If you want to have one amazing trip filled with history, architecture, music, art and high class, on mandatory, visit Vienna. The city is the heart of Austria, where you can get closer to the local exquisite culture and contemporary entertainments at a full value.
About the city
Vienna is the capital of Austria, as well as the biggest city in the country. It’s placed in the eastern side of Austria, quite close to the border on Chez Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Vienna is locatedon the two shores of the Danube River. Except for being the city of music, Vienna is also the City of dreams as it’s the homeland of the first world psychoanalyst, Sigmund Froude. In 2001 year the city’s downtown area was included in the list with the world cultural and natural heritage under the protection of UNESCO.
Content
- Area – 414, 8 km
- Population – 1 888 776 people
- Visits – 6,8 million of people per year
- Official language – German
- Airport – Vienna’s International Airport
When’s the best time to visit Vienna?
The climate in Vienna is typical with its cool summer and warm winters. The average annual temperature is around 10 °C. It rains very rarely, while the summer evenings are very pleasant thanks to the whiffling light breeze. The best time to visit Vienna is whether in spring, or in summer.
- Average minimum temperature – around -5°C
- Average maximum temperature – around 30°C
- The hottest months – July and August
- The coldest months – January and February
- Possibility for rains – December, January and February
Transportation
City’s public transportation:
- Subway – there are 5 lines and more than 100 stations. It’s marked with the letter U (U-Bahn). This is the most effective way to get around the city.
- Buses – they represent an easy and very quick way to get around Vienna. You can count on 125 regular busses and 17 night buses, which are available from 00:30 till 05:00.
- Trains – the train net of the city’s public transportation has 9 lines and 49 stations. They can be a wonderful choice, too, especially if you want to travel to the most remote districts of the city.
- Trams – they are great options for panoramic walks around Vienna, too. You can rely on more than 500 tramps for convenient and fast transportation. The trams 1 and 2 move along the popular boulevard of Ringstrasse where most of the top popular attractions in Vienna are placed.
Tip: You can get a map Vienna Pass with Travel, which offers you free of charge access to up to 60 different attractions and 24, 48 or 72-hour travel card, as well as Vienna Card, which allows you to freely travel with any public mean of transportation.
Rent a car
If you don’t know the city and you think to get around the main attractions in Vienna, it’s quite pointless to rent a car. The public transportation is reliable enough for quick access to each of them. The car is ok to be used in case you want to reach some remote district.
Tourist buses
You can choose from two general options. The first one is the Bus of Vienna that lets you sightseeing and that’s accessible with Vienna Pass. It offers 4 different routes around the city. The other option is the Big bus tour which is accessible with Vienna City Card. It offers 3 routes. During both of the tours you can get on and off wherever and whenever you want. You can also use audio guides or guides.
Bikes for rent
In Vienna there’s a perfectly arranged bike net which is 1 170 km long. You have at your disposal bike alleys, as well as specially arranged routes for bikers. The public system for bike-for-rent service is managed by Citybike Vienna. It has more than 120 stations from where you can get a bike. Plus – note that the first hour with your ride is 100% free of charge.
Taxi
It’s worth it to use a taxi only if you have to go from or to the airport and you have lots of suitcases. The public transportation in Vienna is extremely well arranged and accessible, so you can rely on it, no doubts.
Food
You can go to Wirr to have some wonderful breakfast in Vienna. Here you will be welcomed with croissants and homemade jam, butter, cheese, eggs and ham. You can also choose some brown bread, bacon, chees, tomatoes, cucumbers, cream cheese and boiled eggs. If you look for a cozy place for a lunch with tasty food, go to Ulrich. For your afternoon coffee accompanied with a dessert, on mandatory, visit Sacher café. One of the main specialties here is Sacher Torte mit Schlag – a chocolate cake with a tiny layer of apricot jam, covered with dark chocolate glaze and cream around. The prices here a bit high, so if you are looking for something more affordable, better visit Aida. If you want to experience an amazing dinner in a typical Austrian style, find any of these two splendid restaurants – Gastwirtschaft Wratschko or Schweizerhaus.
There are 67 restaurants with Michelin stars in Vienna. The only one with 3 stars is Amador. It impresses with stylish and modern interior design, as well as creative cuisine that’s typical for its contrast tastes. The restaurants with 2 Michelin stars are 6 in total. If you love minimalistic style, visit Steirereck im Stadtpark or Konstantin Filippou, while for an amazing combo of food and wine, I suggest you Silvio Nickol Gourmet Restaurant, SENNS.Restaurant or Mraz & Sohn. Last, but not least, if you need some more luxurious and contemporary cuisine experience, your restaurant is Ikarus.
Things to do
Here are some of the top things to do if you truly want to feel Vienna’s air and lifestyle:
- Go to a concert in the Vienna’s opera
- Have a walk on a boat across the Danube River
- Go on a wine tour
- Taste classical Vienna’s cutlet
- Visit at least one pastry shop
- Spend some time for a walk on feet during the day or at night
- Visit the local Christmas market
Nightlife and entertainments
The nightlife in Vienna is typical for its first-class parties and music live performances. In the local clubs some of the best DJs from all over the world have regular gigs. One of the top cool places for electronic music is Flex.
And here are the clubs with various music styles and high quality audio systems, which are also worth it to be visited: Chelsea, B72 and Rhiz. If you are up to dancing, on mandatory, visit Ringstrasse Street and its discos: Volksgarten Disco, Säulenhalle, Babenberger Passage and Albertina Passage.
Top Attractions in Vienna:
Schönbrunn Palace
Hofburg Castle
Belvedere Castle
Karlskirche Church
Saint Stephen Cathedral
History of Art Museum
Natural History Museum
Albertina Museum
Museum Quartier
Hundertwasser
State Opera
City Hall
The Prater
Imperial Butterfly House
Danube Cruise from Vienna
Donauturm
Naschmarkt