As a city, Vienna has many faces. It has been called “the city of music” or ” the city of dream.” But Vienna appears to its tourists in a unique magnificence. There are many charms hidden in this wondrous city’s disposal. It is a true cosmopolitan city in every definition. It has a long heritage. It has been flourished since Celtic and Roman period. But it had been changed dramatically into one of the most important cities in Europe in Medieval and Baroque period.
It has rich dynamic culture, mind boggling architectures, and legendary music and so on. Vienna is also host to many important international organizations, including the United Nations and OPEC. Here is our list of top 10 things to do in Vienna.
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Best things to do in Vienna?
10. Wiener Rathaus
This Gothic-style town hall is one of major tourist attractions in Vienna. Designed by Friedrich von Schmidt, it is originally Neo-Gothic style architecture. It is also the seat of government for the state of Vienna. Visiting Wiener Rathaus is one of the best things to do in Vienna. The basic structure of bricks of this City Hall is offered by different stones like marble, state and limestone.
It is also famous for its outstanding historic ‘Wiener Rathauskeller’ restaurant. It is undergoing a vast renovation work. It is expected to be end by the year 2023 and the budget is 35 million euro. There are a lot of cultural activities around this City hall. This is one of the best places to visit in Vienna.
Also read: Top 10 most fascinating medieval cathedrals of Europe
9. Spanish Riding School
Vienna tour would be incomplete without visiting Spanish Riding School. It is a classical riding school for famous Lipizzan horses that displays public performance in the Winte Riding School in the Hofburg. These vigorous stallions once were a pride military campaigns and inevitable part of the parade in the medieval period. However, this tradition is restored only in here in Vienna these days. Visiting Spanish Riding School is one of the best things to do in Vienna.
These stout stallions are bred at the Piber Stud Farm in Styria and only a few with the best jumping ability and stamina are selected for High School training. The tradition of the Classical Horsemanship and the High School of the Spanish Riding School were included to the UNESCO’s world heritage list in 2015. It should always be on the list of top 10 best things to in Vienna.
8. Graben
There is no way to exclude from the list of top 10 best things to do in Vienna. It is one of the most lucrative tourist attractions in Vienna. It is an outstanding shopping center. It is one of the old places in Vienna which traces dating back to Roman period. It was an old Roman encampment in that period. During Medieval period, it had become a residence to the wealthy bourgeoisie.
It had then turned into a center of various festive activities. The importance as a marketplace was degraded in 18th centuries. It had become more like a self-display area for urban elite. It revived its shopping center status at the beginning of the 19th century. It had become renowned for its luxury shops from that period. For a shopping lover, visiting it is one of the best things to do in Vienna.
Also Read: Top 10 best European cities to visit
7. Burggarten
This is an extraordinary park in the heart of Vienna. It is once a royal garden. It is designed in British style. It is a nice place for take a walk or a stroll. It is a perfect place for a family picnic. There is no way to deny the beauty this one of the best places in Vienna. It was used as a court garden for the Hapsburg rulers. Kaiser Franz II, an Austrian ruler used to work in the garden.
Burggarten is also famous for its Mozart statue, who is one of the pioneers of European music. The Palm house inside this garden is one of the best things to see in Vienna. It is filled with many spectacular things like tropical plants and butterflies. Other major monuments in this park are Franz-Stephan, Franz-Joseph and Abraham-a-Sancta-Clara. Visiting this garden is one of the best things to do in Vienna.
6. St Stephen’s Cathedral
St Stephen’s Cathedral has to be always on the short list of one of the best things to do in Vienna. It is one of the most important religious buildings in Europe and one of the most recognizable icons in Vienna. It is testimony of many important historical events in Vienna during its long period. It is that famous place where Mozart was married in 1782 and Joseph Haydn sang as a choir boy.
This historic Church was inaugurated in 1359 by Duke Rudolph IV and took over two hundred years to get the present look. It was reconstructed and adorned in Gothic and Baroque style. The importance of Stephen’s Cathedral is not only valued as a religious center but also as a place of art and culture. It has owned a huge treasure of art over this long period. Visiting this Cathedral is one of the best things to do In Vienna.
5. Ringstrasse
Ringstrasse is a dream place for any tourists and obviously one of the best places to visit in Vienna. It is a grand boulevard ring road. The things to see in Vienna here is it’s surrounded the splendid oldest historical city center. It was replaced to a road from a city wall in the mid-19th century and known as the”Lord of the ring boulevards”.
The tourists become bemused by the eclectic, historic architectures surrounding the boulevard. It is a huge and rare collection of neo gothic, neo renaissance, neo classical and neo baroque style. There are also many famous buildings alongside with the private building beside the road. The major attractions are the Parliament, City Hall (Flemish Gothic), the Burgtheater, and so on. Walking on this road is one of the best things to do in Vienna.
4. Belvedere Complex
This historic building complex is one of the most attractive places to visit in Vienna. It consists of two Baroque palaces, the Palace Stables and the Orangery. The whole building is set in a Baroque park landscape. It was originally built for Prince Eugene of Savoy as a summer residence. Visiting it is one of the best things to do in Vienna. It was a political asylum for the French royal who fled during the French revolution.
It was a memento for Prince Eugene of Savoy’s successful conclusion of a series of wars against the Ottoman Empire. Belvedere was used to house the royal art collection after it was sold to Empress Maria Theresia. Its garden is without a doubt one of the best things to see in Vienna.
Also Read: Top 10 best places to visit alone
3. Hundertwasserhaus
Hundertwasserhaus is one of the most important expressionist landmarks in Europe. Built after the idea and concept of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, this is one of the top tourist attractions in Vienna. It stands proudly with its unique style and bizarre color against the conventional architecture. It would be a great lose if you forget to visit this one of the thought provoking arts in our time.
The interesting fact is that it’s just an apartment building and many people live here. So the visitors can’t go inside the apartment which is also as crazy as outside. It is an inseparable part of Vienna’s architecture and heritage. Visiting this apartment is one of the best things to do in Vienna.
2. Hofburg Imperial Palace
Hofburg Imperial Palace is one of most important historical buildings in Europe. It has housed some of the most influential people in the history. It was the principal imperial winter residence for the monarchs of the Habsburg dynasty. It is still the official seat of the Austrian President. There are ways more things than you can watch even for all day.
There is no doubt that it is one of the tourist attractions in Vienna. It is also a museum beside the working place which can provide historically accurate insights into the tradition. It has very rich art collections. There is no way you can miss this one of the major tourist attraction in Vienna.
1. Schonbrunn Palace
Schonbrunn Palace is without doubt one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna. It was used a summer residence during the great Habsburg dynasty. This wondrous Baroque architecture and its vast gardens have been flourishing for 300 years covering different styles and tastes in different time. It is a giant palace.
You can visit the palace as you wish but in order to gain a proper knowledge over the history of Vienna, guided tour is recommended. The best view of this palace might be captured after midnight when it really starts to spread some magical spells. It is enlisted as the World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1996 for its unique style. Visiting this marvelous palace is one of the top things to do in Vienna.