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Imperial Vienna: palaces, cafes and music

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The imperial capital of the Habsburgs is a city of baroque grandeur: Schonbrunn Palace, the Belvedere, the State Opera and the historic cafes where Freud, Klimt and Mozart left their traces.

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Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October). December for the Christmas markets. Hot summer but lively with festivals.

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Schwechat airport (VIE) 18 km away with the City Airport Train (16 min, 11.90 euro) or S-Bahn (30 min, 4.30 euro).

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Metro (5 lines) plus historic trams. The Vienna City Card (24h/48h/72h) includes all transport and museum discounts.

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Schonbrunn Palace

The summer residence of the Habsburgs with 1,441 rooms and the wonderful baroque gardens.

💡 guides.tipLabel The visit to the Gloriette (garden viewpoint) is free. Book for the interior.

Kunsthistorisches Museum

One of the largest art museums in the world: Vermeer, Caravaggio, Raphael, Bruegel.

💡 guides.tipLabel Free entry on the first Sunday of the month. Allow at least 3 hours.

Klimt and the Belvedere

The Upper Belvedere houses The Kiss and other masterpieces by Gustav Klimt.

💡 guides.tipLabel Book online. The Lower Belvedere with the Baroque museum is often overlooked.

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Wiener Schnitzel (veal cutlet), Sacher Torte (chocolate cake with apricot), Gulasch, Apfelstrudel, Kaiserschmarrn.

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Figlmuller: the most famous Schnitzel in Vienna. Cafe Sacher: the original Sacher Torte. Plachutta: the perfect gulasch. Naschmarkt: the covered market with cuisines from all over the world.

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Innere Stadt: the UNESCO centre with the imperial palaces. Neubau: hipster and creative. Prater: the large park with the historic Ferris wheel.

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Salzburg (2h30 by train): Mozart and the festival. Budapest (2h30 by train): the twin city on the other side of the Danube. Bratislava (1h by train): the surprising Slovak capital.

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The historic Viennese cafes (Cafe Central, Cafe Landtmann) are a UNESCO cultural heritage - sitting down to drink a Melange and read is a tradition. The Prater with the Riesenrad (Ferris wheel) is one of the iconic experiences.