“Life is too short to drink mediocre wines”
J.W. Goethe
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Itinerary in pills
- Day 1: Old town, from Mozart house to Beethoven’s
- Day 2: Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Naschmarkt, City park, Kunsthaus
- Conclusions
Introduction
If I had to try to sum up Vienna in a few words, I would say that it is a city that struck me because of the fairy-tale atmosphere in which it is immersed, and the fact that more than air it seems one breathes culture. One of the factors that greatly affects this impression of mine definitely comes from its immense history, which has shaped it over the centuries. From Mozart’s music that accompanies daily life to the illustrious minds that attended its prestigious University, from the Habsburg Empire to the Nazi devastation, Vienna is a city where every corner is enhanced in its beauty and possesses the charm of memory.
I have had the opportunity to visit Vienna twice, the last time rather recently, and both times in Spring. The city really offers so much to see, so it would take quite a bit of time to visit it worthily. In this article I propose an itinerary that allows you to concentrate the visit of the most important parts in 2 full days, for those who, like me, are always short in time.
Itinerary in pills
I have divided the itinerary so that the whole of the first day is devoted to the main attractions of the Old Town, starting with Mozart’s House and ending with Beethoven’s 😊, and the second to two of the city’s most important aristocratic palaces, namely Schönbrunn and Belvedere, and the Kunsthaus, passing by the Naschmarkt and the City Park. Below is the itinerary in brief, with maps of the routes to follow.
Note that Schönbrunn Palace is located far from the historic center, so you need to get there by means, consequently it does not appear on the maps.
| Day | Attractions | Map |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old town, from Mozart’s house to Beethoven’s | From Mozart’s house to Beethoven’s |
| 2 | Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Naschmarkt, City Park, Kunsthaus | Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Kunsthaus |
It is possible to get to Vienna by direct trains from some northern Italian cities (Vienna HBF station), or by plane. Major Italian cities are connected by direct flights to Vienna Schwechat Airport (VIE). From the airport, you can get to the city center by cab (costing just under €50), or by transportation, choosing between bus, train, and light rail (S-Bahn).
Day 1: Old town, from Mozart house to Beethoven’s
We begin our tour at the Mozarthaus. Although the Austrian composer lived most of his life in Salzburg, his hometown, he also spent a few years in Vienna after marrying the daughter of a wealthy German family. It was in this apartment, now naturally used as a museum, that he composed The Marriage of Figaro, one of his most famous operas. Admission costs €14 (adult price), and can be purchased directly on site, or at the Mozarthaus website.
About 200 meters from the Mozarthaus is St. Stephen’s Cathedral, one of the city’s main churches and the seat of the Catholic Church in Vienna. It is a Gothic-style building that has undergone several remodels over the centuries. It features 4 towers, the tallest of which is the one to the south, affectionately called “Old Steve”, which can be accessed by climbing over 300 steps. Also worth mentioning is the tower to the north, which houses several bells, including the Pummerin, the second largest swinging bell in Europe (the record is held by that of the cathedral in Erfurt, Germany). The interior is decorated with about 250,000 colored tiles, arranged to compose the Austrian coat of arms. The cathedral also houses several tombs, in which important members of the Habsburg dynasty and Austrian clergy are buried. Finally, it is here that first Mozart’s wedding and then his funeral were celebrated. The cathedral can be visited free of charge, except for some areas, for which an entrance fee must be purchased (on site, or on the St. Stephen’s Cathedral website).
From St. Stephen’s Cathedral, walk along Graben, one of the city’s best-known streets and Vienna’s first fully pedestrian street, to St. Peter’s Church (Peterskirche), passing the Plague Column, a monument commemorating those who died during the plague of 1679. A special feature of St. Peter’s Church is its oval, rather than round, dome.
We continue a few more meters to Am Hof, the largest square in the old town. The main attraction of the square is its namesake church, which features a Baroque-style facade. It was from the balcony of this church that Napoleon proclaimed the end of the Holy Roman Empire. Also of note within the square is the presence of the Marian Column, a column built to ask the Virgin Mary for protection against the Swedish army during the 30 Years War.
Our next stop is the Hofburg, the former imperial palace, now used as the residence of the President of the Republic of Austria. We arrive at the palace by crossing Kohlmarkt, a street originally dedicated to the coal trade (from which it takes its name) and now known for upscale stores. The Hofburg is undoubtedly the most majestic building in Vienna; it consists of 18 wings and 19 courtyards, and inside there are more than 2,500 rooms. The palace is also home to a number of important attractions, including the Imperial Chapel, the Museum of Natural History, the National Library (suggested visit inside), the Imperial Treasury Chamber (in which the crown of the Holy Roman Empire is kept), the Spanish Cavalry School, the Burgtheater, and the convention center. It is possible to see the palace inside; don’t miss the imperial apartments, where Princess Sissi and Emperor Franz Joseph I, among others, lived. Tickets can be purchased on site or online.
