by Hans Peter Schaefer / CC BY-SA 3.0
Table of Contents
A. About Vienna
Nickname: The Imperial CityAs a city of traditions with a famous musical legacy and a population of more than 1.8 million, Vienna has played a prominent role in world culture.
Reminders of the city's illustrious past are everywhere from the world heritage-listed Historic Centre, the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) itself to the palaces of Belvedere and Schönbrunn.
Vienna is known for its extremely high quality of life, topping several lists of the world's most livable cities.
The Good:Â
Cosmopolitan Vienna is scoring rather high in almost all categories.
This extraordinary consistency leads to a remarkable high rank in our study.
The Not-So-Good:Â
Vienna is rather expensive.
B. Best Things to Do in Vienna in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)
In total, we count an impressive total of 130 sights in Vienna. The following sights contribute to an excellent score of 7.55/10 in this most important category:
# SCHLOSS SCHĂ–NBRUNN 8
This overwhelmingly opulent former summer residence of the Habsburg family in Baroque style was constructed in 1696.
The beautiful vast gardens, as well as forty of the palace's 1441 rooms, are open to the public. Among the highlights of the interior are the private apartments of Franz-Joseph and Empress Elisabeth, the Blue Staircase, the Mirror Room, and the Hall of Ceremonies.
Palace World Heritage Site: since 1996
by Simon Matzinger/ CC BY-SA 3.0
# HISTORIC CENTER 7
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2001 Vienna's historic pedestrianized center (Innere Stadt), in its unity, is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe.
From its central point — the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral — Vienna's most famous streets expand in all directions, including Graben and Kärntner Strasse. The outlines are marked by the famous late-19th-century Ringstrasse lined with grand buildings (including the State Opera House, the City Hall, the Austrian Parliament, or the Hofburg Palace).
Historic Area World Heritage Site: since 2001
by Lumturi1989 / CC BY-SA 3.0
# HOFBURG (Imperial Palace) 7
Today the office of the President of Austria, the immense 13th-century Hofburg palace complex, which until 1918 was inhabited by the imperial Habsburg family, contains numerous sights.
The most interesting from a tourist perspective include the Imperial Apartments (Kaiserappartements) with nineteen authentic equipped rooms as well as the Sisi Museum, the Imperial Silver Collection, and the butterfly house. Furthermore, the baroque Austrian National Library (Nationalbibliothek) with its State Hall (Prunksaal) one of the most beautiful historic libraries in the world.
Palace World Heritage Site: since 2001
by Bwag / CC BY-SA 3.0
# STAATSOPER (State Opera House) 7
Built between 1861 and 1869, this splendid neo-Renaissance opera house is one of the most famous in the world.
Highlights of a 40-minute guided tour include the main staircase, the Schwind Foyer, and the magnificent auditorium. For many decades, the opera house has been the venue of the internationally highly renowned Vienna Opera Ball.
Opera House World Heritage Site: since 2001
# Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) 7
Considered one of the great art museums of Europe, Vienna’s Museum of Art History houses the outstanding former private collection of the Imperial family in a splendid purpose-built building lavishly decorated with marble, stucco decorations, and gold leaf.
This is our selection of the ten best artworks of the Kunsthistorisches Museum:
1) The Tower of Babel, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1563)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
2) Hunters in the Snow, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1565)
by Pieter Bruegel the Elder / Public Domain
3) The Artist's Studio (aka Art of Painting or The Allegory of Painting), Johannes Vermeer van Delft (1666-1668)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
4) Salt Cellar sculpture, Benvenuto Cellini (1543)
#3 by Benvenuto Cellini (Jerzy Strzelecki) / CC BY-SA 3.0
5) Jupiter and Io, Correggio (Antonio Allegri) (1489-95)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
6) Madonna in the Meadow, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (1505-1506)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
7) The Last Judgment, Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1482)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
8) Triptych: The Crucifixion, Rogier van der Weyden (1445)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
9) Portrait of a Venetian, Albrecht DĂĽrer (1505)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
10) The Crowning with Thorns, Caravaggio (c. 1602-1607)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
11) Portrait of Jan de Leeuw, Jan van Eyck (1436)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
12) The Peasant Wedding, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1568-69)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
Art and Archaeological Museum Gallery Space: 14,000 m2 / 150,000 ft2 | Galleries: ca. 120 | Artworks on Display: ca. 4,800 | Established: 1871-1891 | Visitors [2015]: 1,400,000
# STEPHANSDOM (St. Stephen's Cathedral) 7
This majestic Gothic cathedral marks the very heart of Vienna's historic center.
Climb the 343 steps to the top of the South Tower (or use the elevator to reach the lookout terrace at the North Tower) for wonderful views over the whole city.
Cathedral World Heritage Site: since 2001
by Andrew Bossi / CC BY-SA 2.5
# BELVEDERE PALACE and Ă–sterreichische Galerie Belvedere 6
This splendid palace complex with beautiful interior décor houses an outstanding collection of 19th- and 20th-century Austrian paintings.
At the Upper Belvedere Palace marvel at the world's largest collection of Gustav Klimt's paintings including his famous masterpieces "The Kiss" and "Judith and the Head of Holofernes" but also famous works by Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka.
Palace and Museum World Heritage Site since 2001; Gallery Space: 6,360 m2 [68,458 ft2] | Galleries: ca. 60 | Artworks on Display: ca. 600 | Established: 1903 | Visitors [2017]: 1,427,225
# City Hall and Tower 5.5
The stunning Vienna City Hall is the seat of the provincial and city government. Take an elevator to the top of the 98-meter-high observation tower to enjoy panoramic views over Vienna.
by Steve Collis / CC BY-SA 2.0
# Spanische Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School) 5.5
In this world-famous riding school, visitors can enjoy unique performances by the Lipizzaner horses.
by Hiroki Ogawa / CC BY-SA 3.0
C. Other Notable Sights and Attractions in Vienna
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- Schönbrunn Zoo 5.5
- Albertina (museum) 5.5
- Karlskirche (church) 5.5
- Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum) 5.5
- KunstHausWien (Museum Hundertwasser) 5.5
- Hundertwasserhaus 5.5
- Donauturm (Donau Tower) (total 252 m, observation deck 169 m, 1964) 5.5
- Steinhof Church 5.5
- Naschmarkt (market) 5.5
E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Vienna (including close-by excursions)
To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend to you when visiting Vienna for at least three entire days:
SCHLOSS SCHĂ–NBRUNN (castle) 8
HISTORIC CENTRE 7
HOFBURG (Imperial Palace) 7
STAATSOPER (opera house) 7
Kunsthistorisches Museum 7
STEPHANSDOM (cathedral) 7
BELVEDERE PALACE (palace and museum) 6
Stephansplatz (St Stephen's Square) 5.5
Rathaus (city hall) 5.5
Spanische Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School) 5.5