About

About ULTIMATE Vienna City Guide

ULTIMATE Vienna City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Vienna, Austria. We publish 14 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, sights, arts & culture, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, motoring and getting around. We cover the Innere Stadt, the Ringstrasse and the MuseumsQuartier, Wieden and the Naschmarkt, Landstrasse and the Belvedere, Leopoldstadt and the Prater, Schönbrunn and Hietzing, and Döbling and the Heurigen, with day trips to the Wachau, Bratislava, the Semmering and Baden bei Wien.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as wien.gv.at, oesterreich.gv.at, ÖBB, Nightjet, Wiener Linien, the airport, UNESCO or The MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN stars are quoted only from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Austria. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, entry rules and timetables change often. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in euros (€).

For venues

Run a venue in Vienna and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The Albertina on its bastion, with the Hollein canopy and the equestrian statue, by C.Stadler/Bwag, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiers of boxes and galleries in the auditorium of the Vienna State Opera, by Rafa Esteve, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Schönbrunn Palace and its parterre seen from the Gloriette hill, with Vienna and the Kahlenberg beyond, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red cabins of the Giant Ferris Wheel in the Prater against a summer sky, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded dome inside St Stephen’s Basilica, by Jules Verne Times Two, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Upper Belvedere lit at blue hour and reflected in its pool, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Upper Belvedere across its reflecting pool on a clear autumn day, by Böhringer Friedrich, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 at, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bratislava Castle above the Danube, with a river cruise ship moored below, by Ingo Mehling, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Burgtheater on the Ringstrasse, its curved façade under summer clouds, by C.Stadler/Bwag, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The vaulted, pillared room of Café Central, with its chandeliers and marble tables, by GFHund, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The vaulted, pillared room of Café Central, with its chandeliers and marble tables, by GFHund, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dürnstein’s blue-and-white abbey tower on the Danube, with the castle ruins on the hill above, by Hiroki Ogawa, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Stalls of the Christmas market on the Rathausplatz, with the City Hall beyond, by Palickap, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Melk Abbey’s twin towers and dome glowing in evening light on its rock above the Danube, by Uoaei1, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The dark-wood counter and cake cabinets inside Demel on the Kohlmarkt, by Gerd Eichmann, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The DC Tower and Donau City across the New Danube, under a clear sky, by Robert F. Tobler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards above Grinzing, with the Danube and the towers of Donau City beyond, by Otto Domes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The DC Tower and Donau City across the New Danube, under a clear sky, by Robert F. Tobler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dürnstein’s blue-and-white abbey tower on the Danube, with the castle ruins on the hill above, by Hiroki Ogawa, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gloriette, the colonnaded pavilion on the hill above Schönbrunn’s gardens, under a blue sky, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Graben, with the Plague Column and the shopfronts of the pedestrian street, by Falk2, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards above Grinzing, with the Danube and the towers of Donau City beyond, by Otto Domes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The chestnut-lined Hauptallee in the Prater in early autumn, by Leonhard Lenz, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Michaelertrakt of the Hofburg, its green dome above the Michaelerplatz, by Böhringer Friedrich, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 at, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The green-and-gold tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of the Innere Stadt, seen from the south tower, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The front of Hotel Sacher on Philharmonikerstrasse, with its red awnings and flags, by Thomas Ledl, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The front of Hotel Sacher on Philharmonikerstrasse, with its red awnings and flags, by Thomas Ledl, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The patterned tile roof and the south tower of St Stephen’s Cathedral, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The wooded Kahlenberg above the vineyards, with its church on the summit, by C.Stadler/Bwag, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Karlskirche at dusk, its dome and twin columns reflected in the pool on Karlsplatz, by Moahim, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Saturday at the Karmelitermarkt in Leopoldstadt, with farmers’ stalls on the square, by Hubertl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The marble grand staircase of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, with Canova’s Theseus group, by Dguendel, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Great Hall of the Wiener