Claudio Monet lived between 1840 and 1926, and he is among the most famous painters ever. He is the greatest character within the impressionist movement, and from September 21st you can an exhibition in Albertina dedicated to him.
Beautiful Monet art in Albertina – Source: Albertina.at
Vienna is a city for art lovers. Not only do they have the fantastic Museum of Fine Arts, but they also have the Albertina museum. The latter has some Monet works in their permanent exhibition as well, but for this temporary exhibition, they will bring in even more Monet works from other art galleries and collections worldwide.
The gardens of Giverny are famous among people who love art today, but they would never have been so if it wasn’t for Monet. But, how did Monet end up being the number one impressionist in the world? If you visit the Claudio Monet exhibition in Albertina you can see how he went from being a realist painter to become an impressionist. No longer did he only paint what he saw, but he also set a new trend in creating abstract art.
Want to visit the Monet exhibition in Vienna? It will be on display in Albertina from September 21st until January 6th in 2019.
You can read more about the exhibition in the official press release here. Want to know more about Vienna? Visit our Vienna Guide for more information, news, and beautiful pictures.
Would you like to watch the FIFA World Cup in Vienna? The city is a gorgeous city, but during the FIFA World Cup, you will want to see more than just Schönbrunn, Hofburg, and the Parlament while in town. You want to watch football. How and where can it be done?
We have great news for you. It is very easy to watch the World Cup in football while in Vienna. The least social way to watch the event is by turning on the TV in your hotel room and watch the event on ORF, a free TV channel. You can also visit orf.at and watch the matches online there.
If you want to be more social and watch the matches together with others, then you can walk around and see the matches broadcast in about any pub around town. Lots of restaurants will also broadcast the event, and if you live in a hotel like the Marriott Hotel, you can find a sports-pub next to the entrance where you can watch all the matches and eat some great steaks while watching.
There will also be public screenings of the World Cup in Vienna. On such spots, you can watch the matches outdoor on giant screens. Here are some of the places at which you can watch the World Cup outdoors in Vienna.
Strandbar Herrmann, Herrmannpark (Donaukanal-Urania), 1030 Wien
Summer Stage, Donaukanal, U4 Rossauer Lände, 1090 Wien
Badeschiff, Donaukanal (Schwedenplatz/Urania), 1010 Wien
Adria Wien, Donaukanal, Obere Donaustraße/Salztorbrücke, 1020 Wien
Sounds good, doesn’t it? If you want to watch the World Cup online in your own language (and not with German commentators), you can read more about how to watch the World Cup online in this article. At the site, you can also find a detailed schedule for the FIFA World Cup.
Are you considering a stay at the Marriott Hotel in Vienna? Here are some stuff worth knowing before you make your booking!
The Marriott Hotel in Vienna is located next to the Stadtpark, a beautiful area for a nice stroll and also an area with a nice playground area for kids. The most famous restaurant in Vienna might be “Steirereck im Stadtpark“, a two-starred Michelin restaurant. This is also located a few hundred meters from the Marriott Hotel entrance, making it very easy to visit the restaurant during your stay at Marriott.
So yes, Marriott is a five-star hotel in Vienna, but it is worth knowing that the standard is different from some of the other five star hotels. As you walk from Marriott towards the Opera-house you will pass by Grand Hotel Vienna and Hotel Imperial. You do not need to look hard to understand that those hotels are more elegant and luxurious than the Marriott hotel. So, if gold and glory are important to you, then the Marriott hotel might feel a bit old (on the outside).
But, the Marriott hotel gives you whatever a normal five-star hotel should. The staff is nice and polite, the rooms are spacious, and unfortunately, you will have to pay for the Wi-Fi (in most situations). This is worth knowing about, and if you ask in the reception, they might give you information on how to get free access to the Internet, but in general, this is a service you will have to pay around 13-14 Euro for (per day).
