26 Must See Attractions in Vienna

Vienna is one of Europe’s most beautiful and culturally vibrant cities, home to exquisite Baroque architecture, world-leading classical music concert halls, and unbeatable fine and contemporary art museums. The city center has a huge variety of tourist attractions to explore, but here’s a roundup of the 26 best sights that you can’t afford to miss.

1. Schönbrunn Palace

• Website: schoenbrunn.at/en
• Address: Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, 1130 Vienna
• Opening Hours: November – March 8.30 am – 5 pm daily / April – October 8.30 am – 5.30 pm daily

Schloss Schönbrunn is a vast Baroque palace that dates back to 1779. Wander through sprawling manicured parklands and gardens, and take a guided tour of the opulent palace to learn about the life of the royals who once lived there.

2. Schönbrunn Zoo

• Website: zoovienna.at/en
• Address: Maxingstraße 13b, 1130 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 9 am – 6.30 pm daily

This 17-hectare zoo was first established in the 1700s as part of the Schönbrunn Palace Gardens. It’s the world’s oldest continually operating zoo and home to a huge variety of exotic animals, including giant pandas. The zoo focuses on the preservation of endangered species and aims to house animals in enclosures that match their natural environment as closely as possible.

3. Gloriette Cafe

• Website: gloriette-cafe.at/en
• Address: Schlosspark, 1130 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 9 am – 7 pm daily

There are plenty of fantastic venues where you can embrace Vienna’s coffeehouse culture and try a slice of Sacher Torte, but Gloriette Cafe is one of the city’s most famous. It’s set inside a beautiful imperial building and offers glorious views of the Schönbrunn Palace.

4. Hofburg Palace

• Website: wien.info/de/kunst-kultur/imperiales/hofburg-wien
• Address: 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 8 am – 6 pm daily

The opulent Hofburg Palace is the official residence of the President of Austria. Its enormous grounds are also home to a variety of museums and gardens, including the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum, and the art nouveau greenhouse, Palmenhouse.

5. The Spanish Riding School

• Website: srs.at/en
• Address: Michaelerplatz 1, 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm daily

The Spanish Riding School is where the famed Lipizzaner horses are trained in the art of dressage. The school dates back to the 18th century when its horses performed exclusively in the Habsburg Monarchy’s court. Today, you can enjoy behind-the-scenes tours of the stables and watch the skilled horses and riders perform.

6. Vienna State Opera House

• Website: wiener-staatsoper.at/en/staatsoper/the-opera-house
• Address: Opernring 2, 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: Performance times vary; see website for details

Wiener Staatsoper, the state opera house, is home to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and is one of the best venues in the world to watch opera and ballet. In addition to watching a performance, you can take a guided tour of the interior of this impressive 1860s Neo-Rennaisance building.

7. Friedensreich Hundertwasser House

• Website: visitingvienna.com/sights/hundertwasserhaus
• Address: Kegelgasse 37-39 1030 Vienna

Friedensreich Hundertwasser was one of the most prominent Austrian artists of the 20th century. His Hundertwasserhaus is a distinctive, colorful apartment block adorned with unusual mosaics and pillars. Directly opposite is the equally fascinating Hundertwasser Village, which consists of a bar and numerous stores, all designed in the artist’s unique style.

8. Kunst Haus Wien & Museum Hundertwasser

• Website: kunsthauswien.com/en
• Address: Untere Weißgerberstraße 13, 1030 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 6 pm daily

Kunst Haus Wien is an art museum dedicated to Friedensreich Hundertwasser. It’s set within a building that he designed with his trademark uneven lines and vibrant use of color, which creates an immersive experience for visitors. There’s a permanent collection dedicated to Hundertwasser, but temporary contemporary exhibitions and installations take place regularly to celebrate other artists.

9. Haus der Musik

• Website: hdm.at
• Address: Seilerstätte 30, 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily

The Haus der Musik is an interactive sound museum that explores the vast and varied sounds we hear around us every day. It also has extensive artifacts on display to tell the stories of Austria’s great composers, including Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss, Mahler, Schönberg, and Webern.

10. Prince Eugene’s Monument

• Website: visitingvienna.com/sights/winter-palace/prince-eugene-monument
• Address: Heldenplatz Square, 1010 Vienna

Heldenplatz Square is the heart of the city and is home to a bronze statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Prince Eugene was one of the most successful and influential military leaders of the Habsburg Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries, and Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth officially unveiled the statue in 1865 on Eugene’s 203rd birthday.

11. Belvedere Palace

• Website: belvedere.at/en/visit
• Address: Prinz-Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 9 am – 6 pm daily

Belvedere consists of two Baroque palaces which are surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens. The Upper Belvedere hosts the Austrian National Gallery where more than 800 years of art history are on display, including a huge collection of Gustav Klimt masterpieces. The Lower Belvedere is where a variety of classical and modern art exhibitions take place.

12. Kunsthistorisches Museum

• Website: khm.at/en
• Address: Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 6 pm daily

The Museum of Art History is an impressive 19th-century property that’s home to a vast range of artworks and antiquities, some of which date back to ancient Egypt. Highlights include masterpieces by Rubens, Rembrandt, and Raphael.