The first wing we cross on our way is the one dedicated to St. Michael, which can be seen from the square of the same name. The square is also home to St. Michael’s Church, whose crypt, containing the bodies of some 4,000 figures belonging to the Austrian aristocracy, is very interesting. Behind St. Michael’s wing, there is also the Spanish Riding School, or the oldest riding school in the world.
The best view of the Hofburg, however, is from Heldenplatz, or Heroes’ Square, which is opposite the Neue Burg, the New Royal Palace. The Neue Burg was built in the late 1800s, and it was from the balcony in this area that Hitler proclaimed the annexation of Austria to the Third Reich. Then on the opposite side of Heldenplaz from the Neue Burg is the Volksgarden (People’s Garden), inside which are located, among others, a statue of Sissi and a replica of the temple of Hephaestus in Athens.
Another important wing that is easily accessible is the one visible from Josefsplatz, a square dedicated to Emperor Joseph II, whose statue stands in the center of the square. In addition to the statue of Joseph II, the square also houses two fountains, the first dedicated to the power of the Land and the second to the power of the Sea. Also worth mentioning near Josefsplatz is the Augustinian Church, in which the wedding between Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie-Louise, and that between Franz Joseph I and Princess/Empress Sissi were celebrated.
A short distance from Josefsplatz, the Albertina Museum is definitely worth a visit, named after its founder, Duke Albert of Saxony, of whom there is a statue in the space in front of the entrance. The museum houses a collection of more than 60000 masterpieces, including works by Picasso, Chagall, Monet, Miro, Degas, Magritte, Renoir, and others. You can find a list of the most important works on the Albertina Museum website, where you can also buy tickets (19€ base price per adult). Next to the Albertina is the Vienna State Opera House, a building dating from the late 1800s and considered the city’s most famous and important theater.
At this point we can relax in the Burggarten, the garden of the Hofburg released in the 1800s. Probably the best-known part of the park, located near the Albertina Museum, is the statue of Mozart, set before a lawn that features a composition of flowers arranged in the center to form a treble clef.
Between the Burggarten and the Albertina Museum, the Palmenhaus, a greenhouse building that also houses a brasserie and a butterfly zoo, is worth a visit. This is a great area to relax a bit and refresh yourself. For dessert, however, I suggest walking a few more meters to get to the Sacher Café, to enjoy a piece of the world-famous cake of the same name at this establishment, originally opened by the very Sacher family, the creators of the cake. Not far from the Sacher Café, I also point out the recently completed Monument against War and Fascism.
At this point, we can head to the Museumsquartier, which is a complex of museums located around the beautiful Maria Theresa Square. The square consists of a large green area, at the center of which is the statue of Maria Theresa of Austria, sandwiched between twin buildings, namely the Museum of Art History, which also houses works by artists such as Raphael, Mantegna, Rubens and Tintoretto, and the Museum of Natural History. Near the square, there are also the Leopold Museum, containing, among others, the largest collection of Egon Schiele’s works, and the Mumok museum, or the Museum of Modern Art, in which there are also paintings by Wahrol and Picasso.
We next head to the “political” part of the city. The building most worthy of a visit is certainly the City Hall (Rathaus), in neo-Gothic style, among the most beautiful I have ever seen (as a city hall, not as a building in general). The building is quite imposing and set in a beautiful park (Rathaus Platz). Before we get to the town hall, we make a brief stop at the Parliament Square. The parliament building is inspired by Greek tradition; not surprisingly, a statue of the goddess Athena stands in front of it.
Across from City Hall, it is then impossible not to notice the Burgtheater, one of the city’s most important theaters, where the first performances of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Beethoven’s First Symphony were held.
And speaking of Beethoven, we close the day by visiting the Pasqualati House, or the house in which the composer lived for more than 10 years, during which time his hearing problems began. The house is now used as a museum, note that the front door was transported from the house in which he died. There is also Beethoven’s tomb in Vienna, but it is located elsewhere and would eventually be accessible by transportation.
If you can still make it, you can also continue a little further to the Votive Church, which was commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother as an offering to God to thank him for sparing the emperor’s life after an attempt on his life by a Hungarian fanatic. The church is located at the site where the assassination attempt took place. The house in which Beethoven died mentioned above is located near the church, along with the house in which Sigmund Freud lived, also used today as a museum.
