Top Things to do in Austria
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10 Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Austria That You Shouldn't Miss
As home to majestic mountains, opulent palaces, and high culture, Austria's attractions are classically sumptuous and enduring. But beyond the waltzes, the strudels, the alpine summits, and Habsburg architecture, its modern cities are proof of just how easily Austria combines the contemporary with the historic.
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1. St. Stephen's Cathedral
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 23,708 reviews
Austria's most prominent national symbol, this magnificent cathedral is known for its intricately tiled roof and its nearly 500-foot-tall South Tower, which provides amazing views of the entire city.
Reviewed By Gangers_and_ash
The cathedral is beautiful - very grand and ornate with beautiful mouldings and gothic architecture. The detail in the carvings was extraordinary and the paintings were very beautiful. There are certain parts of the cathedral which are blocked off (the entire mid and front section) which does make the back part quite cramped with lots of people taking photographs. Be patient and you will get your turn! I’d recommend the catacombs tour (6 Euros each) - it was very interesting and the tour guide was extremely knowledgable, offering the tour in both German and English.
2. Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,921 reviews
The highlights of this natural history museum include a significant collection of dinosaur skeletons and meteorites in addition to a large display of insects from around the world.
Reviewed By luciabQ3391WN - Bratislava, Slovakia
The museum has a huge collection ranging from minerals and gems (one of the greatest collections I have ever seen) to insects, meteorites and animals! A big advantage is a restaurant on the 1st floor where you can enjoy a nice lunch or cake surrounded by these beautiful walls. Really worth the money (12EUR entry fee for adults)
3. The Hofburg
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12,521 reviews
For centuries the Vienna Hofburg was the centre of the Habsburg empire. Today the palace houses three museums which afford historically authentic insights into the traditions and everyday life of the imperial court: The Imperial Apartments with their original furnishings and decoration, the Sisi Museum with its sensitive staging of the empress' life, and the Imperial Silver Collection which contains a comprehensive range of tableware and other utensils used at the imperial court.
Reviewed By GoalieMarty - Ottawa, Canada
We took the Hofburg Vienna ticket which includes the Silver Collection, the Sisi Museum, and the Imperial Apartments with an included audio guide. We bought our tickets on the spot and did not even wait one minute in line. Not sure if it's always like that though. The visit starts with the Silver Collection. Lots and lots of everything you can possibly find on a table. For me, it was nice to see but I got a little bored at the end because I found there was too much and it gets somewhat overwhelming. The audio guide is also a bit dry in my opinion. "Exhibit 24: This silverware collection was designed by Italian master Giovanni Macaroni in 1829 for the visit of King Stradivarius IV who spent 2 weeks at the palace with his court, and bla-bla-bla ...". You get the idea. If you want to save time, I would suggest you skip the dishes. Or at least, don't listen to everything in the audio guide. The visit continues with the Sisi Museum which I found really interesting because it's about her life and all the people in it. Really well made and really well presented. The audio guide is also much more interesting this time around. The Imperial Apartments, the last third of the visit, are truly magnificent. You can feel the opulence and the wealth of this family. The audio guide is again very informative. Both the museum and the apartments are worth spending a little more time in there to take it all in. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit of the Imperial Palace. We also visited Schönbrunn Palace and based on our experience, I would recommend the following. If you want to visit both, start with the Imperial Palace first as Schönbrunn is even more grandiose. If you only have time for one, I would recommend Schönbrunn.
4. Wiener Staatsoper
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,016 reviews
Vienna's internationally renowned opera offers nearly 300 performances each year.
Reviewed By amandaleenj - Highlands, United States
I am so glad I heard about the Standing Room Tickets for the State Opera in Vienna! €3-€4 for a world class opera is definitely a must do! A few tips: 1-There is a side entrance for the Standing Room Tickets (on the opposite side of the Opera House from the big outdoor screen). Make sure you go in the building unless the line is already out the door. 2-The ticket window opens 80 minutes before curtain, but I was told to get there a full 2 hours before. When I arrived, I was towards the front of the line inside, but there were maybe 50 people in front of me. 3-Dress appropriately! I saw quite a few people turned away for wearing shorts (both men and women) and ripped jeans. Those were the two offenses I heard repeated over and over, so I am not sure if there are any others. 4-Bring something to do in line! I was traveling solo and was so happy to have a book with me. 5-Bring a scarf or something to tie around the railing to secure your place.
5. Salzburg Cathedral
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,257 reviews
This uniquely-designed cathedral was constructed in the early 17th century and was the site of Mozart's baptism in 1756.
Reviewed By atulk885
Excellent sight seeing if you visit old town in Salzburg, Amazing things and you can actually relive the lifestyle in Salzburg ancient times with the help of audio visual guide , recommended !!!
6. Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9,709 reviews
Experience one of the world's foremost museums! Let yourself be enchanted by works spanning five millennia, from Ancient Egypt to the modern era. Experience unique major works by Dürer, Raphael, Titian and Velázquez as well as the world's largest collection of Bruegel paintings, all in a magnificent setting. The Kunstkammer Vienna, featuring the famous Saliera by Benvenuto Cellini, is a veritable universe of art and beauty guaranteed to transform any visit into an unforgettable experience. Included in the ticket are the collections at the Neue Burg on the opposite side of Vienna's Ringstrasse. Here you will see the instruments used by the great composers and be transported back to chivalrous times when knights held sway and tourneys and hunting shaped courtly life.
