Did you know that Vienna is the best city to live in the world according to the recent ranking in the Global Liveability Index? Here are our top tips for experiencing the best of this spectacular city.
For our recommendations for exploring Budapest and the best way to travel between Vienna and Budapest, please refer to The best of Budapest and Vienna – Part 1.
Vienna
- Embrace the local coffee culture
Vienna is world-famous for its coffee culture, historical coffeehouses and, of course, delicious coffee.
There are countless enticing coffee places to choose from to enjoy your coffee in Vienna and it is easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. We highly recommend the following four of our favourite places to immerse yourself in the local coffee culture:
- Fenster Cafe – this place is not a cafe but rather a hole-in-the-wall concept where you get your coffee to go. However, it is not to be missed because the coffee is amazing! Our favourite is coffee served in a waffle cone lined with chocolate – it is simply divine! This tiny place is located in the Innere Stadt tucked away right by Griechenbeisl (more about it below) and it is open from 8 am to 8 pm daily. They also sell coffee beans with cute cat illustrations on the packaging, we are definitely getting a bag or two on our next visit.
- Kunsthistorisches Museum Cafe – please note that to visit this cafe you need to have a ticket for the Kunsthistorisches Museum as the cafe is located right inside the museum under its magnificent dome. The museum itself is absolutely breathtaking and well worth a visit so we highly recommend allocating enough time to visit both. As for the Museum Cafe, you can’t go wrong with a Viennese melange, a specialty coffee similar to a cappuccino but with thick milk foam on top. Another great drink option on the menu is the elderflower lemonade, especially recommended on a hot summer day.
- Cafe Hawelka – this family-owned traditional Viennese cafe is a true gem and a great place for breakfast. The cafe was opened by Leopold Hawelka in 1939 and was a central meeting point for many distinguished writers, critics and artists of that time. Cafe Hawelka was steps away from our hotel in the Innere Stadt so it was our favorite place for a quick breakfast before exploring the city. You should definitely their apple strudel – it pairs very nicely with Hawelka’s delicious coffee!
- Cafe Central – this is probably the most famous coffeehouse in Vienna dating back to 1876. This stunning coffeehouse was a central meeting point for many leading figures in art, literature, politics and science, such as Freud and Trotsky. Silvia and I visited the famous cafe on our last day in Vienna for breakfast before going to the airport and we were not disappointed! We had our usual breakfast – croissants, orange juice and cafe melange, and we are pleased to report that everything tasted as great as it looked!
2. Enjoy a traditional meal at an ancient Beisl
While researching the best lunch spots in the Innere Stadt close to our hotel, I found an absolute gem and I am pleased to share it with you – meet Griechenbeisl, the oldest inn in Vienna. This charming rustic restaurant was opened in 1447 and to this day it continues to offer its guests traditional Viennese dining in a cosy ambiance transporting you back in time.
This ancient Beisl has an impressive 550-year-long history and close ties to the local folklore, namely the story of a famous bagpiper called Augustin who used to play his bagpipe and sing a song called Der Liebe Augustin in one of the rooms of Griechenbeisl in the 17th century. The legend has it that one day Augustin fell into a plague pit while intoxicated but he survived. You will notice a recreation of this plague pit with a full-size figurine of Augustin inside just before the entrance to the Beisl. There is also a large plaque commemorating Augustin on the facade of Griechenbeisl.
There is nothing more traditional than a Viennese schnitzel so naturally, we wanted to try it at this ancient inn. Our traditional schnitzel came with cranberry sauce, a side of mustard potato salad and herbed butter, and everything was absolutely delicious. A word of advice – the portions are more than generous so you might want to share a schnitzel between two people rather than ordering one per person. It turned out that our eyes were bigger than our bellies so speaking from experience here!
Griechenbeisl is set out on two floors with five dining rooms on the ground floor and another three on the first floor. In the evenings you can enjoy some live piano, zither or accordion music while dining, which adds to its charm.
If the place is not too busy, ask the staff to show you the Mark Twain room with autographs by many famous patrons of the inn scribbled all over the ceiling and the walls. It is truly remarkable to be in the same dining room where Mark Twain, Strauss, Bismarck and many other prominent historical figures once enjoyed the ambiance of Griechenbeisl.
4. Vienna State Opera tour
No visit to Vienna is complete without the Vienna State Opera tour so make sure you book yours in advance on the official Vienna State Opera website here.
The tour lasts approximately 40 minutes during which you will learn about the fascinating history of one of the world’s leading opera houses and get to marvel at its incredible interiors and architecture. The original opera house was built in 1869 and subsequently reconstructed in 1955. It has the most extensive opera repertoire in the world offering 50 opera and ballet works per season.
We highly recommend purchasing tickets to enjoy an opera or a ballet performance at the Vienna State Opera but make sure you book at least a few weeks in advance to avoid disappointment.
