Recently I participated in a get-to-know-each-other experience at the Vienna Islamic Centre. It…read morewas an occasion for people of different faith traditions to come together, break bread, and grow in mutual respect. I found the Vienna mosque to be very peaceful place that encouraged contemplation. I was warmly greeted. It was really fine how people from so many different backgrounds could interact with such warmth and peace. Hey, I don't think there would be any wars based on hatred if more people of different traditions spent significant time interacting together. The Vienna Mosque has a recognizable design on the outside with pleasant gardens surrounding it. It is also bordering the park along the Neue Donau. Inside it has well-designed areas for the practice of religion, education, and socialization. It is well worth a visit.

St. Stephen's Cathedral is stunning. The location and the area around it (even if touristy) are…read morebeautiful and full of great vibes. We attended a weekday Mass, and even though we don't speak German, it was a special experience. That said, I didn't really care for the organized tour of the cathedral, especially the catacombs. Sorry to say, it's not worth it. St. Stephen's is a beautiful cathedral that's well worth visiting and learning about on your own. The only extra the tour offers is entrance to the catacombs. I've been to many catacombs, and there's nothing particularly special about these ones. It's not worth spending your time on this tour -- go to the Royal Crypt a few blocks away instead. It's much better.

The gothic interior of this cathedral is lovely and amazingly high vaulted ceiling archtecture. The…read moregreen tiled roof is stunning

Incredible ceiling. It's hard to believe that one is looking at a flat surface. A really marvellous…read moreexample of a Baroque Church. The Inlay work in the pews is also so intricate and I imagine most of the tourists never even glance at them, if they enter this humble church at all. From the outside, you wouldn't give this church a second glance. But it is one of the oldest, and it is associated with the original Vienna University next door. The modern altar looks very plain but is actually constructed of 11 chairs with a table on top to represent the last supper. The twelfth chair is cleverly placed off to one side. So simple, yet powerful. So glad I visited this hidden gem. No tickets required. They also have concerts here. Well worth a visit, and if you can attend a musical performance, even better.

I don't know how it was possible to have this beautiful church to myself one quiet Sunday. But I…read moredid indeed. The Jesuits have a "complicated" history in Vienna but this church is certainly a glorious reminder of their towering influence when the Holy Roman Empire still existed, and was ruled by Hapsburgs. Beautiful side altars, lots of gold and silver (very Jesuit) and no expense spared. It's a dream for Catholics but I have to think that even an unbeliever would marvel at the craftsmanship inside. AMDG, indeed.

Here is something unusual, a church belonging to the Order of the Teutonic Knights, the German…read moreOrder, or the Order of the German House of St Mary in Jerusalem. On the walls are the many shields representing the many members of this Order and a number of carved stone slabs; a very spartan and petite church. But the secret is in the courtyard and also upstairs. First the courtyard, you can view where the oldest concert hall in Vienna exists, performances are still held here, and yes Mozart performed here; it is petite and charmingly decorated. A museum called the Schatzkammer, Treasure room, is upstairs. 800 years of this Order's collection are housed in modern display cases, and there are a number of real gems like a silver chain from 1500 worn by members. More real history here, more relevant to our world and important because the word Crusade is now a loaded word.

In a city like Vienna with dozens of super famous churches, an interesting building like St. Josef…read more's in Margareten stands completely under the radar. But these rarely visited churches in such an historic city can also hold many stories. And each in their own way tries to fit in with the needs of the present day. I see St. Josef's on the Schönbrunnerstraße in Margareten everyday - well because I live around the corner and I can't even walk to the Underground without noticing it's shining yellow walls or lofty tower soaring to the skies. Occasionally I attend an arts performance there like I recently did for a modern dance performance. Their organ recitals are also well worth it. How about an historical tidbit? This is the Church where Franz Schubert's funeral was held when he died so tragically in 1828. Inscribed above its front doors are the oft-read words asking consolation for the poor, an admonition for the rich, and everyone to seek healing. Diagonal from the church is Werkzeug H - one of the great High Temples in Vienna to Boboism. How cool is it to sit drinking beer in Werkzeug H's Schanigarten and be able to glimpse old St. Josef's Church. This juxtaposition of eras and institutions is at the core of what propels Vienna forward in the 21st century!

We saw the Vivaldi Concert which is held several evenings during the week and it was superb. The…read moreelaborate baroque environment really added to the performance. The acoustics were excellent and blankets were provided on each chair as the church is quite cool at night. Definitely recommend the concert, the musicians were top notch. If you cannot attend, visit the church during the day.

I was very much looking forward to listening to live classical music while visiting Vienna, the…read moreclassical music capital of the world. One of my favorite concerti is Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and I decided to buy a ticket to Karlskirche, aka St Charles Chuch. I'm SO GRATEFUL I got a student pricing for Section I (Section II, the cheaper section, was sold out, but I got a student discount for section I). I'm also so glad I came way earlier than the entrance time, because it was rainy and windy, and the storm was so strong, the staff ended up letting us in early. It was open seating as as long you were within your section, so I sat as close to the front as I could, and chose a spot closest to the aisle. It was an EPIC concert in such a gorgeous location. Whenever I hear Vivaldi's Winter (my favorite of the four seasons), I always think of the Continental Hotel fight scene from John Wick 3 lol. We weren't allowed to record the concert. However, there was a girl sitting the row in front of me who had been recording with her phone, and the entire time, no one came over to tell her to stop recording. There was also a guy further ahead in the VIP section who was recording A LOT. So, I figured, if they can record, then I can too. But then a guy came over and told me to put away my phone. The girl in front of me was recording too, and he also told her to stop. The baroque architecture of Karlskirche is out-of-this-world. I'm not religious, but listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons here was a visual and sonic feast and a spiritual experience that I will always remember.

The parish church of St. Florian in Margareten has a long history in Vienna. Up until the second…read morehalf of the 20th century it uniquely stood as an island church in the middle of the Wiedner Haupstraße in the Laurenzergrund section of Margareten. The pictures of that are really cool. In one of the few questionable urban planning decisions Vienna has made, they decided to eliminate the island church and tear it down at the time they unfortunately put the public transit on the Wiedner Hauptstraße underground. The good news from this decision is that at its new location they hired the renowned German ecclesiastical architect - Rudolf Schwarz - to construct a super interesting modern St. Florian's. The interior of the church is a colorful burst of stained glass and natural wood that envelopes you upon entry. It certainly does emit the wow factor. St. Florian's is also the first church in Austria to be designated as a youth church so there is always something going on here. But you can visit just to give it a look for its cool architecture. And just think if this innovative edifice had stayed an island church in the Wiedner Hauptstraße, how yet more impressive it would be!

The small village church of Bierbaum has an attractive traditional 'onion dome' and a charming…read moreinterior. The nave was remodelled in the 18th century in a baroque style, of which the organ - placed on the diminutive west gallery - is the most attractive item. The nave windows feature unusual some stained glass from the Second World War, dated 'War Year 1941'. More interesting is the small chancel: this remains from the mediaeval period, although the walls themselves have been unfortunately covered with modern stippled plaster. It has a Gothic vault with a boss depicting of the Lamb of God, remains of a round-headed piscina and Gothic arched aumbry, and two Gothic lancet windows at the east end. The church hosts a weekly Sunday mass as well as festival services.