Vienna Things to Do Tips by brazwhazz

After the Stephansdom, it seems the Riesenrad is the second most popular symbol of Vienna. It was built in 1897 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the reign of Empereror Franz Joseph I. Badly damaged during World War II, it was restored in 1945 and is now the last giant ferris wheel of its time still in use.

Riding in a ferris wheel sounded kitschy, but since it was near our hotel, we figured we would give it a shot. It turned out to be a nice surprise: it gives you a great view of some of Vienna's other districts, such as Leopoldstadt (2nd), which is a scaled-down version of the famed 1st district , and Donaustadt (22nd), which is home to UN City.

We also later learned that the Riesenrad is shown in several films: The Third Man (1949), The Living Daylights (1987) and Before Sunrise (1995).

There is also a small museum that provides an overview of the history of Vienna and its ferris wheel. If you must do one kitsch thing in Vienna, this is it! (Even if you don't like it, you will not have wasted much time.)

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Address: The Giant Ferris Wheel and recreation-park
Directions: From Praterstern U-Bahn station (U1 line), it is a short walk along Hauptallee to the Prater, where the Riesenrad stands tall.
Website: www.wienerriesenrad.com

Built by Franz von Matsch in 1911, the Ankeruhr (Anchor Clock) is a tribute to historical figures of Austrian history. It forms a bridge between two parts of the Anker Insurance Company building.

Everyday at noon, a flock of tourists gather at Hohermarkt square for the Ankeruhr's unique spectacle: twelve historical figures, including Joseph Haydn, Empress Maria-Theresa and even Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, each representing an hour of the day, succeed each other on a background of glockenspiel music. The music changes with each character to match their era. If you understand German, Wikipedia has the details about each figure and its corresponding music: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankeruhr.

The whole procession takes about 10 minutes. It is a good idea to arrive some 10-15 minutes in advance to get an unobstructed view.

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Address: Hohermarkt 10 & 11, A-1010 Wien
Directions: Hohermarkt is roughly halfway between the Schwedenplatz and Stephansplatz U-Bahn stations.

The Secession Building is one of several Art Nouveau buildings which are a welcome change from the overwhelming Renaissance style of Vienna. It has been nicknamed the "Golden Cabbage" by locals for obvious reasons. Unlike many other of Vienna's Art Nouveau masterpieces, this one was not designed by Otto Wagner, but rather by one of his pupils: Joseph Maria Olbrich.

We were fortunate to pass in front of it several times. If you do visit it, take the time to appreciate the green curvy lines of the building and the mosaic tiles of the tree pots at the entrance.

There are also exhibitions inside, but given Vienna's wide array of museums, we chose to skip this one.

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Phone: +43-1-5875307-21
Address: Friedrichstrasse 12, A-1010 Vienna
Website: http://www.secession.at/building/menu_e.html

Opened in 1991, the KunstHausWien is a tribute to genial architect Hundertwasser. The building was designed by him, and inside are his paintings and many other of his projets... including licence plates for each of the nine states (Bundeslander) of Austria and models of "tree tenants". The emphasis Hundertwasser placed on nature makes him increasingly relevant in the face of climate changes.

If you can plan your schedule to go on a Monday, you will get 50% off on your ticket. The KunstHausWien is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is 9 euros.

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Phone: 43-1-712 04 91
Address: Untere Weissgerberstrasse 13, A-1030 Wien
Directions: The nearest U-Bahn stop is Wien-Mitte (U3 or U4). From there take Marxergasse and then turn left on Weissgerberstrasse.
Website: http://www.kunsthauswien.com
Other Contact: information@kunsthauswien.com

Hundertwasser, a man whose heart was even bigger than his imagination, designed the Hundertwasserhaus to serve as a social housing building.

You can't go inside, because people live there, but just exploring the outside is enough to gain an insight into the artist's creative mind.

Can you find the tombstone pieces that are part of the mosaic paving the ground?

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Address: Corner of Kegelgasse and Löwengasse
Website: http://www.hundertwasserhaus.at/1st.html

If you hesitate between Hofburg and Schönbrunn, this is the palace to visit. The Schönbrunn bears Maria-Theresa's imprint pretty much everywhere, from the typical yellow exterior to the delightfully decorated rooms inside.

It served as the Habsburgs' summer residence. Today, you can take the guided tour to explore the inside. We took the headphones and learned quite a bit about the many contributions of Maria-Theresa to the empire.

Unfortunately, the day we were there, the weather was bad and we were unable to visit the gardens.

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Directions: Get off at (what else?) Schönbrunn subway station.
Website: http://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/

The Stephansdom is one of the most impressive churches I have ever seen. Despite there being a fairly large walkway and street in front of it, I could never go back far enough to get it to fit in my camera view!

The medieval gothic cathedral is a sight to behold. You must walk all around it to appreciate all its facets - for example, the two-headed eagle arranged on colourful tiles can only be seen from one of the side streets.

Don't hesitate to go inside. As with all other Vienna landmarks, the Stephansdom is richly decorated. The pulpit was designed by master sculptor Anton Pilgram - who went so far as to sculpt his self-portrait beneath it! A definite must-see.

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Address: Stephansplatz
Directions: No need for directions - if you're in Vienna's Erste Bezirk (First District), you can't miss the Stephansdom's 450-foot tall spire!
Website: www.stephansdom.at