The breakfast in the Marriott hotel is delicious. The price is 35 Euro per day per person (if it isn’t included already in the price). Here you can sit in a nice environment and enjoy a glass of champagne while eating the omelet prepared for you by staff upon request from you. Yes, they are preparing it for you (in front of your eyes), and you even get to say what sort of ingredients you want to add to the omelet (mushrooms, bacon, onion, cheese, tomatoes, peppers etc.)
If you want to walk from the Marriott hotel to the Stephansdom, it can easily be done. You don’t need to walk more than 5-10 minutes, and you will find yourself in the Kärtner Strasse (one of the famous shopping streets in Vienna), and this leads you to the Stephansdom.
The Winter Olympics has started, and in Austria, ORF will broadcast the event. Are you an Austrian who want to stream the Winter Olympics on ORF outside Austria? Or are you a tourist in Austria who want to watch the Winter Olympics on a TV in your hotel room?
We have been waiting for the Winter Olympics for four long years, but finally the time is here. We are not that much of a Summer Olympics nation, but Austria is far better in winter sports. For that reason, we have been waiting for the Pyeongchang Olympics to start.
If you want to watch the Winter Olympics in your hotel room, just turn on your TV. ORF is the state channel in Austria, and you will for sure be able to watch the most interesting competitions on their TV channels. But, since there will be a lot of stuff happening during the Winter Olympics, you might not be able to watch exactly the competition you are interested in on the TV in your hotel room. You will need to go online!
Watch the Winter Games on ORF online
To watch the Winter Olympics on ORF, visit the ORF website. There you will see all the programs available on demand and live, and you simply select the content you are interested in. If you live outside Austria an Austrian IP address is required, and you can read more on how to get one at orf.fromabroad.org.
We hope and cheer for lots of Austrian medals during the Winter Olympics. Even though you come from somewhere else in the world, please cheer for the Austrians as well, we sure need it!
The rock-band Metallica will spend the last day of March 2018 in the beautiful city of Vienna. They will perform in the Stadthalle and the concert will start at 19.30.
Metallica will tour larger parts of Europe in 2018, and the action starts on February 1st in Lisbon. That sounds like a logical place to start such a tour because the temperature is much nicer in Lisbon in February than in for example Vienna. But, about two months later the band will come to Vienna, and by then, spring has arrived, and hopefully, the sun will be shining. If it is raining outside, want matter, because on the inside of Stadthalle on March 31st it will be a fantastic atmosphere as Metallica climb the stage.
Metallica has been to Vienna several times, and they have thousands of fans in the nation. Now the band will return, and people have been very eager to grab hold of the best tickets. If you would like to be there at the Metallica concert in Vienna on March 31st in 2018, use the ticket link beneath for more information.
Would you like to know more about Vienna? Read more about the most famous attractions, sights, programs and activities in Vienna here in our Vienna Guide.
Once Metallica leave Vienna, they will head to Budapest. The city is only 2 1/2 hours away from Budapest, meaning it will be a nice trip. If you would like to listen to Metallica once again in Budapest, then why not do a day-trip to Budapest?
Vienna might be the most beautiful city in the world to visit during the Christmas market season. It has a fantastic atmosphere, tons of Christmas markets and beautiful lights everywhere.
Those who love a city with Christmas markets will love Vienna. If you haven’t been to the city before, you must visit it during the Christmas market season. We have been to Christmas markets all across Europe, but nothing can compare to the city of Vienna before Christmas. It isn’t just a city with Christmas markets; it is a big Christmas market in itself. You will find stands everywhere where you can buy hot wine, there are lots of markets, and there are some unique markets entirely different from the markets you find elsewhere in Europe (for example the Spittelberg market).
Visit the beautiful Christmas markets in Vienna – By Burben / Shutterstock
The goal of this article is not to tell you about the different Christmas markets in Vienna. If you want to read more about the Christmas markets in Vienna, click the link and read that article. In this article, we will give you some recommendations and tips that will help you as you visit Vienna in November/December with the intention of visiting the Christmas markets.
