Hi and welcome to Vienna, the city of music, culture and imperial sights, Austria’s amazing capital. Today I’m going to explore ten of Vienna’s most important landmarks that you don’t want to miss when visiting this beautiful city. Let’s check it out. There’s so much to see in Vienna that it can be daunting to plan a trip. Where to even start? What to visit in Vienna, especially when only there for a few days? So here’s my top 10 for Vienna that you can visit in
3 days, possibly even 2 if you’re “pushing it”: Let’s start with the St. Stephen Cathedral, perhaps the most iconic building in Vienna, situated right in the city center. The huge tower of the monolithic structure with the colorful tiled roof dominates the Vienna skyline and stands as the tallest church tower in Austria. The beauty of this cathedral, called Stephansdom in German, is undeniable and it has been the most important church in Vienna and really all of Austria since its construction. Though it has served as a religious site for nearly 1,000 years, the building we see today was actually constructed over several centuries up to the early 1500s. The Romanesque and Gothic design of the exterior, the intricately decorated main roof complete with hundreds of colored tiles and a total of 18 altars on the inside ooze opulence. Admission is free if you want to get a view of the main interior down the length of the cathedral. To get closer to the altar, descend into the catacombs, and climb the tower, it costs €15 (about US$18). If you’re only interested in the general interior and the view from the tower, you can pay €5 (~US$6) for entry to the south tower. It’s 343 steps up to the top, but you will be rewarded with a nice panoramic view over all of Vienna. You can also visit the smaller north tower with a lift that takes you up for €6. From there you get a nice view of the colored roof. Stroll around the Stephen’s Square with its many shops, cafes and restaurants. This area is always busy and admittedly a bit touristy.
But it’s nevertheless very impressive. A walk along the pedestrian zone of Vienna’s first district, the “Innere Stadt”, leads you to our next destination, the Hofburg Palace. The Hofburg Palace is a huge palatial complex in the center of Vienna, just a short walk away from the Stephans square. It pays tribute to the power and influence of the Habsburg dynasty and served as the main winter palace for the rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for hundreds of years. Today, it mainly houses offices of the president of Austria and serves as a presidential base. It was built in the 13th century but has seen many changes and additions since, perhaps the most notable being the amazing semi-circular Neue Burg, German for New Castle. You can either choose to just wander around the area and check out the baroque architecture, take a tour through the imperial apartments or visit one of several museums in the complex, such as for example the Sissi museum or the Imperial Treasury which showcases the insignia and jewels of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburgs. In addition, the Hofburg also houses the Spanish Riding School, one of the finest institutes for classical dressage in the world. The Spanish Riding School, Spanische Reitschule in German, was established by the Habsburg Monarchy and has and a long-standing renowned tradition for training horses in the art of dressage for hundreds of years. The building is open to the public and you can watch demonstrations and, in some cases, training sessions too. For anyone who loves riding, this is a must-see in Vienna. But even non-riders will appreciate the dedication that is put into this art form. But you must reserve your tickets for a given time slot which you may want to do well inadvance as seating is limited and demand high. Also make sure you come on time as they don’t let you in once a session is in progress. I speak from experience as a heavy rain shower caused me to be a few minutes late and I lost my slot. The Vienna State Opera is another must-see landmark in Vienna. This famous opera building is located centrally in the Innere Stadt district and is considered one of the finest opera houses in the world. The exterior is held in a Neo-Renaissance style and is characterized by its many arches and arched windows, while the interior feels more like an opulent palace than a place of musical celebration. If you want to see a live concert, you will have to check online and get tickets first. This famous stage offers a different program every day, with over 50 operas and ballet works presented on roughly 300 days every year. If you just want to see the building, daily 40-minute long guided tours are available and give a good overview of the impressive architecture. Tours cost €9, about US$11, and also require tickets to be purchased online in advance. Let’s head over to Ferstel Passage, a smaller but very impressive landmark that you don’t want to miss on your tour through Vienna. If you have been traveling in European metropolitan cities before, you will certainly have come across the many beautiful covered passages and shopping arcades. Perhaps the most famous of them is the Victor Emmanuel passage in Milan which I plan to cover in a future video. Ferstel Passage is much smaller, but