Vienna is one of the most Baroque – and therefore one of the most romantic – cities in Europe. Throughout history, countless names have passed through this city, and all of them have left a mark. The streets of Vienna witnessed Freud’s birth of psychoanalysis; its palaces and churches witnessed Mozart’s notes come to life. Strong and visionary women like Maria Theresia and free-spirited women like Sisi have passed through this city. In its cafes, Klimts talked about art; Hitler and Stalin talked about politics. There are traces of all of them in the city.
Let us remind you before starting this article: Don’t forget to download the Piri Guide mobile application to visit Vienna step by step with your personal and digital tour guide! 
Where is Vienna?
Vienna, the capital of Europe, is built on both sides of the Danube River. It is also in the north-east of Austria. Vienna is also Austria’s largest and most populous city. Its neighbour is Bratislava, but it is also very close to the Slovakian border.
When to visit Vienna?
Vienna has a generally continental climate. This means that the average temperature rarely exceeds 22 °C, especially in summer. That’s why the city is very sunny in summer, but also very pleasant. By the way, Vienna can be visited in all seasons, but Christmas time is different. The whole city is decorated and turns into a fairy tale. Big pine trees, giant snow globes and red ribbons. Lights, lights, lights, lights… The annual Christmas Markets attract tourists from all over the world.
Places to visit in Vienna:
We’ve made a list of must-visit places in Paris. Yet, we should remind you that you can find more on Piri Guide mobile app. Piri Guide detects your location, offers you the best travel routes, and starts telling you the hidden stories of wherever you are. All you have to do is to get your headphones or earbuds and follow the path at your own pace. Then, don’t set out for your trip before downloading the digital travel guide! 
Belvedere Palace
Belvedere Palace was built by Prince Eugen of Savoy. The architect was Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt. In the 1750s, Maria Theresia, the famous empress of Austria, bought the palace. She brought together collections from different parts of the empire and opened them to the public. That’s why this is one of the world’s first ‘public’ art museums. Today it is one of the most important art museums in the world. Especially in the Upper Belvedere, one of the most famous paintings in the world is exhibited, Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’.
Belvedere Palace is a large complex and consists of 3 main parts: Lower Belvedere, Upper Belvedere and Belvedere 21. Ticket prices and opening hours are different. There are ticket options covering the Lower and Upper Belvedere or the entire complex. The decision is yours, but if your time is limited, we strongly recommend you to see the Upper Belvedere.
Sigmund Freud Museum
The Sigmund Freud Museum was once the place where Freud lived and worked for 47 years, from 1891 to 1938. According to many sources, this building is the birthplace of psychoanalysis. The museum was founded in 1971 with the support of Freud’s daughter Anna. A few years ago it underwent a major renovation and reopened.
In the part of the museum that used to be a house, Freud’s personal belongings such as his glasses, canes, suitcase and the first editions of his books are exhibited. On the walls are original photographs given by his daughter Anna and a family tree. There is a psychoanalysis library upstairs. This library is the largest library in Europe in this field with 35 thousand works. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions.
Hofburg Imperial Palace
The Hofburg Imperial Palace is one of the largest palace complexes in the world. The palace is home to several sections, especially shedding light on the history of the Hofburg dynasty. One of them is the Sisi Museum, dedicated to Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Sisi’s personal belongings are exhibited in the museum. Here you can see the glittering dresses, umbrellas and fans that added beauty to her beauty, the milk glass and medicine box she took on her travels.
Following the Sisi Museum is the ‘Imperial Apartments’. This is the 24-room section where Franz Joseph and Sisi lived. You can see their bedrooms, dining and study rooms, lounges, bathrooms, and even Sisi’s dressing and exercise room. The left side of the building houses the Spanish Riding School. This is the only royal riding school still in operation in the world.
Austrian National Library
The Austrian National Library is the largest library in the country. The jewel in the crown is the Great Hall. There are more than 200,000 artefacts dating from the 16th to 19th centuries. Some of the most special works belong to Martin Luther.
The Great Hall is one of the places where you will feel what Baroque means in your soul. Corinthian columns between dark wooden bookcases, lots of gilding in the details, frescoes on the ceiling and human-sized sculptures. An enormous dome adorns the ceiling of the Great Hall. The magnificent frescoes on it were painted by the Austrian painter Daniel Gran in the second half of the 1720s. The dome is decorated with various mythological stories.
Vienna Mozart House
Mozart was born in Salzburg. And he lived only 35 years. The famous composer spent 10 years of his short life in Vienna. He called it ‘the best place in the world for my profession’. He changed 13 houses in 10 years. Most of them have not survived to the present day, only this one remains. Mozart and his family lived on the first floor of this building. The house where he lived with his family is today a museum dedicated to him.
The museum aims to shed light on Mozart’s life with visual and written materials. The museum is designed to start exploring from the 3rd floor. On this floor, the relationship between Mozart and Vienna is revealed. The second floor focuses on Mozart’s music and his composer and fellow musicians. There is also a small concert hall on this floor, which hosts concerts and events. On the first floor, there are traces of the life of the Mozart family.
Bonus: Café Central
Vienna is also famous for its cafes. At every step you can come across a café where history is written. One of the most important ones is Café Central, opened in 1876. It was moved in 1876. Among its regulars were intellectual names such as Freud, Zweig and politicians such as Trotsky, Stalin and Hitler. Trotsky even said ‘Who will make the revolution? Trotsky is sitting in Café Central’. Games such as billiards and cards were played in Vienna cafes. This place, Café Central, even had a chess room. When you go to the café, be sure to try Vienna’s famous coffee melange.
If you want to see Budapest while you are in Vienna, don’t forget to check our Budapest guide.
