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Guide to Europe >> Austria >> Vienna
Vienna |
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The capital of Austria, Vienna’s city center lies on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Originally a Celtic village in 500 BC, Vienna (Wien) later became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Today, the city is divided into 23 districts, with District 1, Innere Stadt, being the center and containing many of the historic sights. Vienna attracts many visitors interested in its position as a cultural hub: The city boasts one of the best opera houses in Europe and each year puts on a multitude of balls, formal dances held in palaces and other settings all over the city, where guests ballroom dance to orchestras and mingle in tuxedos and ball gowns.
College Backpacking recommends staying two days in Vienna. A wonderful walking city, Vienna is best visited in the warm months, although the snow-covered city is beautiful in the winter.
Begin in District One, where most of the main sights are. Stop by the Opera House later in the afternoon, and you may be able to obtain very cheap standing-room tickets to the opera that evening. The seats are actually rather close and include translation monitors.
On the second day, pay a visit to Schonbrunn, Maria Theresia’s favorite home. Spend time in the gardens and visit the world’s oldest zoo. Then spend time walking around the city, popping in a museum or two that you may pass.
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| Tourist Sites |
Hofburg Imperial Palace
This is the imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty, which controlled the Austrio-Hungarian Empire. It is currently the residence of the president of Austria. The oldest sections of this palace date back to the 13th century and popular twin museums (Naturhistorisches and Kunsthistorisches) are located on the palace grounds |
Naturhistorisches Museum
This museum has over 39 separate halls containing historical artifacts such as dinosaur skeletons and the 25,000 year old sculpture “Venus of Willendorf”. That’s right, this statue dates back to 24,000 B.C. Another popular item in this museum is the skeleton of a Diplodocus dinosaur, which is the longest vertebrate to ever have lived. |
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is identical to the Naturhistorisches Museum and is located across the street from the latter. The Kunsthistoriches Musuem hosts an extensive coin collection along with collections of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Near Eastern antiquities. This museum also hosts some very impressive paintings with a few of the more impressive below:
“The Tower of Babel” by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
“Madonna in Green” by Rafael
“Summer” by Giuseppe Arcimboldo |
Schonbrunn
Schonbrunn Palace was the palace of choice during the summer months for the Habsburg rulers. The modern palace was built between 1696 and 1700, and was the centre of the Austrian empire until the end of World War I in 1918. This palace has a very impressive garden known as the French Garden, which contains a maze. Schonbrunn also holds the Tiergarten, which is the world’s oldest existing zoo. The Tiergarten dates back to 1752. The gardens also lead to the Gloriette, which is an open air structure located atop a hill. From the Gloriette, an excellent view of Vienna and the Schonbrunn Palace can be had. There is currently a café at the Gloriette, and it is quite a treat to enjoy a meal with such a magnificent view. |
Riesenrad
The Riesenrad is a 200-foot diameter Ferris wheel that was erected in 1897 to celebrate Empereror Franz Joseph I’s anniversary of 50 years ruling the region. It is located in the Leopoldstadt district of Vienna. |
| Restaurants |
| Tours |
| Transportation |
Intercity
Flights: The Wien-Schwechat Flughafen is Vienna’s main airport and home to Austria Airlines (www.aua.com)
Trains: Vienna has two main train stations with international destinations. They are:
- Westbahnhof – Berlin, Amsterdam, Budapest, Hamburg, Innbruck, Munich, Paris, Salzburg, and Zürich
- Südbahnhof – Graz, Kraków, Prague, Rome, and Venice
Buses: Intercity buses can be found at Wien Mitte along with many of the other city stations. College Backpacking recommends the trains though, as they are frequently faster and less expensive. |
Local
Public Transportation: Vienna has three type of public transportation via train.
- U-bahn is the subway
- Straßenbahn is the tram
- S-bahn is the elevated train
These three systems along with the bus lines all run on the same ticket system, so if you purchase a ticket you can jump between these forms of transportation freely. Make sure that you only validate, or stamp, your ticket before you get on your first ride, otherwise you may be fined in excess of €50 if you stamp it between each form of transportation.
Taxis: Licensed taxis have yellow and black signs on the roof. Fares are generally €2.50 plus €,20 per every 0.2km. They are slightly more expensive from 11pm – 6am. |
| Night Life |
B72
Address: 8 Hernalser Gurtel, Stadtbahnbogen 72
Hours: 8:00pm- 4:00am
Cover: free to €10, depending on the band
One of the premiere places for live music in Vienna, B72 offers a main floor and an upstairs gallery to fully enjoy rock shows, hip hop performers or DJs spinning records for the late night clubbers. |
Alcazar
Address: Bosendorferstrasse 2
Hours: 7:00pm- 2:00am, open until 4:00am on the weekends, closed Sundays
In the center of town lies this sleek, popular bar with over 100 cocktails on the menu. Featuring themed music nights, this bar attracts a stylish and laid back crowd to match its interior design. |
Flex
Address: Am Donaukanal
Transportation: Schottenring
Cover: €4- €10
Hours: 8:00pm- 4:00am
Situated on Danube Canal by the metro, the young fans of electronic music pack into an old, graffiti-covered building that their parents’ generation probably frequently in the ’70s. With live shows and DJs, this gritty scene is an institution in Vienna-- a must for music fans and lovers of alternative nightlife. |
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