Best Things to Do in Vienna in Winter
Home · Vienna · Winter
From the classic Vienna City Hall and Schmetterlinghaus, to lesser-known spots worth adding to your trip.
★ 4.7 · 4,504 reviews
Take in Vienna City Hall, a neo-Gothic landmark built from some 30 million bricks. Admire the towers and the Rathausmann above, then step into the ceremonial halls and corridors of a building still in daily civic use.
★ 4.2 · 8,905 reviews
Step into the Schmetterlinghaus, a historic Art Nouveau palm house in the heart of Vienna. Wander through a warm tropical setting while hundreds of colourful butterflies glide around you and settle on the plants.
★ 4.7 · 17,085 reviews
Hear music at Musikverein, the Golden Hall that is home to the Vienna Philharmonic. Take your seat among gilded columns and listen to an orchestra perform in one of the world's most celebrated acoustic spaces.
★ 4.8 · 7,677 reviews
Hear a concert at the Wiener Konzerthaus, a 1913 hall in Landstraße known for its acoustics. Choose from classical, jazz or contemporary programmes in one of Vienna's most admired music venues.
★ 4.6 · 11,606 reviews
Play with the science and history of music in a hands-on museum, even conducting a virtual orchestra. A memorable stop for families in Vienna.
★ 4.7 · 64,097 reviews
Experience the Vienna State Opera, a world-famous house in the heart of the Innere Stadt. Attend a major opera or ballet production, or tour the historic interiors to see the grand decor up close.
★ 4.8 · 595 reviews
Warm up at The Pelican Coffee Company, a cosy Alsergrund café with an inviting, unhurried feel. Order a rich flat white or a hot brew, then linger among the paintings and coffee guides on the walls.
★ 4.6 · 5,133 reviews
Take your seat at the Burgtheater, Vienna's grand national stage on the Ringstrasse. Arrive early to see the Klimt-decorated staircases, then watch a German-language production in a richly ornamented 19th-century auditorium.
★ 4.0 · 6,243 reviews
Step into Café Sperl, an 1880 coffeehouse in Mariahilf that feels unchanged by time. Order a coffee with chocolate cake or a Viennese breakfast, and enjoy the classic interior at an unhurried pace.
★ 4.2 · 231 reviews
Pause at Gasthaus am Spittelberg, a welcoming Neubau address after a day among the museums. Work through goulash with dumplings, cordon bleu or egg spaetzle in a pleasant, traditional dining room.
★ 4.6 · 502 reviews
Discover Restaurant Amador, the Döbling fine-dining address reviewers compare with Europe's three-star tables. Settle in for a leisurely multi-course meal that opens with olive oil, house-made bread and inventive amuse-bouches, accompanied by a talkative sommelier.
★ 4.6 · 2,377 reviews
Catch a play at Volkstheater, Vienna's 'People's Theater' in Neubau. Take your seat in a handsome 1889 auditorium for a classic, reinterpreted or contemporary production.
★ 4.6 · 5,924 reviews
Spend an evening at Volksoper Wien, a charming 1898 theatre in Alsergrund. Catch an opera, operetta or musical in a welcoming, acoustically strong house that feels more intimate than Vienna's grander stages.
★ 4.6 · 9,052 reviews
See a thousand years of imperial crowns, jewels and sacred treasures in the Hofburg. A highlight for history lovers visiting Vienna.
★ 4.8 · 8,505 reviews
Settle into Ronacher, a lavishly detailed 19th-century theatre in Vienna's centre. Watch a full-scale musical production in an auditorium that blends historic ornament with modern staging.
★ 4.4 · 668 reviews
Step into Vestibül, the restaurant housed in the Burgtheater's old imperial carriage entrance. Dine beneath the marble hall's grandeur on dishes like lobster soup, in a quiet room that suits an unhurried evening for two.
★ 4.8 · 36,209 reviews
Wander through gilded halls filled with old master paintings and ancient treasures. One of the great museums of Europe, and a Vienna essential.
