Experience Vienna On Your Own
Eating and Drinking
- Go to a Heuriger. It is a tavern where local winemakers serve their own wine. Examples: Müllers Heuriger & Weingut, Schreiberhaus, Weinbau Zawodsky, but there are many more. Actually, the Gala Dinner will be in one.
- Cocktails and Drinks at the 18th floor of Sofitel hotel. A bit expensive but good cocktails and a nice view over Vienna.
- Museumsquartier, short MQ. There, you can find a lot of of museums as well as restaurants and bars.
- Bar at the 8th floor of the 25 Hour Hotel. There you have a nice view and good music.
- Drink in an old traditional coffee house: Café Landtmann, Café Hawelka, Café Sperl, Café Central, Demel K. & K. Hofzuckerbäcker.
Sightseeing
- Go along the Ringstraße. It is nice during the day, and even nicer in the evening when the lights are turned on. Along the street, you will see: The University of Vienna, the Parliament as well as Burgtheater (= theater), Hofburg (the president's residence), Rathaus (city hall), Volksgarten, Staatsoper, and much more.
- Taking the paternoster. It is an old elevator that does not stop but runs in a circle. It is located in the Rathaus. You must enter the entrance to stair 6 at the north side, which means from the street Felderstraße. Opening hours Mo-Fr 6:30-16:00.
- Walk through the city center (old town): Anker Uhr (Stunning clock, Stephansdom, Nationalbibliothek, Albertina Museum, Judenplatz (there is also a Holocaust Memorial), Mozerthaus, Michaelaplatz, Spanische Hofreitschule, ...)
- Riesenrad (= Ferris wheel): one of the landmarks of Vienna, located in the Wiener Prater, close to the metro station U1/U2 Praterstern.
- Kahlenberg: You can drink a coffee and have a nice view over Vienna. You could combine it with one of the "Heurigen" (A), which are more or less close.
- Schönbrunn: Big Park, Palace, Zoo (oldest zoo in the world), Irrgarten (= Labyrinth) and the Gloriette. Have a walk through the park up to the Gloriette and drink a coffee there. If you want to go into the zoo, the labyrinth, or the palace, you have to pay for the entrance. However, it is worthy.
- Burggarten (= imperial garden): nice garden, and there is also the Schmetterlingshaus (= butterfly house, with a lot of butterflies inside) and the Palmenhaus (palm house, with palms inside).
- Karlskirche: a beautiful church in walking distance of the venue.
- Museum der Illusionen: a museum with funny optical illusions.
- St. Michael's Church: one of the oldest churches in Vienna.
- Votivkirche: a very beautiful church.
- Museumsquartier, short MQ. There, you can find a lot of museums as well as restaurants and bars.
- Hundertwasserhaus, a house designed by "Hundertwasser", a man who didn't like straight lines. Even the ground in front of the house is not straight.
- Haus des Meeres (= Aqua Terra Zoo) is located in an old flak tower from the second world war. There are still four flak towers in Vienna. They are not very beautiful but interesting.
- Nationalbibliothek: national library.
- Leopold Museum: paintings of Klimt & Schiele
- MAK - Österreichisches Museum für angewandte Kunst: museum of applied arts.
- Kirche am Steinhof: A church located on the top of a hill where a mental / psychiatric hospital is located.
- Kapuzinergruft: kapuziner crypt.
- Musikverein: concert hall.
- Staatsoper: the opera house of Vienna.
Shopping, Fun, and Relaxing Places
- Wiener Prater: Amusement park, roller coaster, Ferris wheel, and much more.
- Donauinsel: "The danube island."
- Stadtpark: City park.
- Burggarten: Imperial garden.
- Flea market at Kettenbrückengasse: Every Saturday from 6:30-18:00, close to the metro station U4 "Kettenbrückengasse".
- Therme Wien: thermal bath.