5. Schonbrunn Palace and Hofburg Palace
The famous Schonbrunn Palace is just a short train ride away from the Innere Stadt and we recommend allocating at least half a day to visit the former summer residence of the Habsburgs.
The Schonbrunn Palace website offers several types of tickets to visit the Palace including a few types of guided tours here. We recommend getting the Sisi ticket which includes the grand tour of Schonbrunn with an audio guide, the Sisi Museum plus the Imperial Apartments, and the Vienna Furniture Museum. The Palace is open daily from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm and the gardens are open until 8 pm.
Please note that it is not allowed to take photos inside the Palace.
If you would like to visit the viewing platform of the Gloriette, the maze, the orangery and the carriage museum, you would need to buy separate tickets for these additional attractions.
We highly recommend visiting the Imperial Carriage Museum where you can explore an extensive imperial carriage collection and also some additional exhibits such as Sisi’s outfits, including the intricate train of her wedding dress, and some personal items like fans and gloves. You can buy your ticket at the entrance to the carriage museum.
There are several cafes and restaurants to grab a bite at Schobrunn and we are pleased to share our two favourites with you.
The first one is Cafe Gloriette located inside, you guessed it, the Gloriette. You do not need a ticket to Gloriette to visit the cafe. You can choose to sit inside or on the terrace to take in the serene views of the surrounding greenery. We recommend trying one of the traditional Austrian desserts: a classic apple strudel and Kaiserschmarrn, a fluffy shredded pancake with plum jam.
Another great spot for lunch is Cafe Residenz located in the Palace courtyard at the exit of the imperial rooms. We visited the cafe in July so the weather was perfect for enjoying the lovely covered terrace with the beautiful views of the Palace and the gardens.
We highly recommend trying Emperor Franz Joseph’s favourite dish, Kaiserschmarrn, which was the best we tried in Vienna. The cafe radiates the inviting ambiance of a traditional Viennese coffee house and their melange was excellent (not surprising as this is a family-run business that takes pride in being coffee house proprietors).
Visiting the winter residence of the Habsburgs, the Hofburg Palace, is another must on everyone’s to-do list in Vienna.
As suggested above, if you are planning to visit both Schonbrunn and Hofburg, the best ticket to buy is the Sisi ticket giving you access to Schonbrunn, the Sisi Museum, the Hofburg Imperial Apartments and the Vienna Furniture Museum.
The Imperial Apartments tour includes an audio guide so you can explore the apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Sisi at your own pace. Hofburg is open daily from 9 am to 5.30 pm (the last admission is at 4.30 pm).
6. Enjoy breakfast at Demel
This historical cafe right in front of the Hofburg palace is very popular so be prepared to wait in line if you visit during a busy tourist season. Silvia and I arrived around 10 am on a Sunday in July and had to wait for more than half an hour to get inside and be seated. It was worth the wait though as our usual breakfast of choice was fresh and delicious.
Silvia and I opted for a simple breakfast consisting of croissants (they are enormous at Demel!), fresh orange juice and a cup of melange of course.
According to some sources, even though the croissant is thought to be a quintessentially French pastry, it is originally from Austria! Our favourite story about the origins of the flaky pastry is that it was Marie Antoinette, who was from Austria, who introduced it in France when she moved from her home court in Vienna to Paris after she married King Louis XVI.
7. The Austrian National Library
Could a library be a top 10 place to visit in Vienna? Our answer is yes, the Austrian National Library is a must on your trip to Vienna. Even if you are not a book lover, the Library is worth a visit just to marvel at the stunning interiors of the State Hall dating back to the 18th century.
When planning your visit, please bear in mind that the Library is closed on Mondays and the working hours for the remaining days are 10 am to 6 pm, except Thursdays when it is open until 9 pm. The entry ticket is EUR 10 and you can purchase it at the entrance. However, if you would like to have a private tour, you would need to book it in advance.
8. Sisi Museum and Schloss Halbturn
For anyone who is interested in the life of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, or Sisi, the Sisi Museum located on the Hofburg palace grounds is a must-visit. You can explore the museum on your own with an audio guide purchasing a standard entry ticket (we recommend the Sisi ticket) or, alternatively, you can book a guided tour.
We experienced both on two different visits and, based on our experience, if you already know a lot about Sisi the guided tour will not provide you with too much insight and you are better off getting a regular ticket to explore the museum at your own pace.
However, if you are not too familiar with Sisi and her story, a guided tour in a small group would be a nice way to learn more about her.
While the museum had a small selection of Sisi’s dresses (both remakes and a couple of originals), Silvia and I wanted to see more and we were lucky to visit a temporary Sisi dress exhibition at Halbtrun, a small castle a short train ride away located on the border with Hungary. In fact, it is so close to the border that you can walk for less than an hour and end up in Hungary! We were tempted to explore and see if we could find some nice place for lunch on the other side and the only thing that stopped us was the fact that it did not seem like it was easy to find a taxi there in case we got lost or were tired.
