10 Things to Do in Vienna in September
If you're planning to visit the iconic city of Vienna, September is an ideal month! You'll find good autumn weather and better prices than in high season.
Vienna in Autumn | ©Roman aka MarioP
There is always plenty to see and do in Vienna, but of all the times of the year to visit, you will be particularly impressed by the month of September.
Autumn in Vienna offers a wide variety of activities such as cocktail parties and beer festivals, events to discover the products of the Austrian countryside, sporting events, visits to historic buildings, children's choir, street art, vineyard tours, bike tours and even roller coasters. Let's go for a ride!
1. A must: the Vienna Boys' Choir is back in September
Here are some of the typical daytime things to do. You can't miss the show of the legendary Vienna Boys' Choir. The show is performed every Sunday morning and only takes a break during the summer months, so in September they come back refreshed!
The little singers of Vienna are between 9 and 14 years old and are divided into four choirs that give 300 concerts a year all over the world, dazzling half a million spectators.
A visit to the Wiener Hofburgkapelle (St. Joseph's Chapel of the Vienna Hofburg) in the Imperial Palace is one of the best plans for a warm Sunday morning to enjoy the performances of these little ones.
Practical information
- Where: Hofburg, Schweizerhof (St. Joseph's Chapel of the Hofburg) or Am Augartenspitz (Children's Choir Concert Hall)
- Price: from around €12 to over €100, depending on location
- When and when: Sundays around 9:00 a.m.
2. Walk through the Prater Park in autumn
A must-see in Vienna is the huge Prater Park, one of the largest green spaces in the city. Stretching from the city centre to the Danube harbours, it's a Viennese hangout for sports and picnics. It has many trails for walking and cycling in the autumn weather.
However, the most sought-after attraction is at one end of the park and is home to the roller coaster, the giant Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel for which you can book tickets in advance, the water rides and the carousels. The last things to see in the Prater are the football stadium and the University of Economics campus building which surround the Prater and are two modern architectural marvels.
3. Dinner cruise on the Danube
A visit to the Prater can be capped off by the Danube River, perhaps with a walk or a dinner cruise on the Danube in Vienna.
Boat trips are available all year round, but September is a good time thanks to the great weather. You will enjoy the panoramic view of the city from the river, the artificial beaches and the views of its castles and historic buildings.
4. Free monuments and historic buildings for all ages
Monument Day is celebrated in Austria and other European countries to encourage the public to value and engage with the national heritage.
It is a special day on which several historic buildings open their doors free of charge to visitors offering a tour of the city's cultural heritage. It is a good opportunity to book a guided tour of Vienna.
It is also very attractive to visit buildings that are not usually accessible to everyone, for example: The Academy of Visual Arts, the Biedermeier Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Gustav Klimt's villa, the halls of the Burgtheater, among others.
5. Street art in autumn: magicians, dancers, acrobats and much more!
With the warm weather still settling in the city, the Vienna Buskers Festival presents street art in the Karlsplatz park in front of the imposing baroque Karlskirche.
The spirit of the festival is one of solidarity, as the shows are free of charge, thus maintaining the soul of street art. Magic, acrobatics, music, dance and puppetry are all part of the programme of this festival, which is a delight for the senses. You will also find several food and drink stalls for a perfect day out in Vienna.
To close the tour you can plan a visit to the baroque church of Karlskirche, an architectural marvel built after the plague epidemic in 1700 and if you are interested in art, I recommend you book a guided tour of the Vienna Museum of Art History. You won't regret it!
6. If you didn't visit the opera, were you really in Vienna?
The city considered the centre of classical music and opera worldwide reopens its stages after the summer, as locals return after the summer break and the concert calendar begins its formal activity.
Consider yourself lucky if you're in Vienna in September as it's a great time to experience the opera at one of Vienna 's theatres without the crowds and with great value tickets.
