Deciding on what to do in a city when you have a limited amount of time can be tricky – especially when you have a bunch of things on your list (like I always do!). I’ve been to Vienna 6 times in the last 10 years, with my visits ranging from a couple of hours to 4 days, so now I feel like I can prioritize the ‘must-see’ and ‘must-do’ things in the city in 24, or 48 or 72 hours as well. So, I thought, why not share it with you? 

Part 1 includes all the sights you can see in 24 hours. If you’re planning a longer trip, read Part 2  here. (Coming soon!)

Vienna in 24 hours

 

Rathausplatz

There are quite a few reasons why you should start your day here: it’s a public transport hub, which comes in handy when you’re on a quest to see as much as possible, plus it’s beautiful in every season. The Town Hall itself is a sight you should definitely visit, but it’s even more magical in the winter when there’s an ice rink (actually, several of them) in front of the building, surrounded by people sipping hot wine or Kinderpunsch. Yumm!

 

The Ring

The most scenic street in town, the Ring, runs in a circle around the city centre, so when the weather is not in your favor, look no further than a good tram ride on it. There’s a whole tram line (creatively called the Ring Tram) dedicated to sightseeing on the Ring for 4 EUR, operating from 10 AM til 5.30 PM, but I’d suggest you use the regular lines with your public transport pass for no extra charge. It’s a bit more modern but does the job just as well!

Sights you can check off your list without getting off the tram: Wiener Börsensäle (the former HQ of the Vienna Stock Exchange), Rathausplatz (with the Town Hall itself), Burgtheater, Museumsquartier, Staatsoper (the Opera) and Karlsplatz (with the Karlskirche).

 

Stephansdom and shopping (Graben and Kärtnerstrasse)

Every capital has a place that is a bit too touristy for good taste, a bit too much in your face with its ‘traditional’ or ‘authentic’ style yet you.just.have.to.see.it. In Vienna, the Graben and Kärtnerstrasse (perpendicular to each other) are these places (at least in my opinion). An Apple store right next to a souvenir shop selling Klimt replicas, followed by a Prada or or a three-storey H&M, then a traditional Viennese cafe. That’s what these places are all about. However, they also host Vienna’s most beautiful church, the Stephansdom, which you can visit free of charge. Don’t miss out on it, it’s a must!

Tip: Right next to the Stephansdom is the best place for delicious treats: the Manner shop! With real Viennese sweets at better prices than in a lot of supermarkets, it’s just pure heaven!

 

A classic Viennese cafe

Now that we are talking about Viennese coffee houses, one must admit they are really something else. Although I’m not a coffee-lover (this is the time to throw tomatoes at me), I have to say I enjoy sitting in a cafe sipping some good old hot chocolate, and Vienna really knows how to do coffee time. So far I’ve visited Cafe Schwarzenberg, Conditorei Sluka and Cafe Bellaria, all serving delicious coffee and apple strudels (another must-try when you’re in Vienna!)

Pro tip: you can try waiting for a spot at Cafe Central or Cafe Demel, but these places are mainly attracting tourists now, and the lines can get reeeaally long. Like have-to-wait-for-hours long. Does it sound like something a Viennese local would like? Definitely not.

 

Wurst, wurst, wurst – the best, best, best

If cafes are the lush place to be, then the Würstelstände in Vienna are the places where you can have a quick fix for lunch. These bodegas can be found all over town, although most of them are not in the centre. If you’re already near Kartnerstrasse, though, try Würstelstand am Hohen Markt – their currywurst and the one filled with cheese are incredible!

 

A museum

Vienna is full of amazing museums, so why not give pay one a visit? You probably won’t have time for more (especially if you want to finish your day at Schloss Schönbrunn), so pick one that really suits your taste. You can find plenty at the Museumsquartier (hence the name), my favorite being the Natural History Museum and the Sissi Museum at the Hofburg, and if you’re into carriages and cars, there’s a whole museum dedicated to them as well. The number one place on my list right now is the Globenmuseum – all about, you guessed it, GLOBES. How awesome is that?

 

Hofburg

The former imperial palace is truly beautiful, and since this day is all about exploring the city centre, you should really have no excuse for not visiting it! After doing everything on this list so far, maybe you won’t have time for a lot here, but besides walking around the building (or rather this mini city) itself, you may want to see something inside as well. I already talked about the Sissi Museum and the Globenmuseum, but please let me guide you into my number one favorite place in the whole city: the Nationalbibliothek/National Library! Oh boy, I cannot tell you how much I love libraries in general, and when I realized on my fifth visit (duh, silly!) that this beauty was here all along, I literally wanted to cry. When I entered the library, I felt like Belle in Beauty and the Beast! Go and see it for yourself!

 

Schloss Schönbrunn

OK, here’s the deal: if I only had a day in Vienna, I’d give up anything on this list just to go to Schönbrunn. Unlike Versailles, that has nothing to do with the real charm of Paris, for example, Schloss Schönbrunn tells a lot about Vienna, and is frequented by locals as well. It took me years to realize that there’s a whole new world behind the palace itself, including the Gloriette, the zoo, the palm house and the garden (although in my defence I was quite young when I first visited the place), so make sure you walk the extra mile and explore as much of Schönbrunn as possible. I climbed up the hill to the Gloriette in both summer and the middle of winter, the view you get of the city never disappoints!

Wondering what you can do in 48 or 72 hours in Vienna? Part 2 of this article is coming soon!