Innere Stadt

The St. Stephen's Cathedral (Steffl, as the Viennese say) is Vienna's landmark and one of the most significant Gothic structures in Europe. It has stood in the heart of the city since the 12th century—the current building largely dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. The South Tower rises 136.4 meters into the sky and was the tallest building in Austria for centuries.

What is there to see?

• South Tower (Old Steffl): 343 steps—a narrow spiral staircase that narrows further as you ascend. The reward: a 360° panorama over Vienna—Ringstraße, Prater, Danube, Vienna Woods. On clear days, you can see the Alps. Admission: €6.
• North Tower (Pummerin): Accessible by elevator—here hangs the Pummerin, Austria's largest bell (21 tons). It rings only on special occasions—New Year's Eve, state events. Admission: €6.
• The Roof: 250,000 colored glazed tiles form the characteristic pattern—the double-headed eagle and the Vienna city coat of arms. Best viewed from the surrounding rooftop terraces.
• Catacombs: Beneath the cathedral stretch the catacombs with the remains of 11,000 Viennese and the entrails of the Habsburg emperors (the hearts lie in the Augustinian Church, the bodies in the Capuchin Crypt—the Habsburgs liked to distribute their mortal remains). Tour: €6.50, every 15–30 min.
• Interior: The Gothic nave with the Wiener Neustädter Altar (1447), the Baroque pulpit, and the tomb of Emperor Frederick III. Entrance to the nave: free.

The Hofburg

The Hofburg was the residence of the Habsburgs for 600 years—from the 13th century until the end of the monarchy in 1918. Today, it houses the official seat of the Federal President, the Spanish Riding School, the Austrian National Library, and several museums. The complex is enormous: 18 wings, 2,600 rooms, 240,000 m².

• Imperial Apartments & Sisi Museum: The private chambers of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi). The Sisi Museum tells her story beyond the kitsch cliché—a smart, restless woman who despaired at court. Admission: €18 (combined ticket with the Silver Collection).
• Spanish Riding School: For 450 years, Lipizzaner stallions have been trained here in the Baroque Winter Riding School. The morning exercise (training, 55 min., from €15) is cheaper and more personal than the gala performance (from €31). A unique experience.
• Austrian National Library (State Hall): One of the most beautiful library halls in the world—80 meters long, Baroque ceiling frescoes, 200,000 historical books. €10 admission, worth every cent.

The Ringstraße

The Ring is Vienna's most famous boulevard—5.3 km long, laid out in 1857 by Emperor Franz Joseph on the site of the demolished city fortifications. It is lined with the most important monumental buildings like pearls on a string:

• Vienna State Opera—opened in 1869, home to Mahler, Strauss, and Karajan. Standing tickets from €4!
• Parliament—Neoclassicism with the Pallas Athena Fountain.
• City Hall—Neo-Gothic, with a Christmas market in December and open-air cinema in summer.
• Burgtheater—The most important German-speaking stage.
• University of Vienna—Founded in 1365, one of the oldest in the world.

You can circle the Ring with the tram lines 1 and 2—a cheap sightseeing tour for €2.40 (single ticket).

Upper Belvedere

The Upper Belvedere is a Baroque pleasure palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy—and home to Austria's most famous painting: Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" (1907/08). The painting hangs in its own room and attracts thousands of visitors daily: gold, eroticism, Art Nouveau—a masterpiece that is even more impressive in person than in any reproduction.

The collection also includes works by Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Claude Monet, and the largest Klimt collection in the world. The view from the garden over the city is a postcard motif. Admission: €18.50.

Albertina

The Albertina in the southeastern corner of the Hofburg houses one of the most important graphic collections in the world: over a million prints and 65,000 drawings—including Dürer's "Young Hare" and "Praying Hands," Klimt's drawings, Schiele's nudes, and an outstanding collection of Classical Modernism (Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso). The Albertina Modern at Karlsplatz showcases contemporary art. Admission: €18.90.

Capuchin Crypt (Imperial Crypt)

In the unassuming Capuchin Church at the Neuer Markt rest 149 Habsburgs in 12 crypt rooms—including Maria Theresa (in a magnificent double sarcophagus with Franz Stephan), Franz Joseph, and Sisi. The last burial: 2011 (Zita of Bourbon-Parma). A gloomy, fascinating place. Admission: €8.50.

Vienna's Innere Stadt is a paradise for strolling—Baroque facades, Art Nouveau details, hidden courtyards, and the feeling of walking through a living architecture museum.

The Most Beautiful Streets

• Graben: Vienna's most magnificent pedestrian zone—the Plague Column (1679), Art Nouveau facades, and luxury shops. Vienna has been strolling here since the Middle Ages.
• Kohlmarkt: From Graben to the Hofburg—Vienna's most elegant mile with the confectionery Demel (the other Sachertorte) and the perfumery Loden-Plankl. At the end: the view through the Michaelertor into the Hofburg.
• Kärntner Straße: From St. Stephen's Cathedral to the State Opera—Vienna's number one shopping street. Touristy, but the architecture is worth a look upwards.

Hidden Gems

• Judenplatz: The Holocaust Memorial (Rachel Whiteread, 2000)—an inverted library made of concrete. Next to it: the Museum at Judenplatz with excavations of the medieval synagogue.
• Griechenbeisl: Vienna's oldest restaurant (since 1447)—Beethoven, Schubert, Mark Twain, and many others dined here. The ceiling of the "Augustiner-Stüberl" is covered with signatures of famous guests.
• Mozarthaus Vienna: The only preserved Viennese apartment of Mozart—here he composed "The Marriage of Figaro." Domgasse 5, admission: €12.