Spittelberg was our "go to" area for many dinners, as our apartment was relatively close by. It's a…read moresmall district, maybe 4-5 blocks total - located right behind the Museumsquartier and entirely pedestrianized. Back in the day, this was the "red light" district for the soldiers serving the Hofburg palace. Most of the buildings are original, dating from the 18th and early 19th century - so you really get a feel for "old Vienna" here. The streets are cobbled and quiet so you don't feel like you're in the middle of a major city. During the day, there are cute (and pricey) boutiques, shops and art galleries. At night, there are a good number of restaurants and gasthauses to explore. We especially liked Boheme and Witwe Bolt but there are many more to pick from. If you're visiting during the Christmas season, the neighborhood hosts a popular Christmas market in the "village square" area.

Major transportation hub at the edge of inner city that you can go through without crossing the…read moresurface street. Other side is the beautiful park with lots of shades, benches, fountains, sculptures, churches, temples and museums. Takes time to visit and relax.

This was the closest station to our hotel so we became familiar with it over the course of a week…read more It is much larger (underground) than I initially realized. One arm extends away from the main terminal to the west for a few blocks. This is a good option to avoid having to cross multiple surface streets or avoid inclement weather. The furthest exit comes out near the Succession art museum. Another arm extends north a few blocks to the State Opera House. This is again convenient for avoiding street traffic, but this arm also has a number of shops and small eateries as well. The central nexus (where you change subway lines) has a number of food options as well. If you are going to be in this area much, it is worth exploring this station as a means of saving yourself transit time on the streets.

Beautiful and meaningful! We stopped by as we meandered through the city. Read about it online.read more

High spray water fountain and the Soviet War Memorial (Heroes' Monument of the Red Army) is the…read moreplace to cool off during summer, especially if you are walking from Belvedere Palace to Karlskirche. There are always some activities going on around this park that might match your interests. The night show is quite beautiful for photographers. Remember, the fountain is not operating during winter. Something to read for your interest: The number of fountains is symbolic with the edge of Hochstrahlbrunnen having 365 little fountains that represent the days of the year, the 12 high fountains represent the months of the year, and the 24 smaller fountains the hours of the day. Six medium-sized fountains and the central island are said to represent the days of the week and the 30 other fountains represent the days of the month. This was a rearrangement done in 1906 as originally, the structure had one central fountain to represent a year, four smaller ones to represent the seasons, and 365 to represent the days of the year.

Ringstrasse is the street where most of the culturally important landmarks and tourist sites are…read morelocated. I recommend hopping on a tram/bus and taking it all the way around this circular boulevard so you get a sense of where everything is located in relation to each other, as well as to get a feel for the city. It's a main street, so it is extremely busy with both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. It was built on what was once the old city walls, hence it being a ring (same word in German). Hubs and I took the tram around it AND walked most of it, just to get up close and personal with some of the buildings, like the Parliament and City Hall. The best shopping and restaurants are inside the ring, the Innere Stadt, but you can find a few decent place on the outskirts. 72/2025

Nice park for walking or a workout and views of the Hofburg complex. Also check out the Volksgarten…read moreacross the street for lilacs and roses.

It's kind of creepy that this is where 200,000 Viennese gathered in 1938 to welcome Adolf Hitler…read moreand to celebrate the Anschluss. Interesting to stand here and to marvel how Austria could embrace Hitler and Dollfuss four years earlier.

This is a delightful little corner of Vienna you could easily miss even if you spent your while…read morelife in the city. But you definitely don't want to miss it! Over the years Yppenplatz has developed into a lovely place for people to come together. There are wonderful restaurants, a couple of artsy places and the classic Viennese Staud's marmelade store. You can spend an enjoyable morning or afternoon here and finish it all off with a trip next door to the Brunnenmarkt, an authentic market which, unlike many markets in Vienna, hasn't lost its ethnically diverse character. Personally, I like to treat myself to breakfast at An-Do or Rasouli, buy some fresh fruit and veg at the market and then stop by Halis Börek to pick up some sweetpotato börek for my kids. The wonderfully old-fashioned (in the experience-a-piece-of-history sense of the word) Kaffee Putz is a great place to stop in, too. Yppenplatz is an ideal example of true local character.