Why Vienna has the nicest Christmas markets in Europe!

Posted on December 7, 2016December 7, 2016 by worldcityguides

We have been traveling around Europe to visit the beautiful Christmas markets here and there. Know what? If you want to visit the nicest city in Europe before Christmas, come to Vienna!

There are lots of cities in Europe with beautiful Christmas markets. Lots of people praise the markets in Prague and the markets in Budapest. Why do we have the courage and baldness to say that Vienna is the best city in Europe before Christmas? Are the Christmas markets in Vienna better than the Christmas markets in the mentioned and other cities in Europe?

christmas-markets-in-vienna — S.Borisov / Shutterstock

The difference between Vienna and the other cities

If you visit a city like Krakow before Christmas you will for sure be able to enjoy the fantastic Christmas market at the Main Market Square. As you visit Budapest you can go to the Vorosmarty square or in Prague you have the markets at the Wenceslas square and at the Old Town Square. In Vienna it is completely different. The city has some very famous and magnificent Christmas markets, but we dare to say the difference is as follows:

“In other cities you visit a Christmas market. In Vienna the entire city is a Christmas market.”

If you go for a walk in the city center of Vienna you will of course see the magnificent Christmas market in front of the City Hall. This is the most famous Christmas market in town. But, as you walk towards the St. Stephens Cathedral you will most likely meet several other markets as well. At some locations you will just see a stand where you can buy hot wine, while you at other locations will see lots of stands creating their very own little Christmas market. And yes, Vienna is packed with such markets and stands everywhere. And what makes it even better is that all stands are packed with people out there enjoying life and drinking some hot wine, especially during the weekends.

The fact that the streets are illuminated and that the Christmas markets all have special lights on during the evening makes everything even more fantastic. Again the Christmas market by the City Hall is the most beautiful of them all, but all the other markets are fantastic as well!

Vienna has some very special Christmas markets

As mentioned earlier Vienna is like a living Christmas market. You will find lots of smaller and bigger markets around, but you most not forget that Vienna has even more to offer. The so-called Christmas market by Spittelberg is one of the pearls you definitely have to experience. As someone who likes shopping you will of course visit the Mariahilferstrasse while in Vienna. Just by the metro stop Neubaugasse you will find a church and the Stiftgasse is located next to it. Enter into this street, pass by the parking house and you will soon understand that you are in Christmas wonderland. There are lots of streets next to one another packed with stands, small stores and it is one of the most amazing Christmas markets in Europe. And yes, it has an amazing atmosphere.

What are you waiting for? Jump on the plane and come to Vienna! The city has the most amazing Christmas markets, and the city in itself is like a giant Christmas market throughout December! If you haven’t seen it yet, hurry up! If you have been there once, you for sure understand what we are talking about!

Happy Christmas!

Enrique Iglesias concert in Vienna

Posted on November 21, 2016November 21, 2016 by worldcityguides

Would you like to combine the Christmas markets in Vienna with a magnificent Enrique Iglesias concerts? It can be done on December 14th in 2016.

Enrique Iglesias has sold even more albums than his father Julio Iglesias. This year he will travel around and visit some cities in Europe before Christmas, though not many. He will first perform in the USA in the start of December and following that he will perform in Vienna on December 14th, in Krakow on December 16th and in Prague on December 18th. It is a privilege that he has decided to visit Vienna, and it should of course not be a surprise that the Enrique Iglesias concert in Vienna will be arranged in Stadthalle.

The Enrique Iglesias concert will start at 19.30 on December 14th, meaning that you can spend the entire day exploring the beautiful Christmas markets in Vienna before the concert. The most famous market is at the Rathauszplatz, but our personal favorite is the Spittelberg market, simply because it is very different.

Are you ready for Christmas shopping and Enrique Iglesias in Vienna? Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Have a good time.

Enrique Iglesias in Vienna 2016

December 14th, 19.30
Stadthalle

Tickets: Viagogo

Have a good time in Vienna and if you have any further questions or comments just read around in our Vienna Guide, or write a comment beneath!

Wi-Fi hotspots in Vienna

Posted on November 7, 2016November 7, 2016 by worldcityguides

Are you coming to Vienna and need to access your email and surf the Internet? Worried if you will find a free Wi-Fi hotspot or not? We have the information you need!

