GoGo
All UNESCO SitesAustria

Historic Centre of Vienna

Vienna · Austria

Background

World Heritage since
2001
Type of site
Cultural
Vindobona to the last emperor
1st c.–1918

Vienna developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a medieval and Baroque city, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and UNESCO credits it with an essential role as Europe's leading music centre from Viennese Classicism into the early 20th century. The historic centre is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque palaces and gardens and the late-19th-century Ringstrasse lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks.

Until the city boundaries were widened in 1850, the Innere Stadt was the city of Vienna. The Ringstrasse follows the line of the old walls around it, and inside stand St Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg and the Graben.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 1st c.The Romans found Vindobona on the Danube
  2. Middle AgesThe Habsburg court makes Vienna its seat
  3. 1850The suburbs are incorporated; the inner city is no longer the whole of Vienna
  4. 1860s–1890sThe Ringstrasse and its monumental buildings are built
  5. 1918The last emperor, Karl I, abdicates
  6. 2001Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    St Stephen's Cathedral
    The cathedral with the tiled roof at the centre of the inner city.
  2. 2
    The Hofburg
    The imperial apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Spanish Riding School.
  3. 3
    Ringstrasse
    The ring road of the 1860s to 1890s, lined with the opera, museums, parliament and city hall.
  4. 4
    Vienna State Opera
    On the Ring; standing tickets are cheap.
  5. 5
    Kunsthistorisches Museum
    Bruegel and the Habsburg collections, across from the Natural History Museum.
  6. 6
    Hoher Markt
    Roman foundations under the oldest square.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Train from the Airport
The S7 takes 24 minutes and the City Airport Train 15 to Wien-Mitte.
Free Walking Tours
Wikivoyage suggests the tip-based walking tours from the Albertina for a first overview.
Standing Room at the Opera
Cheap standing tickets at the State Opera.
Coffee House Time
Sachertorte in a Viennese coffee house after the cathedral.

Inside the Ring

From the GoGo Vienna guide · Open the Vienna Guide ›

  1. 09:30
    St Stephen's Cathedral1 hr
    The tiled roof and the towers.
  2. 10:45
    Sachertorte in a Coffee House45 min
    A classic Viennese café.
  3. 12:00
    Hofburg and the Sisi Museum2 hrs
    The imperial apartments.
  4. 14:15
    Spanish Riding School1 hr
    The riding hall of the Hofburg.
  5. 19:00
    Vienna State Opera3 hrs
    A performance on the Ring.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Apr–Sep. Freezing days in Dec–Feb.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Jun (91 mm), driest Feb (38 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
Schönbrunn Palace, a separate World Heritage site, is 5 km away; the Wachau valley and Melk Abbey are an hour upriver.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 1033 · Wikipedia: Innere Stadt · Wikivoyage: Vienna (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Vienna guide · UNESCO listing