How to spend summer evenings in Vienna?

The Hundertwasser 'village' which features apartments, shops and a museum by the architect. Trams go very near- its only a short distance from the centre of Vienna.

Thank you, Jennie. Will definitely check it out.

The Rathausplatz Film Festival.

Emily? What happened to Emily? This is the sort of thing she is brilliant at.

Our trip is in 4 months, so hopefully Emily will suggest something intersting by then :-) I love this forum, thank you all for useful info.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum is open late on Thursday nights.

I went to the Schuebel Auer Heuriger one evening. It is easy to get to by tram D.
https://www.schuebel-auer.at/

Emily had a great post on areas to explore here:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/quaint-streets-in-vienna-to-explore

Thank you, Laura. This is exactly what I was looking for.

Find a Heuriger. A rustic wine tavern with food, music and laughter. We went to one years ago and had a great time. Here's a post from a couple years ago. See Emily's suggestions.

Vienna Heurigen

Here are some places open late, according to notes I put together for a summer 2024 trip; you should verify. This list is in roughly geographical order.

• Michaelkirche (St Michael's): Open till 10 PM daily.
• Hofburg Burggarten: Open till 10 PM daily.
• Volksgarten: Open around the clock daily.
• Kunsthalle Wien Karlsplatz (art): Open till 9 PM (and free 5 - 9 PM) on Thurs. Open till 7 PM Tue-Wed and Fri-Sun. Closed on Mon.
• Haus der Musik: Open till 10 PM daily.
  
• Heidi Horten Collection (art): Open till 9 PM on Thurs, till 7 PM other days except closed on Tues.
• National Library (Hofburg): Open till 9 PM on Thurs.
• House of Austrian History: Open till 9 PM on Thurs.
• Albertina Museum (art): Open till 9 PM on Wed and Fri.
• Natural History Museum: Open till 8 PM on Wed.
• Dom Museum: Open till 8 PM on Thurs.
• Jesuitenkirche: Open till 9 PM daily.
• Museum of Applied Art (MAK): Open till 9 PM on Tues. Reduce entry fee after 6 PM that day.
• Prater (amusement park): Open around the clock daily. Ferris wheel runs till 11:45 PM.
• Belvedere 21 (contemporary art, cinema and music): Open till 9 PM on Thurs.
• Kunsthalle Museumsplatz (art): Open till 9 PM (and free 5 - 9 PM) on Thurs. Open till 7 PM Tue-Wed and Fri-Sun. Closed on Mon.
• Foto Arsenal Wien: Open till 7 PM Tues-Sun.
• WestLicht Center for Photography: Open till 7 PM Tues-Sun.
• Schonbrunn Park: Open till 9 PM daily. Buildings and some outdoor areas close earlier.

I am a huge fan of Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) architecture, with which Vienna is richly blessed. As long as the light holds out, there will be many lovely exteriors to see all over the city.

Thank you so much for this detailed list. We are also fans of Art Nouveau, and wherever we go, I make a map of interesting buildings, facades, street installations, fountains, and also museums with days and hours. Upon receiving new recommendations, I put them on this map for a foretaste. Once actually there, we can just leisurely stroll through ‘high-concentration’ areas, and afterwards, I share this map with friends.

We are also fans of Art Nouveau, ...

In Vienna these are the most remarkable Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) buildings, IMHO:

https://www.wienmuseum.at/otto_wagner_kirche_am_steinhof_en
https://www.luegerkirche-wien.at/mainhome.html
https://secession.at/en/
https://www.wienmuseum.at/otto_wagner_pavillon_karlsplatz_en
https://www.wienmuseum.at/otto_wagner_hofpavillon_hietzing_en

From my own experience I can recommend Stefan Riedl, a very entertaining guide who does special Jugendstil tours on request, showing other gems than the well known mentioned above. Contact him and specify your wishes. Don't be worried that his homepage is in German.
https://www.wien-entdecker.at/

