
Vienna hosted the Hapsburg court for several centuries; first as the imperial seat of the Holy Roman Empire, then the capital of the Austrian Empire, and later of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This tremendously influenced the culture that exists there today. Like Munich, its residents are formal, but with small doses of courtliness, polite forms of address, and formal dress attire. The residents of Vienna tend to be equally modern and old-fashioned. Tourists are treated as if they were a long-lost member of the royal family returning home. This luxurious treatment is one of the reasons that many people enjoy visiting Vienna.
The traditional Vienna is but one of the many façades of this city. Vienna is also a dynamic, young city, famous for its (electronic) music scene with independent labels, cult-status underground record stores, a vibrant club scene, multitudes of street performers, and a government that seems overly obsessed with complicated paperwork. However, people are willing to go out of their way or bend the rules a little if they feel they can do someone a favor.
The Viennese have a singular fascination with death, hence the popularity of the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) as a strolling location and of Schrammelmusik - highly sentimental music with lyrics pertaining to death. Old-fashioned Sterbevereine (funeral insurance societies) provide members with the opportunity to save up for a nice funeral throughout the course of their lives. This service does not exist solely to save their children the hassle and expense - it is considered absolutely mandatory to provide for an adequate burial. Vienna even has the Bestattungsmuseum, a museum devoted to coffins and mortuary science. The country’s morbid obsession may be correlated with its higher suicide rate when compared with the rest of Europe.
Vienna is also famous for its coffee culture. "Let's have a coffee" is a very commonly heard phrase, because despite incursions by Starbucks and Italian-style espresso bars, the Kaffeehaus is still the traditional place to drink a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, meet friends, or fall in love.
The City has a very convenient layout for the traveller:
The 'old town', or city centre, is the first district, with Stephansdom and Stephansplatz at the centre of a bullseye. It is encircled by the Ringstraße [Ring Street], a grand boulevard constructed along the old city walls. Along the Ringstraße are many famous and grand buildings, including the Rathaus [City Hall], the Austrian Parliament, the Hofburg Palace, the Natural History Museum, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and the State Opera House.
Districts 2-9 are gathered within the Gürtel ('belt') Road, which encircles the Ringstraße like an outer belt. Along this outer 'belt' road, you can find the Prater (amusement) park, the hip quarters of the second district (close to Schwedenplatz), Westbahnhof - a major national & international railway terminus - from which leads the major shopping street Mariahilfer Straße eastwards to the inner city, the Hundertwasserhaus and the Hundertwasser Kunsthaus.
Outside the 'belt' road stand the Donauturm [Danube Tower], the Belvedere Palace, and Schönbrunn Palace, which is the most visited tourist attraction and deservedly so. It was placed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1996.
Vienna Tourist Board [2] operates information and booking booths at the airport Arrival Hall, 7AM-11PM and in town at Vienna 1, Albertinaplatz/Maysedergasse.
Summer in Vienna is usually warm. Weather in June and July is moderate and sunny with a light summer windy breeze. In August, there are some hot days where it reaches 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 degrees Fahrenheit), but overall, summer in Vienna is pleasant.
Autumn starts around September and it gets colder as it approaches November. A main disadvantage of the Viennese climate is that it is very windy. In the summer this is an advantage, but in the winter, it makes the weather feel colder.
Vienna has a good public transport system [15], which includes commuter rail, underground, trams (trolleys), and buses. The subway system is very efficient and will take you to within a few minutes walk of anywhere you are likely to want to visit.
Within Vienna itself, you can get a single trip ticket for any of these for €1.70 (€0.9 for children and dogs), a 24-hour ticket for €5.70, or a three-day pass for €13.60. A 48-hour version is available for €10. A one-person Wochenkarte (a week ticket covering all means of transport) stands at €14 for lines within zone 100 (all of Vienna), but is fixed for the Monday to Sunday period. A one month pass is €49.50 and is valid from the first day of the month through the second day of the following month.
