Things to do in Vienna
Tread Vienna's cobbled Innere Stadt, pausing for zigzag mosaics at gothic St Stephen's Cathedral, Habsburg treasures at palatial Hofburg and Albertina's Michelangelo originals. The Museum Quarter is best for cutting-edge art: from Warhol at the Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation to Schiele at the Leopold Museum. Need a breather? Leafy Prater, with its Ferris wheel, is a peaceful retreat and Burggarten's tropical Schmetterlinghaus flutters with butterflies. Most museums open daily 10am-6pm (until 10pm Thursday).
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Royal art collection
Treasures squirreled away during the 600-year Habsburg reign are showcased in
the grand 19th-century Kunsthistorisches Museum in the Innere Stadt.
Absolute highlight is the Picture Gallery sheltering Mantegna and Caravaggio
masterpieces, plus an entire room of Habsburg portraits by
Velázquez.
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Cost
€10; concessions €7.50
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm (until 9pm Thu)
Address
Maria-Theresien-Platz, Vienna 1010
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 525 240
Belvedere
Baroque palace art collections
Prince Eugene of Savoy's 18th-century summer palace, Belvedere,
stands in Vienna's Landstrasse district. Formal gardens sweep up to
the grand residence, crammed with medieval paintings, baroque sculpture and
Schiele, Kokoschka and Monet originals. The undisputed highlight is
Klimt's The Kiss.
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Cost
€9.50; concessions €6-€7.50; 6-18s €3; under-5s free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-6pm
Address
27, Prinz Eugen-Strasse, Vienna 1030
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 79 557 134
Liechtenstein Museum
Rubens art collection
A baroque palace with landscaped gardens in Alsergrund shelters the
Liechtenstein Museum. Divert your gaze from elaborate stuccowork and Johann
Michael Rottmayr's frescoes to appreciate the outstanding private
art collection. Works by 17th-century painter Rubens include Decius Mus
Cycle.
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Cost
€10; concessions €5-€8; under-3s free
Opening Hours
Fri-Mon 10am-5pm
Address
1, Fürstengasse, Vienna 1090
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 319 57 670
Albertina
World-class graphic art
Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Warhol - the names trip off the
tongue at Albertina in the Innere Stadt. The classical Habsburg palace
harbours one of the world's greatest graphics collections,
comprising 50,000 drawings and one million prints. Don't miss
Dürer's Hare.
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Cost
€9.50; concessions €8; under-6s free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-6pm (until 9pm Wed)
Address
1, Albertinaplatz, Vienna 1010
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 534 83 0
Haus der Musik
Sound of music
Futuristic exhibition, the Brain Opera, lures music buffs to Haus der Musik
in the Innere Stadt. Hands-on exhibits explore Vienna's musical
tradition. Conduct a virtual Vienna Philharmonic or compose a waltz. The
sixth-floor café affords sweeping city centre views.
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Cost
€10; concessions €8.50; under-3s free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-10pm
Address
30, Seilerstätte, Vienna 1010
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 516 48
Leopold Museum
Klimt and Schiele collections
Star attraction of the Museum Quarter in Neubau is Leopold Museum, a
limestone cube harbouring the former private collection of art collector,
Rudolf Leopold. Works by Austrian artists like Klimt and Kokoschka are
complemented by the world's largest Schiele collection.
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Cost
€9
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-6pm (until 9pm Thu)
Address
1, Museumsplatz, Vienna 1070
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 525 700
Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation
Picasso and Pop Art
Towering above the Museum Quarter in Neubau, the Museum of Modern Art Ludwig
Foundation hides Austria's largest contemporary art collection. A
grey lava-stone facade shelters 9,000 works from Classical Modernism to Pop
Art. Highlights include Andy Warhol's Orange Car Crash.
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Cost
€9; concessions €6.50; under-13s €2
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-6pm (until 10pm Thu)
Address
1, Museumsplatz, Vienna 1070
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 525 00
Holocaust Memorial
Chilling tribute
British artist Rachel Whiteread's controversial Holocaust Memorial
stands in Vienna's Innere Stadt. The surfaces of the concrete block
are cast library shelves turned inside-out with the book spines hidden.
