Things to Do in Vienna, Austria

Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace is Vienna’s great Baroque summer residence and a UNESCO World Heritage ensemble where richly furnished palace rooms sit within an extensive designed landscape. Inside, state rooms and private apartments are restored to reflect imperial life under Maria Theresa and her successors, giving visitors tangible context for Habsburg court rituals and domestic routines.

The gardens are integral: formal parterres, tree-lined promenades, the Great Parterre and the Gloriette viewpoint frame long axial perspectives. On the grounds are the Palm House, the historic Menagerie (Tiergarten Schönbrunn) and former carriage stables, so combine an interior tour with a garden walk and optional zoo or Palm House visit.

Official Schönbrunn Palace website →

Hofburg Palace (Imperial Palace)

The Hofburg is Vienna’s sprawling imperial complex assembled across centuries, its fabric layering medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and 19th‑century Historicist additions around plazas such as Josefsplatz and Heldenplatz.

For visitors the Hofburg contains several distinct experiences: the Imperial Apartments and Sisi Museum contrast formal state rooms with intimate personal objects, while the Imperial Treasury preserves regalia that embody monarchical symbolism.

The Austrian National Library’s Prunksaal (State Hall) is a lavish highlight, and the Spanish Riding School continues to perform classical haute école dressage from the Winter Riding School. Because the Hofburg remains partly in active official use, check museum and institution sites for tickets and access.

Official Hofburg Palace (Imperial Palace) website →

St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom)

St. Stephen’s Cathedral stands at Vienna’s geographic and spiritual heart, an architectural palimpsest that developed from a 12th‑century parish church into the city’s principal Gothic landmark. Its patterned tiled roof and soaring south tower define the skyline; inside, vaulted space, stained glass and carved altarpieces reflect centuries of devotion and local patronage.

Visits can include close viewing of sculptures and side chapels, a tower climb or lift for panoramic viewpoints, and guided tours of medieval catacombs and crypts. The cathedral also houses a museum of liturgical objects and remains an active place of worship, so check the official site for tower climbs and special tours.

Official St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) website →

Belvedere Palace

The Belvedere is a staged Baroque palace ensemble created for Prince Eugene of Savoy, composed of Upper and Lower Belvedere linked by terraced formal gardens. The architecture and axial garden design present deliberate shifts in scale and ornament, so ascending from the Lower to the Upper palace reveals changing perspectives.

Museum displays split between palaces and sweep through Austrian art history—from medieval and Baroque works to Vienna Modernism and contemporary acquisitions—while interiors such as the Marble Hall add historical atmosphere. The gardens are integral to the visit, offering sculptural perspectives, fountains and terraces; check the museum’s site for current exhibitions and visitor information.

Official Belvedere Palace website →

Prater and the Wiener Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel)

The Prater is a broad public park and historic fairground in Leopoldstadt whose best-known landmark is the Wiener Riesenrad at Riesenradplatz. Built in 1897 and rebuilt after wartime damage, the Riesenrad’s enclosed historic cabins frame extended views across the Danube and central Vienna, with on-site interpretive material explaining its history and reconstructed cabins.

The wider Prater mixes open parkland, the tree-lined Hauptallee popular with joggers and cyclists, and the Wurstelprater fairground with rides and seasonal markets. For memorable panoramas aim for early evening or clear daylight; practical details such as ticketing and accessibility can change, so check official Riesenrad or Prater information before visiting.

Official Prater and the Wiener Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) website →

MuseumsQuartier (MQ)

The MuseumsQuartier (MQ) is one of Europe’s largest cultural quarters, repurposing Vienna’s former imperial stables into an architectural pairing of 18th‑century baroque fabric and contemporary infill.

A large central courtyard functions as an open urban stage while outer rings host major institutions such as the Leopold Museum, mumok and the Kunsthalle alongside smaller studios, performance spaces and design shops. Rooftop terraces and flexible outdoor programming give the MQ both museum‑quality exhibitions and everyday social life.

For visits, combine a courtyard stroll with one or two indoor venues and consult the MQ’s visitor pages for current exhibitions, combined tickets and accessibility options.

Official MuseumsQuartier (MQ) website →

Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

The Kunsthistorisches Museum occupies a monumental Ringstraße palace built to display the Habsburgs’ imperial collections, its grand dome and decorated galleries framing encyclopedic holdings. The Picture Gallery concentrates four centuries of European painting with exceptional Flemish and Dutch works, including Pieter Bruegel the Elder pieces and Johannes Vermeer’s The Art of Painting.

Beyond paintings, the Kunstkammer, classical antiquities and Egyptian‑Near Eastern collections offer contrasts of scale and material—goldsmithing, automata and ancient objects that illuminate early collectors’ aims. Plan a route balancing large picture rooms and small‑object displays, and check the official site for guided tours and current exhibitions.

Official Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna website →

Vienna State Opera

The Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) is a neo‑Renaissance opera house on the Ringstraße that opened in 1869 and was restored after wartime damage, reopening in 1955 with a revived repertoire company.

Its façade, main vestibule and principal staircases remain central to the drama of arrival, while richly decorated intermission rooms and the Schwind‑Foyer reflect nineteenth‑century civic taste.

The Staatsoper sustains a resident ensemble and orchestra with regular opera and ballet seasons; visitors can choose a guided tour for behind‑the‑scenes insights or attend a performance for the full musical experience. Confirm tour options and accessibility on the opera’s official visitor pages.

Official Vienna State Opera website →