Note that children up to 14 years need not buy a ticket on sundays, holidays and during Austrian school vacations an children between 15 and 19 years of age need not buy a ticket on sundays, holidays and during Austrian school brakes as long as they attend an Austrian school.
You can buy all kinds of tickets at machines or from counters in or near S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations and in the small shops selling tobacco and newspapers (Tabak). Ticket machines accept Visa/Mastercard credit and debit cards, as well as cash. In trams and buses you can only buy single tickets, which are more expensive (€2.20 full fare, €1.10 for children). Stamp your ticket at the start of its first use (there are stamping machines on the buses and trams and near the entrances to the stations). You can use one ticket to go in one direction on as many lines as you like, for as long as it takes you to get there. You have to buy another ticket if you stop and get out or if you want to go back in the direction from which you came. Payment is by the honour system. Normally, you don't have to show the ticket or stamp it again when you board, but occasionally inspectors check for valid tickets. If you don't have one, it's an instant €60 fine (plus the fare you were supposed to have paid).
If you're staying for a few days and hope to do lots of sightseeing or shopping, the Vienna Card (Wien Karte) [16] is a good deal. It costs €18.50 and is good for 72 hours of unlimited public transit within Vienna. The card also gets you discounts (typically €1 or €2 at the major museums and art galleries) to many attractions and shops. You can buy it at the airport, hotels, and underground stops. Other options for longer stays or multiple parties include weekly and monthly passes, and the eight person day card (i.e. good for one person for eight days, two people for four days, or four people for two days).
The eight person day card (8-Tage-Karte) for €27.20 gives eight non-consecutive days of unlimited travel on U-Bahn and trams until 1AM (just after midnight). There are eight blank lines on the Karte (ticket). Fold the ticket to the desired blank line starting with blank line numbered one. The ticket can be shared by people traveling together. Punch one line per person per day. Trams have a punch machine inside. The S-Bahn and U-Bahn have a punch machine at the entrance. You can travel to the Flughafen (airport) on the S-Bahn using this ticket with an additional €1.70 Außenzonen (outer zone) ticket.
Rail trips to the outskirts of Vienna may require additional fare. For example, a trip to or from the airport on the S7 line is a two-zone ride, requiring either a €3.40 advance purchase or a single zone (€1.70) ticket supplement to one of the timed-use Vienna tickets.
Because Vienna is one of those cities that never sleeps, a dense network of night buses is available for those who have a rather nocturnal approach to tourism. Since 2002, regular tickets may be used on these buses. Most terminate at "Kärntner Ring, Oper", which allows for easy interchange. Intervals are usually 30 minutes, with some busier lines (especially on Friday and Saturday night) going every 15 minutes. On weekend nights, you can also use the S-Bahn between Meidling and Floridsdorf, which has a 20 minute interval.
There are five U-Bahn (subway) lines – U1, U2, U3, U4 and U6. The U5 line was never built for whatever reason.
