If you’re classical music fans, European history buffs, or art and architecture aficionados, a trip to Vienna, Austria, will be your personal recipe for bliss. The city quite possibly possesses the biggest cache of cultural treats of any city in Europe. It’s filled with gorgeous paintings and era-defining architecture from the Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau periods. And the city that gave the world Mozart and Beethoven remains a center for soul-stirring musical performances. When you need a break from absorbing so much culture, you can chill out at one of Vienna’s famous coffeehouses or dine on scrumptious local specialties, like schnitzel and light and refreshing Austrian wines.
Before You Go: Need-to-know info
Language: German (many people also speak English)
Currency: Euro
Flight time: 8 1/2 hours from New York City; 14 hours from LA
When to Go: Vienna at its best
Best weather: Late spring and early fall are the periods that show off Vienna to its best effect. Average highs are in the mid-60s and the air is crisp. The summer months (June to August) bring the crowds looking for warm weather, and winter brings very cold temps (30 degrees is typical), although it has a picturesque “winter-wonderland” feel around the holidays.
Best prices: April and May will be the most affordable times to visit with the opportunity to enjoy the warmer weather.
What to Do
Feast your eyes: At the Hofburg complex you’ll find a collection of museums containing treasures of the Hapsburg era, as well as breathtaking architecture. At the more modest Vienna Museum Karlsplatz, you can delve into the city’s rich history, and if you tire of pre-20th century work, pay a visit to the MuseumsQuartier grouping of modern and contemporary museums, or the MAK Austrian Museum of Applied / Contemporary Art.
Feast your ears: Vienna is world renowned for the heavenly music composed and performed within its city limits. Each Sunday morning you can hear the Vienna Boys Choir perform at the Hofburg Chapel, and a trip to the Vienna State Opera is a necessity. A wide range of operas are performed in the stunning Baroque opera house, and if you find German opera frightening, not to worry — they also perform the work of more accessible Italian composers, like Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini. At the Haus der Musik (House of Music) museum you can learn more about the city’s musical past and try your hand at composing and conducting, via cool interactive features.
Travel on two wheels: Scenic bicycle paths traverse the city and bike rentals are inexpensive and widely available. Vienna is a compact city, so you can reach almost anywhere you want to go in 30 minutes or less by bike. When you need a break you can ditch your bike outside one of the city’s many coffeehouses for a jolt of caffeine, or a cafe for a glass of quaffable Austrian wine like Gruner Veltliner.
