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City Guide Vienna Austria

Guten Morgen Vienna, capital of Austria, the city of Kaiserin Sissi and the classic Musikers Beethoven, Mozart, Hayden, Strauss. Vienna is full of landmark palaces like Schönbrunn Palace and the Hofburg and the Spanish Riding School, or Spanische Hofreitschule and offers world-class performances at the Vienna State Opera. Art enthusiasts can explore exceptional museums such as the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Palace Belvedere. Additionally, Vienna's charming coffeehouse culture and ''famous'' dishes like schnitzel, strudel and sweet sachertort and Kaiserschmarrn make it also a nice city trip for foodies.

We spent 3 full days in Vienna, which is hardly enough if you also want to visit all the sights.




Boutique Hotels Vienna


Breakfast, Lunch Vienna


Cafe Goldegg - It doesn't get more typical. In addition to a really great menu, the café founded in 1910 also has a beautiful original Art Nouveau interior. Good fo lunch but also for Sachertorte and a coffee.



Joseph Brot - The perfect 100% bio bakery in Vienna. With 9 Bakery and Patisserie locations, 7 in Vienna this is a hit for your perfect morning pastry and a coffee. At locations Landstraßer Hauptstraße and Albertinaplatz you can also go opt for the bistro

for delicious breakfast and lunch.


Hildebrandt cafe - A perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch menu. This cute cafe with a cosy garden at the back of the Volkskunde museum is also worth a visiti even when you don't want to see the museum itself.


Ulrich & Erich - A cafe and restaurant with an outside garden. ULRICH is urban, modern - between bricsk, oak and industrial grey, they serve healthy seasonal food with small plates to share. Go to ULRICH for breakfast, lunch or a wine in the afternoon.


Coffee Vienna


Fenster Cafe - Truly a hole in the wall. Not sure if everyone likes it but at Fenster Cafe they serve your coffee in a cone. They call it a Fensterccino, it really is a cappuccino served in a chocolate-coated waffle cone. Instagram madness.


Kaffeemik - Austrian Specialty Coffee Shop and Micro Roastery


No Panic Coffee - Charming café No Panic Coffee offers freshly roasted coffee, homemade croissants, cakes, banana bread, and more. The seasonal menu features only freshly prepared dishes. Cool hipster atmosphere.


Kaffein Zeitgeist - At Zeitgeist you can find top-quality coffee and buy coffee-related products. On the ground floor you can get the speciality coffees. On the first floor there is an open arere where you eat organic food and drink wine, and slow coffee.


Konditorei and cake Vienna


What are the best konditorei of Vienna? For the best Kaffeehauskultuur and Sachertorte try one of the following places (expect to queue up).


Demel Konditorei - This Viennese confectionery and coffee house Demel Konditorei is an institution and brimming with rich history and culture. The café offers a wide selection of Austrian specialities, decadent cakes and sweets and is widely known in Vienna (also by tourists). Queue up for your Sachertorte the outside terrace or the cafe inside. Otherwise you can also order takeaway Kaiserschmarrn. And if you want to treat your loved ones, you can choose from the finest cakes, chocolates and sweets at the shop.



Cafe Mozart - The cosmopolitan Viennese coffee house behind the Vienna State Opera.The Mozart Cafe is popular with the opera's musicians and the place where Graham Greene wrote The Third Man. Again, a queue.


Sacher Hotel - The five-star Hotel Sacher is a well-known Viennese hotel behind the Vienna State Opera on Kärntner Straße. The Café Sacher offers a typical Viennese coffeehouse atmosphere complete with a slice of Sacher-Torte.

Cafe Sperl - Close to the Naschmarkt. Cafe Sperl is another traditional Viennese coffee house. On Sundays from 3.30pm onwards, the café will be full with cozy piano sounds.



Restaurants Vienna


Restaurant Ellas Food & Drink - A mediterranean and innovative cuisine with Greek roots can be found at Ellas Restaurant on Judenplatz in Vienna.



Neni Food - You can find restaurant Neni at the Naschmarkt in Vienna. We had a lovely Israeli, modern telavivian inspired dinner outside on the terrace right in the middle of the market. You can find Neni also in other capital cities around Europe.


