Things to do in Vienna ...
Arts & Culture
Plenty of visitors from all around the globe visit the Austrian capital every year to see and appreciate the cultural treasures and sights. Vienna has a lot to offer:
- Stephansdom & Stephansplatz
- Schönbrunn Palace
- The zoo at Schönbrunn
- Belvedere Palace
- Wiener Staatsoper
- Natural History Museum
- Albertina
- Museumsquartier and Museum Leopold
- Parlament & Rathaus (the city hall)
- Hofburg
- Spanish Riding School
- Austrian National Library
- and many more
Sports & Exercise
For people interested in sports, green Vienna offers a spectrum of activities. Wonderful parks, gardens and recreation areas like the Prater and the Vienna Woods invite for a big variety of sports and other activities.
- Jogging at the Prater-Hauptallee (Main-Event: Vienna City Marathon)
- Bicycling & inline-skating at the Donauinsel
- Swimming, stand-up-paddling and boat trips on the Alte Donau
- Hiking in the vineyards around the city or up to Kahlenberg to enjoy the wonderful view
- Tennis, Volleyball or climbing
- Playing football or watching a football game of one of the big clubs SK Rapid Wien or Austria Wien
- Ice-skating at the Wiener Eistraum
Events & Nightlife
There are plenty of events and a broad range of cool clubs, bars and pubs – Vienna has something to offer for every taste there is:
- Donauinselfest: The biggest open-air-festival in Europe at the end of June located on the Viennese Donauinsel
- Visit the Wiener Wiesn or the Neustifter Kirtag, traditionally with Dirndl or Lederhose
- Beach Volleyball Major Series at the Donauinsel
- Donaukanaltreiben: the festival for music, arts and culture
- Summer night concert of the Viennese Philharmoniker in front of the Schönbrunn Palace
- Christmas markets: In the months of November and December the Viennese Christmas markets open up and are a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy some Punch and Glühwein
- Nightlife at its best: cool clubs, nice bars, cozy Irish pubs or stylish rooftop-bars in summertime
Cuisine & Enjoyment
Vienna definitely is a city for gourmets. Foodies can find fancy restaurants, quaint bars and relaxed coffeehouses that offer traditional Austrian specialties and other culinary highlights. Here are some examples:
- Viennese coffeehouse culture: Sachertorte, Gugelhupf and a relaxed atmosphere
- Traditional Viennese Beisl: Viennese cutlet, Tafelspitz, Zwiebelrostbraten, Gulasch, Kaiserschmarrn
- Treat yourself with Stelze at the Schweizerhaus, located at Prater
- Enjoy cocktails at the Donaukanal
- Markets & local markets: Naschmarkt, Kutschkermarkt, Karmelitermarkt, …
- Viennese Würstelstand– a must have after going out
- Viennese vineyards & Heurige for excellent wine tasting and a good lunch
- International specialties
Trips
If you need a little break from learning and studying, there are many possibilites to spend your time in and around Vienna:
- Go on a shopping-tour on Europe’s longest shopping street, the Mariahilfer Straße
- Take a ride on the giant wheel in the Viennese Prater
- Walk along the Ringstraße and admire the magnificent buildings
- Enjoy the beautiful view over Vienna from the DC Tower or the Donau Tower
- Relax and treat yourself at the thermal spring Vienna (just a 15 minute ride with the U1 from the inner city)
- Visit the zoo at Schönbrunn
- Daily trips to Bratislava, Prague and Budapest: all very easy to reach by train
Accommodation
Choosing the right sort of accommodation for your studies in Vienna will help you feel “at home”. Students are responsible for organizing their own accommodation and can decide between student residences or private accommodation.
Student residence
Students wishing to stay in student residence should register as soon as possible. There are many different residences and housing offices in Vienna:
Private accommodation
Private accommodation is a good alternative to a student residence. Students must organize private accommodation themselves, which can be difficult for students who do not speak German. The following links may be useful:
ATTENTION: Please be aware that there have been instances where students have been asked to pay rent and/or a deposit in advance into a foreign bank account to get the key to a flat. These requests are often fraudulent, so please take care. FHWien der WKW only provides information on its website and does not serve as an intermediary between landlords and students and cannot assume liability.