Vienna has many museums and palaces to show off its long history. It’s also home to some delicious, hearty food to power your adventures here.

How long to stay?

We stayed three nights in Vienna, Austria. This was our first visit to the city, and I think it was a bit rushed. We ended up coming away from our experience wanting another day to spend exploring the sites we didn’t get a chance to see. Yeah, we would like to depart a city still feeling like there is more to explore on a later visit. But I think we could have stayed a bit longer and still have that feeling.

Thus, we’re inclined to say it’s worth your time to stay here four nights if it’s your first visit. Three is perfectly workable as you could just copy our itinerary and come away pretty satisfied.

What we did in Vienna

Haus der Musik

Haus der Musik is a museum with a very engaging level of interactivity. You’ll find an emphasis in both science and the arts. This is one thing that would appeal to both children and adults. If you’ve been to science museums with the kids, you’ll know a little of the format. But rather than exhibits centered around science, the focus is instead on music.

We learned about sound waves, and how we are able to hear different sounds. We also learned the history of famous composers, including Mozart and Beethoven. One of our favorites was the interactive stair steps that played musical notes as you walked up the staircase. When we return to Vienna with the kids, we will absolutely take them here, especially as they both show interest in playing instruments.

Hofburg Imperial Palace

The Hofburg Imperial Palace is where the Imperial family lived until 1918. We did more of a self-guided tour of the palace. Our tickets included a few different chambers:

• The Kaiserliche Schatzkammer Wien (Imperial Treasury),
• The Kaiserappartements (Imperial Apartments), and
• Silberkammer (Silver Collection)

Hofburg is home to a lot of heirlooms and jewels and you’ll get to see it all on full display. Between this and the Schönbrunn Palace, this is definitely the more humble of the two residences, if you want to believe it.

Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace is where royalty has stayed over the summer. It’s an extremely ornate residence that gives everyone a peak into what life was like 300 years ago. These days, it’s a very popular attraction, so expect plenty of crowds. One nice thing is that the Palace is easily accessible via the U-Bahn subway.

We purchased a bundled ticket that provided admission to many attractions on the palace grounds. This included the Grand Tour of the Palace, Crown Prince Garden, Maze & Labyrinth, Orangery Garden, and Gloriette with viewing terrace. It’s easy to spend at least half a day wandering about. And while we didn’t have kids to worry about when we first came here, there are also things to do for the little ones.

If you just want the main palace tour, it’s 34€/adult or 24€/child. If you want the Classic Tour, which is what we did, there’s a small upcharge to 40€/adult or 31€/child. I’d recommend the Classic Pass if you want a taste of everything Schönbrunn Palace has to offer.

Pedal Power Bike Tour

When we first explored London, we used a tour company that used bicycles to get around. We enjoyed it so much that I wanted to do it again. We used Pedal Power’s bike tour to learn more about the history of the city. I like tours that enable a more interactive way of discovering my surroundings and biking the streets counts in my book.

The tour guide was informative and we got a good sense of the city. In my view, these types of tours are great when done at the start of your time in the city. Anything that interests you could then be visited individually on subsequent days. This tour took us by many of the major attractions in the city like the Hofburg Imperial Palace, the National Library, the Nameless Library, and the Hundertwasser House, among others.

I think cycling is a great way to explore the city and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun time outdoors.

For more information on activities mentioned above or other things we did in the city, check out our post on what we did.

Where we ate in Vienna

One notice before we get into the weeds on where we ate. More than most locations in Europe, Vienna seemed to almost require dinner reservations if you wish to sit down to eat in the evening. So make sure you secure your reservations before going out. You can use your hotel concierge to make the reservations for you, if needed.

Glacis Beisl

The Glacis Beisl is located behind the Museumsquartier. The outside patio area offers protection from the sun with its grape vines. It’s a cute spot that makes for a rather pleasant lunch. Despite it being a warm August day, the weather is quite manageable here.

Spoiler alert: there will be a common theme amongst the restaurants that I order the Wiener Schnitzel. It’s reminiscent of all the beef stew we consumed in Dublin. Wiener Schnitzel is simple–a breaded pork cutlet pounded flat–but it’s something that is hard to find in the States. (No, please don’t confuse this with the fast food chain.) It was slightly different at each restaurant and quite frankly I liked it each time I ordered it. Which is good because I ordered it a lot.

If you’re in the area, the restaurant is worth a visit. The vibe felt more like a lunch place than a dinner place, but they are open late.

Pürstner

Pürstner is a restaurant where you will need a reservation at dinner. We attempted to come here our first night in town but despite the restaurant being empty, we were turned away. Our hotel made reservations for us the following night and we were welcomed in with open arms. (You can also just make reservations online.)

Dining inside Pürstner felt like we were in a hunter’s lodge or perhaps what I imagine European restaurants looked like many decades ago. What did I tell you that I would order? If you said the Wiener Schnitzel, you get credit for paying attention. Jenn went with the Tafelspitz (boiled beef with roasted potatoes). In total, the food was good and the service felt like we were invited into someone’s house. It’s worth the effort to come here.

The Bank (Park Hyatt Vienna)

We dined at The Bank Restaurant at the Park Hyatt Vienna one evening. We found the food to be quite special, with a unique presentation for the drinks. To open the drink, we needed to crack open the sphere with a small hammer, which was a first for us. And yeah, the drinks were deliciously sweet.

The food was similarly excellent. We ordered the glazed veal breast and the roasted lamb loin, both locally-sourced from Austria. Both had plenty of flavor and we were completely satisfied with our choices.

If you happen to be in the area, or are staying at the hotel, this is one hotel restaurant that is absolutely worth visiting.

For more details on the restaurants above and other place we ate at in the city, check out our dedicated post to the food in the city.

Where we stayed in Vienna

Park Hyatt Vienna

The Category 7 Park Hyatt Vienna is one of the better hotels in the system. In its former life, the hotel used to be a bank and they have done a remarkable job converting it to a luxury hotel. Service is excellent and even exceeded expectations, as they offered us complimentary drinks while we waited a short time for our room to be ready.

We used a suite upgrade on our stay, which is definitely worth it if you can find the availability. The hotel is in an excellent part of town.

If you want to dine at the restaurant for breakfast, you’re in for a treat. It’s a beautifully-adorned restaurant that almost was more impressive than the other chambers within the hotel. The food was very fresh and delicious, making it a great choice if you’re here as a Globalist or a Guest of Honor.

For more information on the Park Hyatt Vienna, check out our post on the hotel.

What do you like to do in Vienna?

Suggested reading:

• Other destinations we’ve visited
• Case in Point: The Way I Value a Hyatt Point
• Hyatt’s Brand Explorer: A Fun Way to Engage with Hotels