Vienna/Innere Stadt

Innere Stadt is the inner-most district of Vienna. Its historic centre dates back to Roman ages and has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It is encircled by the Ring Road (Ringstraße), a grand boulevard constructed along the old city walls, which were torn down starting in 1858. Along the Ringstraße are many famous and grand buildings, including the City Hall (Rathaus), the Austrian Parliament, the Hofburg Palace, the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum), the Museum of Art History (Kunsthistorisches Museum), and the State Opera House (Wiener Staatsoper).

The very central point of Innere Stadt is the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom), perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Vienna. From there, many of Vienna's most famous streets expand in every direction, including Graben and Kärntner Strasse. The centre is largely pedestrianized, and the remainder of streets open to traffic are mostly reserved for bus and taxi traffic - driving around is an intricate affair and is best avoided.

Understand
  • 🌍 Tourist Info Vienna, Albertinaplatz/Maysedergasse (behind the Vienna State Opera, across from the Albertina), ☏ +43-1-24 555, fax: +43-1-24 555-666, . Daily 09:00-19:00. Offers free walking maps and brochures, and can help with hotel reservations. 

Get in

From Vienna International Airport

It may come as a surprise, but the Innere Stadt is not directly reachable from Vienna International Airport.

The shortest way to get there from the airport is to take the City Airport Train or S-Bahn line S7 to Wien Mitte-Landstrasse and then transfer to U-Bahn line U3 directly to Stephansplatz, or alternatively the U4 along the Donaukanal - a convenient stop to alight and start walking into the Innere Stadt is Schwedenplatz, while you can also choose to go south and alight at Karlsplatz by the opera house. Or, you can walk as the Wien Mitte-Landstrasse station is only some 250 m from the Ring, separated by the nice Stadtpark.

Alternatively, you can travel on the S7 one station farther to Praterstern in Leopoldstadt, and from there the U1 will take you to the abovementioned Schwedenplatz, Stephansplatz or Karlsplatz. If you want to explore the Innere Stadt starting from the west, you can take the U2 from Praterstern, which stops along the western bend of the Ring, starting at Schottenring and terminates at Karlsplatz.

There are no trams that go directly to the Innere Stadt from either Praterstern or Wien Mitte-Landstrasse.

From major railway stations

Other than the above-mentioned Wien-Mitte Landstrasse and Praterstern, the major railway stations of Vienna are the Hauptbahnhof, Westbahnhof and Wien-Meidling.

From the Hauptbahnhof, take U-Bahn line U1 (the station by the Hauptbahnhof is called Südtiroler Platz) to either Karlsplatz, Stephansplatz or Schwedenplatz. From the Westbahnhof, take U3 to Volkstheater, Herrengasse, Stephansplatz or Stubentor. If you end up at Wien-Meidling, which still serves as a terminus for some trains until the Hauptbahnhof is fully operational, your only option is a rather long ride on tram line 62 all the way to its terminus at Wien Oper (Kärntner Ring).

Get around

The inner city is easily walkable. For the special flair and tourist guidance one can take a tour in an historic horse carriage.

The underground lines  U1 ,  U3  both cross the district, while  U2  and  U4  border it. The city-bus lines 1A, 2A and 3a cross the district too. The tram lines D, 1 and 2 run on some parts of the Ring.

Chances are that on your journey to, from or around the Innere Stadt you will need to use the U-Bahn station Karlsplatz, or just one of its subways to get under the ring. Make sure to pay attention when nearing the Opera from the underground, as a globally unique attraction awaits you there – the 🌍 Vienna Opera Toilet. This paid public toilet in the subway passage is lushly decorated and incessantly blares Strauss tunes at tourists and locals relieving themselves, those passing by.

See

Religious buildings

All of the religious buildings still function as a church, with Catholic Mass and Communion services on of course every Saturday night and Sunday, in addition to weekdays. Those that visit during Mass times, including those that do so other than for attending it, are expected to make as little noise as possible as a form of respect.

  • 🌍 Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral), Stephansplatz 3 (U1/U3 Stephansplatz), ☏ +43 1 51552-3054, fax: +43 1 51552-3526, . Daily M-Sa 06:00-22:00, Su and holidays 07:00-22:00; visits for tourists: M-Sa 09:00-11:30, 13:00-16:30, Su and holidays 13:00-16:300; tour of cathedral and treasury: M-Sa 10:30 (English), daily 15:00 (German). Yet another patchwork of architectural styles, but predominantly Gothic. None of the original construction remains, the oldest extant sections are the thirteenth century Giant Gate (Riesentor) and Towers of the Heathens (Heidentürme), both of which are Romanesque. In 1511, building in Gothic style ceased due to being out of fashion. The main altar has a Baroque panel showing St. Stephen, Christianity's first martyr. The organized tour is worth it, since some of the finest works of art in the cathedral can only be seen with a guide, such as Emperor Frederick III's red marble sepulcher and the immense Gothic carved Altar of Wiener Neustadt. Those interested in attending Mass may come Saturdays at 7PM for an English service. Cathedral/treasury tour: €5 (adults), €3 (students 14-18), €2 (children under 14). 
    • South Tower (Südturm) (access from the outside). Daily 09:00-17:30 (no registration required). The 137-m-high tower, often known by its Viennese diminutive Steffl (also a nickname for the entire cathedral), was finished in 1433. 347 steps lead to the Türmerstube and to a good view. €4.5 (adults), €2 (school parties 15-18 yr), €1.50 (children 6-14 yrs). 
    • North Tower (Nordturm), . Daily Sep-June: 08:15-16:30, Jul-Aug: 08:15-18:00. Steffl's intended twin, this tower was never finished. Over 50 years later, in 1579, a Renaissance spire was added to the Nordturm to make it look less like the builders had stormed off the job. This is where the Pummerin, a huge bell cast from melted-down Turkish cannons, hangs. The aborted tower has an observation deck with an amazing view of downtown Vienna. Lift: €5 (adults), €2 (children 6-14), €0.50 (children under 6). 
    • Catacombs (Katakomben), ☏ +43 1 51552-3054 (for group registrations of 15+ people), . M-Sa 10:00-11:30, 13:30-16:30; Su and holidays 13:30-16:30; tours depart every 15-30 min. Legions of bishops and Habsburg body parts are buried here (the intestines, specifically). €5 (adults), €3 (school parties 14-18 yrs), €2 (children under 14). 
    • Treasury (Domschatz) (in the west gallery). M-Sa 10:00-18:00, Su and holidays 13:00-18:00. Displays the most precious objects from the cathedral's treasury. €4 (adults), €1.50 (children under 14). 
    • Roof Walk (Dachrundgang) (meet at the South Tower). Jun-Sep: Sa 19:00. For an unusual perspective of the cathedral, consider taking a 90-minute guided tour of the roof. €10 (adults), €4 (children under 14). 
  • 🌍 Kaisergruft (Imperial Crypt), Tegetthoffstraße 2, ☏ +43 1 512 68 53 88, fax: +43 1 512 68 53-19, . Daily 10:00-18:00, Th 09:00-18:00; closed 1-2 Nov. Underneath the Kapuzinerkirche, this mausoleum houses the tombs of generations of Habsburg royalty. €7.50 (adults), €12 (families), €4.50 (seniors/students/groups), €2.50 (children under 14). (updated Feb 2017)
  • 🌍 Jesuitenkirche (Jesuit Church), Dr-Ignaz-Seipel-Platz 1, ☏ +43 1 51252320. Daily 07:00-18:30. Has one of the most elaborate Baroque interiors in Europe. 
  • 🌍 Ruprechtskirche (St. Rupert's Church), Ruprechtsplatz 1/2, ☏ +43 1 535 60 03. M-F 10:00-12:00, M W F 15:00-17:00. Believed to be the oldest church in Vienna, although excavations around the foundations of two other churches (Stephansdom and Peterskirche) have challenged this view. Earliest mention of the church in historical records is in 1200; the current structure dates from the Romanesque period, while the interior was renovated during the Baroque era. 
  • 🌍 Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church), Petersplatz, ☏ +43 1 533 64 33. M-F 08:00-19:00, Sa Su 09:00-19:00. The church is believed to date back to the Middle Ages, and excavations suggest that the foundation may be far older than previously believed. The current structure was built during the Baroque period, and restored from 1998-2004 to return the paintings to their original colouring and brightness. There are regular organ concerts at 15:00 (free). (updated Nov 2022)
  • 🌍 Maria am Gestade, Passauer Platz 1. This gothic church was used by sailors on the Danube river. Its name refers to the former location near the river. Communion celebrations are held in German, French, and Czech. 

Hofburg

This immense palace complex grew into a large, unwieldy series of buildings over the years and was the imperial residence of the Habsburg emperors until 1918. What began as a medieval castle (whose chapel is the only original element of that building to survive) was expanded and redecorated as the Habsburgs' power increased correspondingly. The Palace Stables and Amalia's Wing were added in the 16th century; the Imperial Chancery Wing, Court Library, and Spanish Riding School were added in the 18th; most recently St Michael's Wing (Michaelertrakt) was tacked on and around 1900 the New Palace (Neue Hofburg) was completed. Each separate building contains so many treasures that the time spent moving from one to another is like opening box after box of fabulous jewels. The palace now houses the offices of the Austrian President, a convention center, and the Spanish Riding School with its Lipizzaner stallions, as well as several museums.