Vienna Christmas market recommendations
Be ready for crowds
Vienna is fantastic before Christmas. As a consequence, you should prepare yourself for crowds everywhere, especially during the weekends. The most famous Christmas market in Vienna, the one in front of the City Hall (Rathausplatz), is the most crowded of them all. It can sometimes be hard to look at all the products at different stands because of the amount of visitors. Some people enjoy the crowds, but if you do not particularly enjoy them, try visiting the Christmas markets during day-time on weekdays (not weekends). In the afternoon/evening, there will be crowds every single day of the week.
Walk around on foot
As we mentioned in the introduction, Vienna is a fantastic city in the Christmas market season. There are Christmas fairs everywhere. As a result, we recommend you to discover the city center of Vienna on foot. Walk around, feel the smell of the city, and discover Christmas fairs you did not read about in our Vienna Guide or elsewhere on the Internet. Stop to taste some hot wine at a stand somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Bring a GPS (or have Google Maps ready) so that you will find your way back home after walking up and down streets in the center of Vienna because you might not actually know where you are!
A picture from the Christmas market at Karlsplatz in Vienna – By trabantos / Shutterstock
Buy a hot wine mug
As you visit the Christmas markets in Vienna, you are most likely to fall in love with the city. By the time you return home, you will be eager to plan your Christmas market trip to Vienna next year. One of the nice traditions you can create is to buy the annual Christmas market cup at the fair in front of the City Hall. Every year they produce a new cup, and thus this can be a nice souvenir to bring with you back home.
Bring warm clothes
Do not forget that Vienna can get quite cold in November and December. You might not feel it at once, but if you plan on walking around the city for several hours, you might get cold feet, or your ears might get red. Bring some extra warm clothes instead, ensuring you can stay outside for hours without feeling miserable because of the cold.
Eat at the Christmas markets
You might not want to eat all your meals outside at the Christmas markets, but make sure to eat at the Christmas fairs a couple of times. There are so many interesting things to taste, and you will probably have the chance to eat some food you haven’t tasted before. Maybe you are a skeptic who only loves food you love from before, but sometimes you had to fall in love with that food as well, so why not try something new, and maybe you will fall in love once again? If you taste something you do not like, so what? You spent a couple of Euro tasting something, which makes you a few Euro poorer, but an experience richer. We think you will say that it was worth it!
Live in the heart of Vienna
There are Christmas markets everywhere in Vienna. Most of them are located in the heart of Vienna, with some exceptions, for example, the Christmas fair by Schönbrunn. Still, you will save a lot of time if you live in the heart of Vienna, which will give you immediate access to the shopping opportunities Vienna has to offer during this period. You should know that living at a hotel in Vienna is quite expensive, at least if you compare it with Budapest and Prague, but that is a part of what you need to calculate as you plan your trip to Vienna.
We wish you a merry Christmas from Vienna – S. Borisov / Shutterstock
Be early with your bookings
It can get really crowded in Vienna during the Christmas fair season, but not only on the Christmas markets but also in restaurants. As a result, you should book your table at your favorite Vienna restaurant as soon as possible. The same is true if you want to book an airport transfer in Vienna, enjoy a concert or take part in a guided tour of some sort.
Bring your camera
You probably have a good camera on your phone, but if you want to travel back home with some fantastic pictures, you might want to bring your real camera as well. As you visit the Christmas markets you will have plenty of chances to make some awesome pictures, especially in the evenings. But, making a good photo in the evening can be a hard task, so if you have a stand for your camera, bring that with you as well.
What is your advice?
Have you been to Vienna for the Christmas markets before? Do you havesome experience or piece of advice to give? We would love for oyu to share whatever comes to your mind!
Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and before Christmas it might be the most beautiful of them all. Find out when to visit Vienna before Christmas to discover the beautiful Christmas markets.
Lots of cities in Europe have beautiful Christmas markets, but there is something special about Vienna. It isn’t just a city with a Christmas market, but the inner city feels like a giant Christmas market in itself. People drink hot wine on every street corner, there are minor markets everywhere, and then at some special locations you can also enjoy giant Christmas markets.