There are plenty of Wi-Fi hotspots in Vienna, so you will for sure have no problem actually finding them. Here are a few advises that will help you out, and make sure to read our advises related to security issues as well!

free-wifi-in-vienna — FabrikaSimf / Shutterstock

Finding a Wi-Fi hotspot in Vienna

When you book your hotel or apartment check out whether it has WiFi available or not, and whether or not it is included in your price. Most hotels include WiFi in the price, and if that is so then you have no need to worry.
If you need to surf the Internet or write an email, why not eat your lunch or have a cup of coffee in a place with WiFi available? This is getting more and more common, but check if they have a WiFi logo on the door or ask the waiter upon arrival.
In these days you can even access WiFi hotspots while traveling on public transportation (on some buses, tram lines and so).
Quite a lot of the big shopping complexes offer free WiFi while shopping around. Some require registration (free), while others can be used at once without any registration.

Some security measures when using WiFi hotspots in Vienna and elsewhere

Watch out for evil twin networks. Those look like harmless networks, but they are there to steal your confidential data. You can read more about evil twin networks here.
You should be careful about using WiFi networks without encryption (using no password protection). Hackers can easily steal your data and information as you use those. Choose secure networks only. If your hotel only has open WiFi without encryption, you should consider using a VPN to secure your online activity.

Some hotels with free WiFi hotspots in Vienna

Are you not satisfied with the article so far? Would you desperately want to know some exact examples of hotels that will guarantee you free surfing while in Vienna? Well, let us get into the mud and give you some real examples!

One of the most central hotels in Vienna is Hotel Am Stephansplatz. This is in the very heart of the city, and if you decide to stay there during your trip to Vienna you can also enjoy their free Wifi.

Hotel Rathaus Wein and Design is another hotel in Vienna with beautiful interior and exterior, and with free WiFi. It isn’t as centrally located as Hotel Am Stephansplatz, but if you want to live close to the most famous Christmas market in Vienna, then this is a brilliant hotel.

Sofitel Hotel Stephansdom is a five star hotel in the heart of the city. This is even more exclusive than Hotel Am Stephansplatz, and you can enjoy a view to the most famous landmark of Vienna from the windows.

If you come to Vienna to enjoy a concert in Stadthalle, then Boutique Hotel Stadthalle might be the perfect hotel for you. It is close to the concert venue, and you can immediately go back to your hotel and upload YouTube videos, pictures and other content from the concert to your social profiles using the free WiFi available in the hotel!

We can not guarantee that these hotels will have free WiFi forever, but based on their current policies they should have it. Make sure to check it out upon booking anyway!

Happy surfing in Vienna

With some preparation you will live in a hotel with WiFi in Vienna, and you can have all your lunches and drink all your cups of coffee in coffee-bars with WiFi in Vienna. If you are reading this article from such a place, write a comment to say hello, and maybe tell us where you are. Maybe more of our readers wants to go where you are to use the WiFi connection available as well!

Three birthday exhibitions in the Museum of Fine Art

Posted on October 25, 2016 by worldcityguides

The Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna is celebrating its 125 year anniversary in 2016. This celebration now continues with an exhibition in three parts giving information about the year of the inauguration of the museum, 1891.

It was on October 17th in 1891 that Emperor Franz Joseph officially opened, or inaugurated, the Museum of Fine Arts at its present location in Vienna. And to celebrate this grand opening 125 years ago visitors to the Museum of Fine Arts can enjoy an exhibition in three parts in the museum. These exhibitions all focus on the opening year 1891.

museum-of-fine-arts-vienna — Dundanim / Shutterstock

The first part of the exhibition deals with the construction of the building itself. Here you can see pictures from the construction and get some insight in how they progressed with the work on the building.
The second part is in memory of the painter Julius Victor Berger. He is a painter the world has almost forgotten about, but this exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts will for sure help give this painter some more attention.
The third part shows how the museum evolved from 1891 and for the first 30 years. How did the museum become as big as it is today? What kind of pictures were exhibited back then and what did the museum look like?

If you want to enjoy this exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna, then go ahead and visit it right away.

The exhibition will be on display from the 18th of October until the 29th of January in 2017. You can read more about about other programs and happenings in Vienna here in our Vienna Guide. And if you come to Vienna before Christmas do not forget about the beautiful Christmas markets the city has to show!

World Cup 2018 qualification: Austria vs Wales

Posted on September 8, 2016 by worldcityguides

On the 6th of October it is time for the Euro 2016 stars from Wales to play against the Euro 2016 failure Austria in Vienna. Can Austria keep up the good work from their first World Cup 2018 qualification match against Georgia?

