Named after the Michael, archduke of Austria-Este, whose reigned extended from 1848 to his death in…read more1867, Michaelerplatz at first glance appears to be a picturesque circular area directly adjacent to the northeast entrance of the Hofburg palace buildings. Its location marks the meeting of pedestrian retail street Kohlmarkt and automobile lanes of Herrengasse, Schauflergasse and Reitschulgasse. Upon deeper investigation, for centuries this circle has played a role in trade and transportation in Vienna. In the center of this roundabout, ruins from Roman times were uncovered in 1990, originating from the era when the square was part of a legionary camp, a crossroads of trading routes and setting for local businesses. Today it's the hub for notable sites such Michaelerkirche (St. Michael's Church), the Hofburg Palace complex, Looshaus (an early 20th century modernist building designed by Alfred Loos), and Palais Herberstein, one of many local palace buildings in the area. You can see lots of horse drawn carriages nearby, as it's a central tourist thoroughfare nowadays. Worth walking thru and admiring if you're in the neighborhood!

Located just behind the Hofburg, Michaelerplatz is a busy junction of streets and pedestrian zones…read morewith a bit of Roman ruins thrown in! You need to watch out for horse drawn carriages as well, so it's a real mash up of everything a city can throw at you. When you exit the Hofburg, shopping and eating are down the street directly in front of you. To the right is access to the Burggarten and Spanish Riding School. In the middle is the ruins. The Looshaus and St. Michael's Church are also right on the plaza. This is another great spot for a meetup or to take a bit of a rest, but the ruins are what make it special, in my opinion. If you like ancient history, and /or archaeology, you're going to want to see this square. 61/2025

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.

One of the prettiest ratshall I have seen in Austria or in Germany for that matter. It is a city a…read morehall. Our city halls in MI are far inferior to the likes of this place, by leaps and bounds. The steeples at the top makes it appear more like a cathedral than a city hall, but religious or city matters, it's still a beautiful place to conduct either task. The surrounding area is also fun to wander, take a stroll. It is also the base for their Christmas market, should you be lucky enough to come during the holidays at all.

Gorgeous City Hall! Historic site. Unfortunately it was closed today but I had to share it's…read morebeauty. And it's beautiful Christmas Market. It's so nice to be surrounded by happy people, especially the children lacing their skates to get a first taste of winter. The Market like all markets selling festive Christmas gifts, food, skate rentals and much more. Throughout the week watching Austria prepare for Christmas was a highlight. Hopefully my pictures capture the beauty and the wonder.

You really need patience when you include a visit to Ankeruhr for the 12pm daily "show" where all…read moretwelve of the historical figures (assigned to each hour) parade by to organ music. The clock has been running for over 100 years, except while being repaired after WWII damage, and the lasted a bit over 10 minutes. However if you don't have the patience then visiting any time around the top of the hour should be ok to see a single change from one figure to another (maybe an emperor, music composer or someone else famous). It did get pretty crowded and people were even lined up along the buildings across the street just to watch. We arrived around 15 minutes ahead of the schedule and had a good viewing spot. We stood the whole time but some sat down on the sidewalk curb in front of us. A Billa Corso grocery store was right next door if one wanted a drink or snack before or after.

Above the street by Hoher Markt between two buildings a gilded clock hangs decorating the…read moreconnecting elevated walkway linking the two blocks. Worth dropping by to take a look for a few moments if you're in the area! Built in an area that has history going back to Roman times, the Ankeruhr (anchor clock) was thus named since it connected the Ankerhof (anchor yard) which was owned since 1861 by an insurance company "Der Anker" (now called Helvetia). The clock itself was built btwn 1911-14 in the Art Nouveau decorative style designed by artist Franz Matsch (a contemporary of Gustav Klimt), with internal clockwork designed by court and chamber clockmaker Franz Morawetz. Clock dimensions are 10 meters across by 7.5 meters high, and its details depict the inevitable cycle of life and death. Most speculate this was shown with intention to encourage passerby to purchase insurance; I guess that's how marketing worked earlier in the 20th century. The sun above the clock is flanked on the left by a child with a butterfly, signifying birth and life, and with an hourglass and skull on the right, symbolizing (you guessed it) passing time and death. They really got straight to the point back then didn't they? Below the clock face are the heads of Adam, Eve, an angel and the devil. A basilisk lays beneath, and the mosaic on the dial shows the coat of arms of the old Viennese civic flag as well as twelve decorated plates with symbols from Viennese professional and private life. Twelve famous figurines from Austrian history make appearances linearly across the clock face, one as the clock strikes each hour, and all twelve at 12pm noon daily. A plaque on a nearby wall gives insight into each identity, and on the hour organ music plays corresponding to each figure. These are: - Marcus Aurelius - Charlemagne - Leopold VI the Glorious with Theodora - Walter von der Vogelweide, traveling minstrel - Rudolf of Habsburg - Hans Puchsbaum, cathedral master builder - Emperor Maximilian - Mayor Johann Andreas von Liebenberg - Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg - Prince Eugene of Savoy - Maria Theresa and husband Franz Stephan of Lorraine - Joseph Haydn, composer and musician Last restored in 2005, the clock is now a listed national monument. If visiting around Christmas, you can hear carols played between 5pm and 6pm. For public transit, by subway take U3 or U1 to Stephansplatz and walk; by bus take 2A to Rotenturmstraße or 1A or 3A to Hoher Markt. For more info: https://www.visitingvienna.com/sights/ankeruhr-anchor-clock/ https://www.helvetia.com/at/web/de/ueber-helvetia/helvetia-oesterreich/ankeruhr.html

