Last week we joyfully launched our Blog in Vienna. Reason enough to present you the most beautiful spots, you have to visit (first) when coming to Austria’s beautiful capital!

Top sights: almost an „all in one“ sightseeing tour, if you start your exploration (on foot) at the Ring, in front of the Opera house. On your way to the university building, you will already find the Hofburg, the Volksgarten, the Parliament, the town hall and many other sights. Thus, especially enjoy the (whole) 1^st district with the beautiful St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Graben. But don’t miss the imperial Schönbrunn Palace either!

Cuisine: What about a refreshment at the famous Hotel/Café Sacher with its delicious Sachertorte, before starting your walking tour at the close-by opera house? And if you are in town in the winter season, you can nonetheless easily enjoy Vienna’s Heuriger culture by having a dinner in a rustic restaurant in the city centre (for example in the Zwölf-Apostelkeller)!

Culture: Where to start best with all the cultural programme Vienna has to offer? What about a concert in the Musikverein (where the famous New Year’s concerts are taking place), or what about an evening in the Staatsoper? If you arrive at the ticket office on time, you can even enjoy a ballet or opera with a standing room ticket „almost for free“ the very same evening. And for all coffee and café lovers: Vienna is particularly proud of its Wiener Kaffeehauskultur („Viennese coffee house culture“)!

Shopping: at the Kärtnerstraße, Graben, Mariahilferstraße, etc. etc.

For the soul: Enjoy a break in one of the numerous parks around and even in the city centre (such as the Rosengarten). Enjoy an exhibition at the Albertina museum or at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (almost a must!) or take a break in one of the many beautiful churches, such as the Peterskirche and the St. Stephen’s cathedral in the city centre.

Insider tip: If you have enough time, „get lost“ in the area around the Spittelberg and enjoy its original shops, restaurants and bars. For dancers: Don’t miss the famous ball season (but save money in advance!) or simply come for the unique (pre-Christmas) atmosphere. Furthermore, the nightlife in Vienna has recently been enriched by a couple of noteworthy roof top bars (my absolute favourite: Le Loft – enjoy an unforgettable view over the entire city only 15 minutes foot walk away from the Stephansplatz: fancy location, where you don’t necessary need to wear a suit or high heels as long as your shoes have some ‚evening glamour‘.)

General advices: From the airport there are several ways to arrive close to the city centre. The cheapest connection is the Schnellbahn (around half an hour to Wien Mitte). If you stay for a couple of days, you can also benefit (by ship with the Twin City Liner) from the fact that Vienna and Bratislava are world’s closest capitals! But if you rather prefer to hang out with friends until the morning dawn: Vienna has a 24 hours metro service on Fridays and Saturdays!

For those who already know Vienna quite well: I bet, you can still discover a lot! At least Marco Polo’s cityguide for Viennese people (!), „Wien für Wiener„, might convince you too – with countless suggestions for new international but also traditional restaurants, tea houses and so forth.

And what do/did famous people say about Vienna?

„The best coffee in Europe is Vienna coffee, compared to which all other coffee is fluid poverty.“ (Mark Twain)

What about forming your own idea about that? (ger)