13. Vienna Natural History Museum

• Website: nhm-wien.ac.at/en
• Address: Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 9 am – 6 pm Wednesday to Monday

The Naturhistorisches Museum was originally built to accommodate Emperor Franz Jospeh’s collection of curiosities and antiquities. Highlights include the 25,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf figurine and the 32,000-year-old Fanny of Galgenberg sculpture.

14. Johann Strauss Monument

• Website: visitingvienna.com/sights/strauss-monument
• Address: Am Stadtpark, 1030 Vienna

The iconic golden statue of Johann Strauss is a gem in the beautiful Stadpark. Wander around this city park to see other monuments dedicated to musical greats, including Schubert, Bruckner, and Lehár.

15. Austrian National Library

• Website: onb.ac.at/en
• Address: Josefsplatz 1, 1015 Vienna
• Opening Hours: Various depending on the exhibit; see website for details

More than 12 million items are housed within the Austrian National Library, which lies within Hofburg Palace. Don’t miss the impressive State Hall, the walls of which are adorned with ornate decorations.

16. St. Stephen’s Cathedral

• Website: stephanskirche.at
• Address: Stephansplatz 3, 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 6 am – 10 pm Monday to Saturday / 7 am – 10 pm Sunday

St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) dominates Vienna’s skyline and has done so since its construction in the 12th century. It has been rebuilt and extended multiple times over the years, so you can expect to see Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque features. It’s spectacular enough from the outside, but don’t miss out on climbing the South Tower for fabulous city views.

17. Albertina Museum

• Website: albertina.at/en
• Address: Albertinapl. 1, 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 6 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday / 10 am – 9 pm Wednesday & Friday

The Albertina was once the Habsburg monarchy’s largest residential palace, but it is now an internationally renowned art museum. The splendor of the palace remains, and original furniture and restored neo-classical decor complement the artworks beautifully.

18. Museumsquartier

Vienna’s Museum Quarter is located within the former royal stables and it’s home to some of the city’s most popular museums. Highlights include the Leopold Museum, The Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK), and Kunsthalle Vienna.

19. Prater Amusement Park

• Website: praterwien.com/startseite
• Address: 1020 Vienna
• Opening Hours: The park is open 24/7, but individual ride and attraction hours vary; see website.

Prater Park served as the royal hunting grounds in the 19th century, but today, it’s open for the general public to enjoy some time in nature. The Prater Amusement Park is a cluster of fun rides and attractions, including rollercoasters, ghost trains, and the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel.

20. Burgtheater

• Website: burgtheater.at/en
• Address: Universitätsring 2, 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: Performance and guided tour times vary; see website for details

The Burgtheater has been one of Vienna’s cultural highlights since the opening of its original venue, within the Hofburg Palace grounds, in 1748. Since 1888, the new Burgtheater on Ringstrasse has served as the heart of Vienna’s theatrical scene. You can look out for performances here or take a guided tour to learn about the theater’s architecture and history.

21. The Karlskirche

• Website: erzdioezese-wien.at/karlskirche
• Address: Karlsplatz 10, 1040 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 9 am – 7 pm Monday to Saturday / 9 am – 9 pm Thursday / 9 am – 8 pm Sunday

St. Charle’s Church, Karlskirche, is a classic example of Baroque architecture. It offers incredible acoustics and regularly hosts fantastic classic concerts. Don’t miss out on climbing up to the great domed roof, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the city.

22. MAK Museum

• Website: mak.at/en
• Address: Stubenring 5, 1010 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 9 pm Tuesday / 10 am – 6 pm Wednesday to Sunday

The Museum of Applied Art boasts an unbeatable collection of applied artworks and is a fantastic celebration of beautiful design and architecture. It originally opened in 1864 and has since developed an extensive collection with an excellent range of stylistic eras represented.

23. The River Danube

The Danube is a quintessential feature of Vienna and there are lots of ways to enjoy it. You can sunbathe, swim, surf, or sail in Old Danube (Alte Danube) and New Danube, both of which are riverside recreation areas. There’s also the pretty Copa Beach on Danube Island that you can enjoy.

24. The Ringstrasse

The Ringstrasse is a scenic ring road that marks the very center of the city. It was once the site of the old city walls, but the Habsburgs transformed it into a grand boulevard in the 1800s. There are many impressive buildings and sights on the Ringstrasse, and you can see them all at once when you take a hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus service to explore.

25. Judenplatz Square

Judenplatz is a pedestrianized square that was once the hub of a Roman encampment and later the core of the Jewish community during the medieval age. Today, the square serves as a memorial to the city’s Jews who were persecuted during the Vienna Gesera of the 1400s and the Holocaust of the 1900s. You can learn more about the history of Austrian Jews at the Jewish Museum, which is a 10-minute walk south of Judenplatz.

26. Sigmund Freud Museum

• Website: freud-museum.at/en
• Address: Berggasse 19, 1090 Vienna
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 6 pm daily

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, lived and worked in Austria until Nazi persecution of the Jews forced him to flee to England in 1938. Now, his former Austrian home is a museum dedicated to his work and life.

Plan Your Vienna Sightseeing Tour

This is just a handful of the very best attractions in Austria’s beautiful capital city. Which sights will you explore on your Vienna getaway?