10 Best Things To Do in Vienna

Walking through the centre of Vienna is a privilege and its palaces and monuments complete the charm of the Austrian capital. Few cities are as elegant as this one, but Vienna is not just a façade: it is history, art, architecture and gastronomy. Here are my top 10 must-sees in the city.

You've probably heard stories about Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sissi. Many of them have Schoenbrunn Palace as their main setting. It is located a little way from the centre of Vienna, but easily accessible from any point in the city by public transport.

In addition to a guided tour of Schoenbrunn Palace, Austria's most important palace also offers more comprehensive premium experiences for travellers:

• Guided tour of Vienna with guided visit to Schönbrunn Palace -from £55
• Concert at Schoenbrunn Palace Vienna -from £50
• Concert at Schoenbrunn Palace Vienna with dinner and visit-from £122

If you are one of those who enjoy taking advantage of the cities at sunset, this is one of the best things to do in Vienna at night and you will discover the spectacular illumination of this and other buildings.

Vienna is a big city and although walking through its streets is a pleasure, if you're short on time and want to see all the sights without walking, I recommend buying a sightseeing bus pass. There are several companies operating in the city, the two main ones being Big Bus and Vienna Sightseeing.

The Austrian capital has a lot to offer the traveller, but not only because of its landmarks, but also because of its geographical location. Vienna is close to wonderful scenery and other European cities that can be seen on a day trip.

Some of the best tours and excursions from Vienna are:

• Excursion to Wachau, Melk Abbey and the Danube valleys -from £95
• Excursion to Budapest-from £116
• Excursion to Bratislava -from £80
• Excursion to Hallstatt-from £120

If you prefer to go on your own to these and other destinations in the Viennese surroundings, be sure to visit these posts where I tell you the best way to get there:

• How to get from Vienna to Budapest
• How to get from Vienna to Salzburg
• How to get from Vienna to Prague

There are all kinds of guided tours of Vienna, from electric vehicle rides through the city to walking tours with a local guide. Regardless of your budget and type of travel, there will be a tour to suit your preferences and taking a tour is a way to learn more about the city and its way of life.

The variety of options is interesting and you are sure to find one that suits your travel profile:

• Guided tour of Vienna with guided visit to Schonbrunn Palace-from 55
• Private walking tour of Vienna -from £137
• Vienna Bike Tour -from £42
• Private bike tour of Vienna -from £155
• Segway tour of Vienna -from £79
• Private driving tour of Vienna-from £328

This experience is the next best thing to touring Vienna with a friend who has lived there for years and is fascinated by all the secrets it has to offer.

Schönbrunn Palace is not the only palace you will come across in Vienna. Right in the centre is the Hofburg, the residence of most of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty. Today, the palace ensemble is the most visited site in the city.

If you want to focus on the essentials, I recommend buying the Hofburg Imperial Palace ticket which includes access to the imperial flats and the Sissi museum; it's the most worthwhile for those who want to get a general impression of the palace and are not interested in more specialised tours such as the silver museum or the riding school.

It is no secret that Vienna is known to many as the city of music. If you have walked, even briefly, through its streets, you will have already seen that the figure of Mozart rivals that of Empress Sissi in popularity in all the souvenir shops. This is why the Vienna State Opera is one of the most notable and visited monuments in the Austrian capital.

If you want to attend an opera in Vienna, I recommend two things when it comes to buying tickets: look online for the cheapest price offers (because you will find tickets from 5 to 150 euros) and book well in advance, as it will be very difficult to find a seat one or two days in advance.

For lovers of this art form, you can't miss the House of Music in Vienna where you can discover historical instruments and personal objects of the great classical composers, among many other things! Here's how to get your tickets

And if you travel to the Austrian capital in December, one of the best Christmas plans in Vienna is, without a doubt, the famous New Year's concert. It's not easy to get tickets to see the great musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, but in case you want to try, here's a post about the biggest musical event of the year in Vienna

The list of palaces to visit in Vienna is considerably long. The Belvedere Palace is considered a Baroque masterpiece and houses the Austrian National Gallery where you can see works such as Klimt's The Kiss. As well as visiting the interior of the palace, a tour of the French gardens is a must.

Depending on the areas of the complex you want to visit, you can buy tickets to the palace either at the ticket office or online. Pay attention to what is included in each ticket as many of the areas to visit are in separate pavilions away from the palace.

A must for art lovers. The Habsburgs managed to put together a collection of world-famous masterpieces, all of which are housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, also known as the Museum of Fine Arts. Caravaggio, Dürer and Brueghel the Elder are some of the highlights of this museum. If you are going to visit it, pay special attention to its Egyptian Art collection.

A piece of advice: try to buy your tickets online and in advance to avoid, as far as possible, the long queues at the ticket office. Children under the age of 18 are free. But to really understand the incredible collection of this museum, I also recommend one of the guided tours, where you will be told in great detail the story behind the main works.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best museums in Vienna, although it is not the only one. Admission to this museum and many more is included in the Vienna Pass.

What is it like to eat in Vienna? Austrian cuisine is characterised by tradition and international openness and is accessible to all budgets. In Vienna you can eat at the typical street sausage stalls (one of the most popular varieties is the Käsekrainer which mixes pork and cheese) and also in the typical Viennese restaurants known as "Beisin" which will serve you traditional dishes.

My advice would be to go by the recommendations of the locals, but if you want to play it safe you can order the Wiener Schnitzel**(veal** or porkescalope in batter) or the Tafelspitz (beef stew). If you're curious about Viennese food, don't hesitate to visit the Naschmarkt market, where you'll also have access to some great tastings.

In any other city, going to the amusement park is usually more of an activity reserved for locals than for those visiting the city. There are too many sights to see in a new place to see things you can find elsewhere. There are too many sights to see in a new place to see things you can find anywhere else, so why do I recommend spending a day at Vienna's amusement park? Because the Prater is not just any amusement park.

The Prater is the oldest amusement park in the world, the oldest amusement park in the world, the one with the largest hanging merry-go-round ever built and the largest discotheque in Austria. In addition to all this, there are 250 rides and attractions open from March to October. In short, if you like amusement parks, a trip to the Prater during your visit to the Austrian capital is not a waste of time.

The fact that Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe is well known to all visitors throughout the year. It is certainly a good decision to choose Vienna as the European capital for a few days' getaway.

My recommendation is to plan your trip, make sure you book your Vienna airport transfers and get a tourist card, the Vienna Pass. Also, don't miss these tips for travelling to Vienna and getting the most out of the city.

When is the best time to visit the Austrian city?

The cold temperatures of autumn and winter in Vienna can't stop you from travelling to the beautiful city at this time of year, as even the snow has its charm there. On the other hand, spring and summer in this area, which bring warmer and more pleasant temperatures, will also attract more tourists. If you still have any doubts, take a look at these posts on the best things to do and see depending on the time of year you're travelling:

• 10 Things to See and Do in Vienna in Summer
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in Winter
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in Spring
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in autumn

Or perhaps you'd prefer to know the options by month:

• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in January
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in February
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in March
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in August
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in September
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in October
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in November
• 10 things to see and do in Vienna in December

And now that we have the when, let me tell you what is the best travel plan depending on the time you have available in Vienna:

• Vienna in 1 day: what you can't miss
• Vienna in 2 days: the best itinerary
• Vienna in 3 days: all you need to see
• Vienna in 4 days: a must-see guide to Vienna
• Vienna in 5 days: get the most out of your trip