With a history dating back to Roman times and with a reputation as one of Europe’s foremost centers of music and art, Vienna has no shortage of historic things to see and do.
Replete with elegant buildings and classical music, the historic center of Vienna was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
Choosing the best of the best to see in the Austrian capital can be a challenge. Keep reading for my picks of the 12 best things to see in Vienna, based on what I’ve opted to see when visiting the city – and why.
Table of Contents
1. Imperial Treasury
On my first trip to Vienna, I essentially had 1.5 days in the city. That’s really not enough time to do Vienna justice. As a result, I had to be very strategic about what I wanted to see.
Near the top of my list was the Imperial Treasury, located in the Hofburg palace complex.
Why? Vienna’s history is inextricable from its imperial past. The Hapsburg dynasty ruled vast territories in Europe for over 600 years, with Vienna the center of their power for much of that time.
The Imperial Treasury contains priceless Hapsburg treasures and gives a good overview of the family and their place in European history. My favorite item? The 1,000-year-old ornate Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire.
Just be sure to give yourself more time to explore than the half-hour I gave myself. 1-2 hours would be more appropriate.
2. Belvedere
There were two main reasons I wanted to visit the Belvedere.
First, it was the summer palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy. He was one of the greatest military commanders of his time, with several victories during the War of the Spanish Succession and against the Ottomans. He was also an avid patron of the arts whose taste, having grown up in the sophisticated French court of Louis XIV.
Second, the Belvedere houses the premier collection of Austrian art in the world. As such, it’s a fantastic overview of art from the region.
Oh, and Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss – a masterpiece of the Vienna Secession art movement and possibly the most famous Viennese-produced painting of all time. I couldn’t go to Vienna and not see The Kiss.
3. Karlskirche / Attend a classical music concert
This Baroque church is striking – inside and out. I also went up to the roof (the climb was a relatively easy one up one of the church’s winding staircases) for some great views of the city.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t have at least one classical music venue on this list. After all, Vienna is the epicenter of European classical music.
Karlskirche holds regular concerts, with Vivaldi’s magnus opus, The Four Seasons, among its most frequently performed pieces.
As an added point of interest, Vivaldi is actually buried in the vicinity of the church, although the exact spot has been lost.
4. The Hofburg – Sisi Museum
The Hapsburgs counted several colorful characters among its members, but one of the most celebrated was the Empress Elisabeth, the beautiful but neurotic wife of the Emperor Franz Josef.
Elisabeth, also known as Sisi, spent much of her time away from Vienna. But whenever she was in town, she lived at the Hofburg Palace.
Sisi’s private apartments have been preserved and many of the rooms have been turned into a museum focusing on her life.
I was particularly interested in seeing the exercise equipment she had installed in the palace. Sisi was obsessive about keeping her good looks and intensive exercise was part of her beauty regimen. Apparently she didn’t like being disturbed – even by family – when she was working out. I wish I had that kind of discipline.
5. Café Central
Vienna’s coffeehouse culture is part of the very fabric that makes the city what it is. Beginning in the late 17th century and arguably peaking in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was inscribed in Austria’s national register of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.
Naturally I had to experience this culture myself. To do so, I headed to one of the best-known and beautiful cafes in the city – Café Central.
It may feel more touristy now, but back in the day, Café Central was patronized by some famous figures. Peter Altenberg and Leon Trotsky were regulars, while Josip Broz Tito, Sigmund Freud, and Stalin were known to have spent some time here.
6. Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens
Another of Vienna’s grand palaces, Schönbrunn, located about a half hour train ride outside of the city center, was the Hapsburg’s summer residence.
While the Hofburg tells Sisi’s story, Schönbrunn is filled with the memory of Maria Theresa, Austria’s formidable empress and the Hapsburg woman to rule in her own right.
The Baroque palace is a wonder on its own, but I was also interested in visiting the grounds. Specifically, I wanted to see Tiergarten Schönbrunn, which having begun as an imperial menagerie, is now the oldest zoo in the world.
7. Kunsthistoriches Museum
My artistic tastes lean in the direction of the Old Masters, so I was practically a kid in a candy store while visiting the Kunsthistoriches Museum, Austria’s largest art museum.
Every room I went in, I recognized treasures by Raphael, Albrecht Dürer, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Hans Holbien, Johannes Vermeer, Peter Paul Reubens, Titian, Velázquez, and more. (I may have annoyed my travel companion by exclaiming, “Oh! I know this one!” in response to seeing almost every painting I saw.)
I was also surprised to find the museum has extensive collections of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, decorative arts, and numismatics.
8. Natural History Museum
Geological and prehistory is history too, and the Natural History Museum showcases more than 100,000 objects related to natural and early human history.
The foundation of the museum’s collection came from Emperor Francis I, Maria Theresa’s husband, who had amassed a collection of curiosities.
The item I was most excited to see was the Venus of Willendorf, since it was one of the first works of art I studied in art history class. The 36,000-year-old statuette is one of the oldest human figurines in the world. It’s perhaps the best-known example of the Venus figurines, Upper Paleolithic statues depicting the female form.
9. Stephansdom
There isn’t much left of Vienna’s medieval past. So being the medievalist I am, I headed to Stephansdom – or St. Stephen’s Cathedral, in English – the beating heart of Vienna and one of its few remaining medieval buildings. Founded in the 1100s, most of the present church is late Gothic in style.
There are a lot of interesting elements in the cathedral, but I particularly like the colorful tiled roof (comprised of 230,000 tiles), the Gothic pulpit (with the man – possibly a likeness of the sculptor – peaking out from a window at the bottom right), and the tomb of Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick III (who was responsible for turning Vienna into a major European capital).
10. Museum of Military History
Austria has a long and proud military history. The Museum of Military History, housed in a unexpectedly opulent building, tells its story.
The museum starts off strong with the Feldherrenhalle, where I went around trying to recognize the names of the 56 Austrian military commanders whose life-sized statues are on display. (I only managed a handful.)
The highlight, for me, was seeing the car that the Archduke Franz Ferdinand rode in when he was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914 – an event that plunged the world into the brutality of World War I. The blood-stained uniform he was wearing on that fateful day is exhibited nearby; you can even see the hole where the bullet entered.
11. Imperial Crypt
It’s probably obvious by now that I like to explore places associated with imperial Vienna (which, to be honest, is a lot of places in Vienna).
But to get to visit the Hapsburgs themselves? You can do that by visiting the crypt, where most of the family are buried.
Some of the most notable Hapsburgs are buried here, including Sisi and Maria Theresa.
My favorite tomb is that of the Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, who’d been born an Austrian archduke. After his execution, his body was returned to his native country, where his tomb is always filled with gifts and notes left behind by devoted Mexican monarchists.
12. Christmas markets
There’s undeniably something magical about the Christmas markets in Europe, particularly in the German-speaking regions where they originated.
Vienna is home to several Christmas markets dotted around the city. They also earlier than Christmas markets in other parts of Europe – with most open by mid-November – which means more time for glühwein and shopping!
Want to learn more about Vienna’s Christmas markets? Check out my article here!
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