Day 2: Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Naschmarkt, City park, Kunsthaus
We start the day at Schoenbrunn Palace, which you will easily recognize if you have seen any of the movies about Princess/Empress Sissi. The palace is located far from the historic center, so you need to go by transportation. However, you can easily get there by metro, just get off at the “Schönbrunn” stop, from which you can easily walk to your destination. Let’s say that the chances of going wrong are not many. The name of the palace comes from a decision by Emperor Matthias, who found a water source nearby during a hunting trip (literally, “Schönbrunn” means “beautiful spring”).
Internally, the palace houses more than 1,400 rooms and can be visited in various combinations. Honestly, I was not thrilled with the visit, which in my opinion is not worth the ticket price. In any case, if you want you can see the various options on the Schoenbrunn website. On the other hand, the part that I really appreciated is the outdoor, which is, moreover, accessible for free. The garden in front of the palace entrance is very beautiful, huge and with colorful and well-placed flower arrangements. In the garden there is also the Fountain of Neptune, but the I would say the main attraction of the park is the Gloriette, a building that originated as the Temple of Fame, located on the top of the small hill at the foot of which the palace is situated. It is possible to get to the top with a short, undemanding walk to also enjoy a beautiful view of the palace and the city from above.
A small curiosity related to the palace is related to its yellow color, which despite covering the walls of a noble palace, was chosen for its low cost. Outside the palace there is also a labyrinth, Roman ruins, the Palm House, and various other green areas. For the visit consider at least a couple of hours.
We then head to the Belvedere, a beautiful palace built in the mid-1700s at the behest of Prince Eugene of Savoy. The palace is divided into two parts, one high and one low, in between which is a beautiful garden on the outside. Visiting the exterior is free, and I recommend taking as much time as you have to fully enjoy it.
The palace can also be visited internally, and this time I certainly recommend you do so. The interior is very beautiful and houses the Austrian Art Gallery, where important works are housed. The most famous is probably Klimt’s Kiss, but you can appreciate other very important works and some rather bizarre ones.
After visiting the Belvedere, we continue on to the Baroque-style Church of St. Charles, built in honor of the saint of the same name as thanksgiving, by the emperor, for stopping the plague in the early 1700s. Very impressive is to see the reflection of the huge dome of the church in the water.
St. Charles Church is located near the Naschmarkt, the city’s largest market, in operation since the 16th century. Initially selling only milk, today a wide variety of goods can be found there.
We then head to the Stadtpark, or City Park, for some relaxation. The park houses, among other things, a gold-covered statue of Johann Strauss playing the violin, among the most photographed attractions in the city. Before arriving at the Stadtpark, we make a pit stop at Schwarzenberg Platz, a square named in honor of the eponymous prince who fought against Napoleon. The square features a statue of the prince, usually targeted by pigeons, and a monument in memory of the Soviets who died during Austria’s liberation from the Nazis in World War II.
We continue on to the Danube afterwards, stopping particularly at Hermann Beach Park, a park full of clubs that one can take advantage of to refresh. The most striking destination of our afternoon is the picturesque Kunsthause, houses built by architect and artist Hudertwasser in the late 1990s. The buildings are truly whimsical and colorful, and I personally really enjoyed their extravagance and imagination. If you have time left, you can go as far as the Prater, a rather large park that houses one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world. There is also a Madame Tussauds wax museum near the park, as well as places to stop for a drink or a bite to eat.
Before closing the itinerary, a dinner with the famous Viennese schnitzel is a must, which I recommend eating at Figlmuller, probably the most famous restaurant in Vienna. I strongly suggest you make reservations well in advance, the lines can be truly endless.
Conclusions
Vienna is a city I enjoyed very much, without being too unbalanced I would put it in the top 10 of the most beautiful cities I have visited outside of Italy. Besides the main attractions, I really enjoyed the atmosphere. It also seemed to me to be very livable and well-maintained, plus it is easily accessible.
Ranking the attractions I enjoyed the most is not easy, but I’ll try:
- Gold medal to Schoenbrunn, whose exterior I really enjoyed, especially the gardens and the Gloriette. The facade of the palace is also very impressive. As mentioned, however, I was not impressed with the interior, yet it remains a must-see attraction
- The Belvedere, of which I liked both the exterior and the works housed in the Art Gallery. Don’t miss a few photo ops in the gardens
- The Hofburg, on the whole really impressive and very appreciable for the different points from which it can be seen in its heterogeneity, as well as for the parks located in the surroundings
In two days I managed to see everything I have reported in this article, following the proposed itinerary. It should be noted, however, that I am a very good walker, so if you are short on time something could be cut out. The least impressive part, where I stopped very little anyway, I think, is the area from Stadtpark to Schwarzenberg park; I was also not too thrilled with the Naschmarkt area (but don’t miss St. Charles Church) and the Prater. With an extra day, however, I think I would have gone to visit Bratislava, to date one of the few European capitals I miss.