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Vienna<\/a>. Home to schnitzel, Freud, Mozart, the Hapsburgs, opera, art, coffee shops, and so much more. Over the decade I have been visiting this city, I\u2019ve watched it change from a stiff capital city to a cool, hip, foodie, and arty paradise.<\/p>\n Ok, it\u2019s always been an arty paradise and maybe the “stiff capital” was just my incorrect first impression. <\/p>\n See, when I first visited Vienna, I wasn\u2019t a fan. It felt too stiff. Too proper. It had the air of a city too long steeped in imperial history. Despite being taken around by a local friend, I kept comparing it to Prague<\/a> and Budapest<\/a> and went \u201cmehhh.\u201d<\/p>\n But, over time, I\u2019ve come to appreciate the city and all it has to offer. <\/p>\n In short, I was wrong about Vienna. <\/p>\n The city has countless museums, palaces, markets, restaurants, quirky art exhibits, delicious food halls, neighbors a wonderful wine region, and is a quick train trip to Bratislava<\/a>.<\/p>\n While most people just spend a day or two here, there’s actually a ton to see and do. In fact, you could easily spend a week here and just scratch the surface.<\/p>\n To help you plan your trip, here’s my ideal Vienna itinerary to help you save money, have fun, and make the most out of your time in this beautiful capital.<\/p>\n Three excellent free walking tours are:<\/p>\n Whenever I visit a new city I kick things off with a free walking tour. Just make sure to tip your guide at the end!<\/p>\n If you’d prefer a paid tour, you can take a World War II Walking Tour<\/a> around the city for 27 EUR. If you’re looking for other paid tours, Get Your Guide<\/a> has a ton of options. <\/p>\n See the Imperial Palace<\/strong> My favorite section is the Imperial Treasury. Here you\u2019ll find tons of royal artifacts, crowns, scepters, and a really detailed history of the Hapsburg family and empire. And, though not free, you should definitely get the audio tour<\/a> (or take a guided tour). It adds a ton of context to the exhibits. <\/p>\n Additionally, you can listen to the Vienna Boys Choir during mass on Sundays at the Royal Chapel (which is located at the Imperial Palace). They are one of the most famous choirs in the world. There are around 100 boys in the choir. Seated tickets start at 12 EUR.<\/p>\n Michaelerkuppel, +43 15337570, sisimuseum-hofburg.at\/en\/. Open daily from 9am-5:30pm. Admission is 19.50 EUR. Skip-the-line guided tours<\/a> start at 48 EUR.<\/em><\/p>\n Wander the Naschmarkt<\/strong> 1060 Vienna, +43 1400005430, naschmarkt-vienna.com. Open Monday-Saturday from 6am-7:30pm (5pm on Saturdays). Admission is free.<\/em> See St. Stephen’s Cathedral<\/strong> The cathedral also has two towers, though one was never finished because they ran out of money. You can pay 7 EUR to climb the several hundred steps of the south tower and\/or pay 7 EUR for a tour of the catacombs below the cathedral. They also regularly hold classical music concerts here for just 15 EUR<\/a>. <\/p>\n Stephansplatz 3, +43 1 515523530, stephanskirche.at. Open for worship Monday-Saturday 6am-10pm and Sundays from 7am-10pm. Open for visitors Monday-Saturday from 9am-11:30am and 1pm-4:30pm, and on Sundays from 1pm-4:30pm. An all-inclusive ticket<\/a> that includes access to the north and south tower, a cathedral tour, a catacombs tour, and a visit to the museum is 25 EUR. Just make sure you dress respectfully as it is a place of worship.<\/em><\/p>\n Explore the Museumsquartier<\/strong> The Museumsquartier is also home to a number of festivals throughout the year. Basically, if you love modern art, you need to come here!<\/p>\n Museumsplatz 1, +43 15235881, https:\/\/www.mqw.at\/en\/. Hours vary. Admission for each museum\/gallery varies, ranging from 8-14 EUR.<\/em><\/p>\n Visit the Museum of Fine Arts<\/strong> Maria-Theresien-Platz, +43 1525240, khm.at. Open daily from 10am-6pm (9pm on Thursdays). Admission is 21 EUR<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n Stroll Along the Danube<\/strong> Admire the Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace<\/strong> However, there’s enough to spend a few hours wandering the exquisitely restored rooms. The gardens are free (you’ll see a lot of locals running here) and there’s also a neat maze as well as the “Schonbrunn Tiergarten” (the Vienna Zoo), which is a great place to visit with kids. <\/p>\n I love coming to the gardens, climbing up the hill, and enjoying a bottle of wine with friends while looking out over the city in the distance. <\/p>\n Sch\u00f6nbrunner Schlo\u00dfstra\u00dfe 47, +43 1 81113239, schoenbrunn.at. The palace is open daily from 8:30am-5pm (6pm in the summer). The gardens are open daily from 6:30am-5:30pm (8pm in the summer). The Imperial Tour is 27 EUR and takes around 40 minutes while the Grand Tour is 32 EUR and takes over an hour. The state apartments tour takes around 25 minutes and costs 22 EUR. All tours include an audio guide. Skip-the-line guided tours<\/a> cost 54 EUR.<\/em><\/p>\n House of Music<\/strong> Seilerst\u00e4tte 30, +43 15134850, hausdermusik.com. Open daily from 10am-10pm. Admission is 17 EUR.<\/em><\/p>\n See the Jewish Square (Judenplatz)<\/strong> There is also the nearby Holocaust Memorial designed by British artist Rachel Whiteread which commemorates the 65,000 Jewish Austrians who were killed by the Nazis.<\/p>\n Dorotheergasse 11, +43 1 5350431, jmw.at<\/a>. Open Sunday-Thursday from 10am-6pm and Fridays from 10am-2pm. Admission is 15 EUR.<\/em><\/p>\n Get all my best travel tips along with these guides:<\/p>\r\n Enter your info below to get your FREE<\/strong> guides sent to you today!<\/p>\r\n
