Vienna’s Secret- Discover Austria’s Historical Capital

Where past and present meet

Vienna is always worth a visit. Whether you want to dive deeper into Austria’s historical past while exploring its imperial palaces and Baroque streetscapes, or immerse yourself into a hip European city with a vibrant music, artist and design scene, Vienna offers it all.

The Austrian capital of Vienna is located in the centre of Europe, east on the Danube river. With around 1.9 million inhabitants, it is also Austria’s largest city, followed by Graz. The city’s artistic and intellectual legacy was coined by famous residents such as Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. Today, the city is known for its Baroque streetscapes, imperial palaces, including the Habsburg’s summer residence of Schönbrunn, the MuseumsQuartier district, as well as many historic and contemporary buildings by famous architects Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and many others.

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BELVEDERE | PHOTO © WIEN TOURISMUS, CHRISTIAN STEMPER

But not only historians have their fun here, as Vienna sports a variety of great museums and art galleries. Whether you want to check out some contemporary art, photography exhibitions or the National History Museum, Austria’s capital has a lot on offer for culture enthusiasts too. And, if you’re into wine, we suggest you visit the city’s immediate surroundings. After all, you can find many small, family-owned wineries in the hills surrounding Vienna. In summer, you can take a little hike through the hills while stopping at some of the small ‘Heuriger’, which is the name for the taverns at which the local winemakers serve their wines during the growing season. Not only is it a very special atmosphere to try these local wines at the family-owned wineries, but you’re almost guaranteed to enjoy a gorgeous view across Vienna!

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SALONPLAFOND AT THE MAK | PHOTO © WIEN TOURISMUS, PETER RIGAUD

If you are looking for some alternative tips away from the tourist traps, be sure to check out Vienna’s sixth district of Mariahilf, which was recently ranked in the top 15 coolest neighbourhoods in Europe by the British website TravelSupermarket. Another really cool area is the Leopoldstadt neighbourhood in the second district. Not only one of Vienna’s most diverse areas, Leopoldstadt also impresses with a local market that puts emphasis on regional and organic produce, many hip restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as with the gorgeous Augarten. It is the city’s oldest Baroque park which invites visitors for extensive strolls and is the location for an open-air cinema event in the summer.