  • 🌍 Kaiserappartements (Imperial Apartments), Michaelerplatz (U3 Herrengasse; tram 1, 2, D, J, alight at Burgring; bus 2A or 3A, alight at Hofburg), ☏ +43-1-533 75 70, fax: +43-1-533 75 70-33, . Sep-Jun: daily 09:00-17:30, Jul-Aug: daily 09:00-18:00. This trio of museums includes the Imperial Apartments (Kaiserappartements), Sisi Museum, and Imperial Silver Collection (Silberkammer). The Imperial Apartments and Sisi Museum include 22 state rooms of the residential and state apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth (popularly known as Sisi) and show 19th-century imperial life. The Imperial Silver Collection displays unique items of the glittering world of imperial dining. Combined ticket: €11.50 (adults), €10.50 (students/disabled and Vienna Card), €7 (children 6-18). 
  • 🌍 Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury; aka the Secular and Ecclesiastical Treasures), Hofburg Schweizerhof (Neue Hofburg), ☏ +43 1 52524-0, . M W-Su 09:00–17:30. The best part of the Hofburg and an absolute must. It contains the Habsburgs' collection of jewels, crowns, and other valuables, perhaps the best on the Continent. Second only to a tour of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, of which the Schatzkammer is a part. There are 20 rooms of priceless treasures that give a fairly accurate representation of the ceremonial Habsburg court life over the centuries. €6 (as a combined ticket with the Museum of Fine Arts). 
  • 🌍 New Palace (Neue Hofburg), Heldenplatz. The newest and largest section of the Imperial Palace. It contains the Welt Museum Wien, the Papyrus Museum, and three branches of the Museum of Fine Arts. 
    • 🌍 Ephesos Museum, ☏ +43 1 525 24-4902, . W-Su 10:00-18:00, last admission 17:30. Contains classical art from Ephesus, in Asia Minor. Admission included with ticket for Museum of Fine Arts. 
    • Collection of Historic Musical Instruments (Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente), ☏ +43 1 525 24-4602, . W-Su 10:00-18:00, last admission 17:30. Admission included with ticket for the Museum of Fine Arts. 
    • Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer (Imperial Armoury), ☏ +43 1 525 24-5202, . W-Su 10:00-18:00, last admission 17:30. The jewel of the New Palace is the Collection of Arms. This collection, second largest in the world, houses an immense and exhaustive representation of weaponry from past centuries. Admission included with ticket for the Museum of Fine Arts. (updated Oct 2017)
    • 🌍 Papyrusmuseum (Papyrus Museum), Heldenplatz, ☏ +43 1 534 10-420, fax: +43 1 534 10-395, . Tu W 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-21:00, F Su 10:00-18:00. One of the largest collections of its kind in the world, it includes nearly 180,000 manuscripts spanning 3,000 years of Egyptian history. 200 items are on permanent display. €4 (adults), €3.60 (Ö1 Club and Vienna Card), €3.50 (seniors), €3 (students/military/disabled); includes admission to the Globe and Esperanto Museums (listed below with the Austrian National Library). 
    • 🌍 Weltmuseum Wien (formerly the Ethnological Museum / Museum für Völkerkunde), ☏ +43 1 534 30-5052, . W-M 10:00-18:00. This collection encompasses many thousands of artifacts from around the globe. The most famous piece in its collection however is a headdress believed to have belonged to the last Aztec emperor Moctezuma. €8 (adults), €7 (Vienna Card), €6 (concessions), free (under 19). 
  • 🌍 Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek), Josefsplatz 1, ☏ +43 1 53410-348. Card catalogs may be an anachronism in today’s digitized world, but this library had the first one in existence, invented by the Habsburg court librarian. Unlike the printed library catalogs of the past, bound into book form, the card catalog could be rapidly updated and the library kept up-to-date. This well-ordered reader's paradise has a collection that outshines many museums, thanks to its long association with the Habsburg imperial family. It gained an impressive collection when Emperor Josef II dissolved all the empire's monasteries – 300 manuscripts, 3,000 printed books, and 5,000 diplomata. The library's collection is approximately six million items strong and is the largest in Austria. It is a pioneer in digitalizing and placing its collection online. The oldest book in the collection is a fifteenth century Holy Gospels manuscript with scenes representing the four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) containing the coats of arms of the House of Austria, Styria, Tirol, and Carinthia, then ruled by Albrecht III, the book's owner. 
    • 🌍 Prunksaal (State Hall), Josefsplatz 1, 1st Floor, ☏ +43 1 534 10-394, fax: +43 1 534 10-257, . Tu W 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-21:00, F Su 10:00-18:00. This magnificent historic library was designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and built in 1726. As well as the spectacular room itself, you can see temporary exhibitions on various historical subjects. €7 (adults), €6.30 (Ö1 Club and Vienna Card), €5.50 (seniors), €4.50 (students/military/disabled). 
    • 🌍 Globenmuseum (Globe Museum), Herrengasse 9, Palais Mollard-Clary, 1st Floor, ☏ +43 1 534 10-710, fax: +43 1 534 10-319, . Tu W 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-21:00, F-Su 10:00-18:00. The only museum of its type in the world, this museum contains a collection of 650 globes of all types, as well as a collection of nearly 300,000 historic maps. €4 (adults), €3.60 (Ö1 Club or Vienna Card), €3.50 (seniors), €3 (students/military/disabled); includes admission to the Esperanto and Papyrus Museums. 
    • 🌍 Esperantomuseum (Esperanto Museum), Herrengasse 9, Palais Mollard-Clary, Ground Floor, ☏ +43 1 534 10-730, fax: +43 1 534 10-733, . Tu W 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-21:00, F-Su 10:00-18:00. Founded in 1927, this museum houses a library and museum with displays illustrating the development and grammar of the modern invented language Esperanto. €4 (adults), €3.60 (Ö1 Club or Vienna Card), €3.50 (seniors); €3 (students/military/disabled); includes admission to the Globe and Papyrus Museums. 
  • 🌍 Albertina, Albertinaplatz 1, ☏ +43 1 534 83-0. Th-Tu 10:00-18:00, W 10:00-21:00. Once a palace, it is now the most popular exhibition space in Vienna, mainly for traditional modern art. The building itself is an experience as well. It is home to a valuable drawing collection, including many works of the German Renaissance painter, Dürer. €11.90 (adults), €9.90 (seniors 60+), €9.70 (Vienna Card), €8.50 (students), €7 (unemployed/military/disabled), free (children under 19). 
  • 🌍 Herzgruft, Augustinerkirche (Loretokapelle / Hearts Crypt, Augustinian Church), Josefsplatz 1 (facing the sculpture in the center of the square, the entrance is small and easy to miss, on the left hand wall of the square), ☏ +43 1 533 09 47 0, fax: +43 1 533 09 47 150, . Tours M-F 11:00, 15:00. Yet another example of the gruesome divide-and-conquer burial strategy of the Habsburg dynasty. It is said that other dynasties waged countless wars to acquire new lands, but "you, happy Austria, marry". Even in death, the Habsburgs placated three different churches with the honor of caring for their remains. The best known, the Kapuzinergruft, contains their actual bodies. St Stephens holds their innards (intestines and other parts taken out during the preservation process). But the Augustinerkirche holds, in the Herzgruft (Heart Crypt), all the Habsburgs' hearts. The tradition began in 1627 with Emperor Ferdinand IV, who wanted to "lay his heart at the feet of the Mother of God", literally. His heart, and those of his descendants, are preserved in silver jars which are carefully cared for by the Augustinian friars who run the church. When the renovation was underway it was found that the preservative in some of the caskets had evaporated over the years, leaving nothing but a dried-out, mummified heart. 
  • 🌍 Hofburgkapelle (Chapel of the Imperial Palace), Hofburg - Schweizer Hof, ☏ +43 1 533 99 27, fax: +43 1 533 99 27-75, . Visiting hours: M Tu 10:00-14:00, F 11:00-13:00, closed holidays; Sunday Mass: 09:15, seating no later than 09:00. The original chapel of the Palace, built in Gothic style 1447-1449, was made over in Baroque style. On Sundays and Catholic holidays (of which the Austrians celebrate many), the Court Musicians perform here. This group is made up of members from the Vienna Boys Choir, as well as performers from the orchestra and choir of the Vienna State Opera. Tickets can be purchased online here. Performances: seats €36/26/16, seats with no view €10; standing room only free (sold on Su at 08:30 before mass). (updated Oct 2017)
  • 🌍 Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule), Michaelerplatz 1 (visitor center), ☏ +43 1 533 90 31. Visitor center: Tu-Su 09:00-16:00, F 09:00-19:00 during performance days; box office (Josefsplatz): Tu-F 09:00-12:00. First mentioned in a document dated 1572, it is the only equestrian institute in the world which follows a Renaissance model of classical schooling. Eleves, or students, begin their training immediately after completion of Austrian primary education (age 15 or 16), and are expected to be both sporty and clever. The school takes its name from a Spanish breed of horse first mentioned in Roman writings. In 1562, Emperor Maximilian II brought some of these Spanish horses to Austria to found a royal stud farm in Kladrub (Bohemia), housing them for a time in the "Stallburg" (oldest section of the Imperial Palace). The present school location was built in 1572. In 1580, Maximilian's brother, Archduke Karl, founded the stud farm in Lipizza near Trieste (now Slovenia). Interest in elegant riding had been growing for about 50 years at that point. During Renaissance times, powerful gentlemen who had already conquered the worlds of finance and politics looked to the writings of antiquity for new learning and an educated lifestyle to which they could aspire. Horsemanship which followed the ancient models described by Socrates and others became the fashion. Xenophon (430 – 354 BC) wrote "Men who understand the art of horsemanship, in truth, look magnificent." Who wouldn't want that? In the new Winter Riding School (built 1729-35), tournaments, masked balls, and other entertainment was held, but this would soon draw to a close – the royal stud farms at Lipizza were threatened by Napoleon several times and twice the precious stud horses were evacuated to Hungary. No photos or video taping allowed. 
  • 🌍 Schmetterlinghaus (Butterfly House), Burggarten Hofburg, Hanuschgasse, ☏ +43 1 533 857 0, fax: +43 1 532 287 2, . Apr-Oct: M-F 10:00-16:45, Sa Su 10:00-18:15; Nov-Mar: 10:00-15:45. A tropical greenhouse with an amazing collection of live butterflies, will delight both children and adults. €6 (adults), €4.50 (concessions), €3 (children 3-16). 