Reumannplatz - Keplerplatz - Südtirolerplatz - Taubstummengasse - Karlsplatz - Stephansplatz - Schwedenplatz - Nestroyplatz - Praterstern - Vorgartenstraße - Donauinsel - Kaisermühlen (Vienna International Centre) - Alte Donau - Kagran - Kagraner Platz - Rennbahnweg - Aderklaaer Straße - Großfeldsiedlung - Leopoldau
Karlsplatz - Museumsquartier - Volkstheater - Rathaus - Schottentor - Schottenring - Taborstraße - Praterstern - Messe Prater - Krieau - Stadion
Ottakring - Kendlerstraße - Hütteldorfer Straße - Johnstraße - Schweglerstraße - Westbahnhof - Zieglergasse - Neubaugasse - Volkstheater - Herrengasse - Stephansplatz - Stubentor - Landstraße (Wien Mitte) - Rochusgasse - Kardinal-Nagl-Platz - Schlachthausgasse - Erdberg - Gasometer - Zippererstraße - Enkplatz - Simmering
Hütteldorf - Ober Sankt Veit - Unter Sankt Veit - Braunschweiggasse - Hietzing (Tierpark) - Schönbrunn - Meidling Hauptstraße - Längenfeldgasse - Margaretengürtel - Pilgramgasse - Kettenbrückengasse - Karlsplatz - Stadtpark - Landstraße (Wien Mitte) - Schwedenplatz - Schottenring - Roßauer Lände - Friedensbrücke - Spittelau - Heiligenstadt
Siebenhirten - Perfektastraße - Erlaaer Straße - Alterlaa - Am Schöpfwerk - Tscherttegasse - Meidling - Philadelphiabrücke - Niederhofstraße - Längenfeldgasse - Gumpendorfer Straße - Westbahnhof - Burgasse–Stadthalle - Thaliastraße - Josefstädter Straße - Alser Straße - Michelbeuern–Allg. Krankenhaus - Währinger Straße–Volksoper - Nußdorfer Straße - Spittelau
Avoid driving a car within the central ring if possible. While cars are allowed on many of the streets there, the streets are narrow and mostly one-way. They can be confusing for a visitor and parking is extremely limited (and restricted during the day). Due to the comprehensiveness of the transit system, you most likely will not need a car within Vienna, except for excursions elsewhere.
Furthermore, it might be a good idea to leave your car at home during rush hours. Vienna's streets can become a little clogged in the mornings and early evenings and the drivers are not really known for being especially polite and friendly.
Pedestrians have the right of way in crossing all roads at a crosswalk where there is no pedestrian signal present. If there is such a pedestrian crossing on an otherwise straight section of the road, there will be a warning sign – you are required to yield to any pedestrian on this crossing! Austrians accustomed to experienced local drivers will step out with little thought and force you to stop, so slow down here and be careful! When driving in a neighborhood this "right of way to pedestrians" is an understood rule at every intersection, although pedestrians will be more careful before they step out. Again, be on the lookout for this – if you see a pedestrian waiting to cross, you should stop at the intersection for him or her.
Cycling is another option for travelling within Vienna. Vienna's compact size makes cycling attractive. On a bicycle you can reach most places of interest within half an hour. There are many bicycle paths and lanes along major streets, in parks, and by the rivers. However, it can be complicated to cross town because the lanes follow illogical routes.
If your destination is in the outer suburbs, you may consider taking your bike on the U-Bahn or S-Bahn (except in rush hour!). A company called PedalPower offers guided bicycle tours, or bicycle rental deliveries to your hotel (or you can pick them up at the Prater for a discount).
Walking can also be very pleasant. The inner Ring is quite compact with lots of pleasant cobblestoned and paved streets. It can be crossed in about 20 minutes.
Bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes as this is the most common way of getting around.
Most Viennese Christmas Markets [40] are not so much for shopping as for drinking. From midday until the late hours of the night, people gather at Christmas markets to drink mulled wine and chat to strangers.
Viennese restaurant menus offer a bewildering variety of terms for dishes, most of which the visitor will never have heard of and many of which aren't in the brief lists of menu terms included in phrase books. But restaurants that have any foreign patrons at all usually have an English menu, though you may have to ask for it: the phrase "English menu" usually will be understood even by wait staff who don't speak English. A small bilingual dictionary will be useful for trying to decipher menu listings: at least it will enable you usually to determine what sort of food (chicken, beef, potato, etc.) is concerned, even if you can't tell how it's prepared.
Viennese restaurant portions tend to be large. Recently many restaurants are including more vegetarian options. Most restaurants have daily specials listed on a chalk board or sometimes on a printed insert in the regular menu. These are usually the best bet, though they may not be on the English menu, so you may have to ask to have them explained or try to translate them yourself.
Bread in Viennese restaurants is usually charged as an extra; if there is a basket of it on the table, you'll usually be charged by the piece only if you take some.