The most important venues for opera are the Staatsoper, which is a state-run theatre and offers the best value for money, the Volksoper and the Theatre an der Wien. But you can also book tickets for a classical concert at St. Anne's Church or enjoy a unique moment by buying tickets for a Mozart or Strauss concert in Vienna.
7. The Oktoberfest has nothing to envy: Vienna's beer festival
If you love to enjoy a glass of sparkling beer, you can't miss it! In mid-September, the WienerBierfest (Vienna Beer Festival) is the most important beer festival in the world (and it's on a par with the German beer festivals).
Austria is one of the world's most beer-loving countries. Every town, city and district has small craft breweries that produce new varieties for the local public year after year, and Vienna stands out with more than 40 craft breweries.
To get to this spectacular celebration, head to Am Hof square in the historic city centre. With free admission, there are live shows by regional artists and musicians, traditional Viennese food stalls, and lots of enthusiastic people eager to enjoy a typical Alpine beer festival. Regional dances and traditional costumes provide the perfect colour and atmosphere for tasting the most original beers.
Practical information
- Where: Am Hof square
- Price: just the beers you drink
- When and opening times: mid-September, Monday to Saturday from 11.30am to midnight, and Sunday from 11.30am to 8pm.
8. Harvest Festival: a bit of the countryside in the middle of the city
If you are looking for a bit of nature and country atmosphere to make up for it, I have an excellent proposal. The Harvest Festival is held in the heart of the city, a festival of flavours and textures! It is a two-day event that takes place at the beginning of September. The peasants and farmers take the opportunity to give thanks to mother earth for the harvest of the season and show visitors a little of the daily tasks of the countryside.
The colourful festival showcases fruit, vegetables and greens, but you can also taste delicacies such as country cheeses, sweets, sauces and drinks. The space is filled with tents and stalls set up for eating and drinking. It is an excellent opportunity to get to know the characteristics of different areas of the country without leaving Vienna!
Also, if you are travelling to Vienna with children, they are guaranteed to have fun. At this festival there are games and competitions with prizes so that the little ones can learn about farm work while having fun at the same time.
Practical information
- Where: Augarten Park
- Price: free of charge
- When: around 10 September
9. Get moving! Enjoy the Vienna Night Marathon
It's not just about eating and drinking, you'll also find plenty of time to burn calories! Have you never thought of taking part in a night race? If you visit Vienna in September, you'll have the chance. The Vienna Night Run offers you the chance to run along one of the most beautiful circuits in the city.
The distance to be covered is just 5 km, so it is considered a route suitable for anyone who is up for it, as the main aim of this event is to have fun. The route consists of a long run along Vienna's Ringstrasse, starting from the Universitätsring near the Main University of Vienna.
10. Signature cocktails and dancing in an old factory
If you're looking for things to do at night in Vienna, this is the event you can't miss. For the past few years, the Liquid Market has been held in Vienna at the beginning of September, a must-attend event for cocktail lovers.
It is a festival of cocktail novelties that takes place in the unique building of the former Wiener Werkshallen factory, which has a large indoor and outdoor area. Excellent bars from all over the world come together to present the latest in signature cocktails, along with food stalls and top DJs, making this event a treat for the senses.
Practical information
- Where: Haidequerstraße 1-3
- Price: Depends on the days you want to attend.
- When and when: first days of September, between 2pm and 10pm
11. Walking through vineyards in autumn: Wine Walking Day
Can you imagine taking a route through a vineyard and ending the walk with a tasting of tapas and wine? This popular activity is possible every year only in September in the surroundings of the eclectic city of Vienna.
Some of the most important vineyards of the city (with 700 hectares of vineyards) open their doors to the public to show their procedures and above all their plantations. There are several tours of varying lengths to choose from! In each of them, the access is very simple and accessible, so it is an activity suitable for all kinds of public.
To end a perfect day, the surrounding bars offer delicious Viennese wine (and also tasty grape juices if you are not an alcoholic drinker).