Inscriptions pay solemn testament to the genocide of 65,000 Austrian
Jews.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily
Address
Judenplatz, Vienna 1010
Transport
Herrengasse U-Bahn
Schönbrunn Palace
Royal rococo residence
A summer retreat fit for Habsburg rulers, the UNESCO World Heritage Site
Schönbrunn Palace is worth the trek to Vienna's Hietzing
district. Inspired by Versailles, the residence offers rococo state
apartments, manicured baroque gardens, a zoo and the Marionette Theatre.
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Cost
Palace €9.50; concessions €8.50; 6-18 yrs €4.90; additional charges for other attractions
Opening Hours
Daily 8.30am-5pm (until 6pm Jul & Aug)
Address
Schönbrunner Schlossstrasse, Vienna 1130
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 8111 3239
St Stephen's Cathedral
Gothic spires
Rising above Stephansplatz square, St Stephen's Cathedral's
punctured spires and colourful mosaic roof are captivating. The gothic
landmark with its Renaissance north tower houses Prince Eugene of
Savoy's tomb. Climb the 343 steps for great vistas over the Innere
Stadt.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Guided tours Mon-Sat 10.30am & 3pm; Sun 3pm (Jun-Sep also Sat 7pm)
Address
1, Stephansplatz, Vienna 1010
Telephone
+43 (0) 513 7648
Hofburg
Imperial opulence
The Hofburg (Imperial Palace) in Vienna's Innere Stadt was a city
unto itself during the Habsburg heyday, until 1918. Marvel at the opulent
State Apartments and majestic Silver Collection, before learning about
Austria's beloved empress in the Sisi Museum.
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Cost
€9.90; concessions €8.90; 6-18s €4.90
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-5pm (until 5.30pm Jul & Aug)
Address
Kaisertor/Innerer Burghof, Michaelerkuppel, Vienna 1010
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 533 7570
KunstHaus Wien
Unconventional art
An abstract chessboard facade, irregular mosaics and uneven floors bear the
unmistakable hallmark of Viennese painter-architect Friedensreich
Hundertwasser at KunstHaus Wien in the Landstrasse district. View the
multicoloured, unruly creations of a visionary who called the straight line
'godless'.
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Cost
€9; concessions €7; under-10s free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-7pm
Address
13, Untere Weissgerberstrasse, Vienna 1030
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 712 04 91
Schmetterlinghaus
Butterfly kingdom
Set in the greenery of the Burggarten and encased in an Art Nouveau
greenhouse, lies Vienna's Schmetterlinghaus, a tropical utopia of
swirling colourful butterflies and rainforest. Watch out for the tremendous
Atlas moth, whose wingspan can reach up to 30cm.
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Cost
€5; concessions & 6-16 yrs €4; 3-6 yrs €2.50
Opening Hours
Apr-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-4.45pm, Sat & Sun 10am-6.15pm; Nov-Mar daily 10am-3.45pm
Address
Palmenhaus, Burggarten, Vienna 1010
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 533 85 70
Prater
Popular park area
Leopoldstadt's green centrepiece is Prater park, a Viennese favourite
for fresh air and exercise. Joggers, skaters and families love its broad
avenues. Prater's icon is the Riesenrad Ferris wheel of
Third Man fame: its 20-minute ride provides breathtaking city
views.
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Cost
Free; various prices for the different attractions
Opening Hours
Daily
Address
Vienna 1020
Telephone
+43 (0) 728 0516
Spanish Riding School
Ultimate for horse lovers
Dating from the 16th century, the Hofburg's Spanish Riding School in
the Innere Stadt is a unique chance to admire graceful Lipizzaner
stallions in action. Book tickets ahead to view the horses' morning
exercises to music or a full Sunday performance.
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Cost
€20-€160 (Performances), €12; concessions €9; students & over 6 yrs €6 (Morning Exercise)
Opening Hours
Sun 11am (Performances), Tue-Sat 10am-12pm (Morning Exercises)
Address
1, Michaelerplatz, Vienna 1010
Telephone
+43 (0) 1 533 90 31
