As city-break destinations go, Vienna has something of a classical reputation. This is perhaps prompted by its prized Opera House, associations with composers such as Mozart, Strauss and co, or possibly the bounty of Baroque architecture gracing its Innere Stadt. But dive a little deeper, and you’ll discover a vibrant capital city beyond the touristy tearooms and horse-and-carriage rides.
Attractive restaurants, cafés and shops are thankfully in abundance, and because Vienna’s districts are all so easily navigated, there’s no downside to choosing a hotel out of the city centre, so you can unearth neighbourhood treasures as well as dipping into the classic tourist spots im zentrum. Here’s how to make the most of 48 hours in Vienna…
FRIDAY: EVENING
Altstadt Vienna
Check-in at Altstadt Vienna in Neubau, in the capital’s lively seventh district, only a short walk from the Austrian parliament, museum quarter and well-connected Ring (a circular route used by buses and trams that encircles the Innere Stadt). This one-of-a-kind art hotel — set across a series of townhouse buildings — has rooms and suites each designed by a guest collaborator, resulting in unique interiors and creatively dressed corridors. A rooftop bar, daily afternoon tea and fine breakfast spread elevate this from a basecamp to a characterful hangout, too.
Start with drinks at Erich, a brick-vaulted bar with tables on the terrace. Then walk to Seven North (at Smith-approved Max Brown 7th District; booking ahead advisable) for Levantine sharing plates in an industrial-style dining room with an upbeat soundtrack. If an after-party is on the cards, late bar Moby Dick is around the corner from Altstadt Vienna.
SATURDAY: MORNING
Flea market Naschmarkt should be your first stop after breakfast. Sellers peddling vintage jewellery, antique glassware, ceramics and other pre-loved trinkets line the square beyond the more-permanent stalls and shops of the food market, and it’s a 20-minute walk from end to end.
Keep one eye on the time because, at 10am, standing tickets go on sale online for whichever production is curtaining up this evening at the Vienna Opera House. These tickets give you a designated standing space at the back of the stalls, with excellent views of the action at a fraction of the price.
Grab lunch at Neni in Naschmarkt: freshly prepared, casual Middle Eastern plates pair with light spritzes or Austrian beers at tables in its glass-walled dining rooms or spilling onto the pavement.
SATURDAY: AFTERNOON
Neue Hoheit at Rosewood Vienna
A short walk away, the Third Man Museum is the passion project of Gerhard Strassgschwandtner and Karin Höfler, and as such is only open on Saturday afternoons from 2pm. It pays homage to the 1949 film noir that’s based on Graham Greene’s spy novel and set in Vienna. Alongside the museum’s exhibition of memorabilia from the movie, it also documents life in post-war Vienna, with an enlightening collection of domestic artefacts, and is one of the few places you’ll find the Second World War acknowledged in the capital.
Swotting up on history is thirsty work; time to head more centrally for your first skyline views of the Innere Stadt. Our tip is the roof terrace at Neue Hoheit at Rosewood Vienna, which has an enticing choice of cocktails and overlooks the Gothic splendour of St Stephen’s Cathedral.
SATURDAY: EVENING
Ahead of your night at the opera, conduct an early supper at the original Figlmuller in Wollzeile, which is a brief stroll from Rosewood Vienna and serves trad Viennese plates including acclaimed schnitzel (book a table ahead). For post-show tipples, head to Gulasch & Söhne at Innere Stadt stay Grand Ferdinand, which pours till midnight.
If it’s Viennese tradition you’re after and you’re not in a rush for curtains up, Gmoakeller, which teams a wood-and-stained-glass-panelled dining room with hearty Austrian cuisine, is a worthy alternative. Its location in the third district means you could also target nearby upscale wine bar Heunisch & Erben for aperitivo hour, where upscale Austrian vintages are served in soaringly ceilinged, convivial surroundings.
