The Viennese have embraced the good life. Photo / Getty Images
Vienna is often picked as a ‘Top Place to Live’. The city’s affordable housing, top education, and vibrant economy all make it a wonderful place to reside, but the Austrian capital has much to offer visitors too, writes Janna Graber
It’s early morning as I walk the cobblestone streets of Vienna. I pass shopkeepers fishing keys from their pockets to open tiny shops and the smell of coffee and pastries lingers in the breeze.
It’s my second day back in Vienna, and I am taking my time. Today, I’m following in the footsteps of composer Johann Strauss II, who, like many other famous musicians, once made his home in Vienna. In 2025, the Waltz King celebrates his 200th birthday, so it seems fitting to follow his path.
I stop in front of the State Opera House, where his only opera, Ritter Pasman, premiered in 1892.
The State Opera House is a beloved symbol of Vienna, and I’ve taken the engaging two-hour tour here in the past. Though I’d like to linger, I have more to see.
Next is St Stephen’s Cathedral, where Strauss was married. It is the iconic heart of Vienna, and I’m always so happy to see it. I peek into the cathedral and then walk along its walls, seeing the inscription “05”, a secret symbol for the Austrian resistance in World War II.
Eventually, I walk through the Volksgarten, a beautifully manicured garden with temples, fountains, and rose gardens. I can understand why Strauss performed the orchestral version of his Blue Danube Waltz here in 1867. It was just another moment when Viennese creatives left their touch on the world.
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Travel teaches you many things, and Vienna is a brilliant teacher. When I first arrived in the Austrian capital as an exchange student at age 19, I was always in a hurry. I didn’t like wine, coffee, or classical music and couldn’t imagine the joy of a slow Sunday stroll.
By the time I left two years later, I had learned the pleasures of simple and beautiful things - a good conversation over coffee and cake with a friend, a classical concert in a park, or a hike in the Vienna woods.
The Viennese have embraced the good life. Perhaps that is why Vienna is consistently named a ‘Top Place to Live’ on the Economist’s annual Global Livability Index. The city’s affordable housing, green parks, top education, and rich culture make it a wonderful place to live.
Vienna also has much to offer visitors, which is why I return again and again.
Vienna is drenched in arts and culture. This is the City of Music, so attending a concert during your stay is only fitting. Greats like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven are just a few who once called this city home.
Even many street musicians are classically trained, and a concert or art exhibit is always going on.
Vienna has a busy concert schedule year-round, from the Vienna Opera House to the Wiener Konzerthaus. Many events are free. Churches hold regular concerts, and during the summer, don’t miss the Summer Night Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic held under an open sky in front of Schonbrunn Palace.
Speaking of palaces, Vienna has many to choose from. It was once home to the mighty Habsburg family, one of Europe’s most influential royal houses. Schonbrunn Palace was their summer residence.
Today you can visit the huge complex with its famous yellow palace, perfectly manicured gardens, and Gloriette overlooking the city. Ongoing exhibits at Schonbrunn Palace detail the family’s rich history, or you can enjoy the gardens, one of my favourite places to walk. If you have kids, visit the Schonbrunn Zoo, which was created for the royal children.
Once Prince Eugene of Savoy’s summer residence, Belvedere Palace has beautiful gardens and houses the stunning Gustav Klimt collection, which includes The Kiss, the most famous painting. The famous Hofburg - the Imperial Palace - is another of the city’s top attractions. It also has an excellent museum detailing the country’s famous history.
If you want to find Vienna, your first stop should be a coffee house. A Wiener Kaffeehaus is not just a place for coffee and pastry but an entire institution. Some say that coffee houses are the “living rooms” of Vienna, where the people love to be.
While coffee is usually a morning drink, in Vienna, the afternoon is also a perfect time to stop and have a coffee and a thick piece of torte. This tradition has survived since Vienna’s imperial days.
Vienna has more than 2500 coffee houses, so it’s easy to find one you like. Cafe Sperl is a Bohemian-style favourite. Founded in 1880, its marble tables and parquet floors still retain their original charm. The cafe has been in several movies, including Before Sunrise and A Dangerous Method.
Cafe-Restaurant at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (Art History Museum) is another beautiful coffee house.
The museum building itself is a stunning art piece, and the coffee house is no exception. Plush red seating under a stately dome hall feels almost regal and diners have a breathtaking view of Vienna through its tall windows.
One of my new favourites is Vollpension, a new collection of coffee houses in Vienna that will make you feel like you’ve entered your grandmother’s home.
Staffed by retired grandpas and grandmas, the idea is to bring generations together. They serve pastries and cakes baked by retired Austrians using their family recipes.
Vienna and wine go hand in hand. It’s the only capital with a significant wine-growing region within the city limits. Vineyards cover the hills around the city from the edge of the Vienna woods down to the shores of the Danube. There are more than 190 winemakers in Vienna. Even Schonbrunn Palace has its vineyards.
The wine tradition in Vienna runs deep. While Germany may have beer gardens, Vienna has wine gardens and taverns. Heurige are taverns where winemakers serve their own wine and traditional homemade foods.
Known for their atmosphere of Gemutlichkeit (cosiness), many also have outdoor seating in gardens or courtyards where you can relax over a nice glass of wine and inexpensive dishes like dark bread with creamy spreads, potato, cucumber or carrot salads, sauerkraut and many types of roast meats.
Two of my favourite wine gardens are Mayer am Pfarrplatz and Heuriger Schubel-Auer. Heurige are only open when they have wine to offer. Look for a bundle of coniferous twigs above the door and use the word Ausg’steckt to ensure the wine garden is open.
Vienna’s excellent transportation system makes getting around safe and easy. From subways to trams to buses, the transportation is cheap, clean, and easy to use.
My top recommendation for all visitors is to download ivie, Vienna’s free digital app.
This digital City Guide will be valuable during your visit. It has city maps and audio guides about Vienna’s top sights, from Schonbrunn Palace to the Prater to the famous Ringstrasse Boulevard. The ivie app also gives you practical visitor tips, such as where to find toilets, city bikes, and drinking fountains.
It integrates with the Vienna City Card, which I recommend you purchase during your stay. The benefits of the Vienna City Card include travel on all public transportation and discounts on museums and attractions. There are various Vienna City Cards to choose from, one of which even includes airport transfers.
Vienna is a year-round destination, but my favourite time to visit is spring, autumn, or the holidays. The city is known for its Christmas markets. Summers in Vienna are beautiful, but the historic First District can be crowded during the summer months.
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Vienna with one stopover with Emirates, Qatar Airways, Korean Air and Air China.
DETAILS
wien.info/en
'We can make three days feel like a week,' one expert said.