The idea has long been in my mind to write about holidays with children
in Vienna, Austria, but there is so much to say! I’ve had to spend a while
structuring my thoughts as I am so overwhelmed by emotion… I am in love with
this city!
We have lived in Vienna for a long time. We fell in love with it at first
sight, and the feeling appears to be mutual :). My appreciation for Vienna has
only increased over time (like all great love affairs), and the expansion of
our family on the arrival of our lovely daughter meant that I started
appreciating Vienna even more. In my opinion, Vienna is one of the best cities
in the world, perfectly adapted to family life and leisure. It is safe, clean, and
green, has good infrastructure, and has a great public transit system on which
you can easily use a stroller.
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Photo is taken by My Train Pix from Flickr under CC |
The best time to visit Vienna:
Vienna is great for all kinds of activities, whatever the weather. If you want
to spend more time outdoors then it is better to come in the warmer seasons
(spring, summer, and autumn) although it can be very hot in mid-summer.
In winter it is a lovely idea to visit Vienna for the Christmas markets
(they run from the end of November until Christmas). Vienna shines as a magical
city as if from Christmas stories! Please note, however, that on Christmas day
itself Vienna is very quiet and empty, everything is closed (shops and
restaurants) as it is a public holiday which families usually celebrate at
home.
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New Year in Vienna is quite the opposite though! Here, the New Year is
celebrated very loudly - with fireworks! We normally try to escape Vienna for
New Year as it is too loud and too full of tourists ;).
Where to stay with kids:
There are plenty of options for family accommodation in Vienna; something
to suit everyone’s taste, preference and budget!
There are hotels ranging from budget to luxury, and apartments of all
sizes and in different locations. Our friends, when they come to Vienna with
children, prefer to stay in an apartment. They’re very comfortable!
Apartment choices abound but most visitors prefer to stay close to the
center.
I can recommend:
- Belvedere Studios: Apartments
for 2 - 4 people, which are located in the central part of the city, close to
the Belvedere (Belvedere). On request, they can provide a high chair for a
baby, a cot and a stroller (if needed).
- Vienna Boutique Apartments: Several apartments, nice suites, and good locations.
I can guarantee the quality on the basis of friends’ testimonials…
If you prefer a hotel, I would recommend the following options:
- BEST WESTERN PREMIER Kaiserhof Wien (4 stars): Located near the center, in the 4th district of Vienna. The
State Opera House is just a 5 minute walk away, and the metro station
Karlsplatz is just 3 minutes away by foot. This is a lovely hotel, with good reviews, and nice
staff. There a lot of cafes and restaurants, just around the corner, including
a lovely Italian restaurant. The hotel is also close to a very beautiful church
(Karlskirche).
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- Luxury hotels: I won’t write about these in detail but there are a few that
deserve special mention. In the central part of the city just behind the Vienna
State Opera House there is the famous Sacher Hotel - a
luxury hotel in a classic Viennese style. There is also a cafe where you can
enjoy real Viennese cake, Sachertorte.
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Photo is taken by mpellegr from Flickr under CC |
New five-star hotels: Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna (next to the old Vienna Stock Exchange) and the SANS SOUCI Hotel (next to
Volkstheater and Museumsquartier).
Be prepared to pay for the luxury of these hotels (and their location) -
the hotels are not cheap, but are very comfortable.
Practical advice: children under 6 years
old can use public transport for free
in Vienna. For children from 6 to 15 years there is a reduced rate. On Sundays,
public holidays and school holidays in Vienna the fare for children in any kind
of transport is for free. You might want to take advantage of the ‘Vienna Card’ which is an all-inclusive pass that allows
you and a child up to 15 years old to use all transit within 72 hours (don’t forget
to get it stamped the first time you use it on transport!). This card also provides
discounts in various museums, cafes and restaurants in Vienna.
What to do with kids in Vienna:
- Take a ride in a horse-drawn cart (Fiaker): This is expensive,
but very traditional. The kids will have fun, but I prefer to walk to explore
the city...
