We came here to see Wiener Riesenrad when we were in Vienna, because it's featured heavily in the…read morefilm The Third Man, which is my husband's favorite. What we did not know in our plan to visit the riesenrad (ferris wheel) and that it doesn't show you in the film, is that the wheel is in the middle of a giant amusement park, and not really a cool noir looking structure after all! Nothing against the amusement park (Prater), but just be aware that you will have to go into the park and pay to see the wheel up close. It's still cool to see from afar (and if you have kids, to go to the amusement park too). And there are rose gardens outside the park where you can sit and enjoy the wheel from afar over the trees. That's what we did and we got our photo of it that way without a million people around it!

Pretty view but not worth it, we did a combination ticket which was nice but you share the ride…read morewith 10-15 others and we went around once. Half the time we went around they were filling the ride up with other people. It's a nice view and if you only want to go around once then go for it, but you can find the view elsewhere. World's oldest Ferris wheel which was cool, but again at least go around twice. They had nice dinner carriages and depending on the price that might be something to look into.

A very quirky/funky building full of color and greenery…read more Since this is an actual apartment building, you can't go in unless you live there, but it is definitely a tourist attraction! Go down the alley/walkway beside it and hit the equally funky shops. Don't forget to check out the bathroom! 53/2025

Honestly I knew nothing about Friedensreich Hundertwasser (born Friedrich Stowasser) until I took a…read moretour of Vienna, which included a stop at the famous Hundertwasser Haus. However, one look at this building and I was hooked. Fascinating I must say. This painter, architecture doctor, ecological activist and philosopher had the goal of connecting human architecture with nature and color. The Hunderwasser Haus is quite colorful with less than straight lines, covered in various plants. There is a spiral stairway leading up to one entrance, and overgrown balcony on an upper level. Just so many interesting details to see here. Be careful though while you are admiring the building, watch out when you are walking. The entire sidewalk looks like it is buckled, but it is designed with those hills and valleys and loads of trees. So, please watch your step. Fun part is that a few shops have adapted to the same concept and have a similar style. Very neat. Definitely visit this apartment building when in Vienna.

Spittelberg was our "go to" area for many dinners, as our apartment was relatively close by. It's a…read moresmall district, maybe 4-5 blocks total - located right behind the Museumsquartier and entirely pedestrianized. Back in the day, this was the "red light" district for the soldiers serving the Hofburg palace. Most of the buildings are original, dating from the 18th and early 19th century - so you really get a feel for "old Vienna" here. The streets are cobbled and quiet so you don't feel like you're in the middle of a major city. During the day, there are cute (and pricey) boutiques, shops and art galleries. At night, there are a good number of restaurants and gasthauses to explore. We especially liked Boheme and Witwe Bolt but there are many more to pick from. If you're visiting during the Christmas season, the neighborhood hosts a popular Christmas market in the "village square" area.

Gorgeous building. We visited right after Christmas and the square is filled with Christmas…read moremarkets, drinks, food and Christmas items. Definitely worth a visit

Rathaus! This big public square in front of Vienna's City…read moreHall is a nice place to take in the scenery! This is the location of the Vienna Christmas Market, where they have outdoor ice skating, lots of paved pathways where local businesses set up huts to sell sweets and decorations! This place is decked out to the max for Christmas- lights everywhere, a giant Christmas tree, carolers, and even a nativity scene! The place was well-patrolled, felt safe, and was certainly well lit! It's a huge area, with park benches around, and plenty of trees. It's a beautiful scene to take in the intricate views of City Hall and all the amazing architecture around the plaza. The landscaping is top notch! It's located about a block off the subway for easy transit. It's a pretty main station. They could've used more restrooms around here. With all the gluhwein, they need more WCs.

Nice park for walking or a workout and views of the Hofburg complex. Also check out the Volksgarten…read moreacross the street for lilacs and roses.

It's kind of creepy that this is where 200,000 Viennese gathered in 1938 to welcome Adolf Hitler…read moreand to celebrate the Anschluss. Interesting to stand here and to marvel how Austria could embrace Hitler and Dollfuss four years earlier.

Almost a year ago, when I started writing as a scout I also wrote about this well-known place right…read morein the center of Vienna. The sun was shining, although it was a little bit cold and light wind was blowing. As it was still February the water of the fountain was not on. But - I could not believe my eyes - there were some youngsters riding their skateboards in the dry fountain! Well, what fun - on the other hand damaging a sight of Vienna!!! I missed the Austrian courage of the olden days, if a kid threw away a single piece of paper you could be sure that within the next few minutes a whole bunch of people would tell the child to pick it up - and now? The boards dash hard on the bottom of the fountain and at the sides, besides the guys could REALLY hurt themselves at the huge sharp rocks of the fountain's center. The city of Vienna pays yearly lots of money for city repairs, everybody knows that and nobody reacted!!! People of Vienna protect your city!!!!

Schwarzenbergplatz is a main transit hub. The 2, 71 and D trams intersect here. There's a nice…read morestatue of Feldmarschall Schwarzenberg on his horse in the center, but mainly it's a place to use to connect from one trolley to another. If you're hungry there's McDonald's or TGI Friday's. There's also the classic Café Schwarzenberg right here. You can see the Hochstrahlbrunnen (fountain) from here, too. It's beautiful lit up with changing colors at night.

I love the architectural built of this clock! It's gorgeous and fine in detail. During the strike…read moreof each hour, a different character appears. When the clock strikes noon, each character representing each hour pops out. It's just unbelievably stunning how much detail there is in the clock work!

There's a lot of history at this site. There are Roman barracks here, and the forum of Roman…read moreVindobona were here. Marcus Aurelius died of the plague here. This was also a marketplace and a public place to punish bakers for overcharging.

Yelp Review 2023 #270:…read more Hochstralbrunnen is a small part of a park (Schwartzenbergplatz). It's looks nothing special in the winter months for a reason. They drain the water and turn off the pipelines. The fountain is only operating in the spring, summer, and beginning of fall. It's a powerful fountain that shoots up water like a jet and sprays people - you wouldn't want to get sprayed with water in the winter, would you? However, you can still make this fountain look more interesting and worthy of a visit during the winter. Do a light show...something! So, this fountain's pipelines are connected to the Central Eastern Alps so the water is supposedly potable. I'm not about to get pelted by water to test that. I ended up here while I was at the Karlskirche and trying to get to Belvedere. It wasn't part of my itinerary at all. I watched YouTube videos of what it looks like in the summer - and it's quite nice. So, go in the summer!

Beautiful and meaningful! We stopped by as we meandered through the city. Read about it online.read more