nevertheless a real architectural highlight, with its elegant golden arched ceilings and a multi-story atrium that sets the stage for a bubbling fountain. The long gallery is perfect for window shopping and one wishes it would just be a bit longer as the atmosphere in there is just so nice. Just a short walk from Ferstel Passage, you get to the Volksgarten which runs between the MuseumsQuartier and the Hofburg. The Volksgarten is a great place to escape the bustling streets. If you’re visiting in the spring and summer, check out the colorful flowers blooming along the geometric pathways, have a seat on one of the many park benches and soak in the atmosphere of this park - or just meander under the lush green trees which provide shade against the summer sun. Just across the street from the Volksgarten, you will get to the beautiful city hall, the Vienna Rathaus. A later addition to the city, the Rathaus was constructed in the 1800’s in a Neo-Gothic style as a larger city hall was needed for an ever increasing city population. Somewhat similar in style to the city hall in Brussels, the Rathaus has five towers, the middle of which is the largest and is topped by an iconic statue. On some days, you can join a guided tour of the inside but the day I was there, a film festival was being set up. In the winter months, the area in front of the building becomes a massive ice rink. This is probably as much as you can see on one day, but if you still have some forces in you, check out the Prater amusement park in the evening. And what could be a more enjoyable way to wrap up a day in Vienna than having a fun evening at the Prater? The Wiener Prater Park was once a hunting ground that developed into a public space for food stands and small amusement stalls. Nowadays, it hosts the impressive amusement park which is free to enter. Inside the park, you will find a multitude of rides and stalls including the world famous Ferris wheel, Enjoy the view of the city from close to 200 feet up. In fact, a visit to Vienna would probably be incomplete without having been on the Riesenrad. Head over to the other offerings that include bumper cars, carousels, shooting ranges, a wax works display, a light gauge railway and the obligatory rollercoasters. You pay for the individual rides, similar to what you would do for the rides at Munich’s Octoberfest or similar city fairs. Let’s head to the next highlight of Vienna, the Belvedere Palace and museum. This gigantic palatial complex and garden is split into Upper and Lower Belvedere and served as asummer residence for Austrian princes in the 1600’s. The two palaces themselves feature amazing architecture and make for great pictures amidst the expansive landscaped gardens. Upper Belvedere is located at the upper end of a hill and has a detailed façade with green domed semi-towers. Lower Belvedere is on the other end of the gardens and features a somewhat simpler design. Lower Belvedere houses a few lavish state rooms and a Medieval art collection with dozens of beautifully preserved statues and carvings lining the walls. But my favorite was Upper Belvedere which is is the larger of the two palaces, with grand staircases, a towering Marble Hall, and lovely views over the garden towards the lower palace. The main attraction of Upper Belvedere is certainly its permanent art collection. It’s actually more of a museum than a palace nowadays, somewhat similar to the Louvre in Paris. Definitely make sure to check out the amazing artworks of the many famous Austrian artists, including of course Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. It’s been one of the most memorable sights for me during my visit to Vienna. But the lines at the ticket booth can get quite long and you will certainly not be the only one coming to the Belvedere. Consider buying your ticket online and skip some of the lines. A ticket to both the Upper and Lower Belvedere is €22, about US$27. It’s definitely worth it, especially if you are interested in Fine Arts. Plan to spend around 3 hours exploring the palaces, grounds and museum exhibitions. As a special tip, the residential areas around the Belvedere are really beautiful too. Lots of countries have their embassies there and I enjoyed wandering around the side streets and marvel at the beautiful architecture of the Neo-classical buildings. After all the walking at the Belvedere, I got hungry. If you’re into food (and really, who isn’t ?), you definitely want to check out the Naschmarkt, Vienna’s famous century-old open air market. The Naschmarkt, roughly translated as “market for snacks”, is an expansive set of permanent historical market stalls that stretches for almost a mile. Here you can get anything from fresh fruit and vegetables to herbs, cheese and seafood. But you can also have a snack at the many eclectic small restaurants, bistros and cafes. And there’s great ice cream to enjoy on a warm summer day! Market places often define a city and give a good representation of its heritage and culture and the Naschmarkt is no exception. The atmosphere, sounds, sights and smells are tantalizing and the grand scale of the market make it famous world-wide. I may post a separate video on mat visit to Naschmarkt
so stay tuned for that - and subscribe to my channel if you haven’t done so already.

