The best of Vienna shows off a versatile city with more to offer than most people think.
Vienna’s elegance and tradition find their greatest expression in the Inner City, or more formally, the First District.
Its three square kilometers are full of stunning architecture, highlighted by palaces, museums, theaters and churches.
Most tourists stay in this small area to see the best of Vienna, then leave town thinking that’s all there is.
Pity, those people miss out on seeing what Vienna (population 1.7 million) is really about by not exploring the outer districts.
There’s the Naschmarkt (snack market) where Viennese go to eat.
There’s the Seventh District with its huge shopping street and Bohemian flair, funky coffeehouses and local designers.
The Nineteenth District showcases a strong wine culture with vineyards inside the city limits.
After a day of touring the city, all-night partying awaits in pubs, bars, restaurants and dance clubs.
Print and go -- Our traveler-friendly one-page guide here: Best of Vienna
Hotels
Luxury
Hotel Imperial
The building was originally constructed in 1863 as the Vienna residence of the Prince of Württemberg.
The stately palace on the magnificent Ring Boulevard was turned into the Hotel Imperial in 1873.
It's still a best of Vienna hotel pick.
Hotel Imperial, Kärntner Ring 16; +43 1 501 100; from €450 ($583) per night
The Ritz-Carlton Vienna
It sits among stiff competition on the Ring Boulevard, which is dusted with one five-star hotel after another.
However, the rooftop terrace Atmosphere is a hotspot for the local Viennese to enjoy a spectacular view of the city.
Ritz-Carlton Vienna, Schubertring 5-7; +43 1 311 88; from €550 ($700) per night
Hotel Bristol
Its Prince of Wales suite is the largest in the country and famous because the Prince of Edward VIII once resided here.
The rest of the hotel can feel a bit tight for American guests, but cozy for Europeans, depending on your viewpoint.
Hotel Bristol, Kärntner Ring 1; +43 1 515160; from €230 ($303) per night
Mid-range
nH Hotel
It follows the company’s look with minimal style and clean lines.
The location is fantastic, right in the middle of Vienna’s biggest shopping street with an underground connection almost at the front door.
Yet for all this, it still manages to remain quiet and tranquil.
Staff are friendly and check-in quick.
nH Hotel, Mariahilferstrasse 32-34 (via Lindeng. 9), 1070 Vienna; +43 1 52 17 20; from €90 ($116) per night
Budget
Pension Schönbrunn
Next to the imperial summer palace and a five-minute walk from an underground station, this clean budget hotel has an ideal location.
Rooms are spacious and there are a few that overlook a courtyard that offer quiet from the busy street outside.
Staff are friendly and speak good English.
The breakfast is basic and unvaried but provides good coffee.
Pension Schönbrunn, Schönbrunner Schloss Strasse 30; +43 1 815 50 27 0; from €70 ($90) per night
Dining
The dining scene in Vienna has exploded over the last few years. The city now offers cuisine from every part of the world ranging from trendy to traditional.
Steirereck
It uses fresh ingredients from the chef’s own farm.
Its location in the middle of a park offers a soothing escape from the bustle of the city.
Open weekdays only. Reservations are a must for lunch and dinner.
Steirereck, Am Heumarkt 2a/im Stadtpark; +43 1 713 31 68; expensive
Taverne am Sachsengang
During summer months, guests sit outside and enjoy a view of the Danube. In winter, a fireplace gives the restaurant a cozy atmosphere.
The chef changes the menu according to season and specializes in fish, game and asparagus.
On the first Wednesday of every month, a special 10-course menu is offered that allows chefs to show off culinary creativity and excellence.
Taverne am Sachsengang,Schlosshoferstrasse 60, 2301 Gross Enzersdorf; +43 2 249 29 01; expensive
Plachutta
The best of Vienna boiled beef comes with a side of applesauce spiked with horseradish, which makes a sweet and spicy combination.
Plachutta,Wollzeile 38; +43 1 512 15 7743; expensive
Café Central
During dinner the white linens come out to cover the marble tabletops.
The grand interior displays its palace setting to perfection, with a classical pianist serenading diners on select days.
Café Central,Ecke Herrengasse/Strauchgasse; +43 1 533 37 63 ext. 24; moderate
Bettel Student
Bettel Student is a rowdy pub that serves reasonably priced, consistently good Austrian food.