A picture from the Christmas market at Karlsplatz in Vienna – By trabantos / Shutterstock
Vienna Christmas market dates
You are probably wondering when this years Christmas markets in Vienna will open and close. The most popular Christmas market in front of the City Hall (Rathaus) will open on November 18th and stay open until December 26th (some booths until December 30th). We originally guessed that this market would open one week earlier, but seems like they delayed the opening of this years Christmas market with one week (compared to last year). If you arrive one week earlier, maybe you should visit the Christmas markets in Budapest which will open on November 10th instead?
The Christmas market by Schönbrunn will open on November 18th as well and stay open until December 26th. But, from December 27th it will be re-opened, but then as a New Years market which will remain open until January 1st.
There will be several other Christmas markets in Vienna, but these are the most important and famous markets. We wish you a fantastic Christmas celebration.
If you want to discover the beautiful Christmas markets in Prague as well, read more about the Christmas markets in Prague right here.
Are you going to have a one-day stop in Vienna? Do you have 12 hours in which you want to discover as much as possible? Here is our suggestion for a 12-hour program in Vienna.
You can discover large parts of Vienna in 12 hours if you have a well-planned program. You can jump on a hop-on hop-off bus, and within a few hours, you will have seen the most significant places. Do you want to discover Vienna on your own in 12 hours using nothing but your feet and public transportation? Here are some suggestions from us on how to discover Vienna in 12-hours.
Why 12-hours and not 24-hours? You will often meet articles on how to discover Vienna in one day or 24-hours. The reality is however that most people sleep quite a lot, meaning that you do not spend 24 hours discovering the city, but rather 12-hours. For that reason, our guide is on how to discover Vienna in 12-hours.
Vienna in 12-hours
Discover the city center at first
We will recommend starting the tour from the State Opera in Vienna. The building in itself is a real beauty, and from here, you can walk into the city center of Vienna. Start your walk in the Kärntner Strasse, and just keep walking. This part of the walk will show you the famous shopping street of Vienna, and after some minutes (depending on your speed), you will end up at the Stephansplatz. Here you can look at the Stephansdom (and maybe even visit it), and even eat a little piece of cake before you move on.
Start your 12-hour tour in Vienna from the State Opera – By Noppasin / Shutterstock
As you finish your business at the Stephansplatz, walk back to the end of Kärntner Strasse, and walk left. You will then walk in Graben, another beautiful street. Here you can marvel at the beautiful architecture, the big squares, and a beautiful inner city.
At the end of Graben turn left. You will then walk along the Kohlmarkt. At the end of the street, you will discover the entrance to Hofburg. We do however recommend a stop at the famous Confectionary Demel, located on your right-hand side as you walk towards the Hofburg entrance (in Graben). Be aware of the fact that Demel is often full, so you might have to spend quite some minutes waiting to order.
Walk across the Michaelerplatz and enter into the Hofburg complex. This is yet another architectural beauty. Here you can find the riding school, the Royal palace, fantastic outdoor areas, and so much more. Walk around, sip in of the air, and continue straight ahead until you leave the Hofburg area, and continue your walk on the big ring in Vienna.
Hofburg in Vienna – By UKRID / Shutterstock
Now is the time to visit a museum if you want to
As you leave Hofburg, you will look straight onto the Maria-Theresien Platz. Here you will find the two most famous museums in Vienna, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History Museum. These are both fantastic museums, so if you want to visit a museum during your 12 active hours in Vienna, now is the time.
As you leave Hofburg and look towards the Maria-Theresien Platz, turn right. Walk along the Burgring, and as the ring starts turning right, you will soon discover the Austrian Parliament. Make a few photos, and then walk on, because you are just about to discover the magnificent City Hall (Rathaus). The Rathausplatz is the location of the most famous Christmas market in Vienna. As you keep on walking, you will see a university next to the City Hall, and after this, you get to the metro station named Schottentor.
Here we would jump on the metro and travel with the metro to Karlsplatz. There you change lines for the red line and travel to VIC (Vienna International Center). From there you either walk or travel by bus 20A to get to the Danube Tower. Travel to the restaurant floor where you grab yourself an something to eat while enjoying the view from the tower towards the city of Vienna.