Tipping customs are similar to those in Europe and America though tips are slightly smaller; ten percent is usually sufficient in restaurants. Traditionally the way to tip a waiter is to mention the amount of the bill plus tip when you pay; for instance, if the bill is Eur. 15.50 you could give the waiter a Eur. 20 note and say "siebzehn (seventeen)," meaning he is to take out Eur 15.50 for the bill, Eur 1.50 for the tip, and so give you only Eur. 3.00 change. In this situation English numbers will usually be understood. Sometimes in less formal restaurants you can alternatively drop the tip into the money pouch the waiter usually carries.
Credit cards aren't quite as commonly used in restaurants in Vienna as in Northern European countries, so ask if it's important to know before hand.
Smoking is ubiquitous in Vienna, and Austria hasn't yet implemented the sort of regulations limiting smoking that are increasingly common in many other countries, so the non-smoker may find it unpleasant to spend much, or any, time in many of Vienna's restaurants, bars, and cafes. Most establishments have outdoor seating in warm weather, but the tables are so close together and smokers so common that even there non-smokers may find themselves getting fumigated. The listings below will attempt to indicate some of the smokiest and most smoke-free establishments.
New wine is usually enjoyed at a Heurigen (wine bar licensed to sell the new vintage). Austria in general, but especially the area around Vienna, produces quite a large amount of wine each year. It's not often exported and white is more common than red. Grüner Veltliner is a common white wine served almost everywhere. Officially the new wine season begins on November 11 (St Martin's Day), but as early as September some partially-fermented new wine (called Sturm which is cloudy, because it has not been strained) is available around town in 2L green bottles (try the Naschmarkt – sometimes the vendors will have samples). Taverns can call themselves Heurigens whether the wine they serve is their own or not – for genuine in-house product look for a Buschenschank. This is a particularly Viennese Heuriger which can only be open 300 days per year or until their supply of house-made wine runs out. Heurigen can be found e.g. in Grinzing, Sievering (19th district) and Mauer & Rodaun (23rd district) areas, but also in almost every suburban area in Vienna. Even in the center, there are some Stadtheurigen. While the Heurigen of Grinzing are bigger and more famous with tourists, they are often a rip-off. If any of the year’s vintage lasts until next year, it officially becomes Alte (old) wine on the next Saint Martin's Day. The Heurigen in the South of Vienna or in Hagenbrunn, for example Karl Matzka [105], hard to reach by public transport.
After a long day, the perfect place to relax among Viennese are the Heurigen in the suburbs. Somewhat akin to a beer garden, except with wine, these tiny treasures are the only places authorized to serve new wine. New wine is made from the first pressing of the grape and can appear a little cloudy. Be careful! It's stronger than you might think! This is why it's served in very small glasses, .25L and up. Some Heurigen serve food, either elaborate Viennese specialties or very simple bread and cheese platters. No matter which one you choose, you're guaranteed to enjoy yourself. Just hop on a convenient outbound tram line, take it to the very last stop, and look for buildings with large, evergreen foliage hung over the doors. Each one is unique, but all are a good bargain. Locals invariably have a favorite: ask around.
If you come to Vienna and don't try some coffee you've missed one of the great reasons to come here. Vienna has a reputation for having an excellent coffee culture. You should at least visit one of the countless traditional 19th century coffee houses where you can sit down, relax, and have some coffee. But please, never just order coffee, for you could deeply offend the Herr Ober, the "senior waiter" of the coffee house. Vienna prides itself of its dozens of varieties of different coffees like "Kleiner Brauner", "Melange", "Kapuziner" or "Kaffee Verkehrt". Most cafes in addition to coffee serve beer and wine and sometimes liqueurs. Many serve meals, especially at lunch, and these are often cheaper than in restaurants.
In the Innerstadt:
See also Alt Wien under Bars and Beerhouses.
Outside the Innerstadt:
Vienna doesn't have the reputation of being a European party city, but when night falls, the Viennese let go of their inhibitions. If you're walking around the center of town, you're bound to run into touts passing out vouchers for free drinks or waiving door fees. During the summer, restaurants stay open late into the night, so even if you're not looking for a club scene there is likely to be something for you.