What to see while in Vienna

Austria’s capital Vienna is a breathtakingly beautiful city that oozes a sophisticated elegance. It is mesmerising, enticing and famed for its stunning architecture. With grand opulent palaces, art, music, history and pretty parks, there’s lots to see and do in this chic city.

What is evident as soon as you arrive is the classical Baroque architecture and pretty manicured open spaces. The ornate and decorative styling of the architecture makes Vienna look graceful and pristine. Towering cathedrals, palaces that stretch far and wide and the eclectic mix of old and new make for an exciting time exploring.

With so much to see in Vienna below, you will find a few ideas to inspire how you may like to use your time while visiting this pretty city.

St Steven’s Cathedral has a very unique appearance, one that has made this cathedral a very well-known landmark in the city. The cathedral displays a very unbalanced look due to having only one tower. This was not part of the design plans and is purely down to the fact that money ran out during the build process, even so, St Steven’s Cathedral is beautiful even if a little uneven. With spectacular exterior details and stunning architectural skills, the cathedral will leave you speechless and that’s before you even enter the interior. Inside you can climb the 343 steps to the top which is definitely worth doing if you can, as the views over Vienna are well worth the effort. If heights are not your thing then exploring the history of the stone stage built in the 16th century by Anton Pilgram is a must see.

Hofburg Palace is a very grand and statuesque palace that really does impress. From the moment you see the sprawling Baroque architectural structure, you are immediately drawn into the royal opulent splendour of this setting. Home to a wide collection of museums waiting to be explored this palace provides the perfect opportunity to learn about the history of the Imperial Court and delve deep into the museums, escaping into a dream world of royal luxury. The palace is beautiful even if experienced only from the exterior and don’t forget to wander by in the evening when the lights cascade a warm glow and enhance the baroque styling.

Whether you are passionate about horse riding or not the Spanish Riding School is an amazing experience. Within the stunning setting of the riding school, you can observe training sessions or performances of the Lipizzaner Horses. A world-famous venue that is architecturally beautiful and full of style, grace and elegance, just like the horses that work and perform there. With outstanding showmanship of horse skills and a grand setting, this is an experience that will definitely impress.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) showcases a vast collection of works from ancient Egyptian pieces to the modern, all housed in an impressive setting. The building itself is a wondrous piece of art both inside and out. This is the perfect place to escape for a while and indulge in the arts that flow all over the museum and with exhibitions from floor to ceiling don’t forget to look up!

Stadtpark is a pretty place to take time out and reflect on all that you have seen. Purchase a coffee and relax for a while in the pretty surroundings of the manicured gardens. Divided in two by the Wienfluss (Vienna River) this park has a vast setting that covers a large area, while you’re here why not meander the pathways and explore the sculptures that adorn this very pleasant environment.

The Albertina Art Museum has one of the largest and most important collections of prints in the world, 65000 drawings and over a million old master prints call the Albertina home. An impressive building that is a piece of art in itself showcases both the historical prints alongside modern pieces, temporary exhibitions, photography and architectural drawings. A museum as beautiful as this is a special place to visit no matter how big your artistic passions.

The Vienna State Opera entices you in to explore the wonderful world of performance and if you are fortunate enough to get to tickets you are sure to be in for a spectacular evening. Whether you explore this venue in the daytime or evening the building is impressive. When lit up at night the Vienna State Opera looks magical and really sets the scene for the performance within.

Karlskirche (St Charles’s Church) will leave you speechless. It is very difficult to describe fully the beauty of this church, as well as being grand and impressive it is quietly delicate, pretty and peaceful. The Baroque architecture of St Charles’s Church is definitely an outstanding example of the ornate and highly decorative style and by far stands out against other examples to be seen in Vienna.

Top Tip: Purchase entry tickets before arriving to allow even more time to explore and don’t forget to check any restrictions regarding luggage or photography for each venue you plan to spend time at.

Vienna is a spectacular place to visit and with its sprawling Baroque architecture and grand palaces you really are going to experience a very special capital, so select your comfy shoes, camera and map and enjoy your time in Vienna.