Lady’s Guide to Places to Visit in Vienna

Today I want to bring you my guide to the best places to visit in Vienna. The Austrian capital is full of everything from world-class museums to secret courtyards, and there’s a lot to discover here.

Places to Visit in Vienna

It amazes me how often my travel itineraries are based on ratings and reviews. I can’t remember the last time I visited a place without taking others’ opinions into account.

But a lot of my best travel experiences stem from exploring on my own, and today I’m out to see this city on the Danube without relying on external advice.

I’m here on a trip with the Vienna Tourist Board, and they’ve encouraged me to discover Vienna my own way for this advertising feature.

They want me to see the capital of Austria without being directed by ratings, top-10 lists, or must-sees. They’ve told me to take my time, discover Vienna with all my senses, and truly get involved with the city and its people.

It’s an exciting prospect, and I’m happy to have three days to find places to visit in Vienna that appeal to me. I’ve visited the city in spring and during the Vienna Christmas season, and I’m excited to be here again to see more.

Places to Eat in Vienna

I start at Trzesniewski. This local sandwich shop has been an institution for over 100 years, and it serves a wide selection of open-face sandwiches. Given food is one of my favorite ways to get to know a city, it’s a perfect fit.

I walk over to Trzesniewski, which is in an alley off one of the main pedestrianized streets in the city center. Its counter and tables lend it an old-world charm, and I feel like I’ve stepped back in time.

Sandwiches ordered, I head outside to watch the world go by. But the food is so good that I focus more on the smoked salmon and egg than the people walking down the street.

Elsewhere, I discover more foodie places to visit in Vienna. The LaLa is right around the corner from my hotel, the hip 25Hours Hotel at MuseumsQuartier.

This vegan cafe has a pretty pink interior and mouth-watering menu options. I settle in for lunch, enjoying their Californian salad like a good San Franciscan.

Another day I eat at Salonplafond, a restaurant tucked away in the MAK Museum in Vienna.

It has a terrace in back that’s perfect for al fresco dining on a hot day, and eating here feels like I’ve discovered a secret retreat from the bustle of the city. It’s one of my favorite culinary places to visit in Vienna.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I discover the buzzing Naschmarkt. This food market has over 100 stalls selling everything from fragrant spices to fresh vegetables.

I walk down the rows of colorful produce, taking in the sounds of market vendors and scents of food drifting out of little cafes and restaurants.

Places to Visit in Vienna: Neighborhoods

To burn off calories, I do what I love best: walk through the side streets of Vienna. The area around my hotel is full of them, and they show a quieter, more local side to the city than the main attractions.

I quickly fall in love with Spittelberg, a charming historic area near the MuseumsQuartier. Spittelberg has beautiful cobblestone streets, painted facades, and hidden cafes. It’s one of my favorite places to visit in Vienna.

It’s amazing to discover places like Amerling Beisl, where the inner courtyard is full of tables and draped in greenery. It’s the perfect place to indulge in Vienna’s famous cafe culture and live like a local at the same time.

Elsewhere in the city, I discover little alleys like Blutgasse, which take me back several centuries. I also find squares like Franziskanerplatz, which has pretty restaurants like Kleines Cafe.

Places to Visit in Vienna: Museums

As much as I like the hidden corners, I can’t stay away from all the big places to visit in Vienna. One night I go to the Leopold Museum to see an art installation called “Unrating Leopold”.

Negative reviews of the museum are projected onto its exterior walls, revealing how everyone’s perceptions of a place are different.

It’s a great way to drive the point home that it’s worth discovering a city without being influenced by reviews that might not reflect one’s own opinions.

Speaking of which, I visit the Leopold Museum for myself and fall in love with the collection. I took a class called Modern Architecture during my university years and studied a lot of early 20th-century Viennese architecture and design.

The museum is packed with everything related to those themes, and I spend hours getting excited about them all over again.

Places to Visit in Vienna: Gardens

Back outside, I discover more places to visit in Vienna. The roses are in bloom in the Volksgarten, and over 3,000 bushes show off their colorful blooms.

Walking through them is like stepping into a painting, and I come back several times throughout my stay to take in their beauty.

Elsewhere, I find pretty ponds and paths in the Stadtpark and Burggarten, two green spaces with monuments paying homage to Austrian composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss.

Best Places to Visit in Vienna

By the time my three days are over, I’ve discovered a lot of the city and gone beyond the obvious attractions to find my own highlights.

There are so many amazing places to visit in Vienna, and it’s been fun to learn that it’s an easy place to explore without following ratings, reviews, and others’ opinions of what’s worth doing.

And that’s why I’ve enjoyed it so much. I’ve done what I love doing, and that always leads me to my best travel experiences.

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