Vienna Walking Tour: 50 Free Video Stops

This Vienna walking tour links 10 sights and 50 short video stops narrated by Clarissa, from the imperial summer palace at Schönbrunn to the State Opera on the Ring. The notes below turn those stops into practical day plans, with walking order, timing, transport, etiquette and the free sights worth knowing before you go. For official visitor information and events, also check vienna.info, the official tourism website of the Vienna Tourist Board.

Route 1, the imperial centre (stops 2, 3 and 7). Start at St. Stephen's Cathedral, with its patterned tile roof, the 136-metre south tower and the carved stone pulpit inside. Walk west along Graben and Kohlmarkt to the Hofburg, the Habsburg residence until 1918, for Heldenplatz, the Neue Burg, the State Hall of the National Library and the Imperial Silver Collection. In the same palace complex, the Spanish Riding School, first recorded in 1565, keeps its Lipizzaner stallions in the Stallburg and performs in the Baroque Winter Riding School.

Route 2, the Ring and the Opera (stops 6, 9, 10 and 8). From the Hofburg, cross to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, opened in 1891, for the world's largest collection of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and the Kunstkammer treasures. Walk the Ringstrasse past the Parliament, the neo-Gothic City Hall, the Burgtheater, the University and the Votive Church, or ride trams 1 and 2 around it. End at the State Opera, which opened in 1869 and reopened in 1955 after wartime bombing, and walk ten minutes south to the Naschmarkt, the Otto Wagner houses and the golden dome of the Secession.

Route 3, palaces of the Baroque (stops 1 and 4). Give Schönbrunn half a day. The Habsburg summer palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, has state rooms where Mozart played as a child, Baroque gardens rising to the Gloriette and the oldest zoo still operating in the world. Then take the U-Bahn and tram to the Belvedere, the palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy, where the Upper Belvedere holds the world's largest collection of paintings by Gustav Klimt, including The Kiss.

Route 4, the Prater (stop 5). Finish with a ride on the Giant Ferris Wheel, built in 1897 and made famous by the film The Third Man. Around it lies the Wurstelprater amusement park, and the long chestnut avenue of the Hauptallee leads through the green Prater to the imperial Lusthaus. The Schweizerhaus beer garden is a classic stop for dinner.

If you only have one day, Routes 1 and 2 give the best Vienna walking tour on foot, because the cathedral, the Hofburg, the museums, the Ring, the Opera and the Naschmarkt all sit inside or on the edge of the old town. A three-day Vienna walking tour works well as Routes 1 and 2 on day one, Schönbrunn and the Belvedere on day two, and the Prater with a slower museum morning on day three.

For photos, the best free viewpoints on this Vienna walking tour are the Belvedere gardens, looking across the city to the cathedral, the Gloriette hill above Schönbrunn, the cathedral roof seen from the corner of Stephansplatz, and the Rathausplatz with the City Hall lit up at night. The Giant Ferris Wheel and the cathedral's south tower give the best paid views over the rooftops.

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for a long Vienna walking tour, with mild weather for the gardens. Summer can be hot, but the City Hall square hosts an open-air film festival on summer evenings. From late November, Christmas markets fill the squares in front of the City Hall, Schönbrunn and other landmarks, and the ball season runs through January and February.

Book timed tickets for Schönbrunn, the Spanish Riding School and the Belvedere in busy seasons, and check opening times for the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Hofburg collections on their official websites before your Vienna walking tour. The page notes that the Naschmarkt is closed on Sundays, and most shops in Austria close on Sundays too.

Vienna's U-Bahn, trams and buses are frequent and easy to use. One ticket covers all of them within the city, and passes for 24, 48 or 72 hours are good value if you ride several times a day. The Vienna City Card adds discounts at many sights. Trams 1 and 2 run along most of the Ringstrasse, and the U4 links the centre with Schönbrunn.

Use the Map button at each stop to check walking time. The old town inside the Ring is compact and largely pedestrian, so walk there, and save the U-Bahn and trams for Schönbrunn, the Belvedere and the Prater on your Vienna walking tour.

For a cheap night at the Opera, the State Opera sells standing places for many performances, which are a Vienna tradition. Check the official rules for how and when they go on sale, and arrive early for popular evenings. Guided tours of the building run on most days when there are no rehearsals.

Inside St. Stephen's and the other churches, keep your voice low and avoid sightseeing during Mass. Viennese life runs on politeness: say “Grüß Gott” when you enter a shop or café. In coffee houses, it is normal to sit for a long time over one coffee, and the waiter will bring a glass of water without asking.

For food, try a Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz, the boiled beef with apple and horseradish sauce, and a slice of Sachertorte or apple strudel in a classic coffee house, a tradition recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Sausage stands are the quick snack, and the Naschmarkt has food from all over the world. Rounding up the bill by around 10% is the usual tip on a Vienna walking tour.

Vienna is a very safe city, but watch your bag in crowded places such as Stephansplatz, the U-Bahn and the Christmas markets. Do not walk on the red-surfaced cycle paths, where bikes move fast, and cross only on the green light.

Vienna's tap water comes from Alpine springs, and drinking fountains are common in summer, so carry a refillable bottle. Wear comfortable shoes for the long distances in the palaces and parks, and pack a warm layer in winter.

Many stops cost nothing at all. The Schönbrunn gardens, the nave of St. Stephen's, the Hofburg courtyards, Heldenplatz and the Burggarten, the Belvedere gardens, the Prater park, the Naschmarkt and the whole Ringstrasse are free to visit. The state rooms, the towers and catacombs, the museums, the Spanish Riding School, the Opera and the Giant Ferris Wheel need tickets. That is why this free walking tour Vienna visitors can start at any hour works well: the 50 videos are free, and you only pay for what you choose to enter.

The Ring is lined with more free green space. The Volksgarten beside the Hofburg has a large rose garden that blooms from late spring, the Burggarten is a favourite spot for a picnic on the grass, and the Stadtpark holds the gilded statue of Johann Strauss II. Together they make easy rest stops between the paid sights of a long Vienna walking tour.

Visitors under 19 enter many federal museums free, and some museums offer free or reduced evenings, but the rules change. Always confirm current prices, free entry and opening hours on each official website before your Vienna walking tour, and compare the city card with single tickets.

For accessibility, Vienna is one of the easier capitals in Europe. U-Bahn stations have lifts, most trams and buses are low-floor, and the major museums and palaces offer step-free routes. The old town is mostly flat, although some lanes are cobbled. The Schönbrunn gardens are large and the path to the Gloriette climbs a hill.

When you finish this Vienna walking tour, carry on with more free walks in Central Europe: the Prague walking tour, the Munich walking tour, the Krakow walking tour and the Zurich walking tour. You can browse every city on the Free City Tours home page.