You are not finished discovering Vienna
Time is flying, meaning that you do not have so many hours left in Vienna. But, before finishing the day, you need to get back to the metro. You are now going to visit the other Palace of the Austrian Emperor back in the days, Schonbrunn. Get back to the Karlsplatz metro station, and travel with the green line to the Schönbrunn stop. Leave the underground, and walk for a few minutes until you get to the Schönbrunn entrance.
The magnificent Schonnbrunn Castle – By Muellek Josef / Shutterstock
When you get to Schönbrunn, there are several exciting programs available. If you travel with kids, they will for sure be happy to visit the zoo by now. If you want to visit the building itself, do a castle tour. If you want a nice overview of the area, jump on one of the sightseeing “trains” taking you around the entire area. You can of course just walk around on your own to see the area and the park as well!
Would you like to do some more shopping?
If you still have some energy left after Schönbrunn, head back to the metro and travel to the stop Langenfeldgasse. Change for the brown metro line and travel to Westbahnhof. Now you leave the metro system, and you are now at the end of the super-famous Mariahilferstrasse. This is a giant shopping street in Vienna. Walk down Mariahilferstrasse, and as you get to the end of the street, you will arrive at the Maria-Theresien Platz again, in the heart of the city of Vienna.
Did you enjoy your 12 hours in Vienna?
You might do all these activities in 6-7-8 hours, but most people will probably find 12 hours to be too little for all these activities. Try it, then come back and tell us what you think!
Are there any other places, attractions or activities you would add to this list? Use the comment field beneath and let us know.
On March 24th Andrea Bocelli will sing from the stage in Wiener Stadthalle. Would you like to be there to listen? It is 100% possible.
While other artists like Coldplay, U2 and Bruno Mars have five concerts a week during their tours, Andrea Bocelli is taking it in a much nicer pace. In 2018 he will celebrate his 60th birthday on September 22nd, and probably not for that reason, but he still does his tour with about one concert a week. Sometimes even less, because when he comes to Vienna on March 24th, his former concert was in Zagreb exactly two weeks earlier.
Andrea Bocelli is one of the most influential singers of our time, and he has recorded more than 15 albums. He was born with poor sight, but unfortunately his sight was totally lost at the age of 12 after a football accident.
Would you like to be there in Wiener Stadthalle on the concert on March 24th in 2018? It can be done. Use the ticket link beneath to grab hold of your tickets.
If you visit the ticket link, do a quick search for Andrea Bocelli. You can then look through all sorts of Andrea Bocelli tickets and buy whatever you want to. If you do a search for Vienna, you will find a list of other events and concerts in Vienna, and can choose freely for yourself what you want to do while in the Austrian capital.
Would you rather like to know more about the Austrian capital? Stay here in our Vienna Guide to read more about the attractions, restaurants, hotels and activities in the beautiful city.
Did you know that the Museum of Fine Arts (Kunsthistorisches museum) owns more than 40 works by Peter Paul Rubens and his workshop? From October 2017 you can see these and even more paintings on a special Rubens exhibition in the museum.
Peter Paul Rubens is without a doubt one of the greatest Flemish painters in history. If you come to the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna to discover the greatness of the painter you will not only see famous Rubens works, but you can also see how he developed and changed throughout his lifetime, and also influenced by others. To see how he was influenced you can also see minor works from Titian or Caravaggio at the exhibition.
The exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna will open at October 21st and stay available till January 21st. This means that Christmas market visitors coming to discover the beautiful Christmas markets of Vienna, also can enjoy some hours inside the museum to get warm and learn more about the amazing Rubens.
The museum is open from Tuesday till Sunday in this period of the year, with opening at 10.00 and open till 18.00. On Thursday evenings the museum has prolonged opening time and will remain open till 21.00.
For more information about other exhibitions and events in Vienna, look around in our Vienna Guide. You can read more about the exhibition itself right here.
The rock-band Metallica will spend the last day of March 2018 in the beautiful city of Vienna. They will perform in the Stadthalle and the concert will start at 19.30.
