We planned to visit Vienna in mid May for 4 days. So far, we only booked one night symphony in golden hall. Any suggestion for the best places to visit within these 4 days? Also, do we need to buy any tickets in advance? Is Vienna pass good?
Thanks.
Posted by
3245 posts
The Vienna Pass is very good if you are into art, palaces, and history. When we were there in 2015, the Vienna Pass did not include The Belvedere, but I believe it is currently part of the deal.
We were content with the Morning Exercises at the Spanish Riding School - free with the Vienna Pass. The various attractions of the Schonbrunn require separate admissions, and I believe the Vienna Pass covers all of them.
The HOHO is what it is, but we used it to get to a few places, and we never had to wait very long for a bus - even at the Schonbrunn.
Posted by
Massachusetts
398 posts
if nothing else, our favorite experience in Vienna was going to a heuriger. Vienna has vineyards within its city limits (albeit on the outskirts). These are more like wine-taverns, where they serve hearty meals and the wine flows freely. There is often live music, and in mid-May (which is when we went) you should be able to sit outside. We went to two different heurigers for dinner in the three nights we were there. We followed Rick's advice in his guidebook of going to an area where there are 3-4 right nearby, and picking the one that seemed liveliest that night.
Posted by
Sacramento, CA
671 posts
We had fun in the Haus der Musik -- information is presented in an interactive format. But one reason we liked it was that we were by ourselves most of the time, so we could do all the hands-on things without crowds. We went in the evening. We also really enjoyed the Hofburg New Palace Museums which includes armor and old musical instruments. We expected to walk through the armor exhibits quickly because we've seen armor many other places, but the displays in this museum were the best we've ever seen. And the old musical instruments were fascinating. Add to this the gorgeous building and the small crowds -- we still talk about this museum.
Posted by
Sioux Falls, SD, USA
3046 posts
100% agree with Steve. We went to Vienna in 2011 with our grown children. The parents enjoy wine, and we were looking forward to buying a glass of wine for our children. The heurigern are the right place - so nice to sit outside, with a carafe of pleasant and not-demanding wine, some water, and play cards. We went to 2 in our nights in Vienna. We never got around to eating, coming there later in the evening. There were no bugs, which we marveled at. There were buses even late at night to ride back to town. Such a pleasant memory.
Posted by
Seattle
119 posts
Agree with those who suggested visiting a heuriger. We visited two in the same neighborhood and it was a very enjoyable evening. They were easy to reach by public transportation. I would suggest a reservation - the place where we ate was quite busy.
https://www.vienna-unwrapped.com/vienna-wineries/
I also love the Kunsthistorisches museum. The building is incredible and if you need a break, you could not find a more gorgeous setting than the cafe under the domed ceiling.
Posted by
shingle springs, CA, USA
782 posts
We went to a Heuriger in 2013 and it was very enjoyable.Theother posters have given great suggestions,here is one that you might consider and it would be a day trip to Bratislava,about one hour by train from Vienna.It is like a timewarp between Vienna and the old city of Bratislava, we really enjoyed our day there.
Mike