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Photo is taken by Craig Elliott from Flickr under CC |
- In summer you can take a boat ride on the Danube river: In 75 minutes you can travel
from Vienna (‘Schwedenplatz’ in the center of the city) to Bratislava (Twin City Liner).
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Photo is taken by Mark Godfrey from Flickr under CC |
- Take a ride in the old tram around the Ring: There are the regular
tram routes and a special sightseeing tram - Vienna's Ring-Tram. This will
take you to all of the main attractions of Vienna: the Opera, City Hall,
Hofburg, Parliament, etc. At Christmas time they offer a ride in a special pink
(!) tram ‘Manner’ (which is great advertising for the Viennese wafer brand ‘Manner’).
I am a fan of the trams in Vienna, so I highly recommend that you give them a
go!
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Photo is taken by Su-May from Flickr under CC |
- Older children might be interested in
the Segway tour as a novel way to explore
the city center.
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Photo is taken by Jenn Vargas from Flickr under CC |
- Treat yourself with the Austrian donuts Krapfen. Donut fans will
love these :)! My favorite is a donut filled with apricot marmalade.
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Photo is taken by Butaris from Flickr under CC |
- Visit the quintessential Viennese cafes: Cafe
Landtmann (next to the Town Hall / Rathaus), Oberlaa (in
different parts of Vienna), Museum Cafe (near
Karlsplatz), Cafe Central (in the
center, next to the subway station U3 ‘Herrengasse’), Cafe Schwarzenberg (near
Karlsplatz). The cakes and pastries are gorgeous at all of these places! You
can also eat a full meal in these cafes (but save room for pastries).
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- Try an Italian ice cream at Zanoni
& Zanoni: It isn’t a traditional Viennese specialty,
but I love this cafe and highly recommend it! Unfortunately, it has become more
‘touristy’ recently, but the kids will appreciate both the quality of the ice
cream and the portion sizes!
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Photo is taken by Fearless Fred from Flickr under CC |
Museums and places to visit with kids:
- The Children's Museum ZOOM (in Museumsquartier)
is a great place for kids of all ages, from 8-months to 14 years. The museum has
a number of different areas, including the Zoom Ocean (8
month-6 years), which is a large play room on two levels (‘The Ship’ and ‘Underwater’,
decorated in a nautical theme). Kids have a lot of freedom here to climb up
everything and touch everything and explore... not like a typical museum!
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Photo is taken by Roberto Verzo from Flickr under CC |
For older children: Exhibition Zoom, Zoom Studio, Zoom Animated Film Studio and Zoom Science offer different
programs, workshops and lectures for children. These are both very informative
and very interesting!
- Technical Museum (Technisches
Museum Wien) will be most interesting to the children of the
school age. Located over several floors, kids can view the emperor’s carriage,
sit in the cockpit of a train, and see the different models of airplanes and
antique cars. This is a very interesting exhibition, both for children and
adults.
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Photo is taken by Brian O'Flanagan from Flickr under CC |
For art lovers I would recommend a visit to the
Belvedere (Belvedere) art gallery. There is also
a lovely park here in which you can take an enjoyable stroll.
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Photo is taken by ciotka from Flickr under CC |
Or you can visit Albertina,
another gallery where there are interesting exhibitions.
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Photo is taken by Ryan Healy from Flickr under CC |
The Museum of Natural
History in Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) and the Museum of Fine Arts (Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien) are also worth a visit.
These are two identical buildings, located opposite each other. The Museum of
Art has a big collection of paintings, which could be of interest to older
children, especially those who appreciate art. The Museum of Natural History is
suitable for children of all ages, and the little ones will love the ‘revived’
dinosaur, if they are not scared :).
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Photo is taken by Alfred Diem from Flickr under CC |
Haus der Musik (House
of Music) is a great place to visit for those who like to experiment with
different sounds and even have a go at conducting an orchestra. There’s an
exhibit that allows you to hear the sounds of different cities of the world, experience
sounds as a child does in the womb, and your kids can try out for a career as
an orchestra conductor. It’s not as easy as you might think… you need to put in
a lot of effort, otherwise the orchestra will run away :).