Other museums and galleries
  • 🌍 Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts), Maria-Theresien-Platz (U2/U3 Volkstheater, tram D, 1, 2, 46, 49, bus 2A, 57A Burgring Maria-Theresien-Platz Stop), ☏ +43 1 52524-0, . Tu W F-Su 10:00–18:00, Th 10:00–21:00. One of the world's greatest art museums and in a palace that is a work of art itself. Serious art fans may wish to devote more than a day to its treasures. There is no other word to describe the Kunst other than mind-boggling. It contains a world-class exhibit of the Habsburgs' art collection, including Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Bosch, and Brueghel. The museum has an excellent collection of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art. The coin & medals collection is also exhaustive in its scope. The museum cafe is a bit pricey, but good, and in a beautiful setting. Hand-held photography is permitted. €14 (adults), €11 (concessions); admission includes entry to the Ephesos Museum, Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, and Collection of Arms and Armour (see listing below under New Palace). 
  • 🌍 Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum), Burgring 7 (entrance at Maria-Theresien-Platz), ☏ +43 1 521 77-0, fax: +43 1 523 52 54, . W 09:00-21:00, Th-M 09:00-18:30, closed Tu. This museum was erected as a mirror to its twin museum, the Museum of Fine Arts. It exhibits various minerals, meteorites, fossils, stuffed animals, and skeleton reconstructions of dinosaurs and other. It also includes an anthropological section, where you can see the beautiful Venus of Willendorf which is 25,000 years old. Most signs and explanations in the museum are only in German, and you will likely receive little sympathy for this from museum staff. Expect museum guards to rush you out at least 15 minutes before closing time. €10 (adults), €8 (seniors and Ö1 Club or Vienna Card), €5 (students/apprentices/military), free (disabled and children under 19). 
  • 🌍 Winterpalais des Prinzen Eugen (Winter Palace of Prince Eugene), Himmelpfortgasse 8, ☏ +43 1 795 57 134, . Daily 10:00-18:00. This Baroque palace was built as a residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, and later used for the Court Treasury and Ministry of Finance. It now houses period furnishings and exhibits detailing the biography of the prince and the history of the palace. €9 (adults), €8 (Vienna Card), €7 (seniors/students), free (children and youth under 19). 
  • 🌍 MAK (Museum für angewandte Kunst / Austrian Museum of Applied Arts), Stubenring 5 (Subway U3, tram 1, 2, bus 1A, 74A to Stubentor, and U4 to Landstrasser Hauptstrasse, City Airport Train from the airport to Bahnhof Wien Mitte), ☏ +43 1 711 36-0, fax: +43 1 713 10 26, . Tu 10:00-22:00, W-Su 10:00-18:00. The museum has the MAK Design Shop and a study collection. The museum emphasizes design and decorative arts, and has a huge furniture collection. Early 20th century, especially Vienna Secession, and modern design are very well represented, as are contemporary decorative art and design. €12 (adults), €10 (concessions), free (children and youth under 19); 50% discount on Tu from 18:00-22:00. (updated May 2019)
  • 🌍 Haus der Musik (House of Music), Seilerstätte 30 (U1/U2/U4, trams 1/2/62/65/J/D, stop Karlsplatz/Opernring), ☏ +43-1-513 48 50, fax: +43-1-512 03 15, . Daily 10:00-22:00, last admission 21:30. This is a relatively new and special museum devoted to an interactive learning experience. It covers the history of the Vienne Philharmonic Orchestra, the history of Vienna as a centre of music making (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Mahler, Schubert and others are documented). In addition there are the more experimental sections of futuristic composition (the Brain Opera) and sound experiences. €12 (adults), €9 (seniors/students/disabled), €5.50 (children 3-12), free (children under 3). 
  • 🌍 Museum am Schottenstift (Museum at the Scottish Monastery), Freyung 6A (U2, trams 1,2,37-38,40-44, D, stop Schottentor), ☏ +43 1 534 98-600, fax: +43 1 534 98-265, . Tu-Sa 11:00-17:00. A nice, small picture gallery mainly of Baroque Austrian painting. €8 (adults), €6 (seniors/students), €4 (Vienna Card and NÖ Card), €2 (children 6-15). 
  • 🌍 Gemäldegalerie der Akademie der bildenden Künste (Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts), Schillerplatz 3, 1st floor, ☏ +43 1 58816-2222, fax: +43 1 586 33 46, . Tu-Su and holidays 10:00-18:00. A gallery owned by the Academy of Fine Arts, to which Hitler applied to before he decided to change to politics. It offers some paintings by Rubens and Bosch. Most interesting are the Renaissance and medieval exponents. €8 (adults) €7 (Vienna Card), €5 (seniors/students/disabled), free (children and youth under 19). 
  • 🌍 Museum Postsparkasse (Otto Wagner Museum), Georg Coch-Platz 2 (near the Schwedenplatz U1 stop, trams 1,2, 21, N), ☏ +43 599 05-33825, fax: +43 599 05-33087, . M-F 10:00-17:00. SIGNA, the owner of the Post Office Savings Bank building, runs the WAGNER:WERK Museum Postsparkasse. Opened by BAWAG P.S.K. in 2005, it's in the small banking hall. The museum and the main banking hall are open to visitors. At the post office of his original design. At this museum you can see the more serious aspect of his artistic enterprise, that of public life. Also some of the original furniture and his plans. Free. 
  • 🌍 Österreichisches Filmmuseum (Austrian Film Museum), Augustinerstraße 1 (next to the Albertina), ☏ +43 1 533 70 54, fax: +43 1 533 70 54 x25, . A cinema for showing specially curated films and retrospective. 
  • 🌍 Uhrenmuseum (Clock Museum), Schulhof 2 (near Judenplatz), ☏ +43 1 533 22 65, fax: +43 1 533 22 65, . Tu-Su and holidays 10:00-18:00. A collection of 3000 clocks of all types, including a prized 18th-century astronomical clock. €6 (adults), €4 (seniors/students and Vienna Card), free (children and youth under 19); free the first Sunday of every month. 
  • 🌍 Bank Austria Kunstforum, Freyung 8, ☏ +43 1 537 33 26, fax: +43 1 537 33 27, . Sa-W 10:00-19:00, F 10:00-21:00. This venue hosts special exhibits of internationally-renowned artists; past exhibits have displayed work by Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Cézanne, Picasso, and Van Gogh. €10 (adults), €8.50 (seniors), €6 (youth 17-27), €4 (children 6-16). 
  • 🌍 Phantastenmuseum (Fantastic Realism Museum), Palais Palffy, Josefplatz 6, ☏ +43 1 512 56 81-0, . Daily 10:00-18:00. An unusual museum dedicated to the work of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism (Wiener Schule des Phantastischen Realismus), highlighting works by artists Ernst Fuchs, Arik Brauer, Rudolf Hausner, Wolfgang Hutter and Fritz Janschka. An extra section of the museum displays paintings by international artists, and the first floor is devoted to rotating special exhibits. €9 (adults), €7 (concessions), free (children under 6). 
  • 🌍 Dommuseum (Cathedral and Diocesan Museum), Stephansplatz 6, ☏ +43 1 51552-3300, fax: +43 1 51552-2599, . W 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-20:00, F-Su 10:00-18:00; last admission 30min before closing. A collection of liturgical implements, illustrated manuscripts, altarpieces, and sculptures. €8 (adults), €7 (concessions), €3 (children 6-18); free (children under 6 or Vienna Pass). (updated Oct 2017)
  • 🌍 Österreichisches Theatermuseum (Austrian Theater Museum), Lobkowitzplatz 2, ☏ +43 1 525 24 3460, . W-M 10:00-18:00. Housed in the Baroque Lobkowitz Palace, this museum displays stage models, costumes, and props, with special temporary exhibits. €8 (adults), €7 (Vienna Card), €6 (concessions), free (children and youth under 19). 
  • 🌍 MUSA Museum Startgalerie Artothek (Museum Start Gallery Artothek), Felderstraße 6-8, ☏ +43 1 4000-8400, fax: +43 1 4000-99-8400, . Tu W F 11:00-18:00, Th 11:00-20:00, Sa 11:00-16:00; closed Su M and holidays. Hosts special exhibits of contemporary Austrian art. Free. 

