Vienna - advice please

If you are there on a Sunday, google ‘what to do in Vienna on a Sunday ‘ as quite a lot of things are shut

Get yourself the little Dorling Kindersley 'Eyewitness' travel guide. Its small but packed. There is just so much in Vienna that you really need to pick and choose and make a bit of a plan or you could wear yourself out and miss something you really wanted to see. To be honest Vienna has far too much for a short break and its also one of those cities that you just need to 'be' in...wandering around and then finding a café to suit.....its all about sitting eating cake and watching the crowds....some of whom are very smart. Enjoy and I am a tad envious!

Not the usual grand buildings but my highlights were the Kunsthaus museum and the Danube Tower revolving restaurant. And a concert in Golden Hall.

having got out my copy of the guide book I'm now staring at the info about the Palace gardens and Belvedere….we spent half a day there wandering around and then had a small private tour of the art gallery....seeing all those fabulous Klimts in the flesh will stay with me forever.

Watch the film The Third Man before you go and go to Prater Park preferably at dusk.

Then visit the sewers to see where the Third Man was filmed (tour) And the Third Man museum.

For me Vienna is all about the Third Man.

There is a tradition in Vienna of having a “Second breakfast”, which is usually a pastry and coffee eaten in one of the gorgeous Art Nouveau coffee shops. Then, after a good lunch and a bit of a stroll, it is time for a cake and a coffee or hot chocolate with whipped cream in another coffee house. I need to go back, because I have only sampled a few of the cakes.....

www.atlasobscura.com/places/vienna-grand-ferris-wheel

Thank you all for your quick responses.
I'd better wear clothes with elasticated waists DoraMarr!
I think I definitely need to start to make a plan so we don't miss anything we really want to see.

Cafe Central!

Do try to get to one of the classical music concerts. When I visited Vienna tickets were being sold on the streets in the city for small orchestral ensemble ( 5 or 6 musicians ) and it was fabulous but didn't last too long, maybe 90 minutes, I really don't remember.

We managed to see the Vienna Boys Choir and the fabulous "dancing" horses of the Spanish Riding School.

Also, while people watching from wonderful coffee shops, cakes, cakes and more cakes.....!!

I agree with H1954; we bought tickets outside the Opera House (I think about 40 - 50 euros each) for a similar concert held in a beautiful but small stately palace that was hidden behind an anonymous looking pair of huge doors in a back street! I would also suggest getting the open-top bus as soon as you get there; it will give you an idea of the main things to see and you can then decide where to visit.

Musikverein for a concert. A tour of the Opera House. visit the Cathedral. See the Golden statue of Strauss in the park. Eat Sachertorte in one of the many cafes and have a lovely time

A beautiful city, we got DK guide from the library and followed that. Don’t forget to try the strudel!

Vienna always makes me think of the New Years Day concert live on Radio 3.

Always try never to miss it. Brilliant!

www.viennaconcerts.com/lipizzaner-vienna

What about a visit to the Spanish Riding School to see the famous horses there? I liked the Kinstwerk Museum too. And you should go to Hotel Sacher and Daemel and have Sacher torte in each as each claims to have the best one.

You will enjoy Vienna! It is so beautiful and interesting. Read up maybe on Trip Advisor. We went to the Hotel Sacher for the famous cake, but I would not repeat that as it was not as glorious as I had thought and it was very expensive. I recall going to the most famous Coffee House, I loved the Schonbrunn Castle and St Stephen's Cathedral. I do envy you.....please tell us about your trip when you get back.

When I was there on Easter Sunday I sat outside a cafe in the Hofburg Square and had an Aperol Spritz! Sat in the sunshine and just enjoyed people watching. The weather was glorious.

Try your local library. Our city centre one and local one have a big selection of travel books and dvds. Once you decide which is best you can buy your own copy then donate it to the library after your break.

We were there for a week in August and it wasn’t long enough to see everything.
We bought a Vienna Pass which gave us unlimited trips on the open top buses, and tickets to quite a few palaces and museums with priority entrance so no queueing which saved a lot of time.
Highlights were a visit to Prater Park and a ride on the Ferris wheel, coffee and cake at one of the old coffee houses, Schonbrun Palace ( spent all day there) and visiting the many art galleries and museums. I’d definitely go again!

We went for a mini break last December and had a great time. The highlight was the Belvedere Palace art gallery. I was a bit underwhelmed by Schonbrunn although did enjoy the apple strudel demonstration in a building there and of course the sample afterwards. This was far superior to the cake we had in an old coffee house; but I think you pay for the experience. We enjoyed riding on the trams as far as the Danube (not the canal in the city centre that is sometimes mistaken for the Danube) and then walking over it and on the Island in the middle. We also enjoyed an evening concert in one of the churches. It was expensive but well worth it. I hope you have a brilliant trip.

Well, I would want to see the Stefansdom (the cathedral) visit the Spanish Riding School and see all the places associated with the famous composers, the Prater and Riesenrad.

I am green with envy. Hope you have a wonderful time.

Suggest you eat one evening at Zum Leupold, at Schottengasse 7. It's a very traditional Austrian restaurant, fairly informal, not too expensive and lovely (and filling) food. They restored us after a nasty bout of food poisoning contracted en route from sausages from the RailJet cafe bar. Be aware it still has, or had, a smoking area. Open every day through from 1000 till late. Near a tram stop and very close to the Hotel de France, where we were staying and also recommend.
www.leupold.at

Cafe Central and the famous Hotel Sacher for Sachertorte. We went at Christmas Markets time staying at the Hilton on Ringstrasse. Walked miles, soup in a cottage loaf bread bowl, took the bus around the city. If you want to do Schonnbron Palace, get a timed admission as we arrived at 10.30, first time was 14.30 ? We did the Christmas Market instead. Cathedral is beautiful. Have to do the Prater Wheel, we know it from Living Daylights, James Bond not Third Man.