Hi and welcome to Vienna, Austria’s amazing capital.
In this video, I will go on a walking tour through Vienna’s First District
and on the way, I will cover the top-10 questions you may have when preparing your visit to Vienna. Let’s check it out.
Let me first give you a bit of background on Vienna’s history.
Vienna dates back to the Roman empire that established the military camp called Vindobona.
Today, Vienna is characterized by the many Baroque buildings that were created mostly under the rule of Empress Maria Theresia (1740 - 1780).
Emperor Franz Joseph (1848 - 1916) was largely responsible for the monumental and impressive architecture around the Ringstraße circuit.
Vienna, or Wien in German, has a population of 1.9 million, 2.6 million if you count the entire Vienna metropolitan area.
That’s a third of Austria’s population and makes it by far Austria’s largest city.
It is also the 6th largest city in the European Union, by population within city limits.
Today, it is the second largest German-speaking city, after Berlin.
Geographically, the city is located in the eastern part of Austria
and is close to the borders of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Along with nearby Bratislava, Vienna forms a metropolitan region with 3 million inhabitants.
In 2001, the city center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What is Vienna known for? Well, it is of course known as the "City of Music"
due to its musical legacy, as many famous classical musicians and composers such as Strauß, Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn lived in Vienna.
It is of course well known for having played an important role as a leading European music center,
starting with Viennese Classicism and leading well through the early part of the 20th century.
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world’s best, the Staatsoper one of the world’s leading opera houses, and the Vienna Boys’ Choir one the world’s most famous.
Vienna not only a great city to visit but is also known for its quality of life.
In fact, over the past decade, it has been ranked as one of the most, if not the the most livable city in the world
and is regularly used as an example of sound urban planning.
And while you could just stroll through the city, discover the Viennese charm and experience the special atmosphere of Vienna,
there are a number of must-see sights and landmarks that should be on your travel itinerary.
Please check out my detailed video on the most important sightseeing landmarks in Vienna that you definitely don’t want to miss.
I will link the video down in the description and make it part of my playlist on Austria.
But let’s get to the top-10 questions you may have when preparing your visit to Vienna:
1. How many days should I spend in Vienna?
You can easily spend a week in Vienna and will not get bored.
But if Vienna is only one of several stops of your Europe trip or tour through Austria, I would say try to stay at least 3 days in Vienna.
There’s so much to see and do in Vienna and it’s difficult to see the major highlights in less than 3 days.
2. What is the best time to visit Vienna?
The answer is: It depends.
The summer months of July and August usually come with the warm and sunny weather that makes a visit to Vienna particularly enjoyable.
But they also draw the highest number of visitors.
The tourist crowds in summer can make the room rates skyrocket.
If you are flexible and prefer more affordable accommodation rates while still getting some mild weather, the best time to visit Vienna may be from May to June or September to October.
Winter can be quite special in Vienna too, but the weather gets rainy with usually cold temperatures at around or below 0 degrees Celsius.
3. Is Vienna a safe city?
Vienna is a very safe city and in general you will have no trouble walking around, even at night.
I heard that some places can potentially be a bit dodgy at night are Karlsplatz station and Gumpendorfer Strasse, Prater and Praterstern.
But I walked at Karlsplatz and Prater in the late evening and, to be honest, didn’t find them particularly dodgy.
I’d say, the usual precautions apply in Vienna, as they do in every larger city.
4. Where can you stay in Vienna?
Vienna has plenty of options for travelers, ranging from youth hostels, budget hotels to high-end 5-star luxury hotels.
AirBnB may be another great option for you, especially if you value having a place with a kitchen.
The Innere Stadt, Vienna’s first district and the Museums Quartier are among the best neighborhoods to stay in Vienna.
This is the heart of Historic Vienna, where you will find almost all the major popular tourist attractions.
Accommodation prices will likely also be the highest there though.
The grand boulevard Ringstrasse surrounds Innere Stadt.
You stand better chances to find more affordable accommodation options in the parts of the city that are outside of Ringstrasse.
As a rule of thumb, the further away from the city center, the less pricy the accommodation - but exceptions apply to that rule of course.
5. What is the best way to explore Vienna?
Vienna is one of Europe's top pedestrian-friendly capital cities. Getting around Vienna is easy.
If you stay within the inner ring of the city center, in the First District, you can easily walk just about everywhere,
except maybe Schönbrunn palace which is a bit outside of the city center.
But you will do a lot of walking nevertheless and your feet may eventually get tired.
Luckily, Vienna has excellent public transportation infrastructure.
The metro, tram and buses will take you pretty much anywhere in Vienna.
6. Is public transportation free in Vienna?
Public transport is very convenient but definitely not free in Vienna.
The metro, local trains, trams and buses in Vienna work on an honesty system.
So while you won’t see any ticket barriers at stations and no formal, permanent ticket checks inside the trains and buses, it would still be a bad idea to not pay for transportation.
Fees when you get caught are hefty and you shouldn’t even try.
Plus, public transportation is relatively affordable and certainly very comfortable.
A Tram ticket for travel within Vienna costs EUR 2:40. Children pay half.
You can also get a 24or 48-hour pass for €8 and €14.10 respectively.
7. Do they speak English in Vienna?
Vienna is a very cosmopolitan city and most people will speak English, especially in the city center and areas that are most frequented by tourists.
8. How much money will you need for your trip to Vienna?
Well, that of course largely depends on your style of travel.
Based on the average daily expenses of other travelers, you should plan to spend around €117 ($142) per day on your vacation in Vienna.
Calculate to spend, on average, €23 ($28) on meals for one day and €12 ($14) on local transportation.
But again, these are average numbers and you can probably get by with less - and spend way more.
9. How much is food in Vienna?
In general, food in Vienna can get a bit expensive, but there are still plenty of budget options too.
The best value options are usually not in the high priced areas of the city center but rather in side streets or areas that may be less frequented by tourists.
In any caee, you can always find a sandwich, some wiener sausages or some fast food to save on dining expenses.
Scope out the good value options before you head out for the day to not risk spending more than what you would like.
Alternatively, stay in a short-term rental with a kitchen and get your own food from the supermarkets.
Check out my video on prices in Austria linked below.
10. Is Vienna or Salzburg better?
If you are torn between Vienna and Salzburg and you can only see one you have a tough choice to make:
If you are keen on seeing the mountains, want to venture into the Alps, do some hiking, get some fresh air and visit alpine villages and lakes,
Salzburg clearly comes out on top.
But if you want to experience the majestic palaces, impressive historic landmarks,
European metropolitan city life, rich cultural venues, and the nightlife of a big city, Vienna may be your preferred choice.
Check out my videos on Vienna and see for yourself.
I hope you found this Austria travel video on Vienna useful and it answered some of your questions you have for your visit to Vienna.
If that’s the case, please give it a like down below and share some additional tips in the comments section.
Also check out my other videos on Vienna and Salzburg, as well as the many beautiful towns and villages in the Salzkammergut in Alpine Upper Austria.
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and many other amazing travel destinations. Have a great rest of the day! Bye bye.