There is little doubt about the fact that Austria’s performance in Euro 2016 was a big disappointment to most people. They came with great expectations on their shoulders, but it was all destroyed in the first match loosing 2-1 against their eastern neighbors Hungary. Now Austria is back out there again to qualify themselves for the World Cup 2018 in Russia, but it want be easy. In October they have two tough matches coming up. First they are to play against Wales in Vienna on September 6th and then three days later against Serbia in Serbia.

Can Austria stop Gareth Bale on October 6th in Vienna?

Austria vs Wales on October 6th

If Austria impressed in their match against Georgia in September, then Wales impressed even more as they won 4-0 against Moldova. That is of course an opponent they should beat easily, but 4-0 is still a great result in European football today. The question is whether Austria can play disciplined football and stop the great players from Wales like Gareth Bale and Samuel Vokes?

Austria has some great players themselves, but when it really counts they are not always able to perform well together. In this match against Wales they can take a giant step towards a great start on the World Cup qualification, at least if they manage to win.

Watch Austria vs Wales

You can watch the match in Vienna on the stadium, but if you only want to watch it at home then it will most likely be broadcasted on ORF in Austria. This is a free channel for everyone, so watch the match there if you are in Austria. If you are located outside Austria then you can read more about watching ORF from abroad in this article.

There are also lots of great places in Vienna where you can watch the match on big screens. There are sports pubs here and there and lots of restaurants also have large LCD screens available. Enjoy the match, and if you have time left do not forget to visit Schonbrunn, Hofburg and the rest of the famous attractions in Vienna.

Christmas markets in Vienna in 2016

Posted on August 30, 2016 by worldcityguides

The dates are official. You can order your flight tickets right away and book a hotel, because these are the dates for the Christmas markets in Vienna in 2016.

There are few people who disagree about the fact that the Christmas markets in Vienna are among the nicest in all of Europe and in the entire world. The main Christmas market which is located in front of the City Hall (Rathaus) is the most popular and famous, and it looks fantastic, especially in the evenings.

There are of course lots of other markets as well in Vienna, and the second most famous Christmas market in Vienna is located by the Schonbrunn Castle. This is also followed up by a new years market in case you only arrive to Vienna after Christmas.

One of the most special Christmas markets in Vienna is the one at Spittelberg. This is not a traditional big square market, but this is lots of small streets with stands and shops giving you a fantastic Christmas market feeling. This is one you should absolutely visit if you come to Vienna for Christmas.

Dates for the Christmas markets in Vienna

Rathausplatz: November 11th – December 26th
Schönbrunn: November 19th – December 26th (followed by new Years Market)
Belvedere: November 18th – December 23rd
Spittelberg: November 12th – December 23rd

For more information about the Christmas markets in Vienna, click the link.

For more information about the annual Christmas markets in Budapest, visit hungarybudapestguide.com.

We wish you a pleasant stay in Vienna and a Merry Christmas!

Wiener Wiesn-Fest – Traditions and beer!

Posted on August 29, 2016August 23, 2016 by worldcityguides

From September 22nd till October 9th it is time for the sixth Wiener Wiesn-Fest to be arranged in Vienna. The location of the festival is in the Prater area, and this is the number one place to visit if you come to Vienna in this period.

The festival is available every single day in this period and it opens at 11.30 and lasts until 01.00 (except for Sundays when it ends at 20.00). It is free entrance to the entire area every day before 18.00, but from 18.30 there will be big concerts in the party tents and then there is an entrance fee for all the fun.

What makes this a cool festival is that lots of people dress up for it, meaning that you will see lots of people dressed in authentic and traditional Austrian costumes. All the different Austrian regions get their chance to show costumes, but also play their traditional music as different brass bands play their tunes.

Have fun as you visit the Wiener Wiesn-Fest in Vienna!

Wiener Wiesn-Fest
September 22nd – October 9th

We hope you will have a fantastic time in Vienna, and if you want to know more about the different attractions in Vienna or maybe book a nice hotel, look around in our Vienna Guide for more information.

Austria Wien vs Rosenborg

Posted on August 15, 2016 by worldcityguides

Do you like a good football match? On Thursday at 19.00 Austria Wien will host a Europe League qualification match against Rosenborg from Norway on Ernst Happen Stadium.

Rosenborg is a well known team in Europe and for sure the most famous Norwegian team. They have been playing in the Champions League several times, but in the last years they haven’t really managed to reach success in Europe. Last year they qualified for the Europe League, but they ended up on the last place in their group and did not manage to win any of their matches. But, what about Austrian Wien? Can they beat the Norwegian champions?