Thank you for the link. I see his homepage in English.
The apartment I rented with the only idea to have a separate bedroom for our teen daughter accidentally turned out to be within 5 to 10 minutes walk from Secession, Otto Wagner Pavillon Karlsplatz and Linke Wienzeile Buildings. Beginner’s luck :-)

As wmt1 mentioned above , the Steinhof Church ( Kirche am Steinhof ) is absolutely spectacular and should be at the top of your list .If you visit MAK , one of the galleries displays the original full sized cartoon of Klimt's dining room frieze for the Palais Stoclet in Brussels ( with his hand written instructions for the tile work ) and next to it , the massive 1906 gesso panel by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh , of Maeterlinck's " Seven Princesses " This short video will give you an introduction to her brilliance https://youtu.be/p1jEHBj00Vk?si=vsFf3c3SbGKZ-26M Finally this video essay by Joesph Koerner of Harvard is a wonderful view of Vienna and its tortured history and culture https://youtu.be/AFZBOTgL_Hk?si=ZqJir1WbL73azenr

Some additional Art Nouveau buildings, etc., from my trip notes. Perhaps some will be convenient to other stops you plan to make. Most of these are exterior visits only:

District I
- Fleischmarkt 1, 3, 7 and 14
- Ankeruhr (Anker Clock), Anker Insurance Building, Hoher Markt 10-11: Fabulous Art Nouveau clock with parading figures 1200 daily.
- Tuchlauben: Shopping street with Art Nouveau architecture.
- Hohe Brucke, Wipplingerstrasse 23: Art Nouveau bridge.
- Zum Weissen Engel Apotheke, Bognergasse 11: Art Nouveau facade with angel mosaics. Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat 0800-1200.
- Palais Ferstel, Strauchgasse 4: Italian Renaissance-style arcade (1860) with one Art Nouveau entry way.
- Ankerhaus, Graben 10: Art Nouveau building by Otto Wagner.
- Artaria Haus, Kohlmarkt 9: Art Nouveau building.
- Stadtpark, Parkring 1: Nice park with Art Nouveau Wien River Promenade by Otto Wagner along canal (probably W side).
- Zacherlhaus, Brandstatte 6/Wildpretmarkt 2-4/Bauernmarket 2: Plecnik-designed building with Art Nouveau decorative elements
- Österreichische Postsparkasse (Austrian Post Savings Bank), Georg-Coch-Platz 2: Otto Wagner-designed building. Open Mon-Wed and Fri 1000-1800, Thu 1000-2000?

District II
- Schutzenhaus, Obere Donaustrasse 26: Otto Wagner building.
- Kirche zum Heiligen Franz von Assisi (St. Francis of Assisi Church), Mexikoplatz 12: Elisabethkapelle (on left next to choir) is Art Nouveau with gold, Secession-style mosaics. Open mornings only?

District III
- Kunst Haus Wien (Museum Hundertwasser), Untere Weissgerberstrasse 13: Redesigned by Hundertwasser; now a museum. Daily 10 AM to 6 PM?
- Hundertwasserhaus, Kegelgasse 37-39: Private housing; cannot enter. Avoid café, terrible tourist trap.
- Hundertwasser Village, Kegelgasse 36-38: Tire factory redeveloped for retail with design input from Hunderwasser. Daily 10 AM to 6 PM? Free entry.
- Palais Hoyos, Rennweg 3: Art Nouveau palace (now embassy) designed by Otto Wagner.
- Stadtpark S-Bahn pavilion: Designed by Wagner.

District IV
- Palais Rothschild, Prinz-Eugen-Strasse 26: Neo-Baroque building with Art Nouveau doorway. Now embassy.
- Café Goldegg, Argentinierstrasse 49: Art Nouveau café.
- Muhlgasse 26 and 28: Houses with Art Nouveau doors.

District V
- Pilgramgasse S-Bahn Pavillon: Otto Wagner-designed Art Nouveau pavilion at Pilgramgasse end of station platform.
- Café Rüdigerhof (5th), Hamburgerstrasse 20: Art Nouveau building
- Art Nouveau facades at far SW end of Naschmarkt, Rechte Weinziele.

