AT
Vienna
Austria’s capital of imperial palaces, coffee houses, classical music and world-class museums
Austria’s capital of imperial palaces, coffee houses, classical music and world-class museums
The Gothic Stephansdom, with its patterned tile roof, is the symbol of Vienna. You can climb the 343 steps of the south tower or take a lift up the north tower.
Photo: Afifa Afrin, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Habsburgs’ winter palace houses the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum, the Imperial Treasury and the Spanish Riding School.
Photo: Sandor Somkuti, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Habsburgs’ summer residence has more than 1,400 rooms, formal gardens, the Gloriette and the world’s oldest zoo. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Book timed palace tickets in advance.
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Two baroque palaces linked by gardens. The Upper Belvedere holds the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt’s paintings, including The Kiss.
Photo: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Wiener Riesenrad, built in 1897, turns above the Prater amusement park. The wider Prater is a large park with woodland and a long avenue for walking and cycling.
Photo: Renesteyer, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT
Try Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz (boiled beef), goulash and pastries such as Sachertorte and apple strudel. Viennese coffee house culture is listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage.
The Naschmarkt has food stalls and restaurants; Heurigen (wine taverns) on the city’s edge serve local wine.
Vienna Airport (VIE) is about 16 minutes from the centre on the City Airport Train, or a little longer on the cheaper S-Bahn. Wien Hauptbahnhof has trains to Salzburg, Budapest, Prague and beyond.
The U-Bahn, trams and buses run frequently; 24-, 48- and 72-hour tickets are available. Austria is in the Schengen area. Non-EU visitors are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System on arrival, and visa-exempt travellers will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once it launches, expected from late 2026. Drivers need a motorway vignette (digital or sticker), sold by ASFINAG and at petrol stations. Check current rules before you travel.
Austria uses the euro. Prices are similar to Germany; museums and concerts are moderately priced, and city cards can save money on transport and entries.
Standing-room opera tickets cost only a few euros.
Palaces, art and coffee.
Visit St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Hofburg and a traditional coffee house, then walk part of the Ringstrasse.
Spend the morning at Schönbrunn and the afternoon at the Belvedere for Klimt.
Visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum or the MuseumsQuartier, then ride the Giant Ferris Wheel.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
Austria is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Standing-room tickets at the State Opera go on sale shortly before performances.
You can sit for hours over a single coffee.
Christmas markets run from mid-November.
Validate single tickets before boarding.
Quick answers for planning time in Vienna.
By City Airport Train (about 16 minutes) or the cheaper S-Bahn, or by bus or taxi.
At the Upper Belvedere.
Yes. Book timed tickets for the palace rooms and allow time for the gardens and the Gloriette.
Standing-room tickets at the State Opera are sold shortly before each performance for a few euros.
April to June and September to October; December for the Christmas markets.
German is spoken; English is widely understood in tourist areas.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Austria travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.