Summer in Vienna: time for sightseeing, culture & enjoyment

01

Sightseeing

From St Stephen's Cathedral to Schönbrunn, from Parliament to the Giant Ferris Wheel. Vienna is home to world-class icons. Summer is the perfect time to admire them. Many of the world-famous buildings can be found in the historic city centre and are wonderful to discover on a leisurely stroll through the city.

Start at the Hotel Kaiserhof Wien, be impressed by the Karls­kirche and stroll along the Ringstrasse towards Stephansplatz. On your way, you will come across architec­tural highlights spanning monarchy and modernity.

02

Museums & Exhibitions

Vienna's museums have always been inspiring. They are dedicated to both history and modernity, the sciences and fine arts, the city and its people. From the venerable double of natural and art­historical museum on the Ring to the vibrant MuseumsQuartier and the Albertina.

Vienna's museum landscape is as diverse as the city's visitors. In addition to permanent exhibitions, Vienna's museum curators regularly introduce exciting new exhibitions to the city.

03

Music & Festivals

In summer, Vienna is the venue for Europe's largest festival. Every year in June, several hundred thousand visitors visit the Danube Island to experience national and international pop musicians, cabaret artists, sports and cultural events at the Danube Island Festival. The less commercial counterpart is the Popfest, which brings promising and established musicians to the stage on Karlsplatz in July.

For several weeks in May and June, the Vienna Festival brings theatre, opera and dance productions from Austria and around the world to Vienna.

In July and August, the film festival on Rathausplatz celebrates operas, operettas and concerts ranging from pop to jazz with open-air film screenings. Accompanied by a culinary offer.

Theatre in the Park brings well-known cabaret artists and musicians to an open-air stage next to the Belvedere throughout the summer.

04

Green Vienna

Green Vienna with its parks and open spaces invites you to go for walks and enjoy the sun. Danube Island, Schönbrunn, Stadt­park and Volksgarten are just some of the spots that offer quiet, relaxing hours in Vienna in summer, far away from the city traffic. They are also wonderful places to go for a morning jog.

The famous Vienna Central Cemetery, which was the subject of a hit song by Austropop legend Wolfgang Ambros in 1975, is an extraordinary highlight for visitors. Covering almost two and a half square kilometres, the cemetery is one of the largest in Europe. Around 330,000 graves take you back to the history of the city. Ludwig van Beethoven, Falco, Udo Jürgens, Arthur Schnitzler, Friedrich Torberg and Jochen Rindt, among others, rest here.

01

Markets

Vienna's markets offer culinary delights that go far beyond the country's borders. Not just for shopping, but also for savouring a breakfast or snack on the spot.

The Naschmarkt, which is just an eight-minute walk from the Hotel Kaiserhof, is a hotspot that brings flavours from all over the world to Vienna. The Brunnenmarkt is similarly international, offering regional agricultural products as well as many Far Eastern specialities. It is not for nothing that Europe's longest permanent street market is also known as Orient ums Eck.

In the Servitenviertel district, it is not only the market of the same name that is a culinary highlight, the neighbourhood in the 9th district is also home to a large number of culinary delights. The former flower market on Rochusplatz has now developed into one of Vienna's best quality food markets.

02

Restaurants & pubs

Vienna's pub culture is as rich as the city's history and as diverse as its population. Traditional cuisine is just as much at home in pubs as in award-winning restaurants.

Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz and Sachertorte are among the famous high­lights. You can enjoy these at Gasthaus Ubl or Gasthaus Wolf, for example, both just a few minutes' walk from the Kaiserhof Wien. In these pubs, the ambience and menu go hand in hand. Meanwhile, the 3-star Steierereck and Plachutta restaurants are among the classier addresses.

You can also experience typical Vienna by stopping off at a sausage stand, which can be found on many street corners, for example after a theatre or opera performance.

After all, Vienna is also an international metropolis where dishes from all over the world are served. The selection ranges from Italy to Japan, from France to the Orient.

03

Under the sun

In the Viennese summer, drinks taste best outdoors. In addition to the countless guest gardens in the alleyways and tranquil courtyards of the city, there are a few places that provide a special feeling on a summer holiday in Vienna. For example, the Strand­bar Hermann and the Summerstage on the Danube Canal, the Vienna City Beach Club and the Wake Up on the New Danube.

Also an experience: the Heu­rigen in the countryside on the outskirts of the city: Neustift, Nussdorf, Sievering and Grinzing are the best-known addresses for a sunny afternoon in the Heu­rigen with Viennese wine. Here the choice is as extensive as the view.

04

Coffee house culture

Coffee has a long tradition in Vienna. So much so that UNESCO recognised the Viennese coffee house culture as an intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Its roots lie in the 17th century and its importance for the city can hardly be overestimated. Numerous establishments are closely linked to Vienna's art, literature and music scene. These traditional coffee houses still characterise the cityscape today with their charm and social significance.

The best-known establishments include Café Hawelka, sung about by Georg Danzer, Kaffee Alt Wien and Café Central, Imperial and Schwarzenberg, Sacher and Café Landtmann. The oldest coffee houses still in existence today include Café Frauenhuber (opened in 1824) and Café Demel (1786).

05

Ice cream enjoyment

Vienna is known for many things. However, Vienna as an ice cream city is still something of an insider tip. Yet ice cream has a long tradition in Vienna. Ice-cream makers came to Vienna from Italy as early as the 19th century. The ice cream parlour on Schwedenplatz opened its doors in 1886 and still does today. The name Tichy has also become an institution, opening its first parlour on Reumannplatz in the 1950s.

Over 150 ice cream parlours provide refreshing treats in Vienna in summer. From classic Italian gelato to very modern creations that may surprise some.