Top Ten Attractions
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Stephansdom
St. Stephan’s Cathedral - featuring some superb mediaeval craftsmanship, extensive catacombs and a couple of great viewpoints from its twin towers. http://www.stephansdom.at/data/derdom/index
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The Imperial Palace
Museums, art galleries and the Schatzkammer – the glittering crown jewels of the former imperial family.
http://www.wien.info/hofburg/hofburg-e -
The Spanish Riding School
Equestrian skills of the highest order with the famous Lipizzan ballet. Performances must be booked in advance: http://www.srs.at
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Belvedere
Twin Baroque palaces separated by formal gardens and a great collection of works by Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka. http://www.belvedere.at
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Hundertwasserhaus
One of the most striking and controversial modern landmarks in Vienna. The architect, Mr Hundertwasser, wanted to make a statement and he certainly succeeded. http://www.hundertwasserhaus.at
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Kunsthaus
A museum in a house, dedicated to the work of Hundertwasser. http://www.kunsthauswien.com
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Schöenbrunn
The most magnificent of the Habsburgs’ many palaces. Also contains gardens, woods, fountains, mazes, hothouses and a zoo. http://www.schoenbrunn.at
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Zentralfriedhof
One of the world’s most awesome cemeteries with the graves of, among others, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and the entire Strauss family.
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Prater
A world of adventure featuring 250 attractions including a traditional funfair and Ferris Wheel. http://www.wien.info/prater
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The Kaffeehaus
a touch of old Vienna. Tuxedoed waiters, high-calorie cakes, copious newspapers and an unhurried air.
Eating and Drinking
Vienna has a huge variety of places to eat, most of them taking great care over the preparation and presentation of their food. The days when quantity took precedence over quality have gone. The Beisl is the city’s chief traditional eating and drinking establishment – a place where all ages and classes come to drink, socialise and eat hearty Austrian home cooking. The other specifically Viennese institution is the Heuriger, or wine tavern, where a traditional self-service cold buffet is on offer as well. There are also plenty of ethnic options – you can sample cuisines from all over the globe from the Balkans to Japan. The Spittelberg district has the highest concentration of good cafes and restaurants. Other good areas are around the Naschmarkt and the nearby Freihaus district. Obviously in a country with a famously sweet tooth, there’s no shortage of pastries and rich desserts. The most popular are Apfelstrudel and Palatschinken (pancakes filled with jam or curd cheese). But also look out for Marillenknoedel (sweet apricot dumplings) and Mohr im Hemd (a chocolate pudding with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream).
Shopping
Few people come to Vienna exclusively to shop, although window shopping along Graben and Kohlmarkt can be fun. For a capital, Vienna has very few large supermarkets, with just the small Billa and Julius Meinl stores scattered across the city. Mariahilfstrasse remains the main shopping area for department stores and mainstream shops, along with Karntnerstrasse. There’s a whole cluster of antique shops in the streets around the Dorotheum, although there are few bargains to be had. Shops specialising in Art Nouveau and early twentieth century items can be found in the Spittelberg district. For bric-a-brac, head for the Saturday morning flea market by the Naschmarkt, where you’ll have to haggle. The Naschmarkt itself is Vienna’s most exotic fruit and veg market. If you’re in Vienna at Christmas-time, the Christkindlmarkt in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall) sells all manner of Christmas gifts and food.
Night Life
Vienna’s late-night bars and clubs are concentrated in three main areas, the most famous of which is the Bermuda Dreieck or Bermuda Triangle, which focuses on Rabensteig, Seitenstettengasse, Ruprechtsplatz and the streets around. Late-night licences abound in areas like the Naschmarkt and Spittelberg. And there are outdoor bars on the Copa Cagrana on the Donauinsel (Danube Island). Vienna’s club scene is small for a city of 1.5 million, but it’s enjoying something of a boom at the moment. The following venues have been recommended: Aux Gazelles, with Arabic music and belly dancers (www.worldsbestbars.com/city/vienna/aux-gazelles-vienna); Flanigan’s, an Irish bar; Flex, a nightclub favoured by the younger adult crowd and Porgy and Bess, a jazz and music club. (www.porgy.at)