\n <\/p>\nDay 1: Walking Tour, Imperial Palace, and the Naschmarkt<\/h3>\n
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\nTake a Free Walking Tour<\/strong>
\nStart your trip off with a free walking tour. It’s a fun way to get a sense of the capital, give you a taste of its history and culture, and let you explore and orientate yourself on foot. Plus, you can ask your guide any and all questions you may have! <\/p>\n\n
\nBuilt in the 13th century, this is a giant complex with multiple attractions. You can easily spend half a day here. First, there are the Imperial Apartments, which are really three activities in one: the silver collection featuring thousands of royal dinnerware, the Sisi Museum highlighting the life of the beloved Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and the royal apartments themselves. <\/p>\n
\nThis is Vienna\u2019s largest open-air food market. It\u2019s been operating for hundreds of years (as far back as the 16th century) and has a variety of restaurants, street stalls, and grocers. It\u2019s a little touristy (don\u2019t go food shopping here) but it has a cool vibe and, on a warm sunny day, it\u2019s nice to sit out with a meal and a glass of wine. Despite its fame, you\u2019ll still find a lot of locals here. Be sure to hit up Umarfisch for seafood and wine.<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\nDay 2: St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Museumsquartier, Museum of Fine Arts <\/h3>\n
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\nBuilt in Romanesque and Gothic styles, this cathedral has been standing since the 12th century. Inside, you\u2019ll find an ornately decorated church with high archways, vaulted ceilings, and a plethora of statues and religious paintings. Additionally, there are two beautiful altars: the High Altar, built in the 1640s, and the Wiener Neustadt Altar, commissioned in 1447. <\/p>\n
\nOnce the imperial stables, the Museumsquartier is now home to several different museums, including the Leopold Museum for Art Nouveau and Expressionism; Kunsthalle Wien, an exhibition center with rotating exhibitions; and the Museum of Modern Art, which has the largest collection of modern art in Central Europe<\/a>. <\/p>\n
\nOpened in 1891 by Emperor Franz Joseph I, this is the largest art museum in the country, with artifacts from ancient Egypt and Greece as well as paintings from Raphael, Rembrandt, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, and more. Most of the items are from the Hapsburg’s old collection. This museum is more “classic art” and there’s enough to keep you busy for a few hours (at the very least). The interior itself is incredibly ornate too, boasting lots of marble, gold leaf, and murals.<\/p>\n
\nIf you haven’t done so already, take a walk along the Danube. It’s Europe’s second-longest river (the Volga is the longest), stretching almost 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles). There are plenty of bars, stores, and cafes along the water so you can grab a drink and chill or just window shop if you don’t feel like stopping. In the summer, there are also a few small “beaches” where you can relax and soak up some sun and relax on a nice day.
\n <\/p>\nDay 3: Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace, House of Music, Jewish Square<\/h3>\n
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\nThis palace started off as a hunting lodge in 1696 before becoming the summer residence of the Hapsburgs (at the time, this location was far outside the city center). There are over 1,400 rooms in the palace but only a handful are open to the public (you’ll see 22 rooms with the imperial tour and 40 rooms with the grand tour). <\/p>\n
\nThis small-but-fascinating museum features exhibits of some of the world’s most well-known Austrian composers such as Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, and Schoenberg. Opened in 2000, they also have exhibits on world music, including versions of some of human’s first instruments. You can also view original manuscripts and artifacts and there’s also a virtual stage where you can conduct your own symphony. It\u2019s fun, interactive, and educational. <\/p>\n
\nFor centuries, Vienna was home to a sizable Jewish population. Then the Nazis came. This area of town features two important museums: the Vienna Jewish Museum that details the role Viennese Jews played in the development of city life; and the Medieval Synagogue, which gives a more authentic look at the history of Jewish life in Vienna. <\/p>\n\r\n\r\n\r\nPlanning a trip to Europe?<\/h5>\r\n
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