The upstairs seating area is usually quiet and not too crowded.
Bettel Student, Johannesgasse 12; +43 1 513 20 44; budget
Würstelstands
There are many stands strewn throughout the city, but the best is in front of the Albertina Museum.
There are a variety of sausages with the option of a side of bread and an Austrian Ottakringer beer or even champagne.
Würstelstands, Albertinaplatz 1
Coffeehouses
Vienna coffeehouses are an institution. Social life revolves around them, as people have breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, snacks, business meetings, celebrations and above all, coffee and cake.
Demel
Though the emperor is gone, Demel hangs on tight to its traditions.
It continues to produce exquisite cakes created by hand. You can check them out behind glass walls in the back.
Upstairs offers seating in pretty, parlor-like rooms.
Demel, Kohlmarkt 14; +43 (1) 535 17 170
Sacher Café
Sacher Café makes the delicious sachertorte, which has been delivered to almost every country in the world.
The recipe is kept secret and the country's best bakers have tried, unsuccessfully, to recreate the iconic chocolate cake.
Sacher Café, Philharmonikerstrasse 4; +43 (0)1 51 456 0
Nightlife
Nightlife in Vienna isn’t always easy to find even though the party week starts on Wednesday and on weekends goes all night long.
Sofitel Hotel
The floor-to-ceiling glass windows lay a glittering Vienna at your feet.
The bar is well stocked.
The restaurant's Austrian-French fusion is so-so.
Unfortunately making reservations for the bar is no longer an option and standing in line to get to the top is the norm.
Sofitel Hotel, Praterstrasse 1; +43 (1) 906160; expensive
The 25 hours Hotel bar
The 25 hours Hotel bar has a laid-back atmosphere, good vibe and cheap drinks.
The best thing about the place is the large terrace.
A downside is that there can be a long line to get in; reservations aren't taken, so it's wait to get in or skip it.
The 25 hours Hotel bar, Lerchenfelder Strasse 1-3; +43 1 521 51 0; budget
Volksgarten-Pavillon
Volksgarten-Pavillon is where Viennese go to dance late into the night during the hot summer months.
The garden in the back is the highlight, with an outside bar and even a pool.
The music is a mix of house, disco and party hits.
On Fridays and Saturdays, if you show up before midnight, you might be the only one in the place.
Volksgarten-Pavillon, Burgring 1 (Heldenplatz); +43 1 532 42 41; mid-range
Albertina Passage
A major advantage is that there are a lot of seating nooks to sip your drinks in and get cozy with friends.
Albertina Passage, Passage Opernring/Operngasse; +43 1 512 08 13; expensive
Shopping
Kärntnerstrasse
The major shopping street in Vienna’s First District, Kärntnerstrasse, has one flagship store lined up after the other.
The usual suspects, such as H&M and Zara, are present, but the German department store Peek & Cloppenburg dominates the scene by offering the best all-around shopping.
Kärntnerstrasse: Kärntner Str. 29; +43 1 8904888 0
Golden Quarter
The Golden Quarter is so-called due to the brand flagship stores lined up one after another in the First District on Kohlmarkt Street.
Sitting right behind the Imperial Palace, brands such as Chanel, Tiffany, Burberry, Ferragamo and Gucci among others feel right at home.
Chanel, Kohlmarkt 5; Tiffany, Kohlmarkt 8-10; Burberry, Kohlmarkt 2; Ferragamo,Kohlmarkt 7; Gucci, Kohlmarkt 5
Naschmarkt
You'll need to put up with crowds and walk at a slow pace to see all the exotic foods on display.
On Saturdays, the Naschmarkt expands to include Europe’s largest flea market. It’s fun to poke through all the dusty knickknacks even if many items are overpriced.
Closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Naschmarkt, Wienzeile between Kettenbrücke und the Secession; +43 1 546 3405 430
Peryd Shou Print Boutique
The store is filled with bags, shirts, lampshades and even tea sets with unique prints from the imaginative to the bizarre.
Peryd Shou Print Boutique, Zollergasse 9-11; +43 1 522 46 70
The Hot Dog
The trained graphic designer rose to fame in the graffiti scene.
