Vienna
Vienna/Iconic

The 14 Most Iconic Landmarks in Vienna

14 landmarks with verified facts and stories

Austrian Parliament
~2 min

Austrian Parliament

3 Dr-Karl-Renner-Ring, Innere Stadt, Vienna, 1010, Austria

architecturepoliticshistory

Theophil Hansen designed Austria's Parliament in the Greek Revival style because he wanted to invoke the birthplace of democracy — a pointed statement in a country still run by an emperor.

Belvedere Palace
~3 min

Belvedere Palace

27 Prinz-Eugen-Straße, Landstraße, Vienna, 1030, Austria

artarchitecturebaroque

Prince Eugene of Savoy was one of Europe's greatest military commanders, and he spent his war spoils on one of Europe's greatest palaces.

Graben & Plague Column
~2 min

Graben & Plague Column

Graben, Innere Stadt, Vienna, 1010, Austria

historyarchitecturebaroque

You're walking on a filled-in Roman ditch.

Hofburg Imperial Palace
~4 min

Hofburg Imperial Palace

Innere Stadt, Vienna, Austria

royaltyhistoryarchitecture

For over six centuries, this was the nerve centre of one of history's most powerful dynasties.

Hotel Sacher
~2 min

Hotel Sacher

4 Philharmonikerstraße, Innere Stadt, Vienna, 1010, Austria

foodhistoryculture

In 1832, a sixteen-year-old apprentice chef named Franz Sacher was tasked with creating a dessert for Prince Metternich's dinner guests because the head chef was ill.

Kunsthistorisches Museum
~3 min

Kunsthistorisches Museum

Maria-Theresien-Platz, Innere Stadt, Vienna, 1010, Austria

museumartarchitecture

The Habsburgs spent centuries hoarding art the way other families collect holiday photos, and in 1891 Emperor Franz Joseph finally gave their collection a proper home.

Musikverein
~2 min

Musikverein

1 Musikvereinsplatz, Innere Stadt, Vienna, 1010, Austria

musicarchitectureneoclassical

Every New Year's Day, roughly 50 million people in 90 countries tune in to watch the Vienna Philharmonic play waltzes in what is widely considered the finest concert hall ever built.

Prater & Riesenrad
~2 min

Prater & Riesenrad

1 Riesenradplatz, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, 1020, Austria

viewpointparkfilm

The Giant Ferris Wheel was built in 1897 to celebrate fifty years of Emperor Franz Joseph's reign, and it's been spinning through history ever since.

Ringstrasse
~3 min

Ringstrasse

1010 Riedstraße, Penzing, Vienna, 1140, Austria

architecturehistoryneoclassical

In 1857, Emperor Franz Joseph ordered the demolition of Vienna's medieval city walls and the construction of a grand boulevard in their place.

Schönbrunn Palace
~4 min

Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, 1130 Vienna

royaltyarchitecturebaroque

Maria Theresa received this palace as a wedding gift in 1740 and immediately set about turning it into the most extravagant summer house in Europe.

Secession Building
~2 min

Secession Building

Friedrichstraße 12, 1010 Vienna

artarchitectureart-nouveau

In 1897, Gustav Klimt and eighteen other artists walked out of Vienna's conservative art establishment and founded their own movement.

Spanish Riding School
~2 min

Spanish Riding School

Michaelerplatz 1, 1010 Vienna

culturehistoryroyalty

The Spanish Riding School exists because a 16th-century Habsburg grew up in Spain and missed his horses.

St. Stephen's Cathedral
~3 min

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Stephansplatz 3, 1010 Vienna

architecturereligiongothic

The south tower of Stephansdom took sixty-five years to build, and when it was finished in 1433, it was the tallest structure in Christendom.

Vienna State Opera
~3 min

Vienna State Opera

Opernring 2, 1010 Vienna

musicarchitectureculture

The Vienna State Opera was the very first building completed on the Ringstrasse, and its architects didn't live to enjoy it.

Explore iconic in Vienna

GPS-guided narration at every landmark. Tap a spot on the map, hear the story. Every fact verified.