Discover Vienna, Austria – Best Things to Do

Austria’s capital and primary city is home to nearly one-third of the country’s population. This metropolitan city is home to the United Nations and serves as a major cultural, economic, and political hub in Austria. Vienna, also known as the City of Music and the City of Dreams, is renowned throughout the world for its stunning historical buildings, gardens, and establishments.

Vienna is a haven in central Europe and a popular tourist destination, having been ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world, with its inhabitants enjoying a high quality of life. The top must-see attractions in Vienna are listed below, and should provide you with more than enough information to plan your trip.

#1 Schönbrunn Palace

The Schonbrunn Palace, which has existed since the 1600s and plays an important cultural role in Austria, is a massive 1441-room structure and complex that is Vienna’s main tourist attraction.

The Habsburgs have lived here for many years, and emperors of Austria have also been born there.

The palace is a massive structure designed in the Baroque style, with a symmetrical main building with hundreds of windows and statues on the rooftop.

Inside the palace, there are a variety of rooms that are all fully furnished and decorated in the original style. You can take a tour of the rooms and admire the sumptuous furnishings and see how Austrian royalty lived.

#2 Schonbrunn Gardens

The gardens at Schonbrunn are an exceptional part of the Schonbrunn Palace Complex and deserve a separate visit in their own right.

The park’s grounds extend for over a kilometer from the Palace, and you could spend hours walking through the various sections and displays.

You can stroll through the Parterre and admire the uniform flower beds, or get lost in the beautiful hedge maze and labyrinth; Neptune’s fountain is a stunning piece of artwork, and there is even a fake Roman Ruin complete with stone statues.

The Gloriette, which stands opposite the palace and features a pool and a classical colonnaded long building – is the crowning glory of all of this. Enjoy a drink in the cafe or simply gaze out at the entire garden in front of you.

#3 Tiergarten Schonbrunn (Vienna Zoo)

The Tiergarten Zoo, located within the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace, is the world’s oldest zoo and bills itself as a center for species preservation and educational fulfillment.

The Zoo, which was originally built as a menagerie, has several original buildings from that era that, when combined with more modern structures, create a pleasant place to walk through.

The Zoo is home to a wide variety of animals, including the endangered giant Panda, as well as Giraffes, Sea Lions, and Sloths. Experienced Zookeepers give talks throughout the day, and there is even a simulated Amazon rainforest environment to walk through.

As far as zoos go, the Vienna Zoo is one of the best in the world, and you can see how well the animals are cared for.

#4 St Stephen’s Cathedral

Since its construction, this monolithic structure has stood proudly in the Stephensplatz and has been the most important church in Vienna and Austria.

The beauty of this building is undeniable, and its massive tower dominates the Vienna skyline as Austria’s tallest church tower.

Everything about St Stephen’s Cathedral exudes opulence, from the exterior’s Romanesque and Gothic design to the dominating pointed tower and the intricately decorated main roof, which features hundreds of coloured tiles arranged in an intriguing pattern.

There are 18 altars, several smaller chapels, and even some tombs and catacombs inside the church.

#5 Belvedere Museum

In the 1600s, this massive palatial complex and gardens, divided into Upper and Lower Belvedere, served as a summer residence for Austrian princes.

Upper Belvedere has a detailed façade with green domed semi-towers, while Lower Belvedere has a simpler design; both palaces face the beautiful gardens.

The Belvedere Museum features two palaces with a staggering collection of artwork and decorated staterooms, as well as expansive landscape gardens with pools and an Orangery.

#6 Hofburg Palace

The Hofburg Palace is another massive palatial complex that pays tribute to the power and influence of the Habsburg dynasty and served for hundreds of years as the main winter palace for the rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Today, the complex houses the president of Austria’s offices and serves as a presidential base.

Since their construction in the 13th century, the buildings have undergone numerous additions, the most notable of which is the magnificent semi-circular Neue Burg.

Visitors can admire the beauty and style of the baroque architecture, tour the imperial apartments, or visit one of the complex’s detailed museums.

#7 Vienna Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum, housed in a sophisticated palace complex typical of Vienna’s historical architecture, has a vast collection of minerals, precious stones, meteorites, fossils, animal skeletons, displays of various insects and mammals, and even taxidermy of extinct species.

The museum’s collection is one of the most important in Europe, with over 30 million objects, and new additions arrive on a regular basis.

This fascinating location also has a digital planetarium where you can watch fascinating films about the earth and its evolution.

This massive museum will captivate both adults and children with its wealth of information and mind-boggling displays.

#8 Rathaus

The Town Hall on Rathausplatz is a fine addition to Vienna’s collection of historical and significant architecture.

The Rathaus, a later addition to the city, was built in the 1800s in a Neo-Gothic style to house the mayor’s offices for the city’s ever-growing population.

The Rathaus is built in the style of Brussels’ town hall, with five towers, the largest of which is topped by the iconic Rathausman statue.

On certain days, guided tours of the inside of the Town Hall are available, and it is well worth seeing the extravagant style of the rooms and what it must be like to work inside such a wonderful building.

#9 Prater Amusement Park

What better way to experience Vienna than with a fun-filled day at the Prater Amusement Park? The Wiener Prater Park was once a hunting ground before becoming a public space for food stands and small amusement stalls; it now houses the impressive Amusement Park and is free to enter (You pay for the individual rides instead). A huge Ferris wheel, bumper cars, carousels, and hair-raising rollercoasters are among the rides and stalls inside the park.

To keep you entertained, there are also shooting ranges, a waxworks display, and a light gauge railway.

If rides and thrills aren’t your thing, there are several restaurants and cafes in the park where you can relax and take in the scenery.

#10 Donauturm (Viewing tower)

At 252 meters, the Donauturm is one of the world’s tallest 75 free-standing towers. It serves as an observation tower in Vienna’s Donaustadt district.

The Donauturm is easily identifiable against Vienna’s relatively low-rise skyline; the structure contains radio transmitters and cell phone antennae, two revolving restaurants, an observation platform, and even a bungie jumping gangway.

The tower offers a fantastic and unique view of Vienna, and it is easy to see why it attracts so many visitors.

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