Reviewed By Ina5555 - Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine
The museum was the main goal of my Vienna visit, but I never expected it to be such an excellent introduction into the city and palaces sculptures' motifs as well, underscoring how much power was assigned back then to the art as a means of ideological visual education. Having spent 1,5 days in the museum I have made plenty of personal discoveries and enjoyed new for me artworks (e.g. unexpected parallel to the modern popular mass culture is a 1524 'Arya Stark' self-portrait bearing uncanny resemblance, in fact Parmigianino's enchanting masterpiece). The discoveries haven't stopped after the museum visit ended, because the next day during sightseeing I realized I recognize many of the city and its palaces sculptures' motifs and whatever I used to know about the big name old masters the most influential of them in Vienna must be Luca Giordano's The Fall of the Rebel Angels, whenever I saw its impressive replicated Laocoon-like convulsion-wriggled figures conveying the ideals of Counter-Reformation to the empire subjects on the city streets. Just walking the city you can recognize in the city sculptures' many familiar motifs, not only Biblical but antique as well (Hercules lifting Antaeus, Amazons, etc). Practicalities of the museum visit: the air-conditioning wasn't felt at all in the big inner rooms with Roman numerals, I slightly felt it in the small outer rooms with Arabic numerals (as of 14th and 15th of July). Six or seven rooms were entirely closed for reconstruction during my two-day visit. For lockers you need either a 1 or 2 euro coin, but there's a manned storage facility as well. Backpacks have to be left in a locker, normal shoulder bags are OK. Photo of the permanent exhibition without a flash is allowed. Temporary exhibition: Yan van Eyck "Als Ich Can". Probably I somehow unfortunately missed it. In the room dedicated to the special exhibition (0.5 floor, the same floor as the Kunstkammer, Egyptian and Antique collections - beware indeed almost no English translations of the exhibits, an audio guide cannot make up for all of them; the Egyptian rooms maintain specific humidity level) I saw only few works by the painter, and few works by his contemporaries like Rogier van der Weyden. The museum building (as well as the whole square) is a stunning art object in its own right, specifically built to showcase the Habsburg art treasuries, its highlights are covered by audio guide, including Klimt, Munkacsy contributions. Seeing the interiors I couldn't help but felt as the Mask film protagonist having to recover my awestruck jaw from the floor. Really a mind-boggling shrine of a high art which symbols and messages are probably half-obscure nowadays.
7. Albertina
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,819 reviews
Situated in the very heart of Vienna's City center, the Albertina houses one of the most important art collections of the world. Founded in 1776, the Museum today owns masterpieces by Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Duerer, Rembrandt etc. These collections are presented in temporary exhibitions. The Batliner Collection "From Monet to Picasso" is permanentely on display and shows the most important works by artists from the age of modernism. The Habsburg Historic Staterooms of the Albertina give an air of Imperial glamour.
Reviewed By iioannis2 - Limassol City, Cyprus
Let yourself be attracted and inspired by classical and modern art of famous painters like Picasso and Rubens, as well as admiring memorable vividness painting scenes of the A' World War and medieval personalities, along with modern pieces of painting of abstract art. You will also enter at luxurious furnished coloured rooms taking you back at classical eras and rooms decorated with Greek status like the 9 muses and Apollon (usually their names are written in Greeks). I was impressed that most of the visitors are young people even if the ticket could be considered a bit expensive. But the cost deserves for those who look for such cultural exhibitions. When an exhibit (eg a painting) impresses you, read the small label in the wall next to it and then let your imagination be absorbed looking at the painting, enjoying it as an excellent creation and experiencing in your though what it represents. This is the best place for this purpose!
8. Belvedere Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17,493 reviews
The two Belvedere palaces were built in the early eighteenth century by the famous Baroque architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt to be used as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736). One of Europe’s most stunning Baroque landmarks, this ensemble – comprising the Upper and Lower Belvedere and an extensive garden – is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today the Belvedere houses the greatest collection of Austrian art dating from the Middle Ages to the present day, complemented by the work of international artists such as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Max Beckmann. Highlights from the holdings Vienna 1880–1914 are the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt’s paintings (including the famous golden Art Nouveau icons the Kiss (Lovers) and Judith) and works by Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka. Key works of French Impressionism and the greatest collection of Viennese Biedermeier art are further attractions on display at the Upper Belvedere.
Reviewed By Worldtravel1234567
Beautiful palace and excellent collection of Austrian painters including an extensive Klimt collection and the famous Kiss artwork. Do not miss!
9. State Hall of the Austrian National Library
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,776 reviews
What comes to mind when you think of a library hall? Enter the State Hall of the Austrian National Library and your expectations are guaranteed to be exceeded. The State Hall – built in the 18th century as part of the former Court Library – is a breathtaking 80 metres long and 20 metres high. An intricately decorated dome and numerous frescos provide an imperial flair. This baroque jewel is home to over 200,000 tomes. Four magnificent Venetian globes, each with a diameter of over one metre, provide the finishing touch to the heart of the Austrian National Library.
Reviewed By Whiskydram - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Well worth a visit, a bit different from the few book shelves I have at home. Some fascinating early books on display, some hundreds of years old among the first to be printed, incredible condition and amazing how only a few years earlier all books were handwritten. Also fantastic early maps. If you have the slightest interest in history this is a must.
10. Haus der Natur
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 961 reviews
Reviewed By J3919TFstevew
this museum was very interesting looking at all the stuffed animals there was so much to see and look around we had a great time
