Are you in for some action and adrenaline while in Vienna? Prater is for sure a place you should visit during your stay.
We have earlier written about how you can get to the Familypark by the Neusiedler see from Vienna. But, you do not have to travel there to get adrenaline and experience some fun. Prater, also known as Wurstelprater, is a fantastic area in the city of Vienna, and here you will find fun for people of all ages. Just take a look at the fantastic ride at the picture beneath.
The Olympia Looping in Prater Vienna
The Olympia Looping is one of the most famous rides available in the park. It has been rumored that it will retire soon, but it is still there, and you better try it if you like such kind of rides. It first saw the light of day in 1989, and it has been at several locations in Europe before it ended up in Prater.
The price for a ride is 8,50 Euro, and for this money, you will get one minute packed with action. There is a total of 5 loops during the ride, and the highest speed during the ride is 100km.
Since you buy tickets individually for all rides in the park, there is normally no line and you can go ahead and enjoy a ride at once without standing in line!
Does this look like a nice ride to you? We have tried it… it’s amazing!
Are you going to visit Vienna and dream of spending a lot of time in Mariahilferstrasse, the most popular shopping street in Vienna? NH Hotel Wien City might be exactly the hotel you are looking for!
NH Hotel Wien City is a four-star hotel, located just by the popular shopping street. The hotel doesn’t have their main entrance from the street, but walking through a short tunnel you can get to the main entrance, and living in the hotel, it feels like you live in the shopping street.
The hotel is perfect if you want to spend most of your time outdoors, but if you are looking for a hotel with lots of indoor services, you should probably book a room somewhere else. But, as a four-star hotel with a perfect location in Mariahilferstrasse, this hotel will be more than enough for most people.
The rooms are nice (and not that small), and the people working in the reception are nice. The hotel has a parking lot available, but they do not have space for lots of cars, so you might be unlucky and discover that the parking lot is fully booked upon arrival.
The biggest minus with NH Hotel Wien City
Before arrival, we read that NH Hotel Wien City has splendid free WiFi available in the hotel, but that is very far from the truth. They have free WiFi, but it is so slow and terrible, that I would not even dare to call it free WiFi. It reminded me of the days when I used a modem to connect to the Internet, only slower. There were times when I couldn’t even download my emails due to the speed.
There was, of course, a way to get faster Internet, but you would have to pay 10 Euro a day for that service. In other words, what NH Hotel Wien City call free WiFi is similar to calling a dog-poop a chocolate.
The hotel was perfect for some days of shopping and sightseeing in Vienna. We had a great stay, and we would have no problem returning. But, the WiFi was a big disappointment, so if that is important to you, prepare to pay or to live somewhere else.
I have just read the following article about the Familypark in Vienna and would love to pay it a visit. How can I easily get to the Familypark from Vienna?
That is a brilliant question and a question that many people ask themselves. Luckily, it is quite easy to get to the Familypark from Vienna. In the article, the author decides to rent a car and travel to the Familypark on his own. That is for sure the easiest way to visit the park, and the ride should take between 60-75 minutes, depending on where you are staying in Vienna.
The exact address and coordinates of the park are:
Märchenparkweg 1
7062 St. Margarethen
GPS-Data: 47° 48′ 6.785” N ,16° 38′ 51.078” E
How to get to the Familypark with public transportation?
But, most people reading this and asking the same question probably wants to get there without renting a car.
To get to the Familypark, get to Vienna Hauptbahnhof first (you can easily get there using the metro system in Vienna). There you will have to find bus 200 and travel to Eisenstadt/Domplatz. When you get there you have to change to bus 285 which will travel to the Familypark during the opening times of the park. There is a dedicated bus stop outside the park.
The bus ride from Vienna to Eisenstadt normally takes around 1 hour an 20 min.
We hope these answers will help you out. If you have further comments or questions, use the comment field beneath.
Do you want to discover the beauties of Vienna while running? Join in on the Vienna Night Run as it is arranged on September 25th in 2018!
There are running competitions and marathons arranged in most big cities in Europe every year. But, if you don’t feel like running a marathon (as it is too long), or you would rather run when it is dark outside, then the Vienna Night Run might be exactly what you are dreaming about! It is arranged annually in Vienna, and it is one of the best running competitions there is.
Join the Vienna Night Run on September 25th in 2018 – Source
Vienna Night Run is arranged by Erste Bank, and it will be arranged on September 25th in 2018. The first run will start at 19.50 (for those who can and will run 5km in less than 25 minutes). Those who believe they will run slower can join in on a later start time, and at 21.00 it is time for those who want to do the race in nordic-walking style to give it a try. Everyone needs to reach the finish line by 22.30, as that is when the streets will be used for normal traffic again.
