Vienna

The religious and geographical centre of Vienna is St Stephen's Cathedral. The most prominent Gothic masterpiece of the city, with its stunning tiled roof and stone interiors, actually retains many artworks from different periods: the Romanic towers, the Baroque altar and the Renaissance decorations. Book a complete tour of the cathedral, visit the deep catacombs or make your way up the 136 m (448 ft) tall tower. When the Pummerin — the largest bell in Austria — rings on New Year’s Eve, it is even broadcast on TV.

Vienna’s MuseumsQuartier (MQ) is one of the ten largest cultural districts in the world, combining exhibition spaces, cafes, restaurants and bars. At the edge of the Old City, in the former imperial stables, it unites facilities highlighting different fields of art with restaurants, coffeehouses and shops in an area of 90,000 square metres with a combination of Baroque buildings and modern architecture. This has created a colourful and diverse local scene against the backdrop of significant museums and collections. MuseumsQuartier houses MUMOK, Leopold Museum, Kunsthalle Wien, ZOOM Kindermuseum, Tanzquartier, Architekturzentrum Wien, Q21, monochrom and Modepalast.

With its magnificent gardens, this former residence of Prince Eugen von Savoyen is one of the most beautiful Baroque ensembles in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Upper Belvedere houses the world’s largest collection of paintings by Gustav Klimt, including the Art Nouveau icons The Kiss and Judith. It also contains masterpieces by Schiele, Kokoschka, Waldmüller, Renoir, Monet and Van Gogh as well as important collections of works from the 19th and 20th centuries, the Baroque and the Middle Ages. Top-quality special exhibitions are put on in the Lower Belvedere and Orangery. The exquisite Baroque garden between the two palaces offers an extraordinary view of Vienna.

The Imperial Palace was the residence of the Habsburg emperor until 1918. From the 13th century until just before the end of the monarchy, the area was fitted out in imperial splendour within its present-day size. The original Gothic building around today’s Schweizerhof was extended on a continuous basis, resulting in an extensive building complex formed of different sections, which contributes an essential character to the appearance of Vienna's Old City. Europe’s largest imperial cultural complex today houses more than two dozen collections of international standing, including the Austrian National Library, the Imperial Treasury, the Imperial Apartments and the Sisi Museum, as well as the Spanish Riding School.

Vienna Prater is a large public park, a place of nostalgic dreams for some and an oasis of greenery for almost everyone — it is the home of the popular amusement park and the location of the Giant Ferris Wheel, one of Vienna’s most famous symbols. The Prater is open from March to October, but the Giant Ferris Wheel and a few other attractions are open year-round.

From mid-November until Christmas, a number of Markets in the city of Vienna spread Christmas cheer. Mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, music and handcrafted goods sold at the little stalls create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, despite the at times cold Austrian winters. Some of the most exciting Christmas Markets include the Viennese Dream Christmas Market in front of the City Hall, the Christmas Village at Belvedere Palace (Prinz-Eugene Straße) and the Christmas and New Year's Market at Schönbrunn Palace; there are many other smaller markets with similar charm.

Featuring a golden dome decorated with laurel leaves, this Art Nouveau exhibition building was constructed in 1897/98 by Joseph Maria Olbriach, a student of Otto Wagner, and is one of the most famous structures in Vienna. The Beethoven Frieze created by Gustav Klimt in 1902 is on permanent display on the lower level. Changing exhibitions featuring contemporary art are held on the entrance level.

The Danube Tower offers an unforgettable view of Vienna’s Danube landscape, the Old City and the Vienna Woods from a height of 170 metres. The two express elevators take visitors to the viewing terrace and the two revolving cafe/restaurants in just 35 seconds. The Danube Tower was built in 1964 for the Vienna International Garden Festival, which is remembered today in the Danube Park. Large meadows, extensive jogging paths, children’s play areas and flowerbeds offer a relaxing space for visitors.

A striking sacred building with a large cupola and two giant twin columns standing at its sides, this church is the last great work of Baroque city architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. Karlskirche is a European Baroque masterpiece, with symbolic design and use of classical architectural elements. Take the elevator to the dome for a close-up of the fresco-decorated interiors. Karlskirche frequently hosts classical music concerts, Vivaldi and Mozart in particular. The acoustics of this Baroque church are something you simply must experience.

The huge basalt stone building of Mumok houses art from the 20th century to the present day, with changing exhibits of everything from classic modern art to the essential artistic genres of the 1960s and 1970s, right up to contemporary artworks from the worlds of film, photography and video. Since 2011, a cinema designed by the artist Heimo Zobernig has also been housed here, focusing on the relationship between visual arts and film.

Two twin museum buildings were erected during the construction of Vienna's Ringstrasse as monuments to the imperial collections: the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Natural History. Explore the breathtaking diversity of the natural world: from insects to precious stones and minerals to flying dinosaurs. You will get fascinating insights into the history of our planet at this museum near the Imperial Palace. Numerous stuffed specimens of extinct species make this an invaluable collection. From the rooftop, where guided tours are offered regularly, you have the best view over Vienna's Inner City and the Ringstrasse.

The MAK Austrian Museum of Applied Arts is unique in its ability to represent the history and significance of the Wiener Werkstätte — a productive association that pioneered modern design, and whose influence can be seen in later styles such as Bauhaus and Art Deco. The archive comprises, among others, about 16,000 design drawings and about 20,000 fabric samples. One of the highlights of the MAK’s collection is Gustav Klimt’s nine-part working drawings for the mosaic frieze in the dining room of the Palais Stoclet in Brussels. After a restoration process that took several years, this has again been on permanent display in the MAK since 2012.

Kunsthalle displays international contemporary art. Located in the MuseumsQuartier, it presents exhibitions focused primarily on photography, video, film, installations and new media. Kunsthalle Wien calls itself the flexible and experimental outdoor exhibition site. There is also a cafe with a huge terrace, inviting visitors to stay a while after enjoying the art on display.

The second largest cemetery in Europe is home to graves of numerous celebrated personas, including composers Beethoven, Strauss, Mozart and Salieri. The multidenominational cemetery represents a unique park landscape, hosting a Funeral Museum, monumental tombs of honour and an Art Nouveau cemetery church Lueger Kirche. More than 250 original objects and photographic material are on display in the Funeral Museum, including an original "Fourgon" (coach for transporting bodies) from around the year 1900. Don't miss this macabre journey into the ceremonial past.

Vienna Boys' Choir is a world-famous choir of boy sopranos and altos. In Vienna, they regularly appear in the Chapel of the Imperial Palace and in their own new concert hall MuTh which was opened in 2012 and is located in the Augarten. The hall is used as a rehearsal and performance venue for the Vienna Boys' Choir and as a centre for music and theatre for other children and young people. Collaborations are planned with established festivals, the Konzerthaus, the Vienna State Opera and Theatre an der Wien.

The Jewish Museum of the City of Vienna is a place of encounter, confrontation and understanding, which seeks to raise awareness of Jewish history, religion and culture. Children, students and adults can take part in public tours at both locations and in all temporary exhibitions. Booking the tour in advance is highly recommended.