Restaurant Skopik & Lohn - A restaurant from the 2023 MICHELIN Guide Austria. The first thing you’ll notice here is the wonderful painted ceiling, the work of artist Otto Zitko. With Austrian classics on the menu include Wiener schnitzel with cucumber, potato and sour cream salad and, for dessert, perhaps an île flottante?


Weinschenke - Burgers and Wine. A perfect combination. Casual and fun. With 4 locations in Vienna.


Cocktail Bars Vienna


Campari Bar - We asked some local girls who worked in the Isabel Marant store where to go for a drink. They recommended the Campari Bar, only a few steps away from St. Stephen's Cathedral, in downtown Vienna! The outside terrace is perfect for a Campari, Negroni or an Aperol Spritz with some nibbles. We loved it.


25 Hours Bar The Dachboden - The Dachboden rooftop bar from 25 Hours hotel offers a great view and a great atmosphere. The Dachboden is a mixture of beach bar and parliament cafeteria. Its is a nice summer location, although highly priced.

Kleinod die Bar - The stylish, backlit Kleinod Prunkstück is a must-visit in Old Town Vienna, offering a unique blend of classic cocktails and a dance floor. With a small dance floor, the vibrant atmosphere and excellent cocktails make up for the occasional long queue.


Fitzcarraldo Speakeasy Bar - The speakeasy cocktail bar Fitzcarraldo takes you through a hidden entrance into a dazzling, imaginative world.


Die Parfumerie - Die Parfümerie cocktail bar has a cosy ambience and casual atmosphere. An elegant bar for a cocktail or two.


Things To Do Vienna


There are so many highlights and Things To Do in Vienna, I listed only my favourites.


The Paternoster in the Office Building at Trattnerhof 2 - a historic, continuously moving elevator that dates back to the early 20th century. This unique and nostalgic transport mechanism allows passengers to step on and off at various floors without the need for the elevator to stop, providing a special view of old engineering wonders that are still working.


Palmhaus - In the Burggarten you'll find the Palm House, an art nouveau-style glass house which is perfect for coffee and lunch. Inside there is the Butterfly House. It's not just about the stunning butterflies; Imagine strolling through a miniature rainforest, surrounded by the soothing sounds of waterfalls, charming bridges, and tranquil ponds. A nice immersive experience.


Burggarten, Volksgarten, The Stadtpark - The Burggarten is originally the private garden of the Habsburgs and now a public park in Vienna featuring a notable statue of Mozart. Great for picnic on one of the benches. Another populair park is the Volksgarten, part of Vienna's Hofburg Palace complex, is renowned for its stunning rose gardens and the statue of Empress Elisabeth. Final, the Vienna's Stadtpark, here you also find statues and monuments, including the iconic golden statue of Johann Strauss II. It spans both banks of the Wien River and is another tranquil urban oasis.



Schloss Schönbrunn and Hofburg Palace (Sisi Museum) - For the Sisi highlights make sure to visit the magnificent Schönbrunn Palace which was the summer residence of the Habsburgs and was a favorite of Empress Sisi. Visitors can explore the opulent rooms, the stunning gardens, and the Gloriette, gaining insights into Sisi's life and times. Hofburg Palace - Sisi Museum: Located in the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum offers a detailed look at the life of the enigmatic empress, showcasing her personal belongings, portraits, and information about her private and public life. Book in advance! You easily spend up to 2,5 - 3 hours in each place.


Palace Belvedere with the Osterreichische Galerie Belvedere - Admiring Gustav Klimt's 'The Kiss' in real life? Of course you can do this in Vienna at the Galerie Belvedere.


Naschmarkt - The Naschmarkt is Vienna's most popular market, offering various goods, including fresh produce, spices, meats, and cheeses. There are also numerous restaurants, food stalls, and cafes, making it a great place for lunch or dinner. We went to Neni Food.


Kunsthistorisches museum Vienna - Art History Museum that is home to famous paintings by old masters such as Raphael, Vermeer, and Rembrandt. The Leopold Museum focuses primarily on Austrian art from the late 19th century to the present day with a homage to Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. The Albertina Museum has an impressive collection of graphic art, featuring works by renowned artists like Dürer, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo. Make sure to checkout the temporary exhibitions.


Artis International is an historic and intimate cinema that screens international films in English and is loved by the locals from Vienna.




My trip through Central/Eastern Europe took me to Warsaw, Krakow, Bratislava, Vienna, Brno and Prague. If you have similar plans, discover all my city trip guides here.



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