If you want to watch the match then the stadium is located not far from Prater, the fantastic fun park in the center of Vienna. From there you can go with a little train and end up by the stadium. The stadium is a giant one, meaning that there will for sure be free tickets if you should want to watch the match between Austria Wien and Rosenborg.

While in Vienna we recommend that you visit the Museum of Fine Arts which is one of the finest museums in Vienna. For shopping we recommend that you walk around in the center near the Stephansdom. For more information on hotels, restaurants, attractions and more in Vienna, read here in our Vienna Guide!

Want to watch Euro 2016 in Vienna? These are the hottest places!

Posted on May 13, 2016May 20, 2019 by worldcityguides

Austria has qualified to a European Championship for the first time. Would you like to watch the matches while in Vienna and maybe cheer for Austria or for Germany?

Austria has been playing in a European Championship before, but that was only because they were organizing the event. This time they have actually managed to qualify for the event all by themselves and now Austrians have great expectations to their national team and hope that they will surprise the critics and get far in the tournament. But, where should you watch the Euro 2016 matches while in Vienna? These are the hottest places!

Best places to watch Euro 2016 in Vienna

The number one place to watch Euro 2016 in Vienna is without a doubt in front of the Rathaus at Rathausplatz in Vienna. This will be a fantastic place with a giant screen and visitors will be able to buy drinks and food from 26 restaurateurs at the spot. A full program can be found here.

If you want to avoid the giant crowds by the Rathausplatz, then these are places you could consider as you want to watch Euro 2016:

Flex: Donaukanal – Augartenbrücke
Summer Stage: Donaukanal, U4 Rossauer Lände
Pratersauna: Waldsteingartenstraße 135
Chelsea: Lerchenfelder Gürtel, Stadtbahnbögen 29-30
Seestadt: Ostbahn-Begleitstraße 50 / Aspern Nord

If you would rather watch the event on television or online then it is useful to know that ORF will broadcast Euro 2016 in Austria and you can watch this channel easily in your hotel room at no additional cost. In Germany it is a mixture of ARD and ZDF that will broadcast Euro 2016.

You can also watch all Euro 2016 matches online on either Austrian, German or English TV. You can read more about watching Euro 2016 online at ARD and ZDF here or you can get a full schedule of all Euro 2016 matches and more information about the event at euro2016.one.

When will Austria play during Euro 2016?

If you want to watch the matches in which Austria will play during Euro 2016 in Vienna, then here you can find the times at which the Austria team will play. We hope they will play fantastic football and qualify for the knockout stage as well, but it won’t be easy as they are in a group with Hungary, Iceland and Portugal. They will open against their eastern neighbors from Hungary, then comes Portugal and in their last group stage match they will play against Iceland. A full Euro 2016 schedule can be found here.

June 14th, 18.00 – against Hungary
June 18th, 21.00 – against Portugal
June 22nd, 18.00 – against Iceland

What else to do in Vienna?

If you are looking for other activities to enjoy while in Vienna then we will for sure recommend a visit to Schonbrunn, maybe a trip on the river Danube and if you have the time then a day excursion to Bratislava is a good idea for a nice program. If you are more into arts then there are beautiful museums in Vienna, for example the Museum of Fine Arts.

Exhibition on celebration

Posted on April 29, 2016October 25, 2016 by worldcityguides

The Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna is celebrating 125 years in 2016 and they are celebrating it with an exhibition portraying the history of celebration, or something like that!

On this special occasion they have borrowed some fantastic works of arts from for example Prado in Madrid and from Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In addition they have also gathered together their best pieces and used them all to create this fantastic exhibition giving us insight on the art of celebration and how it has evolved throughout history. You can read more about the entire exhibition on the official site for the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna.

The exhibition opened on March 8th in 2016 and will be available all the way until September 11th.

If the sun is shining while you are in Vienna do not forget to go for a stroll in one of the beautiful parks in the city, whereof the most beautiful might be the park area around Schonbrunn. And if you want to watch Euro 2016 while in Vienna then there will be plenty of bars and restaurants showing all the matches, you can probably also watch the games on the TV in your hotel room (read about the best hotels in Vienna here) as ORF will broadcast Euro 2016 in Austria or you can watch the matches online.

Have fun in Vienna and for more information on what’s going on in the city, about attractions and restaurants, read on here in our Vienna Guide!