Historic sites
  • 🌍 Beethoven Pasqualatihaus, Mölker Bastei 8, ☏ +43 1 535 89 05, fax: +43 1 505 87 47 7201, . Tu-Su and holidays 10:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00. This 18th-century building is atop the Mölker Bastei, one of the only remaining sections of the old city wall. For 8 years Beethoven lived in a 4th-floor apartment in this building, where he composed his 4th-8th symphonies as well as his opera Fidelio. The museum preserves many of the composer's personal effects, and displays documents illustrating his life and work. €4 (children and youth under 19), €3 (seniors/students and Vienna Card), free (children and youth under 19); free the first Sunday of every month. 
  • 🌍 Jüdisches Museum Wien (Jewish Museum Vienna), Dorotheergasse 11. Su-F 10:00-18:00; closed on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. A museum documenting the history of Vienna's substantial Jewish community which included Zweig, Freud, Herzl, Mahler, and Schoenberg. Three sites are available for one combined ticket: two museum sites and the main synagogue. Attached to the museum at Judenplatz are the archaeological remains of a medieval synagogue. The Stadttempel, the only historical synagogue in Vienna to have survived World War II, is accessible on through the guided tour. €10 (adults), €8 (concessions), €5 (students), free (children under 15); includes admission to the branch on Judenplatz. 
    • 🌍 Jüdisches Museum Judenplatz (Jewish Museum Judenplatz), Judenplatz 8. S-Th 10:00-18:00, F 10:00-14:00; closed on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. A second branch of the Jewish Museum on Dorotheergasse. Underneath the Judenplatz (the Jewish Square) is an underground medieval synagogue excavation. Amazingly, the synagogue was destroyed centuries ago, but its existence was remembered by the area's inhabitants up to the 20th century. €10 (adults), €8 (concessions), €5 (students), free (children under 15); includes admission to the branch on Dorotheergasse. 
    • 🌍 Stadttempel, Seitenstettengasse 4, ☏ +43 1 535 04-31 311. Guided tours M-Th 11:30, 14:00; photo ID required. A well preserved 19th-century synagogue, which is being used as the main city's synagogue by the current growing Viennese Jewish community. Visitation with guided tour only, arranged through the Jewish Museum. 
  • 🌍 Ausgrabungen Michaelerplatz (Michaelerplatz Excavations), Michaelerplatz, ☏ +43 1 505 87 47 0, fax: +43 1 505 87 47 7201, . Daily 24 hr. Archeological excavations carried out between 1989 and 1991 revealed not only the foundations of medieval buildings but also remains of the Roman canabae (civilian support settlement) of Vindobona, as Vienna was then known. The viewing area was designed by Viennese architect Hans Hollein. Free. 
  • 🌍 Mozarthaus Vienna (Mozart House), Domgasse 5 (U1/U3 Stephansplatz, east of the cathedral), ☏ +43 1 512 17 91, fax: +43 1 512 17 91 91, . Daily 10:00-19:00, last admission 18:30. This is the Viennese residence of Austria's most famous composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and a branch of the Vienna Museum. €10 (adults), €8 (concessions), €3 (children under 14). 
  • 🌍 Neidhart Fresken (Neidhart Frescoes), Tuchlauben 19, ☏ +43 1 535 90 65, fax: +43 1 505 87 47 7201, . Tu-Su and holidays 10:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00. The oldest secular wall paintings known in Vienna, in a 14th-century building. The frescoes were commissioned in 1398 and illustrate scenes from the life and poetry of the Viennese minnesinger Neidhart von Reuental. €4 (adults), €3 (seniors/students and Vienna Card), free (children and youth under 19); free the first Sunday of every month. 
  • 🌍 Römermuseum (Roman Museum), Hoher Markt 3, ☏ +43 1 535 56 06, fax: +43 1 505 87 47 7201, . Tu-Su and holidays 09:00-18:00. This museum houses a collection of artifacts from the Roman settlement of Vindobona, as Vienna was then known. There are Roman ruins in the cellar of the museum, first discovered during construction work in 1948, and for many years only accessible to the public via a narrow staircase, before the building was transformed into a full-fledged museum 2008. €6 (adults), €4 (seniors/students and Vienna Card), free (children and youth under 19); free the first Sunday of every month. 
  • 🌍 Römische Baureste Am Hof (Roman Ruins Am Hof), Am Hof, ☏ +43 1 505 87 47 0, fax: +43 1 505 87 47 7201, . Closed for restoration. Early Roman ruins from Vienna's earliest days as a Roman fort in the basement of the Fire Brigade Building. 
  • 🌍 Virgilkapelle (Vergilius Chapel), Stephansplatz (access in the subway station Stephansplatz (U1/U3), directly by the cathedral), ☏ +43 1 513 58 42, fax: +43 1 505 87 47 7201, . Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. A 13th-century subterranean chapel beneath the former Chapel of St Mary Magdalene (no longer standing, but outlines have been traced on the pavement directly south of Stephansdom). This chapel served as the tomb for a wealthy Viennese family and was completely forgotten until construction of the underground in 1975. A portion of it can be viewed for free from a window in the U-Bahn station. €5 (adults), €4 (seniors/students and Vienna Card), free (children and youth under 19); free the first Sunday of every month. 
  • 🌍 Heldenplatz (Heroes' Square). A public space in front of the Neue Hofburg, setting to a number of important historic events, most notably of Adolf Hitler's 1938 announcement of the Austrian Anschluß. Two 19th-century equestrian statues portray Archduke Charles of Austria-Teschen and Prince Eugene of Savoy. 
  • 🌍 Stock im Eisen (literally: staff in iron), Stock-im-Eisen-Platz (corner of Palais Equitable). The remaining midsection of a medieval nail tree (Nagelbaum). Over the centuries hundreds of nails have been hammered in both in thanksgiving and for good luck. The tree figures in a number of local legends. 

Other attractions
  • 🌍 Parlamentsgebäude (Parliament Building), Doktor-Karl-Renner-Ring 3, ☏ +43 1 401 10-2400, fax: +43 1 401 10-2664, . Visitor Center: M-Sa 09:30-16:30; tours only when not in use by Parliament. The home of the two houses of Austrian Parliament. The building was designed by Theophil von Hansen in the Neoclassical style, and constructed between 1873 and 1883. Guided tours are offered in German or English. Tours: €5 (adults), €2.50 (seniors/students/disabled), free (children and youth under 19); Visitor Center free. 
  • 🌍 Wiener Secession (Secession Building), Friedrichstraße 12 (U-Bahn U1, U2, U4 Karlsplatz), ☏ +43-1-587 53 07, fax: +43-1-587 53 07-34, . Tu-Su 10:00-18:00; guided tours Sa 15:00, Su 11:00 and by appt. Architect Josef Maria Olbrich built this Jugendstil (German-style Art Nouveau) building 1897-98 as a display space for artists working in the new Secession artistic movement. It is topped by a giant, frothy golden ball, lovingly called Krauthappel by the Viennese, but the building was definitely not loved when it first opened. Notice a reactionary Viennese pattern here? The opera building too was hated at first, but at least it was not called a "temple for bullfrogs" or "a bastard begot of temple and warehouse" as this building was. The entryway features the motto of the Secessionist movement: Der Zeit ihre Kunst, der Kunst ihre Freiheit (to the time, its art, to the art, its freedom). Olbrich's mentor Otto Wagner, and also Gustav Klimt, whose astounding Beethoven Frieze is partially preserved in the basement, inspired the building's design. The ceremonial front entrance is separate from the functional glass and steel exhibit hall in back. Beethoven Frieze + special exhibits: €8.50 (adults), €5 (seniors/students); special exhibits: €5 (adults), €4 (seniors/students); guided tours: €3. 
  • 🌍 Wiener Rathaus (Vienna City Hall), Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 1, ☏ +43 1 525 50, . Tours (in German) M W F 13:00, no registration required. Designed by Friedrich von Schmidt (the architect of the Cologne Cathedral) and completed in 1883, this is the most significant neo-Gothic building in Vienna, with a 103m-high clock tower. There is a very pleasant park with two fountains in front of the building facing the Ring. Free; audioguides in English/French/Italian/Spanish available with ID. 
  • 🌍 Ankeruhr, Hoher Markt 10-12. A large 4-m-diameter musical clock on a pedestrian bridge connecting two neighboring buildings. The clock was designed between 1911 and 1914 by the Judgenstil painter Franz Matsch, and features prominent figures from Viennese history, each with a Roman character. At noon all figures parade across the clock face, accompanied by music. During the Advent season, Christmas songs are played daily at 17:00 and 18:00. Free. 
  • 🌍 Looshaus, Michaelerplatz 3, ☏ +43 1 21136-5000, . M-W F 09:00-15:00; Th 09:00-17:30 (exhibit). Designed by Adolf Loos and completed in 1909, this is considered to be one of the most significant buildings of the Wiener Moderne era from 1890-1910, although initially it was fiercely criticised. Today the building is occupied by the Wiener Raiffeisenbank, but a permanent exhibit in the building has photographs and documents illustrating the building's history. (updated Oct 2017)
  • 🌍 Universität Wien (University of Vienna), Universitätsring 1, ☏ +43 1 4277-176 76, fax: +43 1 4277-176 99. Sa 11:30 (English). The university was founded in 1365, and is the oldest university in the German-speaking area, as well as one of the largest in Europe with more than 90,000 students. It consists of 15 faculties amongst them are Law, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology and Translational Studies. The main building (Hauptgebaeude) on the Ringstraße was designed by Heinrich von Ferstel, and formally inaugurated in 1884 by the Emperor Franz Joseph I. Guided tours are offered in German and English, featuring such highlights as the Main Ceremonial Chamber with copies of the ceiling paintings by Gustav Klimt, and the library's Great Reading Room. Tours: €5 (adults), free (children under 6). (updated Oct 2017)
  • 🌍 Ringstraße, The Ring / Ring Street. The Ringstraße circles the very heart of Vienna. Built on the location of the original city walls, its size is a good indication of how much the city has expanded since medieval times, but more importantly it is the most posh area of downtown. Elegant individuals stroll down the street (there really is no other way to move when walking along the Ring) and play the fashion-do/fashion don’t game under their breath before pausing at one of the innumerable cafes lining the way. A traditional Jause (morning coffee break, around 10:00) and then back to the business at hand, seeing and being seen: Vienna’s favorite pastime. (updated Oct 2016)

Parks

The Innere Stadt has next to the Ring four bigger parks:

  • 🌍 Stadtpark (U4 Stadtpark), ☏ +43 1 4000-8042. Court painter Joseph Selleny and garden director Rudolf Siebeck designed this kind of artificial park with several small landscapes. It opened on the 21 August 1862. It houses the golden statue of Johann Strauss, which is most frequently photographed monuments in Vienna. You can also find the monuments of Franz Schubert, Franz Lehár, Robert Stolz and Hans Makart. The park is very frequently visited by locals and tourists. 
  • 🌍 Rathauspark, ☏ +43 1 4000-8042. The park is symmectric with a big square in the middle in front of the city hall. The park has on each grassy side a varied selection of woody plants a Japanese pagoda tree or umbrella tree and an old ginkgo. 
  • 🌍 Volksgarten. The park is famous for the big variation of beautiful roses and features old platanes. There is a monument for Empress Elizabeth and in the middle a neoclassical Theseus temple. 
  • 🌍 Burggarten, Josefsplatz 1. It has the form of an English garden, and is directly adjacent to the Hofburg. It has a statue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the summertime students like to hang out in middle of the trees. 

Do

Cultural events

Vienna is of course famous for its classical music. The Musikverein or the Konzerthaus feature excellent concerts at their famous halls. The Opera plays classical masterpieces. Students can get reduced tickets, where they stand with other aficionados.