 From Naschmarkt, you are just a stone-throw away from the next major highlight of your visit to Vienna, the impressive Karlskirche. Karl’s Church was constructed in the early 1700s and is Vienna’s most striking example of Baroque churches. Just in front of the church, you will find a reflecting pool that makes for great photos, and you’ll find plenty of people relaxing in the small park out front, skaters showcasing their latest tricks and musicians adding to the tantalizing atmosphere. But the highlight is to go inside. A huge modern art installation with mirrored balloons offers unusual perspectives of the interior and makes for a most interesting clash between classical and modern art which I personally very much liked. A lift leads up to the dome of the church from where you have a close-up view of the amazing frescos. As a bonus, you get a nice panoramic view of Vienna from one of the central windows under the roof. Admission to Karlskirche is €8, about US$10, at the door. Being somewhat selective with church visits, I recommend you should definitely make this one part of your itinerary. Of all the churches I’ve seen in Austria, this was my favorite one. Okay, now it’s time for my number 1 site to see in Austria, and that’s of course the famous Schloss Schönbrunn, the Schönbrunn palace. There’s so much to see and do here that I will post a separate video on this famous palace. I will put a link in the description below so check that out - but here’s already a preview. So let’s hop on the U4 subway line and head out to Schönbrunn Palace. Schloss Schönbrunn is a World Heritage site and a marvel of Baroque architecture and garden design. It’s the former imperial summer residence of the Habsburgers and clearly one of the most popular sights in Vienna. This amazing palace with beautifully tended geometrical gardens, the Gloriette monument up on the hill, the labyrinth garden, and the zoo attract many visitors each year. Regarded as one of the world’s finest palaces, Schönbrunn is really a magical place to explore. Wander around in the beautiful gardens under the large trees, take an audio guided tour of the palace interior and discover how the emperors lived up to the beginning of the last century. Definitely also check out the mind-blowing views from the Gloriette across all of Vienna and try the delicious Kaiserschmarrn in the bistro up there - it’s so yummy. But beware that Schönbrunn is one of Vienna’s most popular attractions, and the lines there can get super long. The Grand Tour tickets which include all 40 rooms that are open to the public plus the gardens cost €20. Also included are the Gloriette and the labyrinth garden which are great fun to visit too. If you are traveling between May and September, I recommend you book a skip the line tour that will cost extra but can be a huge time saver. But even if you don’t do a visit of the interior, a stroll through the expansive palatial gardens is absolutely worth it - and entrance is free. If you are into Zoos, Schönbrunn is also home to the world’s oldest zoo, originally founded as the Habsburgs' private zoo in 1752. How much time should you factor in for your visit? I’d say plan to spend a good half day at Schönbrunn. Now, admittedly, this is a very subjective selection of Vienna highlights and there is much, much more to see in Vienna. I didn’t include the many museums in the Vienna MuseumsQuartier, the colorful and corky design of the Hundertwasser House, and left out the obligatory coffee houses from my list. But I hope you got a good sense of what to start with when visiting Vienna. If you have some extra time and are looking for things to see in Vienna’s periphery, you should definitely check out the Franzensburg castle in Laxenburg. It’s one of the most enchanting castles I’ve ever seen and definitely worth a visit. I will cover my trip to Laxenburg in a separate video which I’ll link in the description down below. I hope you enjoyed this Austria travel vlog of my visit to Vienna and it gave you some inspiration of what you can do in Vienna in summer. If you did, please give it a like down below and leave me a comment in the comments section. And if you have not done so yet, please subscribe to my channel and hit the notification bell to get updates on my weekly new travel videos on beautiful Austria and many other amazing travel destinations. Stay tuned for my next Austria travel diary and make sure to also check out my videos on Salzburg and the many beautiful villages in the Salzkammergut in Alpine Upper Austria. Have a great rest of the day! Bye bye.