★ 4.7 · 7,844 reviews
Catch a show at Raimund Theater, Vienna's first musical theatre, in Mariahilf. Take your seat for a large-scale production with live singing, elaborate stage effects and a full orchestra.
★ 4.7 · 36,224 reviews
Tour the grand staterooms of a Habsburg palace and see world-class prints and modern masterpieces. A top museum stop in the heart of the city.
★ 4.3 · 2,394 reviews
Stop by Café Jelinek in Mariahilf for an unhurried old-school Viennese break. Enjoy a melange with homemade cake, including vegan options, or a classic breakfast, at a table with timeless charm.
★ 4.8 · 850 reviews
Stroll Graben, a lively pedestrian street in Vienna's old city. Browse the shops, admire the ornate facades and soak up the buzz, especially when the festive lights are on.
★ 4.8 · 44,061 reviews
Step inside the Natural History Museum Vienna, a palace of science on Maria-Theresien-Platz. Climb the marble staircase, then work through halls of dinosaur skeletons, minerals and meteorites at your own pace.
★ 4.1 · 2,602 reviews
Drop into Kleines Café, a characterful late-night institution in Vienna's Innere Stadt. Order a draft beer, a glass of wine or a dessert and enjoy the unpretentious atmosphere well past midnight.
★ 4.0 · 1,755 reviews
Settle into Café Bräunerhof, a freshly renovated Viennese coffeehouse tucked on a quieter Innere Stadt street. Order a coffee with pastries or the lunch menu, and linger in its airy, traditional room.
★ 4.7 · 1,094 reviews
Take a break at kaffemik, a laid-back specialty coffee shop in Neubau. Sip carefully made coffee, perhaps from a guest roaster, and soak up the relaxed, well-designed little space.
★ 4.0 · 2,738 reviews
Discover Café Korb, a quirky Innere Stadt institution with original 1960s décor and a basement bowling alley. Sit down with coffee and cake, or a sandwich, in its classic coffeehouse atmosphere.
★ 4.4 · 2,238 reviews
Head to Café Rüdigerhof in Margareten for a cozy, characterful cafe stop. Order a plate of Kaiserschmarrn or a slice of cake, and linger in the mix of original and modern decor.
★ 4.8 · 216 reviews
Discover Silvio Nickol, the Innere Stadt fine-dining address Viennese celebrations are built around. Settle in for a long tasting-menu evening with polished, attentive service and a table made for two.
★ 4.0 · 5,351 reviews
Settle into Café Prückel, a bright mid-century coffeehouse in the heart of Vienna. Browse the newspapers over a Viennese breakfast or coffee, then finish with a homemade pastry or a classic dessert.
★ 4.2 · 6,159 reviews
Step into Café Diglas, an elegant Innere Stadt coffeehouse that feels like old Vienna. Enjoy Sachertorte, Kaiserschmarrn or apple strudel beneath its cake-adorned chandelier, perhaps with piano music in the evening.
Vienna · 🏛️ Landmark
Vienna City Hall
20 min
Vienna · 🎭 Entertainment
Schmetterlinghaus
1h
Musikverein Wien
2h30
Wiener Konzerthaus
Vienna · 🎨 Museum
House of Music
1h15
Vienna State Opera
3h
Vienna · ☕ Coffeebreak
The Pelican Coffee Company
25 min
Burgtheater
Café Sperl
45 min
Vienna · 🍽️ Food
Gasthaus am Spittelberg
Restaurant Amador
Volkstheater
Volksoper Wien
Imperial Treasury
Ronacher
Vestibül Restaurant im Burgtheater
2h
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien
Raimund Theater
Albertina
Café Jelinek
Graben
Natural History Museum Vienna
Kleines Café
Café Bräunerhof
kaffemik
Café Korb
Café Rüdigerhof
Silvio Nickol
Café Prückel
Café Diglas