SUNDAY: MORNING
Café Sacher
Shops are shut in the Austrian capital on Sundays, so this is the day you’ll want to circle the classics. Klimt takes top billing on Vienna’s art scene, and many of his works are in the Upper Belvedere: while most visitors are busy gawping at The Kiss, casually neglected Rodin sculptures and Renoir oils leave you in no doubt as to the pedigree of its collection. The permanent Avant-Garde works on the top floor are a welcome, gritty antidote to Impressionism that’s worth checking out, too.
Next, head into town. For a polished pitstop, a traditional Viennese café fits the elegant mood. Body-swerve Café Sacher and the Demel (you’re better informed than that). Instead, opt for Innere Stadt favourite Café Central (book online to skip the queue), or Café Landtmann. Both have beautiful, storied interiors, linen-draped tables and uniformed wait staff; both serve comforting bowls of goulash or seasonal soups, and warm apple strudel or architectural slices of Sachertorte, but Landtmann is the less obvious choice of the two. (You can find Smith’s guide to Vienna’s best coffee shops here.)
SUNDAY: AFTERNOON
Refuelled in style, next up, you’ll want to check the Albertina off your list. The city’s premier art space has an impressive haul of Impressionist pieces, plus rotating exhibitions that vary from the hyperrealism of Robert Longo to the 20th-century-spanning legacy of Chagall. All are set in a warren-like building, and the art-riffing gift shop is the cultural cherry on top.
Depending on how long you’ve spent wandering the galleries, this afternoon is your window to catch the U-Bahn out to the Schönbrunn Palace, where a tour of its formal gardens and fountains, paired with tea at Café Gloriette at the top of the grounds, is your shorter option. Or, pay to tour the 18th-century mansion’s gilded state rooms and apartments for a more in-depth conjuring of Imperial Austria under (clearly flourish-loving) Maria-Theresa.
SUNDAY: EVENING
Contrast your day of Viennese classics with an evening rooted in a neighbourhood off the beaten path. If opera filled your libretto last night, this could be your cue to explore the third district, via the Heunisch & Erben bar, followed by dinner at Gmoakeller (see above).
Or, bring things back to base nearer Altstadt Vienna with a night out in the seventh: kick off with quirky cocktails such as a bacon-infused Old Fashioned or a spiced Gin-ger Rogers at lively Ulrich (the aforementioned Erich’s big-brother café, restaurant and bar), then change gear with contemporary Japanese fare at wood-lined Mari’s Metcha Matcha, where the loved-by-locals ambience belies the high quality of the dishes. For something more casual but just as well curated, XO Grill on Neubaugasse is ostensibly a burger joint, but with slow-reared beef and a co-founder in chef Ben Hofer who has previous with Nobu, Claridge’s and more.
GOOD TO KNOW
Transport Vienna’s compact nature means it’s largely walkable. You can buy time-stamped passes (for 24, 48 and 72 hours) that give you unlimited travel on U-Bahn, trams and buses; you’ll just need to validate it for use. For finding your way around, districts circle out from the first — the Innere Stadt — and you can see the district name in the postcode (1070 means seventh district and so on). This geography’s not to be confused with the Ring, which encircles the city centre and is a transport artery for trams and buses.
When to go Vienna is a 365 days a year capital: if it’s raining, go to a gallery; if it’s sunny, head to one of its parks or gardens. Winter brings a flurry of Christmas markets, and in September and October, the grape harvest and Oktoberfest traditions prompt convivial events, including the romantically named Weinwandertag (wine hiking day), when city dwellers head into the hills for scenic tramps between vineyards.
What to buy Stationery from Manufactum, soap from Wiener Seife, and circular boxes of chocolates or candied violets from Demel. Wine is grown surprisingly close to the capital, and although Viennese Grüner-Veltliner garners some attention outside Austria, its pinot-noir-light Zweigelts and punchy Blaufränkisch reds are lesser known but worth tracking down (Wein & Co has several bottle shops across the city).
Oh, Vienna: still means nothing to you? Check out our full collection of boutique hotels in Vienna.