District VI
- Fillgraderstiege, Fillgradergasse 8: Art Nouveau staircase connecting Fillgradergasse and Theobaldgasse.
- Majolikahaus (Majolica House), Linke Wienzeile 40: Otto Wagner building with very colorful tile façade. Two surrounding buildings at #38 and #42 also by Wagner.
- Arik-Brauer-Haus, Gumpendorfer Strasse 134/136: Early 1990s apartment building with Art Nouveau appearance. Much painted tile on façade.

District IX
- Spittelau waste incineration plant, Spittelauer Lände 45: Façade redesigned by Hundertwasser.
- Strudlhofstiege: Art Nouveau staircase between Strudlhofstiege and Liechtensteinstrasse.

District XI
- Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery), Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234: Some Art Nouveau architecture.
- Friedhofskirche Zum Heiligen Karl Borromäus (Church at Central Cemetery): Called “Art Nouveau”, but really looks more beautiful and distinctive than purely Art Nouveau.

District XIV
- Ernst Fuchs Museum (Otto Wagner Villa I), Hüttelbergstraße 26: Art Nouveau summer home of Otto Wagner restored and modified by Fuchs as venue for displaying Fuchs’ painting, sculpture and furniture. Tue-Sun 1000-1600?

To be continued...

Continuing...

District XIX
- Karmelitenkonvent, Silbergasse 35: Constructed 1900; interior lovely and at least influenced by Art Nouveau. Unclear whether it can be visited.

District XXI
- Kirche zum Heiligen Leopold (St. Leopold’s Church), Kinzerplatz 19: Hilltop church with Art Nouveau interior by Otto Wagner. Open only for mass.

District XXII
Nussdorfer Wehr: Art Nouveau Weir and accoutrements designed by Otto Wagner.

Maybe you should buy this book:
https://shop.falter.at/viennese-jugendstil.html

I am new to this forum. It has a linear structure rather than a hierarchical one, so I just want that to say that these comments are really helpful. We will probably skip Imperial Treasury and rather spend more at the Kunstkammer, walk on Linke Wienzeile, make a detour to see Arik-Brauer-Haus, and so on.

If your interest in Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) extends beyond architecture and Klimt paintings then this exhibition is a must: https://www.mak.at/exhibition/vienna1900

Acraven, that's a lot of work. I hope the OP appreciates thr time it took.

It certainly goes beyond, as I love 20th century art in general, and I have this exhibition in mind, but we only have 5 days and must decide what to skip. Kunsthistorisches is a priority, and then Albertina and Upper Belvedere, and probably Heidi Horten, skipping Leopold. Or, perhaps, skip Heidi Horten and go to MAK instead? The idea of skipping Albertina seems sacrilegious, but personally, I have always preferred smaller museum. What would you choose if you had to only pick four?

I do appreciate it a lot, as I also love making these kind of lists, and then mapping them.

What would you choose if you had to only pick four?

I would skip Heidi Horten collection.

I also would skip the Heidi Horten collection . With your interest in twentieth century art , I would not miss MAK and The Leopold .Also . this book by Carl Schorske is a must for anyone interested in Vienna . This is historical and cultural analyses of the highest caliber . Particularly the essay entitled " Gustav Klimt : Panting and the Crisis of the Liberal Ego " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fin-de-si%C3%A8cle_Vienna

In Vienna an art lover needs to concentrate on what (s)he has time to see rather than what won't fit into the itinerary. Same for a lover of Art Nouveau architecture. You really cannot go wrong. When it gets down to the last few sightseeing stops, you may want to consider geography. In my view there's no sense spending a lot of time walking somewhere for a very rushed visit to Priority 8 when you started out just a block or two from Priority 10.

The Summer Opera is new and I'm not sure how great it will be. I'd rather spend my evening at the Rathaus' Food and Film festival. The Danube Tower - meh. Instead, take the 38a bus up to Kahlenberg and then walk down the hill through vineyards, where you can stop for a tipple and a nibble. The fountain at Schwarzenbergplatz is also meh - takes two minutes to see. I'm not even aware of any light installation at the MAK. The Museum of Change is a new thing. There is also a very touristy light show at the Votivkirche.

