Hofburg & Sisi Museum
The Habsburgs’ sprawling winter palace in the centre of town, housing the imperial apartments and the Sisi Museum devoted to the enigmatic Empress Elisabeth. A deep dive into imperial Vienna.
Vienna
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Habsburgs’ imperial art collection in a palatial museum – the world’s best hoard of Bruegels, plus Vermeer, Velazquez and Raphael. Break for coffee under the gilded cupola cafe.
Belvedere
A pair of baroque palaces set in formal gardens, now an art museum whose star is Gustav Klimt’s shimmering The Kiss. Worth it for the building and gardens alone.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Vienna’s soaring Gothic cathedral with its patterned tiled roof, right at the city’s heart. Step into the nave for free, then climb the south tower or descend to the catacombs for a small fee.
Schonbrunn Palace
The Habsburgs’ vast summer palace, a rococo wonderland of state rooms where Maria Theresa and a young Mozart once held court. Book a timed Grand Tour, then wander the enormous baroque gardens and up to the Gloriette for free.
Flea market Kettenbruckengasse
Vienna’s biggest flea market sits right beside the Naschmarkt. Every Saturday it fills with nostalgic finds, old books and vintage clothes – plenty of junk mixed in with the treasure. Come early for the best bargains; it is between the Kettenbruckengasse and Pilgramgasse U-Bahn stops.
Tips
Where to Stay in Vienna: Best Neighborhoods for First-Timers
Where to stay in Vienna? A local guide to the best districts, from the elegant Innere Stadt to hip Neubau, the Naschmarkt in Wieden and value near the Prater.
3 Days in Vienna: The Perfect Itinerary
A local’s perfect 3-day Vienna itinerary: the imperial old town and coffeehouses, Schonbrunn and the Naschmarkt, plus art, concerts and the Prater.