  • 🌍 Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), Opernring 2, ☏ +43 1 514 44-2250, 7880, . Probably the most-beloved symbol of Viennese arts, and one of the first buildings to be rebuilt in the postwar era. It was built from 1861-1869 under the direction of architects Eduard van der Nüll and August von Siccardsburg for then-emperor Franz Josef I. The first performance was Don Giovanni, an opera by Austrian native Mozart, on 25 May 1869. The architecture of the opera was barely tolerated by the picky Viennese when it opened. Van der Nüll did not take these criticisms of his work lightly and committed suicide. A few weeks later, von Siccardsburg died of a heart attack. Doubly cursed, the opera building succumbed to bombs less than 100 years later, during World War II. After ten years of Allied control after the end of the war, many cultural institutions reopened to celebrate the birth of the new Austrian state. This time the opera opened with an adopted son of Vienna's work: Beethoven's Fidelio. The lush curtains and overall elegance contribute to the atmosphere (even the nosebleed seats, so steeply pitched and close to the ceiling a nosebleed becomes a distinct possibility). Inexpensive standing room tickets are made available for every performance and sold the day of the performance. The line forms about two hours prior to the performance. Guided tours in a number of languages are offered. The line at the front side door forms about 1/2 hour before the tour. 
  • 🌍 Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic), Kärntner Ring 12 (ticket office), ☏ +43 1 505 65 25, fax: +43 1 505 65 25-270, . Considered one of the world's best orchestras, subscription tickets are notoriously difficult to get with a waiting list lasting up to 13 years. Individual tickets however are available in limited numbers online from the Musikverein (where performances take place) and at the ticket office. 
  • 🌍 Musikverein (Viennese Music Association), Musikvereinplatz 1, . Home to the Vienna Philharmonic, and venue for a wide range of other classical music performances. Its largest hall, the Großer Musikvereinssaal (Goldener Saal) is considered to be one of the world's finest concert halls. For visitors wanting a closer look, daily 45-min guided tours are offered (entrance at Bösendorferstraße 12, adults €6, youth 12-16 €4. 
  • 🌍 Burgtheater, Universitätsring 2, ☏ +43 1 514 44-4140, fax: +43 1 514 44-4143, . Guided tour Burgtheater – Behind the Scenes: Sep-Jun M-Th 15:00 (German w/English summary), F-Su 15:00 (German and English); guided tour Gustav Klimt – Main Staircases and Angelika Prokopp Foyer: Sep-Jun F-Su 14:00 (German w/English summary). The building was completed in 1888 and is home to one of the most respected German-language theaters, as well as the second-oldest theater in Europe. Non-German speaking visitors will find the building itself worth visiting, as the foyer contains paintings by Viennese artists Gustav and Ernst Klimt, and Franz Matsch, which can be viewed with a tour. Tours: €5.50 (adults), €4.50 (seniors), €2 (students and children); performances: €5-51 (seats), €2.50 (standing room). 
  • Wiener Hofburg Orchester (Vienna Hofburg Orchestra) (at the Hofburg's historic halls, Redoutensaal and Festsaal), ☏ +43 1 587 25 52, fax: +43 1 587 43 97, . Three times a week May - mid Oct. Performs live. The program features the most famous waltz and operetta melodies by "the King of the Waltz", Johann Strauss, Franz Léhar and opera aries by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is led by conductor Gert Hofbauer, is composed of 36 musicians and six international vocal soloists from Vienna’s largest orchestral societies. On 31 Dec and 1 Jan the orchestra also performs the traditional New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Concerts in the flower decorated halls at the Vienna Hofburg. 
  • 🌍 Opera Film Festival (Sommerkino Rathausplatz), Rathausplatz, ☏ +43 1 4000-8100, . Jul-Aug. Each day, weather permitting, you can watch an opera on a huge open-air screen. On another part of the square, there are plenty of food stalls (maybe a little overpriced) which offer Viennese, as well as international food. On pleasant summer evenings, the atmosphere can be quite relaxing. Free. 
  • 🌍 Porgy & Bess (Porgy), Riemergasse 11, ☏ +43 1 512 88 11, . The Jazzclub features international Jazz artists. One can reserve seats in advance, which is recommended for special events. The bar offers good wine and some food too. €15-30. 
  • 🌍 Jazzland (Wiens ältester Jazzkeller), Franz Josefs-Kai 29, ☏ +43 1 533 25 75. M-Sa 19:00. The Jazzclub plays kind of old-men Jazz in a relaxed ambiance operating since 1972. 
  • 🌍 Gartenbaukino, Parkring 12, ☏ +43 1 5122354. The biggest Viennese one projection theater cinema opened in 1960 is screening artsy production and has electronic music events. The cinema hosts Viennese premieres and can screen 70mm films too. 
  • 🌍 Burg Kino, Opernring 19 (U1, U2, U4 Karlsplatz, in front of Burggarten), ☏ +43 1 5878406. A classic 1970s theatre which hosts international films. They regularly play The Third Man movie. 

Sport and other activities
  • 🌍 Casino Vienna (Casino Wien), Kärntner Straße 41, ☏ +43 1 512 48 36, fax: +43 1 512 48 36-21222, . Su-Th 15:00-03:00, F Sa 15:00-04:00. The casino is at Palais Esterhàzy, on the famous Kärtner Strasse near the Opera and is operated by state-owned Casinos Austria. In addition there are several poker casinos (e.g. Montesino) and many, many tiny slot-machine and betting places. The latter often occur in groups of three (because there is a legal limit on the number of slot machines per venue). They do not offer any glamor or flair and are best avoided by tourists. 
  • 🌍 Edelweiss Center, Karlsplatz (Walfischgasse 12), ☏ +43 1 5138500-21, . M-F 09:00-22:00, Sa Su 11:00-22:00. Austria's biggest boulder hall is in the town center. One finds tons of boulder problems to solve. They offer courses for beginners and advanced. Can get crowded on after business hours. 
  • 🌍 Kletterzentrum Austria, Rotenturmstraße 14 (Stephansplatz / Schwedenplatz), ☏ +43 1 5131003-21. M-F 18:00-, Sa Su. It has a small boulder place and some interesting structures to lead climb on. €5.50 (adults), €3.90 (youth under 25), €2.80 (children under 18). 
  • 🌍 Wiener Eistraum (Vienna Ice Dream), Rathauspark, Rathausplatz, ☏ +43 1 4090040, . Daily 09:00-22:00. Every year from late January until the beginning of March a section of the park is transformed into an outdoor ice skating rink, with music. Ice skates can be rented directly onsite, and a baggage check is available. There are also a number of food and drink booths offering warm drinks including punch, mulled wine, and tea, as well as traditional Austrian food. €6.50 (adults), €5 (seniors/children). 
  • 🌍 Zentralbad Wien (Kaiserbründl Herrensauna), Weihburggasse 18-20, ☏ +43 1 5133293. Su-F 14:00-24:00, Sa 14:00-02:00. This historic men's sauna was opened in 1889 and since then has been considered to be the premiere bathing spots of Vienna. Visitors have included Habsburg royalty and modern day celebrities. 

Buy

The inner centre has both old traditional Viennese, international luxury stores as Hermes or branches of cheaper shops like H&M.

Shopping streets

The shops are mostly concentrated at those 3 bigger, popular and pieton streets:

  • 🌍 Kärntner Straße (runs south from the Oprea (Karlsplatz U1/U2/U4) to Stephansplatz). A major shopping street with mostly international chains. 
  • 🌍 Am Graben (continuing from Stephansplatz (U1) to the going to west). An up-scale shopping promenade, with many local specialties such as Wien Porzellan. A notable landmark is the Plague Column (Pestsäule), a memorial erected in 1693 commemorating one of the last major plague epidemics which swept through Vienna in 1679. 
  • 🌍 Kohlmarkt. Perhaps the fanciest shopping area picking up from the end of the Graben jogging over to Michaelerplatz with almost exclusively high-end luxury shops and designer stores. 


Shops
  • 🌍 Altmann & Kühne (Confisserie), Graben 30 (U1,U3 Stephansplatz), ☏ +43 1 533 09 27, . M-F 09:00-18:30, Sa 10:00-17:00. The chocolate confectioner sells for more than 100 years exquisite hand made miniature choclate. Their boxes are beautifully designed. 
  • 🌍 Xocolat, Freyung 2, ☏ +43 1 535 43 63, . Inside the Palais Ferstel is sold excellent handmade chocolate. 
  • 🌍 Augarten Porzellan, Spiegelgasse 3 (U1 Stephansplatz), ☏ +43 1 512 14 94, fax: +43 1 512 94 92-75, . M-Sa 10:00-18:00. The finest porcelain in Europe. You can also visit their factory at the main entry to the Augarten. They are preparing a limited street-art themed line as an artistic project that is Viennese. 
  • 🌍 Julius Meinl am Graben, Graben 19, ☏ +43 1 1 532 33 34, fax: +43 1 1 532 33 34 2090, . M-F 08:00-19:30, Sa 09:00-18:00. A legendary store. Its two floors hold many exotic as well as local wares. Even if you do not intend to buy anything, it is worth a look as there are likely things you have never heard of. The store holds just about every kind of wine you can think of, and has a great selection of pastas, chocolate, and cheese. Also has a wide selection of coffee, their own is one of the most recognized in Austria. 
  • 🌍 Billa, Neuer Markt 17, ☏ +43 1 5130481. M-F 08:00-20:00, Sa 08:00-18:00. Its range is not as wide as that of Julius Meinl, but still better than that of a typical supermarket. 
  • 🌍 Dorotheum, Dorotheergasse 17, ☏ +43 1 515 60-0, fax: +43 1 515 60-443. Viewing times: M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa 09:00-17:00; Su immediately prior to auction 10:00-17:00. The main auction site in Austria. Exhibits all sorts of furniture, art, jewelry, etc. Highly recommended. There are several locations throughout the city, the main one being at Dorotheergasse 17 in the city centre. The surrounding streets in this area offer a great many antique shops, where quality and prices tend both to be very high. 
  • 🌍 A. E. Köchert, Neuer Markt 15, ☏ +43 1 5125828, fax: +43 1 513 40 22, . M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa 10:00-17:00. Jakob Heinrich Köchert founded the jewellery in 1814 in collaboration with the artistic French goldsmith Emanuel Pioté. The high end jewellery is dedicated to the fine art of goldsmithing and gemstone. €150-. 
  • 🌍 Kniže & Comp., Graben 13, ☏ +43 1 512 21 19, . M-F 08:30-18:00, Sa 10:00-17:00. The famous Viennese tailor's house provides the finest bespoke suits since 1858. If you're looking for traditional apparel like a smoking jacket, this is the place to have it custom tailored. It also sells various gentleman accessories like cologne. Parts of the interior like the Dodekaeder lamps were designed by Adolf Loos. It has a saddle seat to fit elegant ridding clothing. 
  • 🌍 Mühlbauer Manufaktur, Seilergasse 5, ☏ +43 1 512 22 41, . M-F 10:00-18:30, Sa 10:00-18:00. Producing hats since 1903, carefully manufacted in Vienna and worn worldwide by artists or anyone who fancies beautiful hats. 
  • 🌍 L. Bösendorfer Piano Showroom (L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik), Bösendorferstraße 12, entrance on Canovagasse 4 (in the Musikverein building), ☏ +43 1 505 35 18-0. M-F 09:00-18:00. Pianists may want to visit the Bösendorfer showroom. All pianos are built by hand in nearby Wiener Neustadt. 
  • 🌍 Musikhaus Doblinger, Dorotheergasse 10, ☏ +43 1 515 03. M-F 09:30-18:30, Sa 10:00-13:00. Has sold sheet music in Vienna since 1817 and is internationally renowned. 
  • 🌍 Morawa, Wollzeile 11, ☏ +43 1 513 7 513-450, fax: +43 1 513 7 513-138, . M-F 09:00-19:00, Sa 09:00-18:00. Probably the largest bookstore in Vienna, with a large travel section (some books in English) and a broad range of international magazines. A good selection of English-language books is shelved on the top floor. 
  • 🌍 Schwanda, Bäckerstrasse 7, ☏ +43 1 512 53 20, . M-F 09:00-18.00, Sa 10:00-17:00. One of the larger mountaineering shops of Vienna sells various outdoor gear including climbing shoes and tents. 
  • 🌍 Taste it, Wollzeile 27, ☏ +43 1 5129423. M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa 10:00-15:00. The place sells classy high-end Italian espresso machines and self-imported coffee from small Italian roasteries. €100-5000. 
  • Espresso Perfetto Wien GmbH, Kaiserstraße 76 (metro station Burggasse or Thaliastraße - tram Nr. 5 Station Burggasse), ☏ +43 1 522 55 82, . M Tu Su 9:00-19:00, W-Sa 09:00-23:00. Coffee machines and coffee beans. (updated Jun 2022)

