Oh, Vienna!!! The Austrian capital of Vienna is a wonderful city. It is compact, but still has plenty to offer visitors. Its museums, art galleries, monuments and historic buildings are all interesting and well worth visiting. However, as you will see, there is far more to Vienna than this. Visitors to the city have the chance, should they want to, to experience something a little different during their stay. Here are a few must dos in Vienna to add to your itinerary, some that you may not have considered before.
Classical Music and Opera
Vienna has been a centre for opera and classical music for several hundred years now. The first opera house in the city opened in 1869. Having sustained heavy damage in wartime, the house was beautifully restored and reopened in late 1955. You can find out more about Vienna’s opera and classical music scenes by clicking the link. Tourists are warmly welcomed to performances and it is often found at the top of many visitors list of must dos in Vienna. Plus its a good excuse to get dressed up and have a great night out.
When it comes to the arts, children are especially well catered for in Vienna. As an example, the Volksoper Wein Company regularly performs shortened versions of famous operas that have been rewritten with children in mind. They love the performances, as do their parents.
Experience Vienna’s Café and Food Cultures
Viennese coffee houses are world-renowned and with good reason. Walking into one of these delightful spaces is like stepping back in time. The service is usually exceptional, the coffee wonderful and the atmosphere is charming.
Café Frauenhuber, is on many tourists’ must-do list. It is the oldest coffeehouse in Vienna. Its decor is interesting, an eclectic mix of Persian carpets, lace and plush red velvet filled with glass-fronted display cabinets. It is a nice place, well worth seeing. But, you really should visit a few others too. The more modern cafes are just as nice.
Enjoy The Natural World
Vienna is a very green city. In fact, close on 50% of the city area is made up of parks. So, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy long walks and picnics. There is also a fantastic butterfly park and the oldest zoo in the world. The Tiergarten also nestles in the grounds of the Schoenbrunn Palace. It first opened in 1752 and has been extended several times since then. The topiary maze in Schloss Schonbrunn is another mini-adventure that brings you close to nature. Most visitors also love the huge natural history museum, which is fun (and educational) for all the family.
Vienna’s Strange and Unusual Museums
Above, we mentioned the fact that Vienna, like most capital cities, has museums. What we didn’t say was that there are 100 of them and that some of them are quite weird and wacky. For example, the contraception museum and the globe museum, which both showcase the history of a single item. They are both surprisingly interesting. The criminology museum is fascinating too, if a little creepy.
Get Under The Skin of The City
The Viennese are curious about everything, so every aspect of the city is open to the public. For example, if you want to you can take a tour of Vienna’s sewers, which is far more interesting and tasteful than it sounds. The Flack Towers, which were leftover from WWII, is a curious landmark that is worth seeing. Also, keep an eye out for House Attack. The sight of a full-size house embedded upside down in the façade of another is quite a sight.
As you can see, this city is an eclectic mix of the old and the new. It is a fun, slightly zany place that honours its roots as a centre of culture without taking itself too seriously. There are a lot of must dos in Vienna, the toughest choice is deciding which one to do first.
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