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Photo is taken by Mark Turner from Flickr under CC |
Haus des Meers (House
of the Sea) - This is a local aquarium where you can see
the inhabitants of the underwater world, and watch for sharks, turtles and
crocodiles, as well as various exotic fish. The building alone is worth
mentioning. It is a former anti-aircraft tower left after the Second World War.
There are six such towers in Vienna as, after the war, there were plans to
demolish these by blowing them up but they realize that this would affect
nearby buildings. They decided to leave the towers, and one of them was renovated
and redesigned inside and turned into the city’s attraction - the aquarium. A
good idea, right?
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Photo is taken by A-Kha from Flickr under CC |
Near the House of the Sea there is a park with a playground that my
daughter loves to play in. The aquarium is also very close to a nearby shopping
street, Mariahilferstrasse, so moms can combine a little educational kids’
entertainment with some shopping :)
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Photo is taken by Sensorhalter from Flickr under CC |
You can’t visit Vienna without touring the royal residence, Schönbrunn.
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Photo is taken by Reham Alhelsi from Flickr under CC |
This is not only a beautiful palace but also a magnificent park and home to the
oldest zoo in Europe (Schönbrunn Zoo). I won’t
write much about the zoo but this is a must-see for the kids as I'm sure they’ll
love it!
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Photo is taken by Mario Spann from Flickr under CC |
In good weather, I highly recommend taking a walk through the park to
feed the squirrels, then walk up the stairs to the Café Gloriette on the hill.
A beautiful view across Vienna awaits you at the top.
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Photo is taken by Mr's G Travels from Flickr under CC |
If you have time, be sure to wander through the maze of green Schonbrunn.
The most important thing on the agenda at the royal residence, however, is a
visit to the children's museum (Kindermuseum) in the palace. The kids get to dress up in regal clothese and walk through
the royal chambers, with a guide giving you an overview of the customs and way
of life in royal times. You can see how the royal family ate and which toys the
royal children played with. It is a very informative tour! If you live in
Vienna it is a wonderful idea to celebrate your child’s birthday here – they,
and their friends, will have lots of fun!
Near to the Palace is the theater / museum of puppets (Marionettentheater) where you can also see a demonstration of how Austrian apple strudel (Apfelstrudel) is made.
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Photo is taken by foodfreak from Flickr under CC |
What to do with the kids in good weather:
If time and weather allows, you may wish to go to the Prater, an amusement park
in Vienna. Here you’ll find the famous Giant
Ferris Wheel.
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Photo is taken by paulafunnell from Flickr under CC |
This is not Disneyland, but the kids will love it all the same! There are
plenty of attractions for kids of different age: from smooth-sailing rides for
the little ones - to the extreme rides for more adventurous (and big) kids!
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Photo is taken by Nicu Buculei from Flickr under CC |
In Prater there is also a huge park where Austrians like to spend their
weekends with the family, walking, cycling, running, or roller skating.
Toddlers might like Liliputbahn – a mini
train (the stop is at the Prater amusement park).
Satisfy your hunger at the restaurants in the park: Kolariks Luftburg
(Prater 128, Waldsteingartenstrasse, A-1020 Vienna), where the food is good and
there’s even a bouncy castle for the kids to play on. Another option for food
is Kolariks Praterfee (121 Prater, an der Hauptallee, A-1020 Wien).
Or, you can go to the famous Schweizerhaus to get
acquainted with Austrian cuisine. A little warning: come with an appetite :). This
place is not for vegetarians, but is a meat-lover’s paradise. Be sure to try
the pork shank (Stelze)!