Eat

The inner district has many restaurant options of which the more prominent are listed. Some restaurants may be touristy, others are very upper class and pricy due to their location in the historical center of Vienna. High rated restaurants include the Bauer, Dombeisl and Palais Coburg. The Trzesniewski is a very Viennese "Austrichbrote" place to meet and have a quick lunch.

Budget
  • 🌍 Esterházykeller, Haarhof 1, ☏ +43 1 533 34 82, . M-F 16:00-23:00; Sa Su holidays 11:00-23:00. Atmospheric old (since 1683) cellar restaurant serving good, cheap, wine, beer, and simple traditional food. Prices budget to moderate. A good place to go if you just want a drink and some grub, but still want to enjoy some local color. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Schachtelwirt, Judengasse 5. Good schnitzel, potatoes and pork. The food is very good, different from what you can eat in typical Austrian restaurants. Cool atmosphere. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Chattanooga, Am Graben 29a (U1/U3 Stephansplatz), ☏ +43 1 533 5000, . Daily 07:00-02:00. Fast food versions of local food. Not bad if you are on a budget and do not have much time to spare. Mains at €9 (May 2011). (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Gasthaus zum Holunderstrauch, Schreyvogelgasse 3. Recommendation if you are looking for home-style, local food. The atmosphere is cozy. The service provides competent and friendly advice. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Maschu Maschu (Maschu Rabensteig), Rabensteig 8 (Schwedenplatz U1/U4), ☏ +43 1 5332904. Su-W 11:30-24:00, Th-Sa 11:30-04:00. Good for veggies and meat eaters alike. Maschu Maschu is an Israeli fast food joint that serves some of the best falafel in the world. A healthy and gut busting falafel and beer should cost around €7 (May 2011) and leave you set up for the day (they also serve a wide range of other Middle Eastern meals). (updated Aug 2022)

Snacks
  • 🌍 Trzesniewski, Dorotheergasse 1, ☏ +43 1 512 32 91. M-F 08:30-19:30, Sa 09:00-17:00. The snack bar sells small breads (Brötchen) with specific spread (Aufstrich). One has many choices including vegetarian. The place is very full at lunch time, but the queue advances quickly. They only use organic eggs. The smallest possible beer (Pfiff) is available, otherwise they sell excellent fruit juices too. One eats either standing next to a table or on the go. €1.10 per Brötchen (Nov 2013). (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Fladerei Salzgries, Salzgries 15. Really nice flat bread. Open until late. Plenty of choice for vegetarians too. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Leberkas-Pepi, Operngasse 12. Authentic local fast food. Very good meatloaf and other convenient Vienna traditional light meals. (updated Aug 2022)

Austrian sausages
  • 🌍 Würstelstand zum Hohen Markt, Hoher Markt ggü 8. Legendary stall at Hoher Markt. As always great sausages. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Wiener Würstl, Seilergasse 1. Great sausage. The seller can explain everything about all types of sausages. (updated Aug 2022)
  • 🌍 Würstelstand am Schottentor, Schottengasse 6. A lovely spot for street meat. Good flavors and great/friendly service. (updated Aug 2022)

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Palmenhaus (Brasserie Palmenhaus), Burggarten 1, ☏ +43 1 533 10 33, . M-F 10:00-24:00, Sa 09:00-24:00, Su and holidays 09:00-23:00. Good value for money, great ambience with imperial decor. Large mains served with a bowl of salad included. Very high ceilings, full of air and palms. Friendly staff speaks fluent English. Children-safe wide couches. Consider seating at elevated Mezzanine (reservation recommended) which has a special view over park. On warm days one can sit outside. Full lunch €18 (June 2016). (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Inigo, Bäckerstraße 18, ☏ +43 1 512 74 51, fax: +43 1 512 74 51 00, . M-Sa 09:30-24:00, closed Su and holidays. Modern and diverse cuisine, not crowded but most visitors are local. Charming modern interior instead of imperial chic. Overall, a rare combination of features. Menu has equal parts for vegetarians and carnivores. Friendly to families with toddlers. Almost non-smoking. Staff speaks only basic English. Great bulghur here. Mains around €10, average dinner with a glass of wine €20 (June 2016). (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Brezl-Gwölb, Ledererhof 9 (close to Am Hof and Judenplatz, between Färbergasse and Drahtgasse, a bit hidden), ☏ +43-1-533 88 11, . Daily 11:30-01:00, kitchen closes at 24:00. A very nice restaurant with a cellar dating back to the 17th century. The furniture consists of parts from three centuries. A place that deserves the label gemütlich. They play classical music and serve some really unique dishes. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Figlmüller, Wollzeile 5, ☏ +43 1 512 61 77. Daily 11:00-21:30, kitchen closes at 22:30. Famous for Wienerschnitzel. They claim to have the biggest schnitzel in the world. If you are not really hungry, one may easily be enough for two people (just ask for a second plate). Traditionally, you would want a potato salad with that. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Le Bol, Neuer Markt 14, ☏ +43 699 1030 1899. M-F from 08:00, Sa Su and holidays from 10:00. Fine French Provencal-style fare with a communal table at the center and a smoking section only at the back, goat cheese salad is highly recommended (€6.90). 
  • 🌍 Reinthaler Gasthaus, Gluckgasse 5 (just south of the Kapuzinerkirche), ☏ +43 1 512 33 66, . M-F 09:00-23:00, kitchen 11:30-22:00; closed Sa Su and holidays. One of the better traditional Beisl restaurants, with old fashioned food priced below comparable places. Daily specials usually include a couple of vegetarian options. Good non-smoking section. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Zum Leupold (Das Wiener Restaurant), Schottengasse 7 (U2 Schottentor), ☏ +43 1 533 93 81 12, . 10:00-24:00. A bourgeois Viennese restaurant offering good seasonal local food. In summertime you can sit outdoors. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Ristorante Rossini, Schönlaterngasse 11, ☏ +43 1 512 62 14. M–Sa 12:00–14:30, 18:00–23:30. An Italian place serving good mostly authentic Italian food. 
  • 🌍 Vietthao, Friedrichstraße 2 (U1, U2, U4 Karlsplatz), ☏ +43 1 5852031. M–Th 11:30–15:00, 17:00–22:30, F Sa 11:30–22:30. The Vietnamese restaurant offers lots of vegetarian choices. Their vegetables are well prepared using good herbs combinations. €8-18. 
  • 🌍 Akakiko, Singerstrasse 4 (just off the Graben), ☏ +43 57 333 140. Daily 10:30-23:30, kitchen closes at 23:00. Part of a local chain. Non-smoking. Informal and popular place serving generic but reasonably priced Japanese and Korean dishes. The menu has a vegetarian section. Quick service by efficient waiters. 