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.

The Long Night of the Museums - once every autumn about 130 museums throughout Vienna stay open…read moreuntil 1 AM. You buy one card and you can visit all 130 of them if you want. I'd recommend not visiting quite so many! Thousands of people take advantage of this evening. Every destination is crowded ... there is def a buzz. It's pure fun! The variety of offerings is great. Of course one can visit the famous art museums .... but then there are the small out-of-the-way specialized museums .... or go see how they make Sekt (Champagne) or Schnapps (of course don't forget to drink a couple of glasses as well!) I look forward to this night every year. Check it out.

This year was the 15th anniversary of Lange Nacht in Austria. For 13 EUR from 6pm - 1am everyone…read morehad access to museums all over Austria. My husband and I decided to stay in the third district and hit the Belvedere, Bahnorama, and Aresenal (Heeresgeschichte Museum). All lie on the 18 Strassenbahn. We didn't take the L2 Bus that was provided by the city in order to expedite our commutes. Our first stop at Oberes Belvedere had a major line beginning at 6pm. We decided it was best to only see the oberes even though there are two more parts, unteres and winter palais. The second stop was the soon to be destroyed Bahnorahma. It is a tower that was built to get an overview of the construction of the new Hauptbahnhof. This stop slowed us up majorly. We waited 45 mins in line for an elevator ride up to the top, and were only allowed 5 mins when arricing up there. A little lame, but totally worth the wait. There is no other view of the city from this side of town. I got photos that I can never get again:) After a pit stop at the Cafe Bahnorama, we hopped on the 18 back to the Military Arsenal Museum. No line there! This place is so huge and daunting it is unbelievable! The frescos alone are worth the trip. On this night there was a special presentation of WWI uniforms. Quite interesting to learn as a foreigner who is far removed from the WWI fallouts. The museum is divided into sections before WWI, during, and after. You can get up close to the car Ferdinand was shot in, bunkers, airplanes, tanks, canons, guns, etc. The whole concept of the museum though is to preserve history and runs under the slogan " War belongs in Museums". Pretty cool concept. To top off our long evening, the arsenal served up free chili and bread. YUM!! And thank you. Next year I think I will finish up my 3rd district tour with more Belveder and the 21. haus. Three in one night were enough for us!

Hofburg Palace is a MUST-visit in Vienna. Chances are, if you're going to visit a museum as a…read moretourist, at least one of them will likely be at Hofburg Palace or within its vicinity. The Sisi Museum was one that I visited, and all day long, the palace grounds are teeming with tourists. Even if you don't enter the palace, you can walk through the grounds, enjoy the garden, people watch, and enjoy watching the horse-drawn carriages. Baroque architecture heaven!

The Hofburg is a giant complex of museums, government buildings, the Austrian president's home, and…read moreso much more. Much of it is open to the public and the grounds are free to walk around on. Everything else is either closed to the public or requires an entrance fee. There is something for everyone here: the Sisi Museum, the national Library, the Spanish Riding school (home to the famous Lipizzaner horses), a Butterfly house.....you couldn't possibly see everything in a day! It's quite possibly THE most visited spot in all of Vienna, and you will more than likely find yourself here at some point during your visit. Good luck choosing what to see first! 68/2025