VIENNA

TRAVEL IN VIENNA

Take a musical and cultural odyssey into the capital of Austria, also known as the birthplace of Mozart and the home of 'apfelstrudel'. With an omnipresent coffee culture and endlessly romantic streets, it won't take long to feel at home in picturesque Vienna. Venture to the neo-renaissance opera house to admire one of the 350 world class ballet performances held here every year, before considering gothic architecture and colored tiles at St Stephen's Cathedral. After all that culture you can delight your inner-child with a ride on the Wiener Riesenrad giant Ferris wheel, and assess your own weirdness at the Sigmund Freud Museum. The association to Austria might automatically be the Sound of Music, but visitors will soon realise this country and its capital has so much more to offer. The decedent chocolate cake of Sachertorte - first made for Austrian royalty - is one such feature of the country you're sure to fall in love with, and of course there's the simple dish of wiener schnitzel featuring veal served with potato that visitors always adore. Vienna is also home to one of the world's oldest zoos, running since 1752, which isn’t just worth visiting for animal-lovers, as it sits on the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace. If your trip to Vienna falls over May and June you may be charmed by the 6-week Vienna Festival, a calendar of events featuring music, theater, performance and dance. Summer or winter, day or night, Vienna will deliver an abundance of enjoyment, offering a window into the uniquely Austrian way of life.

FAST FACTS

Language: German
Currency: EURO
Electricity: 230V
Visas: Click here to see if you need a visa to enter Austria.
Dialling Code: +43
Time Zone: (GMT+01:00)

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Enjoy classic opera or ballet at Vienna State Opera

The original neo-renaissance opera house of Vienna built in 1869 was not deemed very grand, an issue that was resolved when it went up in flames during World War II. Its rebuild and evolution ensured it was nothing short of remarkable, featuring marble staircases, acoustically brilliant auditoriums and an interior fit for royalty. One of the busiest opera houses in the world, hosting around 350 ballet performances every year, attending a show is a must do of Vienna travel.
Soak in city views from St Stephen's Cathedral

A morphing of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna is a sight to behold. Often declared the number one Vienna sightseeing activity, it is the most important religious building in the city, recognised for its colorful tiled roof. Visitors can ascend into one of the Cathedral's towers to take in the rolling views of Vienna, before spending time on the ground floor beneath a canopy of elegant chandeliers.
Hop on the tram to trace Vienna's history and heritage

Known locally as the Straßenbahn, Vienna's cherry red trams have been creeping through the city since 1865. With 29 lines and over 1,000 stations to choose from, you can venture to all corners simultaneously tracing history and taking in scenery. If trying to navigate Vienna's near 2,000km tram track maze feels a little overwhelming, try taking the Vienna Ring Tram around The Old City 's Ringstrasse, which offers a more user-friendly alternative designed more for sightseeing than commuting.
Ride the Wiener Riesenrad giant Ferris wheel

For over 120-years Vienna's giant Ferris wheel, Wiener Riesenrad, has been an icon of the city bringing joy to the masses. Part of the free-to-enter Wurstelprater amusement park in the district of Leopoldstadt, it stands at almost 65-metres tall offering some of the best views of the city. Making many pop-culture appearances (most notably a James Bond film), it's without a doubt one of the top things to do in Vienna.
Visit the Schönbrunn Palace and one of the world's oldest zoo

Proving once and for all how lovely it is to be royalty, Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace has its very own zoo. Open since 1752 it is named the oldest continuously running zoo in the world, offering a great day out when paired with an imperial palace tour. Those who can't get enough of the experience (and have some money to burn) can choose to spend a night in one of the palace's opulent 2-bedroom hotel-style suites.

Things to do in Vienna

ImPulsTanz (Neustiftgasse 3, 1070 Wien)
Dance
There are no feet in shackles during Vienna's ImPulsTanz Festival: 5-weeks dedicated to contemporary dance. From strange illusions to ballet performances, breakdancing workshops to Yoga inspired sessions, the festival puts new meaning into movement.
Vienna Festival
Culture
Stretching for almost 6-weeks over May and June, this calendar of music, theatre, performance and dance is a reason to visit Vienna all on its own. Vienna Festival's free opening celebration is arguably the most exciting occasion of all, held in front of Vienna’s picturesque City Hall to a crowd of thousands.
Vienna Blues Spring
Music
Marking the end of a chilly winter with a soul-soothing tempo, Vienna Blues Spring sways its way through the months of March and April. Even if the artists playing aren't names you recognise, the festival offers a great way to get acquainted with new parts of the city and see another element of Austrian culture.
Life Ball (Vienna City Hall)
Culture + AIDS charity event
The biggest charity event in all of Europe is found right here in Vienna, with Life Ball supporting people with HIV or AIDS. Heartfelt speeches and silence meet fashion shows and live music, but with only a few thousand tickets sold to the red-carpet event you may be left spectating from Vienna's streets.
Mayday Festival (Prater Park)
Culture
Live bands, fireworks, and a grand parade bring Vienna to life on Mayday, but nowhere is quite as exciting as Prater Park, with the Wurstelprater amusement park usually offering many rides for free, and like every other day, entrance to the park is free. Equality, justice and Socialism are cause for much celebration in this city.