Splurge
  • 🌍 Artner am Franziskanerplatz, Franziskanerplatz 5 (opposite Kleines Cafe), ☏ +43 1 503 50 34, . M-Sa 12:00-00:00. Belongs to a famous winery Artner. It offers creative, fresh fare that tends to be on the lighter side than most Austrian cuisine. Excellent wine cellar, reservations recommended. 
  • 🌍 Bauer, Sonnenfelsgasse 17A, ☏ +43 1 5129871. The restaurant since 25 years serves excellent food with Viennese charme and a big wine choice. It has one Michelin star. Set menu €79. 
  • 🌍 Bristol Lounge (Restaurant Bristol - Das Restaurant bei der Oper), Kärntner Ring 1, ☏ +43 1 515 160-553. 12:00-14:00, 18:00-23:00. The big lunch room in the Hotel Bristol reopened with the original art déco chandeliers and decorated ceiling. The restaurant may serve as elegant after Opera dinner. €18.50-34, menu €49-74. 
  • 🌍 Daihachi, Schottenring 3 (in Hotel de France), ☏ +43 1 31 368-0. M-F 12:00-14:30, Sa 18:00-23:30, closed Su. Sushi bar popular with business travellers. Serves fresh and tasty fish that comes at a high price. 
  • 🌍 Fabios, Tuchlauben 6, ☏ +43 1 532 2222, . M-Sa 09:00-01:00, breakfast 09:00-14:00, kitchen 12:00-23:00. Italian fish restaurant combined with bar/lounge for Vienna's glitterati. Quality is excellent. Mains €9-20. 
  • 🌍 Palais Coburg, Coburgbastei 4, ☏ +43 1 518 18 800, . Tu-Sa 18:00-21:30. The gourmet restaurant is handled by 2 Michelin-starred chef Silvio Nickol. It offers a 5-, 7- or 9-course menu. The seasonal wine card is exquisite. €148. 
  • 🌍 Plachutta, Wollzeile 38, ☏ +43 1 512 15 77, fax: +43 1 512 15 77-20, . 11:30-24:00, kitchen closes at 23:15. A very nice restaurant that specializes in beef (claimed to be only local and from trusted farmers) and has some flavour of traditional Austrian cuisine. Try the Tafelspitz, it comes in a copper pan and still is in the soup it was cooked (the soup alone is worth a trip to Vienna). Alternatively, try the Backhendl. The chef claims that they prepare more than 100 kg of beef each day. Probably three to five waiters will be at your disposal. Reservations recommended. Mains €18-36. 
  • 🌍 Procacci, Göttweihergasse 2, ☏ +43 1 512 22 11, fax: +43 1 512 22 11 11, . Bar: daily 11:30-01:00, restaurant: daily 11:30-24:00. Excellent northern Italian fare with a range of fine specialties. Slightly small portions but an extensive wine list to drown this particular sorrow in. Reservations recommended. 
  • 🌍 TIAN Restaurant, Himmelpfortgasse 23, ☏ +43 1 890 4665, . Tu-Sa 12:00-14:00, 17:45-21:00. Star chef Paul Ivić from Tyrol leads one of only two vegetarian Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, with an excellent wine selection. Occasionally he also offers workshops. Reservations can be made online or by phone. Mains €66-82, set menu €158. (updated Jul 2017)
  • 🌍 Unkai (Wolkenmeer), Kärntner Ring 9 (Top floor Grand Hotel Vienna), ☏ +43 1 515 80-9110, . Tu-Su 12:00-14:30 M-Su 18:00-22:45. The Japanese cook Hiroshi Sakai once governed this place that serves authentic Japanese food. One dines on the top floor of a splendid Viennese palace, that is nowadays the Grand Hotel. It has an excellent choice of special wines. The restaurant is awarded with Gault-Millau caps. 
  • 🌍 Vestibül, Universitätsring 2 (Burgtheater), ☏ +43 1 532 49 99, . M-F 11:00-24:00, Sa 18:00-24:00. Viennese bourgeois restaurant cooked by Christian Domschitz. 
  • 🌍 Weinbotschaft, Annagasse 12, ☏ +43 1 5128510, . Tu-Sa 11:00-24:00. The restaurant offers a menu with freshly cooked organic ingredients – from the classic Wiener Schnitzel to Chocolate-Almond-Cake without flour and Bio-Fruit-Ice-Cream. 
  • 🌍 Zimolo, Ballgasse 5, ☏ +43 1 512 99 82, . M-Sa 12:00-15:00, 18:00-24:00. This hidden gem features Italian food. You can sit outside in the small pedestrian street. 

Ice cream

You can buy excellent ice cream (Eis) at a number of places in central Vienna.

  • 🌍 Eissalon am Schwedenplatz, Schwedenplatz 2 (U1/U4), ☏ +43 1 53 31 996. Daily 10:00-23:15; streetside sale after 09:30. Maybe the most popular place. You can choose from a lot of different flavors, but it's always crowded and you often have to stand in a queue for a few minutes. 
  • 🌍 Eissalon am Tuchlauben (Perizzolo), Tuchlauben 15, ☏ +43 1 533 25 53, . Mar: M-Sa 10:00-20:00, Su 11:00-20:00; Apr-Sep: M-Sa 10:00-23:30, Su 11:00-23:30; Oct: M-Sa 10:00-20:00, Su 11:00-20:00. Another excellent and popular ice cream parlour. Ask for the Special Nougat ice cream. 
  • 🌍 Eis-Greissler, Rotenturmstraße 14. Daily 12:00-21:00. A small ice parlour that has been overrun by customers since its opening in 2011. They sell excellent organic ice cream, made from milk of their own organic milk farm and without artificial flavours. It is worth the wait in the queue. 
  • 🌍 Ferrari Gelato, Krugerstr. 9, ☏ +43 1 5122445, . M-Sa 10:00-22:00, Su 11:00-22:00. The Italian ice cream shop produces on the spot their own with exquisite ingredients like piemontese hazelnuts, caramelised pine nuts or fresh fruits. 
  • 🌍 Zanoni & Zanoni Gelateria, Am Lugeck 7 (just down Rotenturmstrasse from Schwedenplatz towards the Stephansdom), ☏ +43 1 512 79 79. 07:00-24:00. In the same district as Eissalon. Popular with Viennese and tourists for its huge €2 cones to go. 

Drink

Cafés

In the inner town one finds the most historic Viennese cafés, many like Demel, Café Central or Gerstner dating from imperial times. For a complete description on how and what to order read the Vienna overview article entry about Viennese cafés.

  • 🌍 Café Bräunerhof, Stallburggasse 2 (Stephansplatz), ☏ +43 1 5123893. M-F 08:00-20:30, Sa 09:00-18:30, Su 10:00-18:30. Thomas Bernhard used to come here daily as do many other Viennese literate. It exists since more than 35 years. Happily expect Viennese grumpy senior waiters. 
  • 🌍 Café Central, Herrengasse 14 (corner of Strauchgasse), ☏ +43 1 533 37 63, . M-Sa 07:30-22:00, Su 10:00-22:00, live pianist daily 17:00-22:00. One of the most famous Vienna coffee houses, which opened in 1876, has been authentically restored. Beautiful premises inside the Palais Ferstel, it is too touristy and a bit more expensive for having a meal, but can be worth it for a cup of coffee. There is an occasional pianist that is delightful to hear, and a good non-smoking section. 
  • 🌍 Café Diglas, Wollzeile 10 (U1 Stephansplatz), ☏ +43 1 51257650, . 08:00-22:30. Famous traditional coffeehouse, and equally good place for having a meal. They opened a second branch on Fleischmarkt. Soups €3.70, mains €10-16, cappuccino €4.10. 
  • 🌍 Café Frauenhuber, Himmelpfortgasse 6, ☏ +43 1 5125353, . M-Sa 08:00-24:00, Su and holidays 10:00-22:00. This traditional café already existed at the times of Mozart and Beethoven. It serves Viennese food. 
  • 🌍 Café Gerstner (K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäcker), Kärntner Straße 13-15, ☏ +43 1 512 49 63, . M-Sa 08:30-20:00, Su and holidays 10:00-18:00. A very traditional Viennese café, hence visitors take their time to enjoy the lovely cakes. 
  • 🌍 Café Hawelka, Dorotheergasse 6 (just 100m from the Stephansdom, hidden on a side street), ☏ +43 1 512 82 30, . M-Sa 08:00-01:00, Su and holidays 10:00-01:00. One of the most famous intellectual cafes in Vienna. Established in 1939. Surprisingly cheap for its location and its fame and can get quite cozy. Josephine Hawelka (former owner, deceased 2005) was proud of the marriages she caused by placing random people together at tables. Try the Buchteln. Usually quite smoky. 
  • 🌍 Café Landtmann, Dr. Karl Lueger-Ring 4 (near the Rathaus, right beside Burgtheater), ☏ +43 1 24100-0, . 07:30-24:00; all menus until 11:30, except Franz Landtmann served until 15:00. Old café, cozy and romantic. Used to be frequented by Sigmund Freud. Delicious food and desserts. Breakfast sets €7-12.50, menu of the day around €11, starters €8-14, soup €4-8, schnitzel €20, coffee €4. 
  • 🌍 Café Museum, Operngasse 7, ☏ +43 1 586 52 02, . 08:00-24:00. This cafe was designed by famous architect Adolf Loos, however the interior has been entirely refitted (most recently from 2010). Serves food, coffee, teas, and other drinks. Casual, quiet atmosphere, good non-smoking section. 
  • 🌍 Café Prückel, Stubenring 24, Luegerplatz, ☏ +43 1 512 61 15, . Daily 08:00-22:00; live music M W F 19:00-22:00; closed 24-26 Dec. Established in 1903. Quite the hang-out in the evening, during the day this cafe is a bit more laissez-faire. 
  • 🌍 Café Sacher Wien, Philharmonikerstraße 4. 08:00-24:00. The Café Sacher, directly in front of the Opera House, of course serves the famous cake Sacher Torte. 
  • 🌍 Sacher Eck, Kärntner Straße 38 (U1, U2, U4 Oper), ☏ +43 1 51 456 699. 09:00-01:00. The Sacher bar next to their shop is on the Corner of Kärtner Strasse and is a bit less formal than the traditional café. Still on rush hours expect some waiting time to get seated in order to be able to order the "Sacher Torte". 
  • 🌍 Cafe Schwarzenberg, Kärntner Ring 17 (Schwarzenbergplatz D/1/2/71), ☏ +43 1 5128998, . M-F Su 07:00-24:00, Sa 09:00-24:00. Beautiful traditional Viennese café with view on the Schwarzenbergplatz and the Ring avenue. It has fine pastries and coffee choices. 
  • 🌍 Café Tirolerhof, Führichgasse 8 (just behind the opera and near the Albertina), ☏ +43 1 5127833. M-Sa 07:00-22:00, Su 09:30-21:00. Quaint, traditional café with art deco accents. Established in 1900. 
  • 🌍 Conditorei Sluka, Rathausplatz 8 (behind the Rathaus), ☏ +43 1 4057172. M-F 08:00-19:00, Sa 08:00-17:30. A very traditional small Viennese café, opened at the end of the 19th century by Josef and Josefine Sluka, serves excellent pastries and bread. To the breakfast you can order oeuf poché. The choice on the menu is adjusted according season. Free Wi-Fi is available. The place is non-smoking and in summer time you can sit outside. 
  • 🌍 Demel (K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäcker), Kohlmarkt 14 (walk 5 min from St. Stephan along Graben pedestrian street, Kohlmarkt is on your left hand), ☏ +43 1 535 17 17-0, fax: +43 1 535 17 17-26, . 10:00-19:00. Café and confectionary shop. Good pastries are ubiquitous in Vienna, but Demel is considered by many to have the best of all and indeed was once the pastry caterer to the Imperial household. As a result of this it is usually jammed with tourists, though their amusing marzipan display window can be admired even from the street. Outdoor seating in warm weather, but the inside is more atmospheric. Partly smoke-free. 
  • 🌍 Kleines Café (lit. small cafe), Franziskanerplatz 3. As the name suggests, this café is rather small. It was created by architect Hermann Czech during the 1970s for notable Austrian actor Hanno Pöschl, who still owns it. It is a popular meeting place for artists and actors (or would-be variants) and enjoys an excellent location in a quiet square inside the city. The few seats are often occupied but hang around and they are vacated regularly. Seating on the square in fine weather, a bit smoky at peak times. 

