We have flights booked and a hotel for the time period. We've not been to Austria or this city before. We are history buffs and love museums. We are aware of most of the city museums/palace sites but would love to know of any hidden gems or day trips out of the city. We will not have a car and plan on taking public transport everywhere.
Thanks so much.
Happy Traveling!
Angela
Fredericksburg, VA USA
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5513 posts
What hotel have you booked?
Posted by
OP
Fredericksburg, VA, USA
4 posts
We are at the Hotel City Central from 19-25 October.
Posted by
white plains, ny, usa
4169 posts
As hidden gems go , this is at the top of my list - https://www.wienmuseum.at/de/standorte/otto-wagner-kirche-am-steinhof
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5513 posts
I have a few tips for you near your hotel.
- Go to the Karmelitermarkt on Saturday morning. It is a stunning local, large market.
- For great coffee, visit nearby Balthasar which is run by a meticulous chef who loves coffee. Their pastries are excellent
- There are some great restaurants nearby - Skopik and Lohn, Ramasuri, Mochi and Motto am Fluss.
- Walk through the Augarten which will be golden in the fall.
As for off the beaten path, I recommend the Military History Museum, the carriage museum at Schönbrunn, a visit to the Zentralfriedhof, a walk down Kahlenberg for the view and wine, Klosterneuburg Abbey, the Wachau Valley and Sopron.
Posted by
alameda, ca, usa
2694 posts
Have you seen the 1949 movie The Third Man? It's a favorite of mine and inspired my first trip to Vienna in 2014--there is a wonderful museum devoted to it (encompassing not just the movie but the aftermath of WWII in Vienna) very close to the Naschmarkt. A guided tour of the various sites was excellent, as well as a visit to the Prater to ride the Riesenrad. I have since returned twice and each time I ride the Riesenrad, spectacular views of the city.
I also enjoyed a day trip to Melk Abbey via train, toured the Abbey and then had lunch before continuing on via boat down the Danube for an hour or so--lovely scenery to see--and then took the train back to Vienna from Krems. OBB offers a Kombiticket for this.
Posted by
OP
Fredericksburg, VA, USA
4 posts
Thank you all for the wonderful responsess.
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
4646 posts
The Sunday service at the Augustiner Church in the palace area has wonderful music at its Sunday service-at least it did in Oct 2019. It was mentioned in Rick's Eastern Europe guidebook.
Posted by
Phoenix, AZ
333 posts
Not sure how hidden this gem is but we visited the Haus Der Musik and really appreciated it. It didn't take too long but was very well done. Especially if you're a musician, but even our kids enjoyed it.
Posted by
2274 posts
This book is already seven years old, but it may give you some hints:
https://www.amazon.com/Places-Vienna-That-Shouldnt-Miss/dp/3954512068/
Posted by
Chicago
1200 posts
I am not sure how "off the beaten path" this is, but we found a visit to the Freud Museum very worthwhile. https://www.freud-museum.at/en/