We really loved the stunning city of Vienna. Vienna is a city where beautiful palaces, world-class art and café culture mix effortlessly with vibrant modern neighbourhoods. Whether you’re wandering the grand avenues of the Habsburg era, savouring a slice of Sachertorte in a historic coffee house or soaking up the creative buzz of a trendy district, there are so many things to do in Vienna. In this post, you’ll find the 5 best experiences to include in your itinerary — plus practical tips on where to stay so you can make the most of your time in Austria’s capital.
The city is small enough to get around on foot but large enough that there’s plenty to do. Read on to find out our highlights.
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The Best Things to Do in Vienna, Austria
Below are my top 5 recommendations on the best things to do in Vienna.
1. The Spanish Riding School
The Spanish Riding School is one of Vienna’s main attractions and probably the top thing to do in Vienna. Set in the stunningly beautiful Hofburg Palace, it has continued to practice classic equitation for the past 450 years.
We visited in the morning (from 10-12) to see the horses “Morning Exercises”. A display of riders and horses training together to music. We’re not especially interested in horses, but still really enjoyed this.
Tickets for The Spanish Riding School start from €17 for adults. Guided tours of the Palace are also available, as well as shows. More details can be found on the Spanish Riding School website linked here.
BOOK: TICKETS FOR THE SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL
2. Eat Sweet Treats!
Vienna is famous for its sweet treats. Sampling a few is definitely one of the very best things to do in Vienna!
The most famous desert in Vienna is the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam and then covered in dark chocolate icing.
Secondly, apple strudel is a must-try. An apple-filled pastry, served warm, sometimes for breakfast! Of course, we tried both of these, and they were delicious!
Fun Fact – Did you know the croissant originated from Vienna? All this time I thought it was French!
3. Watch the Opera
The Wiener Staatsoper Opera House is another beautiful building, and a place you must add to your Vienna itinerary.
It is possible to get tickets to see a ballet or opera for a bargain price, as low as €3! There is a slight catch: you have to stand to watch rather than be seated, and it involves a little bit of queuing. We managed to get €4 tickets to see the ballet Giselle, and it was such a great experience.
With the €3 tickets, you stand at the back of the stalls; we thought it was worth the extra €1 to stand at the back of the dress circle. The picture above shows we had a pretty good view!
Here’s how to get the tickets. Find out showtimes on the Vienna State Opera website, linked here. Standing tickets go on sale 1hour and 20minutes before the show starts. You need to line up at the standing ticket office. We got there about an hour and 15 minutes before the show, and there was already quite a queue.
The line moves fairly quickly. You’re only allowed to buy one ticket per person, so everyone in your group needs to queue together. Final rule: they only accept cash.
Once you have your ticket, you can go through to the standing area. It seemed to be the rule that the people who got there first were allowed to tie a scarf or similar to the railings to reserve their space. This caused a bit of confusion and a little bit of pushing and shoving. My advice would be to get to space early, stay there to enjoy the show!
4. Visit Prater Park
Prater Park is a large public park, home to one of the oldest theme parks in Europe. The theme park is free to enter and quite interesting to wander through.
The rides are individually priced, most looked to be between €2 and €10. The old Ferris wheel is the main attraction, but we didn’t go on it as it was €10 each and it didn’t look like you’d get an amazing view. I could be wrong, though!
5. Palace of Justice
This is supposedly a well-kept secret in Vienna. This may be because you have to go through some high-tech, scary-looking security to enter the building. It is worth it! For a free view over the city, head to the Palace of Justice. Once through the security, the inside is just stunning,
Take the lift up to the rooftop café offers views over the whole city. Plus, it’s FREE entry!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my guide on the best things to do in Vienna, and you have an amazing trip to Austria.
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Happy travelling!
