As said before Vienna lies in Austria and depending on where you are coming from, the time to travel to Vienna differs. From Amsterdam it is 1000 kilometres for instance and a plane takes you there in about an hour and a half, whilst the train journey lasts about 11 hours. The bus takes even a little longer to get there. You can always choose to go by your own mode of transportation of course.
The weather in Vienna does not know any real extremes, although there can be a lot of snow in winter. The summer in Vienna can be quite warm: the average temperature in July and August is about 25 degrees celsius. The warmer it is, the bigger the chances on rain and thunder. The fall and spring know mild temperatures and once in a while it will rain.
The public transport in Vienna is well organised. A ticket is valid for the metro, bus and tram. A daily ticket will set you back €7,10 and a 72 hour pass will cost you €15,40. A recommendation worth mentioning is the Wien-Kartem with which you can travel as much as you want in 72 hours and you will also receive a discount at different sights, museums and restaurants.
If you need a taxi, then that won't be a problem in Vienna. There are 100 taxi stands and there are enough of them driving around; when the light bar on the roof of a taxi is on, then the taxi is free and you can stop it for a ride. The starting maximum starting tariff is €2,60 and then €0,20 per kilometre. If you have baggage, an extra will be charged.
Vienna is a sight in itself: the historical baroque city centre is on the world heritage list of UNESCO. The atmosphere is fable like, romantic and intimate. You can view beautiful buildings. For instance there is the Schönbrunn Palace, built to the example of the Palace of Versailles. It was the residence of the empress Sissi and the interior and ornaments are amazingly beautiful. The gardens are absolutely worth a walk through, you will find there the big Neptune fountain, a maze and even a zoo!
The Hofburg palace is also recommended. It consists of an number of impressive buildings and gardens and there are also a few museums, restaurants and cafes. If you did not see enough palaces yet then you can visit the Belvedere Palaces. The gardens are fairytale like with wonderful buildings, waterfalls and ponds. There is also a baroque museum with ancient art.
Close to the Hofburg is the Schmetterlinghaus, that is built in the Jugendstil style. Inside you will quite surprisingly find a tropical rainforest, where 150 species of butterflies flap their wings. The next recommendation is the Sephandsdom, also called the St. Stephens Cathedral, a gothic cathedral that was completed in 1147. It is located in the middle of the city and has a tower of 137 meters high; if you have the guts to climb it then you will be rewarded with a wonderful photograph.
And then there is the Praterpark, the biggest park in Vienna. It lies just outside the city centre and used to be the royal hunting grounds. You can go for a quiet walk and in the summer you can enjoy the sun in the grass. In the Praterpark you will also find the big amusement park where the famous Riesenrad (ferris wheel) is.
Vienna knows interesting museums. In the MuseumsQuartier multiple have been located and are focussed on art. The Leopold Museum has many paintings of the Austrian artist Egon Schile. The Kunsthalle Wien has the contemporary art as its main focus, including video-art and photo exhibitions. And then there is the Museum of Modern Art (mumok), where you can see the works of Picasso and Warhol.
Painting art from the Renaissance can be admired in the Kunsthistorisches Museum. There hang the works of Rembrandt, Rubens, Raphael and Caravaggio.
Vienna knows a long tradition of opera and classical concerts. In the city the biggest composers have lived and worked; think of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. The biggest and most important opera house of Vienna is the Wiener Staatsopera. The Staatsopera is regarded as the best of the world and is housed in an impressive neo-renaissance building.
Another important theatre is the Theater an der Wien, that opened its doors in 1801. Many famous composers would showcase their new works here. Besides opera it also shows classical concerts. A recommendation is the Wiener Musikverein, that according to experts is the hall with the best acoustics in the world: the Gouden Musikvereinssaal. This concert building is the home base of the world famous Filharmonisch Orkest.
In the Kursalon Wien you can enjoy the opera and shows of the biggest composers, guided by ballet and aria's. The interior is impressively beautiful and you can dine exclusively here.
In Vienna you can shop in style: most shopping streets are located in the city centre. Expensive brands such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and also jewellers are found on the Kohlmarkt. Even if you do not wish to buy anything, the impressive buildings and shop windows are worth the effort of walking past. In De Mariahhilfer Strasse, the longest and most famous shopping street in Vienna, you will find big international brands such as H&M and Zara. But there are also small boutiques, restaurants and cafes.
In the Kärtnerstrasse you will also find the big brands and the luxurious department store: Steffl. The most diverse shopping street is the Gumpendorferstrasse that has something of every thing. You can find anything here, including restaurants, bars and cafes. And then there is also the Neubau, a neighbourhood just west of the city centre, where you can find many trendy stores.
In the famous shopping streets of Vienna you will find many good restaurants, ranging from very expensive to affordable. But also many of the theatres serve before, or after, the show (often luxurious) dinners. A traditional Wiener Schnitzel is available at Fiflmüller, behind the Stephansdom. Pay attention, to ask for mustard or ketchup is not appreciated; a well prepared schnitzel does not need this. At the Glacis Beisl in the beautiful MuseumsQuartier you can also enjoy Austrian dishes.
Another famous restaurant is the design restaurant Fabios, where you can eat delicious Italian food. And if you are in for Sushi then you can go to the Dots, that is also a lounge and cocktail bar.
Vienna may be the city of palaces and opera, but it also knows a buzzing and hip nightlife. There are numerous different bars and cafes in the historical city centre. Lounging in style is done in Bar Lutz, a business with a sleek design and where the music is not played too loudly. But there are also enough clubs and night clubs around.
Café Leopold is a recommendation: it is housed in the Leopold Museum and besides dancing you can also eat here. There is space for DJ's and live music -from house to reggae- and there are gardens where you can recover. If you are more into the underground scene then there is the Flex, where you can dance to electro and drum 'n bass. A club that knows multiple floors is the Escalara, that is very diverse: from DJ's to live music and dance.
Are you enthusiastic about a city trip to Vienna? When you look on the web you can probably find a good deal of a trusted travel agency. If you are going by plane or train, stay in a hotel or apartment, you will no matter what gain an impressive travel experience.