Bars

There are several bars in the first district of which most attract formal public. In contrast to that the Flex is highly popular amongst students.

  • 🌍 1516 Brewing Company, Schwarzenbergstraße 2 (Schwarzenbergplatz), ☏ +43 1 961 1516, . M-Th 10:00-02:00, F 10:00-03:00, Sa 11:00-03:00, Su 11:00-02:00. A brewery and a bar with quality beers. The food menu includes Viennese classics as well as standard American bar food like burgers, chicken wings, and BBQ ribs. A non-smoking area upstairs (which hence doesn't fully stop smoke). 1516 particularly caters to American and British expats, although it's also popular among Viennese locals. 
  • 🌍 Alt Wien, Bäckerstraße 9, ☏ +43 1 5125222. This cafe/restaurant/bar is on a very medieval-looking lane in the central district and is a time warp of another kind: its folky-bohemian atmosphere could convince you you're in North Beach or Greenwich Village, circa 1967. Liveliest late. 
  • 🌍 Bonbonniere Tagesbar, Spiegelgasse 15, ☏ +43 1 512 68 86. M-Sa 18:00-02:00. Special establishment where the time stood still. 
  • 🌍 Dino's (Dino's American Bar), Salzgries 19, ☏ +43 1 535 72 30, . M-Th 18:00-03:00, F Sa 18:00-04:00, Su 19:00-02:00. The bar serves classical cocktails. 
  • 🌍 Flex, Augartenbrücke 1, Donaukanal (U2/U4 Schottenring, exit Augartenbrücke), ☏ +43 1 533 75 25, fax: +43 1 533 75 89, . You have not been to Vienna if you have not been to the Flex, particularly if you are younger than thirty. The meeting point of the off-mainstream, bohemian, artsy people. During the summer nights when it is warm, there are always a lot of people sitting on benches outside the club. It's easy to socialise and make new friends. Inside the club you can enjoy bands and DJs. At the bar you can ask for free soda water. 
  • 🌍 Loos American Bar (Loos Bar, Kärntner Bar, American Bar), Kärntner Durchgang 10, ☏ +43 1 5123283, . Th-Sa 12:00-05:00, Su-W 12:00-04:00. Built in 1908, this small bar was designed by Adolf Loos and inspired by his stay in the US from 1893-1896, and will delight fans of Art Deco. Famous for its architecture and interior decoration, it is a time warp of Vienna from 1908 when it opened. Drinks are expensive, but very good and the price is worth the experience. This is a quiet, sophisticated bar, where boisterous behavior or very casual dress will not be appropriate. Usually smoky due to small size. There is outdoor seating in warm weather but there is not much point in using it since what justifies the prices is the interior. Groups and sight-seers are not admitted. 
  • 🌍 Roberto (Roberto American Bar), Bauernmarkt 11–13, ☏ +43 676 942 90 01, . 16:00-04:00, closed on holidays. The former chief bar keeper of the Loos Bar, Roberto Pavlovic opened a new American bar. It serves aperitifs 16:00–18:00, and 16:00–20:00 Champagne price is reduced. 200 cocktails to choose from. Smoking is permitted. 
  • 🌍 Schrittesser (Speck & Bar), Reichsratsstraße 11, Innere Stadt, ☏ +43 650 33 20 213, . M-F 11:00-24:00, Sa 18:00-24:00. The place is specialised on Carinthian drinks and food. Speck in all kinds is served. Carinthian noodles and Schnaps are recommended too. The bar is hidden behind the Viennese university. 

Nightlife

Sleep

Several high profile hotels like Sacher, Grand Hotel, Imperial or others are in historical palais on the historical grand boulevard, the Ringstraße. As one can imagine sleeping in the Innere Stadt is not recommended for tight budgets.

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge
  • 🌍 Hollmann Beletage, Köllnerhofgasse 6, ☏ +43 1 961 19 60, fax: +43 1 961 19 60 33, . Boutique hotel. Only 25 rooms, contemporary design, gourmet breakfast. €150+. 
  • 🌍 Hotel Imperial, Kärntner Ring 16 (directly on the Ring), ☏ +43 1 501 100, fax: +43 1 501 10 410, . Built in 1863 as a Viennese residence for the German Prince of Württemberg in neo-Renaissance style. In total imperial style and impeccable service. €300+. 
  • 🌍 Hotel Palais Coburg, Coburgbastei 4, ☏ +43 1 51818-0, fax: +43 1 51818-100, . A converted historic building that now has an outstanding restaurant (perfect wine list) and spa. Beside some rooms mostly suites and impeccable service. €600+. 
  • 🌍 Hotel Sacher, Philharmonikerstraße 4 (next to the Opera and at the end of the pedestrianized Kärtner Strasse shopping area), ☏ +43 1 514 56 0, fax: +43 1 514 56 810, . This hotel is best known as the place where Sachertorte (cake) was invented. The elegant drawing room is a popular place to gather after a performance at the opera. The food is pricey but definitely worth the money. The rooms offer old style luxury with heavy carpets. €286+. 
  • 🌍 Le Méridien Vienna, Opernring 13, ☏ +43 1 588 90 0, fax: +43 1 588 90 9090, . Opened in late 2003 and is done in a very modern, artsy Art + Tech design. All rooms have flat screen TVs and massage showers. Features a breakfast buffet and bar. €163+. 
  • 🌍 Park Hyatt Vienna, Am Hof 2 (U3 Herrengasse), ☏ +43 1 22740 1234, . This hotel is in a bank headquarter building in the very centre of Vienna that is more than 100 years old. It has 143 guestrooms including 35 suites. It hosts an extensive fitness centre and guests can swim in the 15-m pool in the former vault of the bank. 
  • 🌍 The Ring Hotel, Kärntner Ring 8 (opposite Vienna State Opera), ☏ +43 1 22 1 22, fax: +43 1 22 1 22-900, . Five-star boutique hotel. Has an unexpected interior, which mixes the traditional with the modern. Many of the building's historic details have been preserved to ensure the hotel remains all of its historic charm. 
  • 🌍 Vienna Marriott Hotel, Parkring 12a (at Ringstrasse, opposite Stadtpark, close to Stubentor metro), ☏ +43 1 515180, toll-free: +43 1 515186736, . Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. 313 rooms and suites, an indoor pool and health club, business center and shops. The restaurants and bars are popular gathering places. €169+. 

Stay safe

All of Vienna is very safe, and the Innere Stadt is certainly no exception. However, pickpockets are very common here, especially in crowded areas and the Rathaus, so make sure to keep your bags/wallets safe. When visiting a cafe and sitting outdoors (especially the outdoor cafes in the Graben), its wise to not leave bags or jackets unattended, especially if you chose a seat near the edge, where somebody can easily grab your stuff. Police officers can easily be found and are helpful and reliable.

A lot of the areas may look shady and secluded at night, especially Karlsplatz, Schottentor, and Am Hof - but the chances of encountering any crime is incredibly low.

During your visit here, you might be asked by a homeless-looking person to buy a magazine (usually called Augustin). In some situations, even touching the magazine will make the seller charge you money (usually €2). If they ask you to buy it, shaking your head and saying "No, thank you" ("Nein Danke") will make them leave you alone.

Be careful when visiting the Innere Stadt (especially the Ring) during late January/early February - on one of these days, the Wiener Akademikerball occurs, and with that, there are mass protests near the Ring and the Graben during the nighttime. Although the protests don't turn violent and are usually peaceful, in 2014, it resulted in several broken windows and arrests. Do not be alarmed when seeing boarded-up stores during this time - its just a precaution. During the protests, its best to avoid the Ring between Karlsplatz and Schottentor.

Connect

Several cafés will either hand you over their Wi-Fi key or have free access anyway. Beyond that there are several access points in the Inner city:

  • Tourist Info Vienna, Albertinaplatz/Maysedergasse. Daily 09:00-19:00. Free Wi-Fi is available at the tourist information office. (See listing above under Understand.) 

Public Wi-Fi hotspots from the local Viennese government are being deployed; they remain active at Stephansplatz and Rathausplatz. Local information is displayed on connection. For Internet connection (filtered) one needs to register via mobile phone number, which will receive access code in SMS.

Go next

One can continue outside the ring to the inner districts:

  • Landstraße is the inner district containing the Belvedere.
  • Wieden offers the Karlskirche next to the Karlsplatz.
  • Mariahilf borders the Naschmarkt and has nice bohemian areas.
  • Neubau contains the Museumsquartier and is a pedestrian next step from Heldenplatz or the surrounding museums.
  • Josefstadt is a classy residential area with little shops.
  • Alsergrund features the University.

Or outside the Ring is attractive:

  • Hietzing is an outer district including the Schönbrunn Palais.
Routes through Innere Stadt
Vienna/Outer East ← Vienna/Inner East ←  NE  S  → Vienna/Wieden → Vienna/Outer South
Vienna/Outer East ← Vienna/Inner East ←  N  S  → END
Vienna/Outer West ← Vienna/Neubau ←  W  E  → Vienna/Landstraße
Vienna/Outer West ← Vienna/Alsergrund ←  N  W  → Vienna/Wieden → Vienna/Hietzing


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