A walk around the Ring will be the best thing to see at night. Architecture - as mentioned, I'd focus on Jugendstil and Art Nouveau. I also really appreciate the baroque churches, such as Jesuitenkirche.

To acraven: Thank you once again for all the suggestions. I am not a big proponent of turning vacations into checklists; it is, first of all, about pleasure, but once I mapped all the buildings and landmarks I would like to walk by, it looks like most are concentrated in a very convenient way around some areas, except for the Incinerator, which I want to see anyway, and the Gasometers, which we could skip.

To Emily: We are looking for experiences that are not available at home, which is mostly architecture. Votivkirche show is not unique: we have a very similar one in a historical church in Toronto, and another one in Montréal, so among touristy thing I’d rather try Time Travel, which is specific to Vienna. And then just walk every evening in some neighborhood: the Ring, Museum quarter, Hundertwasser Village… The Summer Opera was recommended by a friend who is a professional musician. I am not sure about the Danube Tower, as we do have CN-Tower here :)
What worries me is that this huge Danube Island festival will partially coincide with our visit. Will it be life as normal in other areas of the city?

You won't even know that the Donauinselfest is happening unless you go all the way over there (which you probably won't).

Please be sure to go to the Rathaus Festival, even if you do the Sommer Opera. Have dinner at the festival - trust me.

The Hundertwasservillage is tacky as heck - just obnoxious shops selling trinkets. I prefer the Kunsthaus Cafe, which is nearby and also by Hundertwasser. Still, go see the buildings at the village, but there is no need to linger.

If you want to see some pretty lights, then have dinner at Neni am Prater.

Thank you, Emily. Do I need to reserve in advance to have dinner at the festival? Or at Neni? Is it realistic in general to have a spontaneous dinner in a popular place in July?

It is not possible to reserve a place at the festival. You get your food and find a table (there are hundreds in the Rathauspark/square).
As for Neni, yes, I would make a reservation.

The Hundertwasservillage is tacky as heck...

But that shouldn't discourage you from visiting the area: For architecture, the apartments will be one of the unique sights in Vienna. The Hundertwasser Museum is a great small museum, giving insight into the works and personality of the artist. You will find it quite easy to navigate Vienna using public transport, so proximity doesn't have to be a limitation to seeing places that interest you.

To: markcw
For me it’s not tacky anyway, it reminds me of many things I love, from Gaudi to Isaiah Zagar in Philadelphia. We plan to navigate almost everything by foot. I rented an apartment near Karlsplatz, and almost everything (museum, attractions, landmarks) is within 40 minutes maximum, except for the Incinerator. We love walkable cities so much.

Oh please do yourself a favor and use the many trams. From Karlsplatz to Hundertwasser, for example, you can easily jump on Tram 1 or bus 4a. Both are very lovely rides. If you have a transportation pass, you can jump on and off. I love to walk too, but I love the accessibility of trams much more.

Of course I also love the style of Hundertwasser. Who doesn't? I am only saying that the village is very tacky.

Emily, what would be the most spectacular tram ride to take on a hot day?

We spent 4 days in the summer a number of years ago. During that time we found 3 musical events that were free. Just asked people at our hostel what was happening. One was a classical concert at the castle, one a rock event in a town square and a small orchestra and singers in St Stephen’s Cathedral. Obviously our time coincided with the weekend. RS book also says there are standing room tickets for the opera that are very affordable. Vienna is known for its music. Check online and when you get to Vienna to find out what is happening. We find that impromptu events are often the most memorable part of our travels. I know this is a general answer but one to consider when in Vienna.

Jojo biker, I know what you mean. We call it the kids-are-hungry moment. You turn into a side street to look for an eatery and suddenly see a wall painted by Chagall, which was not in your travel guide. You’ve spent months planning, and then just come across something memorable by pure chance.