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Photo is taken by Michela Simoncini from Flickr under CC |
Another wonderful attraction is the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) where you can go
and enjoy the vineyards (19th district of Vienna, 20-30 minutes from the center
by public transport). There is a wonderful view of Vienna from here, with a
signposted viewing point and, if you want to enjoy the view a little longer,
you can stay at the ‘Suite'Hotel am Kahlenberg’ (click the link for my review of this
hotel). The only drawback of this hotel is its distance from the center, it can
be a bit remote if you plan on doing lots of touristy things.
In the Vienna Woods there is a kids’ farm (Cobenzl) where the kids can observe animals such as goats, chicken, rabbits,
etc.
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Photo is taken by Drea Frei from Flickr under CC |
In the 19th district there is another outdoor playground for
adventurous kids - Robinzon Spielplatz (1190 Wien Greinergasse 7). You
can search for treasure here, learn how to grow vegetables, and generally get a
little closer to nature...
For those who love climbing, be sure to plan a visit to Waldseilpark. It is
suitable for older children rather than for the very young, while people like
me, who are afraid of heights, can skip it altogether :).
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Photo is taken by reflexer from Flickr under CC |
Worth visiting for the beautiful forest park and small zoo, head to Tiergarten
Leinzer (Hietzing-West, 1130 Vienna) to shake off
the stresses and strains of the city!
Vienna is overflowing with great outdoor parks! Some of my favorites
inclue: Augarten (Obere Augartenstraße 1, 1020 Vienna), Türkenschanzpark
(Währing, 1180 Vienna) and Stadtpark (metro station ‘Stadtpark’). All of
these feature kids’ playgrounds too, just so you know. In Stadtpark there
is one very Viennese attraction - a golden statue of Strauss.
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Photo is taken by Victor Wong from Flickr under CC |
Another great outdoor excursion is a trip to Donauinsel (Danube Island) –
an artificial island and a popular place for Austrians wanting a little break
from the daily grind. The island is long, perfect for biking or roller skating,
swimming and sunbathing, or sitting in a cafe or restaurant by the River Danube.
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Photo is taken by Franz Jachim from Flickr under CC |
If bad weather makes the outdoors less tempting, take the kids to:
- The thermal swimming complex Oberlaa (recently
renovated). This is a swimming pool with thermal water, as well as water slides
for children, and saunas and steam rooms for adults. It is not an aqua park as
such, but kids and adults will have fun there! Next to it there is a nice cafe Oberlaa (there
are a chain of these cafes in different parts of Vienna): the cakes are
delicious!
Minopolis: This is an indoor attraction where the kids can try their hand at
different professions - firefighter, salesman, hairdresser, even a garbage man...
Minopolis even has its own currency as well as shops, a bank, a bakery, etc.
It’s like a city within the city!
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Photo is taken by WU Wien from Flickr under CC |
Vienna also has lots of indoor playgrounds: Bogi-park, Monki-Park, Family
Fun, Farbie Welt (next to
the Shopping City Süd).
In winter make sure to visit the Christmas markets! The smell of punch
and roasted chestnuts means that Christmas is coming soon. The main market is
the one near Rathaus – the City Hall. It is very colorful, with a lot of entertainment
for the kids, but is the most touristy of all of the Christmas markets in
Vienna.
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Photo is taken by Rinaldo W. from Flickr under CC |
My favorite market is the one near Karlskirche. Here the kids can ride
ponies, look at pigs and other animals, roll in the hay, and take a ride on the
carousel. And, don’t worry, there is also child-friendly non-alcoholic punch
(Kinderpunsch) at the markets!
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Photo is taken by Wien-Vienna from Flickr under CC |
Whew! That was just a round-up of family vacations in Vienna itself!
There are also lots of fun things to do and see in the outskirts of the city
and I’ll write about those in upcoming reviews... I hope my review has inspired
you to visit the beautiful Vienna!
I'm more than happy to give guidance if you’re planning a trip to Vienna (I’ll
read your comments carefully!)
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Photo is taken by Kliefi from Flickr under CC |
Bon voyage!
Look forward to getting your feedback upon your return!
I am really impressed by this blog! I love vienna, and I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for the share..
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