Vienna to me is synonymous with incredible palaces and beautiful buildings all around the city. It is also home of the famous schnitzel, the Sachertorte and the opera. It is a perfect place to go to for a weekend as it is a manageable size and it is perfect for a couple of days to soak up some European culture.
When to go: all year round! In the winter, and especially before Christmas, you will also be able to enjoy the famous Christmas markets. In the summer, the cafes and restaurants are full with nice terraces and people spending time outdoors! So it is a great option regardless of the season.
Where to stay: my recommendation would be to stay in the city centre, inside of the ring road so you can be close to everything. Two nice options are: “Hollmann Beletage Design & Boutique Hotel” and “Boutique Hotel Das Tigra”, both in a great location.
Day 1: Ring Road and Schonbrunn Gardens
On your first day, I would recommend to walk the Vienna Ring Road (Ringstraße) as that way you will pass most of the important things to see. You can start at Rathaus and finish by the Belvedere Schlossgarten. In our case, we did the whole first day itinerary walking but it takes quite a few steps. The last 2 places on the below itinerary, which are Belvedere and Belvedere Schlossgarten, are slightly further from the centre so you can take the tram to get there.
Rathaus - is the seat of local government of Vienna and was constructed from 1872 to 1883 in a Neo-Gothic style according to plans designed by Friedrich von Schmidt. It houses the office of the Mayor of Vienna as well as the chambers of the city council and Vienna Landtag diet.
Maria-Theresien-Platz - a large public square that joins the Ringstraße with the Museumsquartier. Facing each other from the sides of the square are two near identical buildings, the Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum) and the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum).
Hofburg Palace - the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence. Since 1946 it is the official residence and workplace of the president of Austria.
Vienna State Opera - The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road built from 1861 to 1869.
Naschmarkt - Vienna’s best-known market which has around 120 market stands and restaurants.The Flea Market on Saturday is already a cult event. A great place for a lunch stop!
Karlskirche - is a Baroque church widely considered the most outstanding baroque church in Vienna, as well as one of the city's greatest buildings, the church is dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo, one of the great counter-reformers of the sixteenth century.
Belvedere - a historic building complex consisting of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape. It houses the Belvedere museum. The Baroque palace complex was built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy.
Belvedere Schlossgarten – located on the Belvedere grounds, the gardens are set on a gentle gradient and include decorative tiered fountains and cascades, Baroque sculptures, and majestic wrought iron gates. A must see in Vienna!
For dinner, I would recommend to go to “Skopik &Lohn”. The terrace in the summer is especially charming and even though the menu does not offer many dishes, it is delicious!
A great place for cocktails after dinner is “Needle vinyl bar”, the cocktails are amazing and the atmosphere great.
Day 2 : Schönbrunn Palace and city centre
For your second day, I would recommend to focus on Schönbrunn Palace and the city centre spots that you might have not seen during the previous day.
You can start the day by having brunch at “Brasserie Palmenhaus”, which is inside a former tropical house overlooking a park and a pond.
The best way to get to the palace is by taking the underground line U4. You can buy the underground tickets at the station.
Schönbrunn Palace - the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, the name Schönbrunn (meaning “beautiful spring”) has its roots in an artesian well from which water was consumed by the court. The 1,441-room Rococo palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historic monuments in the country. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs.
It is very important that you book your ticket online and in advance, otherwise if you are trying to get the ticket there you most probably will have to wait 90 min or more to get into the palace. There are 3 different ticket types which give you access to different parts of the palace. However, it is important to note that the entrance to the grounds is free and open to everyone! So if you are more interested on having a walk around the palace and gardens maybe you do not need to gat a ticket at all! Plan to spend here between 2 to 4 hours.
On your way back to the city centre you can walk around the pretty streets but make sure that you do not miss St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Spanish Riding School.
Spanish Riding School - an Austrian institution dedicated to the preservation of classical dressage and the training of Lipizzaner horses based in Vienna, Austria. The leading horses and riders of the school periodically tour and perform worldwide. It is one of the "Big Four", the most prestigious classical riding academies in the world, alongside the Cadre Noir, the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, and the Royal Andalusian School.
St Stephen’s Cathedral - the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, seen today in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365) and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. The Cathedral has borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-coloured tile roof, become one of the city's most recognizable symbols.
To finish the day you should do one of the most Viennese things to do… go to a café!
The most famous ones are “Café Central” followed by “the café at the Sacher Hotel” where you can have the famous Sachertorte. However, the queue to go into these two places is insane! Therefore, I would instead recommend to go to “Café Landtmann”, which is also great café and in our case when we went, there was barely any queue.
For dinner, I recommend to go to “Huth gastwirtschaftthis “. This was actually my favourite restaurant in Vienna and I loved the schnitzel there.
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