Now she puts her designs on T-shirts, skirts and other articles of clothing that she makes in the back of her store.
The Hot Dog, Zollergasse 12; +43 1 236 8814
useabrand
With the tagline “fashion democracy,” useabrand encourages its shoppers to design their own clothes.
Its website allows users to pick the color, material and cut. Once a month designs are voted on by users and the winner is then produced and sold online and in the useabrand store.
useabrand: Zollergasse 15; +43 1 699 11 47 8004
Attractions
The First District contains almost all of the best of Vienna's “must sees.” It's small enough to walk everywhere.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Its colorful roof is covered with 230,000 tiles that form a mosaic of the double-headed eagle representing Austria's former imperial family, the Habsburgs.
Inside there's an elevator that goes to the top of the cathedral for nice views of the city.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral,Stephansplatz, 1010 Vienna
The Hofburg Imperial Palace
The most impressive is the Spanish Riding School, where white Lipizzaner horses perform to Strauss’ “The Blue Danube.” Tickets purchased in advance are necessary.
The Imperial Treasury boasts imperial crowns, jewels and a “unicorn” horn.
However, the best tour is the Imperial Apartments Sisi Museum, with a refreshing honesty about the past Austrian Empress.
Hofburg Imperial Palace, Hofburg-Michaelerkuppel; daily 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., July, August 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Guided tours for children: Saturday, Sunday, public holidays 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Vienna Ring Boulevard
Lined with the most stunning architecture in the city, the 5,200-meter-long Vienna Ring Boulevard was created from 1860-1890 when the old city walls were torn down.
Best of Vienna architecture includes the neo-classic Parliament, Gothic City Hall and State Opera, which received such criticism from the Viennese upon its opening that one of the head architects committed suicide.
The Ring is lined with so many beautiful buildings that the city runs a Vienna Ring Tram. It starts at Schwedenplatz and informs riders of the highlights en route during its 23-minute circuit.
Vienna Ring Boulevard; daily, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (departure from Schwedenplatz) July and August, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Schönbrunn Palace
A 30- or 60-minute tour gets you access to the living quarters of the ruling family, with excellent examples of Rococo interior design.
The large baroque garden is filled with wonders such as the world’s oldest zoo and a public pool where the chic set cool off.
Schönbrunn Palace, Schönbrunner Schlosstrasse 47; +43 (1) 811 130; daily, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
The Giant Ferris Wheel
Though the ride offers a bird’s-eye view of the Danube, lines can be long and for many not worth the wait.
Photo opportunities from the ground looking up at the wheel are nice.
Giant Ferris Wheel, Prater 90, Riesenradplatz 1
Vienna Balls
The balls are also a great way to get into parts of buildings normally closed to the public to see dazzling displays of imperial interior design.
Despite the formal setting and strict dress code (men must wear tuxedos and women must wear floor-length gowns), balls are anything but stuffy, with long nights of dancing, live music and fun.
Balls vary in price and experience. Of the 450 balls hosted in Vienna each year, four stand out.
The Vienna Philharmonic Ball
The Vienna Philharmonic performs during the opening ceremony.
Vienna Philharmonic Ball, Bösendorferstrasse 12
The Viennese Coffeehouse Owners’ Ball
The Viennese Coffeehouse Owners’ Ball is one of the top five balls in Vienna with more than 5,000 guests in attendance.
It’s hosted every year in the Imperial Palace, the Hofburg. The imperial ceremonial room where the emperor received guests is the most beautiful, with white marble and gold chandeliers.
Viennese Coffeehouse Owners’ Ball, Hofburg-Michaelerkuppel Vienna
The Emperor’s Ball –- Le Grand Bal
The Emperor’s Ball –- Le Grand Bal is hosted at the Hofburg on New Year’s Eve.
It's expensive and touristy, which doesn't make it the most interesting event to attend, but it does have its devotees and the New Year's Eve vibe is good.
Emperor’s Ball, Hofburg-Michaelerkuppel Vienna
The Opera Ball
The ball gets mixed reviews. Some find the grand experience transcendent; others say it comes off tacky due to the media circus around it.
Opera Ball, Opernring 2
More information about Vienna's ball season can be found at events.wien.info
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