Even though the dress exhibition has now ended, the castle frequently hosts other temporary exhibitions and concerts so we suggest checking the website of Schloss Halbturn before your visit to see what is on. The next exhibition at Halbturn is set to run from 20 April to 5 November 2023 and it will feature portraits of children at the imperial court. According to the castle’s website, the exhibition will “provide a glimpse into the children’s world from the time of Empress Maria Theresia to the end of the monarchy and provide an authentic insight and a lively idea of children’s everyday life in the imperial era”. The exhibition will be open Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm and the tickets are EUR 12.
We found out about the exhibition by chance and it was absolutely worth navigating the train ride to the castle. The Sisi dress exhibition featured a great selection of reconstructed dressed worn by Sisi at various stages of her life and it allowed the visitors to have a glimpse of the fashion at the Austrian imperial court. The dresses were displayed out in the open and could be admired upclose.
Our favourite dresses were Sisi’s Hungarian dresses. We would not be surprised if they were Sisi’s favourites too given her deep love for Hungary and its people.
Other than the exhibition rooms, the castle does not have many rooms you can explore but its ballroom is very ornate and it is no surprise the castle is a popular choice for weddings.
If the weather is good, we highly recommend exploring the castle grounds and going for a walk. We were there in early July and the weather was perfect for spending time outside.
If you get hungry after walking around the castle grounds, lunch at the local restaurant Knappenstokl just outside the main entrance of the castle is a great way to try some traditional Austrian cuisine with a regional Hungarian influence and locally sourced carefully selected ingredients. The restaurant is open 5-9.30 pm on weekdays and 11 am to 9.30 pm on weekends.
Silvia and I chose a luscious mushroom goulash (suitable for vegetarians) and a traditional Hungarian dessert. You can also find the local favourites like Wiener Schnitzel and Kaiserschmarrn.
9. The Palace of Justice
As a lawyer, I could not miss the opportunity to see the Palace of Justice (Justizpalast) located steps away from the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum. The Palace houses the Supreme Court of Austria and several other courts in an opulent Neo-Renaissance building dating back to 1881.
The Palace is open to visitors from 7.30 am to 3.30 pm Monday to Friday and it is closed on weekends. There is no fee to enter but you have to go through a scanner and security check. I cannot recall if we needed to show any form of identification but we suggest you bring some with you just in case.
Once you are inside, prepare to be amazed by the grand staircase and beautiful interiors.
Once you are done exploring the Palace, you can go up to the 5th floor for breakfast or lunch in the company of the local lawyers, judges and policemen who work at the Palace as the restaurant (or rather a canteen) is open to the public too.
Weather premitting, we suggest going to the terrace to take in the gorgeous views of the capital. The terrace has tables too so you can choose to sit outside and enjoy the views!
The place has canteen-style service so you are served what they have on the day and have to bring food and drink to your table yourself. Silvia and I went there for breakfast and had a nice breakfast consisting of pastries, fresh orange juice and coffee.
10. Belvedere
Another wonderful way to spend a day in Vienna is to visit the Belvedere Museum. Located in Innere Stadt 15 minutes walk from the State Opera, Belvedere consists of two baroque palaces – the Upper Belvedere and the Lower Belvedere, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. This impressive baroque complex was constructed between 1717 and 1723. In celebration of its 300-year anniversary, Belvedere is presenting an extensive exhibition “300 Years a Venue for Art” to reflect on its history throughout the years from serving as a royal residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy to its present-day role as one of the most important art museums with an impressive collection of artworks spanning 800 years.
The Upper Belvedere houses an impressive collection of art masterpieces by Klimt, van Gogh, Funke and others. The museum is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm. Please note that you would need to purchase your ticket in advance to guarantee your preferred time slot and to avoid queueing at the ticket office.
The Lower Belvedere has the same opening time as the Upper Belvedere. Please note that if you would like to visit both, you would need to purchase a combination ticket that costs EUR 22.90 at the time of writing with your preferred time slot.
Honourabe mentions:
Sisi memorial
Hidden in the Volksgarten Park a short walk from Hofburg you will find a beautiful tribute to the Empress Sisi – a memorial erected in 1907. Despite the park’s central location, it remains quiet and provides a perfect place for Sisi’s memorial.
Cafe Sacher
If you have a sweet tooth you would probably be keen on trying the world-famous Viennese sacher torte – a rich chocolate cake with layers of plum jam. Arguably, the best place to try this decadent dessert is at Cafe Sacher located in the heart of Innere Stadt next door to the Sacher Hotel.
The cafe is a very popular tourist attraction so be prepared to wait in line in the street to get a table if you do not make a reservation in advance.
Cafe Sacher prides itself in offering the original Sacher Torte baked in Vienna since 1832 in 34 handmade steps! Most people come to the cafe to have this famous cake, however Cafe Sacher also offers its take on the traditional apple strudel and a variety of breakfast and egg dishes. And of course a great selection of coffee drinks, including the traditional Einspanner (a double espresso topped with whipped cream) and melange (our favourite).
