The area around the Town Hall and Museums Quarter is both the political centre of Austria and the cultural heart of the capital, with a number of world-class exhibition spaces. Bordered by Alser Strasse in the north and Mariahilfer Strasse in the south, the neighbourhood is also a popular residential area with beautiful houses in quiet streets, and many shops and restaurants.
You must have a photo ID with you to enter the Parliament building.-
Morning
Begin your day at the Neues Rathaus (see p103) then leisurely walk along the Ringstrasse towards Parliament. Once you have taken in these political gems, you are then free to explore the city’s wonderful museums.
The highlights are the Kunsthistorisches Museum see pp18–21) and Naturhistorisches Museum (see p103) and you could easily spend a full day in each of the museums, so select your main areas of interest and concentrate on those collections. Have a morning coffee in the museums themselves – the cafés in both venues are excellent and offer a great view of the museums’ lower floors.
Walk across the square to the Museumsquartier (see pp28–9) and stroll around the many courtyards. Before embarking on another museum, have lunch in any of the four restaurants in the complex – all of them offer equally delicious food.
Afternoon
After lunch visit the Museum for Modern Art and the Leopold Museum, before leaving the complex through gates 6 or 7. These lead you straight to the Volkstheater. Make your way up Burggasse and the Spittelberg area spills out to your left, where you can stroll around the shops and galleries.
After dark, return to the Neues Rathaus to see it lit up against the night sky.
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Vines grow from the dark wooden balcony in the idyllic Biedermeier-style courtyard garden, while the inside is modern.
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A wide range of teas, complemented by stylish teapots and cups from all over the world, all set in an equally elegant atmosphere. There is an attractive Asian tearoom on the first floor.
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Specialists in leather handbags and leather gloves, Bag and Art also hosts changing exhibitions in the shop.
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Sophisticated Viennese cuisine. Very nice seating on the verandah of this 200-year-old house.
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Lux, in the Spittelberg area, offers creative cuisine and has seating in the inner courtyard.
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A mixture between a furniture gallery, café and restaurant where you can test out the comfort of the furniture while having a drink or a meal. The design of the interior changes every three months.
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A former laundry is one of the hotspots in the area. Delicious brunch at weekends but book ahead.
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This shop offers a great selection of coffees, both Viennese and international, as well as delicious chocolates with a variety of tasty fillings.
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Vienna’s Museum of Fine Arts is home to an impressive collection of artistic treasures, spanning the centuries from the ancient world to the modern day (see pp18–21).
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Restaurant price categories
For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and extra charges.
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Haydn HouseHome to the classical composer for 12 years, Vienna's Haydn House now features an exhibition on the latter part of his life. This is where Haydn wrote most of his later works, including the... Read more
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Voice ManiaVienna's Voice Mania is an international festival of song featuring everything from pop to beatbox. Over 40 soloists and ensembles from 17 countries take part in concerts all over the city. Read more
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Vienna Christmas MarketThe square in front of Vienna's town hall (Rathausplatz) is given over to stalls selling crafts, food and gifts at a Christmas Market that has been in existence for over 700 years. Read more
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Vienna 1900Vienna's Leopold Museum presents Vienna 1900, an exhibition exploring the influential Art Nouveau period which dominated the city's art and architectural styles around the turn of the century.... Read more
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