Festivals and Events
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New Year’s Day Concert
The world-famous Strauss-fest, broadcast live from the Musikverein.
http://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at/ -
The Grand Strauss Ball
One of the highlights of the Viennese ball season, held in the magnificent setting of the city’s Rathaus (City Hall).
http://www.vienneseball.org -
Accordion Festival
At various locations in Vienna.
http://www.akkordeonfestival.at/e/info -
Schoenbrunn Easter Fair
The beautiful Baroque palace and gardens hosts a colourful fair with eggs of all shapes and sizes.
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Vienna Festival
The city’s main cultural extravaganza, featuring opera, music and theatre.
http://www.festwochen.at/wf_servlet/EMain -
Donau Island Festival
Europe’s largest open-air event – a weekend of free entertainment, music and dancing.
http://www.donauinselfest.at -
Jazz Festival
Venues across Vienna from City Hall to nightclubs and the State Opera.
http://www.viennajazz.org -
KlangBogen
Classical music centred at the Theatre an der Wien.
http://www.wieninternational.at/en/node/1249 -
Literature Festival
The best authors in Austria read from their works non-stop around the clock.
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Viennale Film Festival
Austria’s biggest: a fortnight of premieres, retrospectives, discussions and more.
http://www.viennale.at/english/index -
All Saints’ Day
Taken seriously by the Viennese with large numbers heading for the city’s cemeteries to pay their respects to the dead.
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Christkindlmarkt
Craft, food and gift stalls in the square in front of the Rathaus (City Hall).
Theatre, Cinema and Opera
Vienna prides itself on its musical associations, and classical music – and opera in particular – are heavily subsidised by the Austrian state. As can be seen from the list above, there’s always something musical going on around the city centre. Ticket prices vary enormously. For instance, at the Staatsoper (the State Opera), prices range from 10 Euros to 250. For some events – notably performances by the Vienna Boys’ Choir and the New Year’s Day concert – the problem is not so much the price as the availability. To find out what’s on, pick up the tourist board’s free monthly listings booklet, Wien-Programm, which gives the schedules of the big operas, concert houses and theatres, as well as details of current art exhibitions. Austrian cinema is not really up there with the greats, but one film that’s fun to see and is shown regularly at the Burg-Kino is The Third Man, made in 1949, set amidst the rubble of post-war Vienna and starring Orson Welles. www.burgkino.at
Museums and Galleries
Apart from the Imperial Palace, Belvedere and Kunsthaus, mentioned above, seek out the Secession, the headquarters of the art movement of the same name, whose first President was Gustav Klimt. It’s a fascinating building architecturally and has some of Klimt’s work as well as those of other contemporary artists. www.secession.at. The Kunsthistorisches Museum is a spectacular late 19th century building housing one of the world’s greatest art collections, famous above all for its works by Breughel. www.khm.at. Vienna’s new arts complex is housed at MuseumsQuartier. It’s the city’s chief modern art museum and also has chic cafes and bars. www.mqw.at. For something a bit out of the ordinary, try the Sigmund Freud museum, which is located in the building where Freud worked and lived for almost 50 years. www.freud-museum.at
For Children
Vienna may be an old, romantic, imperial city and a centre for music and art, but it still has its attractions for the young. The Donau, or Danube, Island promises cool action for hot days. At this open-air paradise with its 26-mile beach, there’s nearly every outdoor sports activity from swimming to trampolining. The zoo at Schoenbrunn Palace is the oldest in the world and a first-rate attraction with its Elephant Park, Crocodile Pavilion and the experience of a night in a tropical forest.Many of the 100 Viennese museums offer fun for children. There is the Doll Museum, the Toy Museum and the Zoom Children's Museum with its hands-on exhibits, among many others. And don’t forget the Prater funfair, mentioned above.