Top 5 Festivals in Vienna

Would you rather gawk at celebrities by a red carpet or sign up to a breakdancing workshop? These are the sorts of questions to ask yourself when assessing the calendar of Viennese festivals. Bursting with Austrian culture and blended with international influence, the pleasure of a trip to Vienna will be heightened by one of these events.

Kunsthistorisches Museum
Standing before Vienna's museum of art history building you'll understand immediately why it attracts over half a million annual visitors, found in an immensely grand building with pristine hedge gardens. Inside is equally royal and impressive with renowned artists like Michelangelo housed in the ornate setting.
MuseumsQuartier
Within the sprawling 60,000m2 of MuseumsQuartier in Vienna's Neubau district, visitors are dazzled by various instillations, museums and events. From contemporary art in the Kunsthalle Wien space, to a collection of works studying the art of architecture, you'll want to allocate a full day to the must do MuseumsQuartier.
Sigmund Freud Museum
Dreams, ego and the subconscious mind were of great interest to the founder of psychoanalysis, famed Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. This museum in his honour dives into his own life story as well as his studies, boasting items from his original patient analysis room, rare photos and personal objects.
Albertina
Modern graphics works, photographic collections, architectural drawings, and over 1 million old master prints can be found in Albertina Museum's famed print room, one of the largest and most significant in the world. Sitting within a former palace with many additional impressionist works and rotating exhibitions, it's a highlight of Vienna sightseeing.
Haus der Musik
Vienna's House of Music takes an interactive, toe-tapping look into the world of music, from the first human instruments to modern, high-tech music. Found in the Palace of Archduke Charles, once home to German composer Otto Nicolai, it will put a rhythmic spin on your Vienna activities.

Top 5 Museums and Galleries in Vienna

Looking at the line-up of museums in Vienna makes one thing abundantly clear: this city is overflowing with artworks and inspiration. Put a topfenstrudel in one hand and a 'Vienna coffee' in the other, and let yourself drift in and out of these aesthetically perfect curations one by one.

Wiener Schnitzel
Wiener Schnitzel is perhaps the most famous culinary Austrian export, where a thin cut of veal gets crumbed in bread and fried golden, slapped onto a bed of greens most commonly garnished with lemon and served with a variation of potato.

_{Best eaten at
Figlmüller Wollzeile, Wollzeile 5, 1010}
Tafelspitz
Another dish commonly based on veal or alternatively beef, Tafelspitz sees the cut of meat getting boiled and dished up with stewed apples and horseradish. A popular part of Viennese cuisine, it can be found right across the city, but it's best served at Plachutta Hietzing near the 18th century Schönbrunn Zoo.

_{Best eaten at
Plachutta Hietzing, Auhofstraße 1, 1130}
Apfelstrudel
Prepare to have your sweet tooth satisfied with the heavenly Austrian pastry dish of Apfelstrudel. With the first recipe supposedly written in the year 1697, this sugar-coated snack abounds in history and family tradition. Though it's found in almost every cafe in Vienna, Café Landtmann serves an Apfelstrudel worth tracking down.

_{Best eaten at
Café Landtmann, Universitätsring 4, 1010}
Sachertorte
First invented for an Austrian prince, you'll feel pleasantly royal scoffing the decadent chocolate cake complete with thin layers of apricot jam. Universally adored in Austria, Sachertorte cake has its own national day; you have an excuse to eat it from sun up to sun down on December 5.

_{Best eaten at
Cafe Sacher, Philharmonikerstrasse 4, 1010}

Food in Vienna

From gold fried meats to sweet bakery treats, it's impossible not to find satisfaction in the culinary city of Vienna. From schnitzel and strudel to royal sachertorte cake, all the Austrian hallmarks are here waiting to be devoured.

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