With so many incredible buildings to admire, cafes to visit and concerts to experience, you could easily spend months in Vienna and never do the same thing twice. But since months-long holidays are a luxury most of us can only dream of, sometimes we have to squeeze as much as possible into a single weekend. If you’re planning on spending a couple of days in Vienna and want to make the most of your fleeting visit, here’s how we recommend you use your 48 hours.
Start off by treating yourself to a gourmet weekend breakfast extravaganza at Café Gloriette. The most magnificent coffeehouse in Austria, this exclusive café rewards diners with spectacular views of Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens, as well as delectable local cuisine. The long, leisurely breakfast experience lasts 2.5 hours, during which you’ll be able to feast on a buffet comprised of everything from freshly-baked breads, crispy bacon and grilled sausages to traditional meatballs, smoked salmon and authentic gugelhupf (a special bundt cake). Top it all off with a complimentary glass of bubbling prosecco and your weekend in Vienna is definitely off to the right start.
After breakfast, continue the foodie activities with a trip to Naschmarkt. This is the capital’s best-known market, made up of around 120 market stands and restaurant stalls offering a plethora of delicious eats. Whether you want to indulge in a sophisticated cheese and wine experience (if you’re not too full from breakfast!), shop for exotic herbs and spices you can’t get at home, or feast on local Austrian produce, you can fulfil your epicurean desires here.
Then it’s onto Austria’s most popular attraction and World Heritage Site, Schönbrunn Palace. Made up of 1,441 different rooms, this colossal complex is brimming with fascinating artefacts from history. Highlights include the apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Sisi, the Bergl Rooms decorated with impressive tropical murals and the Great Gallery where glamorous balls were once held.
Continue on to the former summer residence of Prince Eugen of Savoy, Belvedere Palace. This regal structure is now a World Heritage Site and home to the largest collection of Gustav Klimt paintings in the world, including “Judith” and “Kiss”. The baroque architectural wonder is made up of two palaces (Upper Belvedere and Lower Belvedere) where you’ll find all sorts of other artistic masterpieces from the Middle Ages up to today.
If you’re unfamiliar with Vienna, the best way to find your bearings as quickly as possible is to grab tickets for the hop-on hop-off bus. These buses offer 6 different routes and 50 stops, covering some of the biggest and best Vienna attractions. Included in the price of the ticket is an audio guide, walking tours in English and German and free WiFi access. If you do go down this route, you can find all the above attractions on the hop-on hop-off bus yellow line.
After exploring on foot, give your weary legs a rest and enjoy a traditional fiaker ride through the streets of central Vienna. Taking it easy and soaking up the atmosphere on a horse and carriage ride is definitely one of the best ways to experience the city and it’s always hugely popular with children.
Click here to get a combo ticket for the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus and fiaker ride .
Witness the famous snow-white Lipizzaner stallions and their skilled riders perform spectacular jumps during a Spanish Riding School performance. You’ll be treated like royalty as you sit in the chairs where former leaders and VIPs once sat as you’re treated to the brilliance of “High School of Classical Horsemanship” and highlights of “School Above the Ground”. The incredible “School Quadrille” finale is comprised of eight riders and horses who show off remarkably complex elements in unison, all to classical Viennese music.
The Spanish Riding School is set within the Hofburg Palace, making it a great place to visit next. One of the largest palace complexes on Earth covering a whopping 59 acres, Hofburg Palace is considered to be a city within a city, bursting with fantastic things to see, including the Sisi museum dedicated to Empress Elisabeth, the Imperial Apartments where many VIPs resided and the Royal Chapel where the Vienna Boys’ Choir performs mass each Sunday.
If Belvedere Palace gave you a taste for European art, you’ll love the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Build in 1891 to guard the extensive art collection of the imperial family, this museum is now home to the largest Bruegel collection in the world and is widely considered to be one of the most eminent museums there is. Highlights include Raphael’s “Madonna in the Meadow”, the “Infanta” paintings by Velazquez and several masterpieces by Rubens.