Konzerthaus, with its coffered gold ceiling and organ, by Dozor, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Upper Belvedere lit at blue hour and reflected in its pool, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Leopold Museum in the MuseumsQuartier, lit with a winter projection at night, by Hubertl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red cabins of the Giant Ferris Wheel in the Prater against a summer sky, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded Great Hall of the Musikverein, with its organ, caryatids and chandeliers, by Jun Seita from Palo Alto, CA, U.S., licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The arcaded central hall of the MAK, the Museum of Applied Arts, by Tudoi61, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Melk Abbey’s twin towers and dome glowing in evening light on its rock above the Danube, by Uoaei1, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded Great Hall of the Musikverein, with its organ, caryatids and chandeliers, by Jun Seita from Palo Alto, CA, U.S., licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fruit and vegetable stalls with chalk price boards at the Naschmarkt, by Dguendel, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The octagonal cupola of the Natural History Museum, seen from below, by User:MatthiasKabel, licensed CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Nouveau glass Palmenhaus above the Burggarten, with café terraces, by Aconcagua, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded Johann Strauss monument in the Stadtpark, framed by its marble arch and flowerbeds, by Gerd Eichmann, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The chestnut-lined Hauptallee in the Prater in early autumn, by Leonhard Lenz, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The neo-Gothic City Hall (Rathaus) and its clock tower, seen straight on across the square, by Thomas Ledl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An ÖBB Railjet under the iron train shed of Budapest Keleti, by Slyronit, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An ÖBB Railjet below snow-capped peaks in eastern Switzerland, by Kabelleger, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The neo-Gothic City Hall (Rathaus) and its clock tower, seen straight on across the square, by Thomas Ledl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The neo-Gothic City Hall (Rathaus) and its clock tower, seen straight on across the square, by Thomas Ledl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Wiener Schnitzel with a slice of lemon and sautéed potatoes, by Burkhard Mücke, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red cabins of the Giant Ferris Wheel in the Prater against a summer sky, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The marble grand staircase of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, with Canova’s Theseus group, by Dguendel, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The front of Hotel Sacher on Philharmonikerstrasse, with its red awnings and flags, by Thomas Ledl, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A slice of Sachertorte with whipped cream on a marble table at Café Sacher, by Rizka, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Wiener Schnitzel with a slice of lemon and sautéed potatoes, by Burkhard Mücke, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Schönbrunn Palace and its parterre seen from the Gloriette hill, with Vienna and the Kahlenberg beyond, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gloriette, the colonnaded pavilion on the hill above Schönbrunn’s gardens, under a blue sky, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A train crossing the two-tier Kalte Rinne viaduct on the Semmering Railway in autumn, by C.Stadler/Bwag, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fruit and vegetable stalls with chalk price boards at the Naschmarkt, by Dguendel, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Red patterned banquettes and marble tables in a corner of Café Sperl, by Geolina163, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Winter Riding School of the Spanish Riding School, with its white galleries and chandeliers, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiers of boxes and galleries in the auditorium of the Vienna State Opera, by Rafa Esteve, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded Johann Strauss monument in the Stadtpark, framed by its marble arch and flowerbeds, by Gerd Eichmann, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The patterned tile roof and the south tower of St Stephen’s Cathedral, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Upper Belvedere in Vienna lit at blue hour and reflected in its pool, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Evening lights on Bogovićeva, by Branko Radovanović, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ilica and a blue tram at night, by Branko Radovanović, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An ÖBB Railjet below snow-capped peaks in eastern Switzerland, by Kabelleger, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Graben, with the Plague Column and the shopfronts of the pedestrian street, by Falk2, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fruit and vegetable stalls with chalk price boards at the Naschmarkt, by Dguendel, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The neo-Gothic Rathaus, whose square holds Vienna’s best-known Christmas market, by Thomas Ledl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The neo-Gothic City Hall (Rathaus) and its clock tower, seen straight on across the square, by Thomas Ledl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The domed Karl Borromäus church at the heart of the Zentralfriedhof, under a summer sky, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.