Vienna Night Run will start from Universitätsring/Ecke Grillparzerstraße. The route will be along the ring, and it will let you see some of the most beautiful areas of Vienna as you run.
The route of the Vienna Night Run
The full route is Universitätsring – Schottenring – Franz–Josefs-Kai – Stubenring – Parkring – Schubertring – Kärntner Ring – Opern Ring – Burgring – Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring.
Doesn’t that sound like a fantastic route for an evening run on September 25th? I feel tempted to join myself, but I cannot promise anything. If you sign up at the very moment, the price is approximately 30 Euro to take part. More information about the race (in German) and a sign-up site can be found here.
The winner in 2017 ran the 5km track on 15:39 minutes, giving him an average pace of 3:08/km. Can you beat that? Join in this year to find out!
Want to know more about other events taking place in Vienna? Check out our Vienna events calendar.
The fantastic Christmas markets will return to Vienna again in 2018. Here are the most important dates and some useful information.
A photo from the Christmas market in front of the City Hall in Vienna – Shutterstock / Burben
There are lots of beautiful cities worth visiting before Christmas, but we dare to say that Vienna is the most beautiful of them all before Christmas. The reason is simple, Vienna is a giant Christmas market in itself. There are some beautiful Christmas markets worth visiting, but as you walk around in the city, you will discover small and larger markets everywhere. You will find people drinking hot wine everywhere, and the city is simply stunning. If you haven’t been to Vienna before Christmas, 2018 is your year!
The biggest and most famous Christmas market in Vienna is the one in front of the City Hall (Rathaus). This will be open from November 17th till December 26th in 2018.
Another very nice Christmas market is the one by Belvedere. This will be open between November 23rd and December 26th in 2018.
There is an annual Christmas market at Maria-Theresien Platz (between the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Natural History). This will be open from November 21st till December 26th.
If you haven’t been to Schönbrunn yet, visit the castle between November 18th and December 26th to enjoy the Christmas markets there.
The most special Christmas market in Vienna is located in Spittelberg. Here you have several small streets with stands everywhere. So, it is not a giant market, but lots of small streets making the entire area into a Christmas market maze (almost). It is absolutely worth a visit. It will be open from November 16th till December 23rd.
These are the most important dates and Christmas markets in Vienna. Are you looking forward to these markets already? As you plan your trip, read through our list of recommendations for those coming to Vienna for the Christmas markets. These are useful pieces of advice that might give you a helping hand as you plan your trip.
Have you got any questions related to the Christmas markets in Vienna? Write a comment and we will do our best to help you out!
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.
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.
Do you live in Austria and want to make a subscription to Netflix? Or do you have a Netflix subscription in the UK or maybe in the United States and would like to watch it while in Austria, but you are unable because Netflix tells you that their services are unavailable at your location?
This is a very typical question we receive from our readers and from travelers coming to Austria. Luckily there are tons of websites out there explaining how to watch Netflix from abroad, so instead of inventing the wheel over again, we would rather recommend that you go ahead and visit one of the following article:
To sum up the contents of the two sites, the goal is to get an IP address in the nation where you want to watch Netflix. Since you are searching on this content in English, you probably want to sign up for a Netflix account in either the UK, in Ireland, in USA or in Canada. To do so you need an IP in one of those nations. If you already have a Netflix account, it is important that you get an IP address in the same nation as in which you have your already running Netflix account.
To watch Netflix in Austria
To watch Netflix in Austria we recommend that you sign up for a Netflix account in the UK. That is easy and works great and all you need is a UK IP address. We recommend that you use a VPN provider to get such an IP address and one of the best VPN providers on the market is HideMyAss. They run their services from the UK, meaning that the company behind the product do their uttermost to give all users the best service possible in the nation in which they are actually located, in the UK. Their services can therefore warmly be recommended if you are looking for a UK IP address.
So, to get started watching Netflix in Austria all you need to do is to visit the HideMyAss website, sign up, download their VPN client and visit the Netflix website again after restarting your browser. You can now sign up for a free 30 day trial and enjoy the full register of programs and shows available in the Netflix system.
It is the big ball season in Vienna currently, and the most important ball of them all is the Opera Ball arranged on February 16th in 2012. But, it is worth knowing that besides the Opera Ball, there are more than 300 balls arranged in Vienna in the period between the end of December and the start of March every year. So, if you are in for a nice ball, head of to Vienna and get ready for a real Wiener waltz in Vienna.
It is the big ball season in Vienna currently, and the most important ball of them all is the 