World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Vienna  - Sightseeing
Sightseeing

The heart of Vienna is the Innerestadt, the area that lay within the city walls until they were demolished in the mid-nineteenth century. It is here that some of Vienna's most popular tourist attractions can be found, along with pedestrianised streets, and countless shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. The centre point is the Graben (literally, moat) a wide square lined with shops and pavement cafés under large umbrellas. Following the demolition of the city walls in 1857, the Ringstrasse was laid out and some of Vienna's most beautiful buildings were built along it between 1858 and 1865. Among the most important are the Staatsoper (State Opera House), Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts), Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum), Parlament (Parliament), Rathaus (City Hall) and Burgtheater.

Although most major attractions are in the 1st district, the other inner districts have much to offer. Leopoldstadt (2nd District) lies on the eastern side of the Danube Canal, it is here that the massive Prater can be found. Landstrasse (3rd) includes the Schwarzenberg Palace and the Konzerthaus, however, the main attraction is the Belvedere Palace. Wieden (4th) is a small neighbourhood that is just as fashionable as the 1st. Most of the city's activity centres around Karlsplatz, with its domed namesake, Karlskirsch. Margareten (5th) is more residential and the historic homes of Schubert and Gluck still exist here.

Mariahilf (6th) includes Vienna's busiest shopping street, Mariahilferstrass. The Naschmarkt (Produce Market) and the Flohmarkt (Flea Market, Saturday mornings) add to the excitement, and the surrounding streets are packed with Beisls (small restaurants), theatres, cafés and pubs. Neubau (7th) includes the Spittleburg Quarter, where the old houses have been renovated into boutiques, restaurants, theatres and galleries. Josefstadt (8th) was once the area favoured by civil servants; the Josefstadt Theatre, the city's oldest (1788) is still in operation. Alsergrund (9th) is often called the academic quarter; Freud's home, now a museum, is here - as is the Lichtenstein Palace, which now houses the Museum of Modern Art.

Tourist Information

Wien Tourismus
Kärntner Strasse 38
Tel: (01) 2111 4222. Fax: (01) 216 8492
E-mail: info@info.wien.at
Website: http://info.wien.at/index_e.html
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900.

Other offices are located in the airport arrivals area, at Westbahnhof train station, on the Danube Island near Florisdorfer bridge (May to September), Triester Strasse 149 (at the end of the A2 motorway, in the south of the city) and at service centre Auhof on the A1 motorway, to the west of the city. These offices provide information, make reservations, and supply brochures, maps and the Vienna Card (see Passes section).

Passes
The Vienna Card offers discounts of up to 50% at dozens of attractions, 5-10% discount at a number of shops, and special offers at a variety of cafés, restaurants and Heurigen (wine taverns). It also includes unlimited travel on the U-Bahn, bus and tram networks (except for night buses) for 72 hours. Passes are available from tourist information offices, hotels, and Wiener Linien sales and information counters for öS210. It can also be purchased in advance with a credit card (tel: (01) 7984 40028).



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