What things must I see in about 2.5 days in Vienna

I love hot chocolate and find that many of Vienna's cafes do it well - but my top recommendation would be Cafe Demel. Perfection. The pastries are also exquisite.

If you are an art lover, or are interested to look at works by Gustave Klimt, the Belvedere museum and the Succession Building should be top of your list.

Vienna has so many beautiful gardens and they will be in full bloom by late May.

I am envious - enjoy your trip!

First, you should know that May 30 is a public holiday so all shops will be closed that day, including grocery stores.

I would avoid the overly touristy Sacher, Demel and Central cafes for your hot chocolate. I would recommend Cafe Landtmann, Cafe Schwarzenberg or Cafe Sperl.

For schnitzel, I suggest Cafe Anzengruber or Cafe Rudigerhof. Figlmueller is also fantastic and famous for a reason.

What would I do in 2.5 days? I’d rent a motorboat at the Alte Donau from Marina Hofbauer for a few hours. I’d spend 1/2 day at Schönbrunn. I’d see The Kiss at the Belvedere. I’d walk up Kaerntnerstrasse to St. Stephan’s, ride the elevator up the tower, walk down the Graben and turn left on Kohlmarkt, stroll through the Hofburg, taking a right at Heldenplatz to explore the Volksgarten, then end at the Rathaus.

Will museums and restaurants be open?

Here is a little folder, targeted at short-time visitors. On pages 2 and 3 it gives you a good overview of the main sights in Vienna, suggesting two walks in the city center. (Ignore page 4 which is not up to date, as this folder has not been reprinted since 2020 due to Corona times without tourists in Vienna.)

Here is a list of the most popular sights ranked by tourists:
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractions-g190454-Activities-oa0-Vienna.html

Off the beaten track:
https://www.1000things.at/vienna/

This schedule is for hard-core tourists:
https://www.wien.info/en/recommendations/vienna-in-three-days

Museums and restaurants will be open on the May 30 holiday, as they are for every holiday except perhaps Christmas.

Do museums and such get very busy on the Holiday? Would it not be worth it to go to them on that day?

When you say all shops, does that include little convenience stores that only carry limited food items? I don't know if Austria has them, but here in the States, little corner shops stay open all year round, even on holidays. They don't carry a complete line of items.

Do you have any particular local foods you would suggest I try outside what was already suggested?

Thank you for all your help,
Mark

This is a Catholic country and shops strictly close on holidays as well as every Sunday. No 7-11's here, I'm afraid - even on working days shops close by 7-8 pm (when I moved here 17 years ago, shops closed at 5-6 pm every day). That said, grocery stores in the train stations are allowed to stay open, but I do not recommend visiting one on a holiday/Sunday as they get rough and crowded.

Museums will be busier than usual on holidays, particularly as many will also take off the Friday to make a nice 4 day weekend. It is still worth it to visit them.

Other popular foods to try in addition to schnitzel:

1. Afpelstrudel - Cafe Sperl has the best one.
2. Kasekrainer (cheese and meat sausage) - Würstelstand zum Hohen Markt is classic.
3. Tafelspitz (what the Emperor ate every night and it is delicious) - Plachutta on Wollzeile
4. Kaiserschmarrn (shredded fluffy pancakes with plum compote) - Landtmann or from the take-away window at Demel
5. Austrian Goulash - Glacis Beisl
6. Leberkase (giant slice of bologna on a roll) - Leberkas Pepi at Operngasse
7. Anything from a Heuriger

Emily. What tour would you do at the Schönbrunn.? There are many different ones.

My friend suggested taking the Hitler's Vienna walking tour. Is it worth it with the limited time I have?

Thanks,
Mark

I've only ever been inside Schonbrunn once and I think the tours have changed. I'm just not that into see room after room of gaudy furniture. My favorite parts of the palace are the Carriage Museum and the gardens, which are free. I don't know about the walking tour, sorry.

Emily, so are you suggesting that I might be better off just walking the grounds and seeing the building from the outside? I agree furniture is just not for me. I like paintings and statues.

I will be starting out from my AirBnb at 10:00 on the 29th. What item that would be really crowded the next two days would you go this day before the holiday crowds?

The St. Stephen's Cathedral hours make it very difficult to make something else work on the first day. I don't think there is enough time to see something else before the delayed 13:15 opening on the 29th, and I think this is one of the places that could get very busy on the Holiday. Do you have any thoughts on how to get to two places that will be very busy when I probably can't get there until 10:30?

Do bakeries such as Anker Backerei also remain open on Sundays and holidays? Our hotel doesn't offer breakfast, and since we don't eat big breakfasts and want to be on our way early, I'd prefer to pick up a quick pastry.

Most bakeries are closed on Sundays and holidays. A few may be open in the morning. Where is your hotel?

Emily, you have the best posts about Vienna!!! I've visited twice and can't wait for a third visit.

For the Diane M, the Central Train Station will have many shops open on Sunday, including bakeries and restaurants. US fastfood and coffee chains are usually open (most have larger pastry and coffee selections than here in the US), especially in the tourist zones. Or, you could go to a nearby hotel that offers breakfast.

We'll be staying very near to the Opera.

Emily, you have the best posts about Vienna!!!

I agree! Anything Emily suggests goes into my notes for my upcoming Vienna trip.