourful, Advent-calendar-esque Hundertwasser House on Kegelgasse.
What can I do in eight hours or less?
The 600-year-old imperial palace of Hofburg is a must-see, with unmissable sights including the baroque library, jewel-filled treasury and Empress Sissi’s exercise room. The sprawling complex also houses the Spanish Riding School, where you can go behind the scenes and watch equine ballet during a morning training session or a guided visit of the stables.
Art lovers will be in seventh heaven at the masterpiece-filled Kunsthistorisches Museum – where works by Rubens, Rembrandt and Raphael dangle beside Greek statues – while fans of the modern will enjoy the MuseumsQuartier (MQ) in the trendy 7th district.
For the sweet-toothed, Vienna Chocolate Museum runs a fabulous chocolate workshop. Alternatively, delve into psychoanalysis at Sigmund Freud’s flat (currently closed until May 2020), which still has original waiting room furniture.
What can I do with a bit longer?
Spend an evening at the world-famous Vienna State Opera, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in the 2018/2019 season. It’s also worth seeing 18th-century Schönbrunn Palace: dubbed the 'Versailles of Vienna', it boasts rich rococo rooms, a marionette theatre and, reportedly, the world’s oldest zoo.
Eat and drink
Vienna presents Austria’s culinary scene at its finest, with dishes such as beef goulash, paprika chicken and wiener schnitzel popular across the city. Local favourites also include beuschel, made with veal lungs and heart, and tafelspitz, boiled beef with apple and horseradish sauces.
The city’s most famous dessert is Sacher Torte – the rich chocolate cake was created here in 1832 – though apfelstrudel is also a mainstay. Quench your thirst with a Kleiner Brauner, Viennese black coffee.
Don’t leave Vienna without…
Filling your suitcase with sweet Viennese treats. Buy an original Sacher Torte from Sacher Eck; handmade Liliput confectionary in an intricately colourful box from Altmann & Kühne; or a bagful of Mannerschnitten – crispy-creamy layers of wafer and hazelnut invented in the city in 1898.
Need to know
Flight time
Flights from London to Vienna take around two hours.
Safety
Vienna is safe and clean and has repeatedly been named the most livable city in the world by Mercer.
Best time to go
The Christmas markets are beautiful, while spring is pretty for strolling the palace and gardens. Vienna is quietest between January and March and October and November.
Closures
Shops are closed on Sundays; most museums open daily, with exceptions that close on Mondays.
Save money
The Vienna City Card is available for 24, 48 or 72 hours and includes public transport, lower entrance fees for many sights, and discounts in shops and restaurants. It costs €17/£15 for one day.
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