2 days is the minimum time you need in Vienna. I wanted to stay for longer! There’s so much to see and do, a weekend in Vienna just isn’t enough time.
Those who want to discover the most beautiful cities in the World simply can’t afford to exclude Vienna from their list. In this city, you can find everything that makes a great trip. Historical sights, architectural style, world-famous restaurants and cafés, museums and the kind of night life that makes you come back for more.
There are so many things to see that re-visiting Vienna multiple times is almost mandatory. However, this is also why you need to read this guide if you want a ready-made plan instead of getting confused of the abundance of options. What is really worth visiting in Vienna? Where to start?
There is no clear answer to these questions. All I can do is to show you the places that I usually recommend as a guy who visited many great places in Vienna. I am going to talk about each of them below. Of course, you are going to discover many more exciting locations during your trip that will come naturally.
The Two Sightseeing Attractions You Shouldn’t Miss
Belvedere Palace
A truly breathtaking attraction in Vienna is the Belvedere Palace. It consists of two huge Baroque buildings that can be admired during a walk on the huge grass lawn area in front of them. There are flowers all around the place, fountains and beautiful sculpture.
It is the kind of detailed sculpture that keeps you there for hours, telling many different stories. On a shiny day, it is definitely worth to spend a full afternoon around the place. And then you didn’t even check out what’s inside.
In the Upper Palace, you can go through the Ground Floor Hall, the Marble Hall and the Ceremonial Staircase. And then there is the Lower Palace, where you can find another Marble Hall and the Marble Gallery. Statues, frescoes, paintings and medallions are the main spectacles of these buildings.
Want even more paintings? Head over to the Österreiche Galerie Belvedere and check out their huge collection of paintings and sculptures. Beautiful art pieces from the 12th to the 16th centuries.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
This one is a fascinating, robust monolithic church the whole city is proud of. You can easily spot the tower from afar so this location is definitely not hard to find once you arrive to Vienna. The Stephen’s Cathedral has the highest church tower in the whole country.
It goes without saying that even the Austrians themselves are more than eager to visit and see this church. What makes this place worth a visit for a tourist? Well, the short answer is: every single part of it.
The long answer is, you will be stunned once you see the highly detailed Gothic and Romanesque architectural style and design. You will look up to its tower and wonder how people could have built something so huge and beautiful back then.
Then, you run your eyes through the design of the main roof, the carefully designed patterns. Its style perfectly harmonizes with the other parts of the building. It looks amazing. And then you realize that you are looking at an absolute masterpiece.
https://www.stephanskirche.at/
Two of Vienna’s 100 Museums You Should Visit
Kunsthistorisches Museum
This is an art history museum and with this one, I am actually recommending you two museums at once. It is right in front of the Museum of Natural History and the two buildings are designed to mirror each other. By visiting the place, you can check out a prestigious collection of art works.
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The collection is the heritage of the Habsburg era. Another great thing about this museum is that it welcomes the modern-day artist as well. If you are lucky, you can catch one of their events and tune in to an exciting exhibition.
I would also recommend you to sit down at the café in the Kunsthistorisches Museum and enjoy its artistic feel. It is a completely unique experience. Although the museum indeed has a huge collection, it is surely worth to check out every fine piece of art from the first one to the last.
There are many other museums in Vienna but this is one of the oldest ones. The collection consists of mummies, ancient scrolls, bronze-age ceramics, antique musical intruments and royal armory, just to mention a few exciting things.
Leopold Gallery
Some of the most breathtaking pieces await you at the Leopold Gallery. The artworks of famous painters such as Klimt, Kokoschka and Schiele are parts of the collection, among many others. The modern and minimalistic exterior of the museum will make you even more curious about what’s inside.
Keep in mind that once you arrive there, you will be about to witness the most important – and the largest – collection of Austrian art. Many art-lovers travel to Vienna just to visit the Leopold Gallery and check out the other places afterwards, already fully satisfied with their trip.
You can either visit this place for a couple of hours or make it a full-day trip. I would recommend the latter. In and around the Leopold gallery, you can find numerous restaurants, cafés, theaters and exhibition halls. You can easily mix things up a bit and check out all the masterpieces the place has to offer in the meanwhile.
https://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en
Must-Try Cafés in Vienna
Café Central
First time in Vienna? Then you should visit the biggest café in the city right away. It is the Café Central, a living piece of history with a huge interior. The reason why this café is so important is because many important people were frequently visiting the place back in the day.
Trotsky, Freud, Klimt, Schiele, Tito and other artists and influential people had their coffee there day by day. One of the main things that characterizes the café is its arched ceiling and the grandiose chandeliers hanging all around the place.
It is no wonder they liked the café. The service, the coffee and the breakfast are all impeccable. It is pretty much the perfect place to have a traditional Viennese breakfast. Some soft-boiled eggs, rolls and a strong coffee to wash it down in the comfort of the beautiful Café Central. What a great way to start the day!
https://www.cafecentral.wien/en/
Café Sperl
Since 1880, this place welcomed a wide range of philosophers and celebrities as well. If you want to go back in time and enjoy that more than 100 year old coffee house feeling, then you should definitely visit Cafe Sperl. The coffee is delicious and nicely prepared.
A great place to have a breakfast with a couple of your friends and have a long talk in the calming environment. Whether you want American, Austrian or French breakfast, you will surely get a delicious meal. In the gorgeous interior of Cafe Sperl, you can undisturbedly read your newspaper or work on your laptop.
That is also what many regulars do. Both the locals and the tourists simply love this café. In case you get bored, you can head over to the billiard tables and play a few games. The opera houses and a big theatre are all a couple hundred meters away from the cafe. Cafe Sperl is one of your best options if you want to have a drink before or after the opera.
The Heart of the Vienna Nightlife
Club Maxim Wien
If you feel like going out at night but you are not sure what type of place you should visit first, then this is the perfect choice. Nightclub Maxim Wien is the place where you can sit down and enjoy a few drinks with your friends. It is a bar, a night club, and a brothel at the same time.
Maxim provides top-notch entertainment and welcomes famous DJs, singers and other celebrities on its events. If you are looking for an unforgettable party, then it is best to visit Vienna on a week when Maxim has an event announced. On the other hand, you can have an awesome time at the club on weekdays as well.
The place welcomes you with many stunningly hot girls you can flirt with. They are more than eager to join you for a drink and entertain you throughout the night. There are plenty of comfortable rooms available in the club. I suppose those don’t need any explanation and it is only up to you whether you want to continue drinking with your friends or leave them for an hour or two.
Sass Music Club
The unique style of the Sass Music Club makes it a must-see for those who feel like having a few drinks and listening to club music. Time flies in this club once the vibe of its ambience and the music gets you. As a foreigner, you need someone to mention the place first because you will probably not run into it by chance.
The entrance is nothing special and you would probably just walk past it. Once you are in and your state of amazement with the Sass Club interior starts to wear off, you can order a delicious cocktail. They mix their cocktails with skill and the best ingredients, making it hard to resist to try out a few of them one after another.
The abundance of crystals hanging down the ceiling will make you feel like you are in a Hollywood movie of some sort. Add the top-notch sound system to the equation and what you get is a club where you can completely lose yourself in the music and in the crowd. If you want some good music and good vibes, then make sure to visit the Sass Music Club.
