Guide to Spend a Week in Vienna
Introduction
Vienna is a city full of history and culture, with plenty to do and see. For instance, take a tour of Schoenbrunn Palace, where you can learn about the Habsburgs who once lived there. Or visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral and get a taste for how Vienna used to be hundreds of years ago. You can even go on an architectural walking tour through the city’s historic center—all the while learning about some of its most famous buildings and landmarks!
Here are five tips for spending a week in Vienna:
The Gemuetlichkeit of Vienna
Gemuetlichkeit is a concept that has been popularized in recent decades, but its meaning is difficult to translate into English. It’s often used to describe the atmosphere of a place, or the feeling of being there: “The Gemuetlichkeit of Vienna was contagious.” The word itself comes from German and can be translated as “conviviality,” but it’s more than just socializing–it’s also about enjoying life with friends while eating delicious food and drinking good wine.
It’s easy to find places where you can experience this kind of relaxing environment in Vienna; many restaurants have outdoor seating areas where you can enjoy your meal while taking in some fresh air (or if it’s raining, inside!). Or maybe you’d prefer sitting down at one of the city’s many cafes–there are plenty of options for those who want coffee drinks or alcoholic beverages too!
Vienna’s Art Scene
Vienna is a city of museums. With over 2,000 years of history to explore, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in Vienna. The second highest concentration of galleries in the world means that you’ll never run out of places to visit while you’re here–and what’s more, this art scene is constantly evolving as new artists emerge on the scene and old ones gain recognition worldwide.
The city hosts several major festivals each year dedicated to contemporary art; including one called “Vienna Contemporary,” which takes place every spring at venues throughout the city center (including MAK – Museum Of Applied Arts). Another notable festival is “Artissima,” an international contemporary art fair held annually since 1988 at various locations across Turin Italy; but don’t worry if you can’t attend either event because there are plenty other ways for locals or tourists alike interested in seeing some great works by both established masters such as Gustav Klimt alongside newer talents like Hanna Ljungberg who recently won first prize at ArtPrize 2015!
The Vienna Philharmonic
The Vienna Philharmonic is one of the most famous orchestras in the world. Founded in 1842, it has become known for its distinctive sound, which is a result of its unique instrumentation.
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra consists only of string instruments: violins, violas, cellos and double basses. This allows it to create something called “a string tone”–an effect created by playing several strings together at once that can’t be replicated by other instruments or even multiple players on those same instruments (such as timpani). The resulting sound makes them instantly recognizable as having come from this orchestra alone!
Musical Instrument Museum
The Musical Instrument Museum is located in a former palace, and it houses a collection of over 10,000 musical instruments. The museum is part of the Vienna Philharmonic and thus has an especially rich collection of stringed instruments–the violins, violas and cellos are particularly impressive.
The museum is open daily from 9:30am to 5:30pm; admission is free!
Take a Cooking Class
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make schnitzel, strudel or any other Austrian dish, cooking classes are the perfect way to do it.
You can find cooking classes in most major cities around the world, but Vienna has one of the best programs due to its rich culinary history and culture.
You’ll learn how traditional recipes are made from scratch using local ingredients and techniques passed down through generations. Most classes take place at night so you can enjoy your day exploring Vienna during daylight hours before heading back home for some hands-on learning!
In addition to being an opportunity for cultural immersion, cooking classes are also great places where people come together over food — whether they’re locals or tourists like yourself!
Design in the City
Design in the City is a great way to learn about the history of design. It’s also a good way to get an overview of Vienna, Austria and its culture. The museum is located in MuseumsQuartier, which was once part of an old army barracks complex; now it houses several museums and galleries as well as restaurants, bars, shops and other attractions that are open throughout all four seasons.
Biking, Walking and Hiking in Vienna
There are many ways to get exercise in Vienna. You can go for a walk or hike, bike ride and even do some swimming at one of the many lakes.
If you want to spend some time outdoors and enjoy nature, here are some places that we recommend:
- The Prater is an old amusement park with lots of trees where people like to walk their dogs or just hang out with friends. It’s also known as “Wurstelprater” because there are many stands selling sausage sandwiches (Wuerstel). You can rent bicycles here if you want too!
- Schoenbrunn Palace Park is another popular place for tourists since it has beautiful gardens with ponds full of fish where visitors can feed them bread crumbs from their hands! There’s also an outdoor theatre where concerts are sometimes held at night time which makes for a nice evening stroll under moonlight 🙂
There are so many things to do in Vienna!
- Vienna is an incredibly diverse city, and there are many things to do in Vienna. You will see this as you travel around the city and visit different museums, galleries, churches and other attractions.
- Some of the highlights include:
- The Schonbrunn Palace (one of Europe’s largest palaces) which was built in 1696 by Duke Maximilian II. He wanted his new home to be a place where he could relax with his wife Sisi after long days at court or hunting trips in the nearby forest. Today it’s open for tours with guides explaining all about its history as well as pointing out some interesting facts about its former residents including Emperor Franz Joseph I who lived here from 1854 until 1916! -The Spanish Riding School (home of Lipizzaner horses) where you can see these amazing creatures perform balletic movements on their hind legs while wearing white horseshoes made from wood instead of metal so they don’t hurt themselves when jumping upwards during performances! -St Stephen Cathedral which has been standing since 1145 AD when it was first constructed by Margrave Leopold III because he wanted something grander than anything else around at that time.”
Conclusion
Vienna is a city with a lot to offer, and it’s easy to spend a week exploring all of its museums, parks, concerts and events. If you’re looking for some ideas on how best to spend your time in Vienna, we hope that this article has given you some inspiration!