5 Things to do in Vienna that don’t Include a Museum

Vienna is home to over 100 museums making it one of the most culture-packed cities in Europe. It also gives it a bit of a boring stigma. Let me tell you, Vienna has much to offer beyond world-class museums. Historically, Vienna is a popular destination for the retired tourist. With the bubbling nightlife, trendy restaurants, and a whack of city held events, Vienna is quickly becoming a popular destination for those looking for more then Klimt paintings.

With that here are 5 things to do in Vienna that don’t include a museum.

Take a Walk

Let’s start off easy. First up on this list of things to do in Vienna that don’t include a museum is seeing the city by foot. Vienna is incredibly walkable and offensively beautiful. Seeing the city by foot is easy with miles of walking and bike paths as well as pedestrian only promenades. Although strolling the Museum Quarter technically includes museums, just seeing the buildings from the outside is a treat. Along the way you’ll find buskers and sculptures paired with amazing architecture.

Café Culture

Feet starting to ache? Don’t fret, Vienna’s home to hundreds of great places to take a load off. Cafés that line the promenades are a great place to enjoy a coffee or beer and the scenery. Looking for a little more than that? Head to MQ where there are regular live music performances that you can enjoy from a café for free. Then there is Cafe Frauenhuber which once held performances by both Mozart and Beethoven. How many places can boast that? Café Landtmann is another intriguing choice as it was frequented by Sigmund Freud. Wrap head around that while enjoying your Viennese coffee!

If you have a thing for sweets you’ll love the cafés in Vienna. From cakes to fresh-baked pastries, Vienna has you covered. For something truly Viennese head to Cafe Sacher for its Sachertorte, a dense chocolate cake. Dig in.

Party like an Austrian

Stigma of Vienna being a tourist town for the retired was lost on me. There is no shortage of bars and clubs to keep you going long past the early bird specials and river cruise departures. At the Donaukanal (Danube Canal) you will find a collection of bars and restaurants unique to Vienna. Music lovers will enjoy Gürtel, a strip of clubs under the subway track. There you will find plenty of live music and bars to keep you going. While I visited the Gürtel Nightwalk was on. This block party brings musicians out of the bars and onto the streets for one great night.

This awesome event brings me to my next point in this list of things to do in Vienna that don’t include a museum…

Something is Always on

I was shocked at the variety and amount events going on in Vienna the weekend I visited. The Gürtel Nightwalk and the Music Film Festival in front of City Hall left me envious of the city held events and wishing my hometown would offer something similar… and these were just two of the many events year-round!

Other highlights throughout the year include Life Ball and Summer in MQ. Christmas time is a big deal in Austria and Vienna knows it. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in the area in December be sure to check out Christmas in Vienna in the Konzerthausand and enjoy some Glühwein!

Wurstelprater Amusement Park

Lastly on this list of things to do Vienna that don’t include a museum is visiting Prater Amusement park. Although the park itself can be considered a museum of sorts (it’s 250 years old!) it offers plenty of entertainment for the young at heart. Thrill yourself on one of the rides or take a scenic spin on the Wiener Riesenrad – once one of the world’s tallest extant Ferris wheels.

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