By Jake Emen
Vienna is regarded as one of Europe’s most elegant cities, and there are few places that can compete with its stellar lineup of world-class museums. Its many historical and architectural gems, largely contained in and around the 3.3-mile Ringstrasse boulevard, feel within arm’s reach. The Austrian capital, renowned for its cafes, boasts an abundance of glorious green spaces, and best of all, it now has the luxe hotel scene to match. In one weekend you’ll cover the big ticket to-dos with enough time for a few joyful discoveries along the way.
DAY 1
MORNING
Caffeinate Fresh off your arrival on an overnight flight is a fitting time to begin sampling what Vienna does better than perhaps anywhere else on the planet: cafe culture, which is recognized here as a piece of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. With about 2,400 cafes in the city, many of which date back several hundred years, there’s no shortage of options. Get your fix at what’s said to be the oldest of them all, Café Daniel Moser, with coffeehouse roots in its location stretching back to 1685.
AFTERNOON
R&R at the M.O. Check into the Mandarin Oriental, Vienna. The glitzy property opened last December, taking over a heritage 1906 courthouse constructed in Viennese Art Nouveau, replete with golden accents, geometric patterns, and floral motifs. The painstaking, six-year renovation of the protected building preserved original features such as a grand marble staircase, while installing more than 400 art pieces. Among the new additions is an immaculate subterranean spa, an ideal place to seek out some indulgent R&R following last night’s red-eye. Consider a 90-minute Music and Movement treatment to get you into a Vienna state of mind, thanks to a combination of curated sounds and rhythmic techniques.
EVENING
A stroll and a feast Plenty of avant-garde fine dining awaits in the city. Tonight, get acquainted with traditional Viennese fare at Glacis Beisl. Enjoy a walk through the city’s Museum Quarter en route to dinner, then grab a table in its open-air garden courtyard. Feast upon wiener schnitzel adorned with nothing but fresh- squeezed lemon juice and a picture-perfect golden crust, pierogies, dumplings, and sauerkraut galore.
Last call For a nightcap, head around the block to the Miiro Spittelberg hotel. The boutique brand has opened two new hotels in Vienna within the past year, and at this location you’ll find Italian restaurant and pizzeria Poco. Try a creative Negroni riff as the venue morphs into a late-night vinyl-listening bar.
What to Pack:
Whether museum-hopping, or park-lounging, find the perfect fits for your Viennese escape at Bal Harbour Shops.
DAY 2
The gold-plated monument of Johann Strauss II at Stadtpark; ©Julius Hirtzberger/ WienTourismus.
Get your coffee and hit the park Start your day at a “modern” cafe—Café Prückel opened in 1903. She’s a baby, by Viennese standards. It’s a short walk from the Mandarin Oriental, and is located at the northwest corner of Stadtpark. Here, explore the English-style park featuring well-manicured floral gardens, strolling paths, and the shimmering monument to composer Johann Strauss II. If you’re still in a musical mood, embark on a walking tour of the city with a stop at Mozarthaus Vienna museum, in what was his residence from 1784 to 1787.
Fill up and tour Continue just a few blocks to Restaurant Wrenkh, a quick-casual joint specializing in all-vegetarian takes of Austrian classics, such as mushroom schnitzel and grilled dumplings with chanterelles. If you’re not schnitzel-ed out and want to conduct a taste-off, then Dom Schnitzel is another venue dedicated to the fried cutlet arts.
The Austrian National Library, founded in the 14th century, is part of the 59-acre Hofburg palace complex.
Explore Vienna’s major sites You’ll happen to be looking right up at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, originally founded in the 12th century. It’s known today for the Gothic architecture that transformed its facade several centuries later, and its glazed-tile roof comprised of more than 200,000 tiles. More spectacular sites await: The Hofburg, the enormous palace complex of the Habsburg dynasty; The Rathaus, Vienna’s city hall; and the Vienna State Opera. Not to be missed is the Kunsthistorisches Museum, whose expansive collection includes masterpieces by Rembrandt, Raphael, Vermeer, and Rubens.
The 450-foot tower of St. Stephan’s Cathedral, called “Steffl” by locals.
Check into the Rosewood After a busy day of touring, switch over to the Rosewood Vienna. Located in Petersplatz, beside St. Peter’s Church, the property helped transform Vienna’s luxury scene when it opened in summer 2022. The hotel joined several interconnected buildings that had prior stints ranging from a former bank headquarters to serving as one of Mozart’s former Viennese residences, where he wrote The Abduction from the Seraglio. Guests enter through a ground-floor atrium filled with large, bright modern art canvases, and once inside, will find a serene environment that feels akin to a personal escape within the city.
Rooftop aperitifs and a tasting menu dinner Begin the evening upstairs at THE1835, a see-and-be-seen stunner of a rooftop bar. It’s the reigning Viennese champion for where to post up on a pleasant evening and offers specialty cocktails and craveable bar bites paired with those views. You better save your appetite, though, because you’re heading to Jola, a Michelin-starred masterpiece of a vegan restaurant. Expect 10-course, plant-based tasting menus with exceptional drinks pairings care of chef Jonathan Wittenbrink that may just be tantalizing enough to lure you away from the meat-eating world.
DAY 3
More cafes await Make it a double dose for your final day by hitting up Café Landtmann, open since 1873, and Demel, which has been in its current locale since 1888 but dates back to 1786.
Fill up your shopping bags Now embark upon a shopping tour by seeking out Vienna’s historic k.u.k. Hoflieferant shops, or purveyors to the imperial and royal court. It’s a fitting enough mission as Demel is itself included in the group. A few more to seek out include J. & L. Lobmeyr, producer of exquisite crystal, chandeliers, and some claim, inventor of the original martini glass; A.E. Köchert, a bespoke jeweler most famous for creating Empress Elisabeth’s “Sisi Stars” jewelry, which she often wore as hair adornments; and Rudolf Scheer & Söhne, a custom shoemaker, and leather goods purveyor. To score private appointments and behind-the-scenes access, consider booking a tour with Shopping with Lucie!
The Kunsthistorisches Museum houses the art collection of the Habsburg dynasty.
A final dose of culture No trip to Vienna would be complete without visiting Albertina Museum. Visits here could last for days on end, but be sure to prioritize Monet’s The Water Lily Pond and Albrecht Dürer’s Young Hare and Praying Hands, as well as works from Michelangelo and da Vinci. You might also find time to visit the Leopold Museum, with seminal works by Viennese bad boy Gustav Klimt. Make your final stop in town an unimpeachable one, with a quick bite at the iconic Alles Wurscht stand. Don’t overthink this: it’s time for a bratwurst, maybe a currywurst, for a proper final taste of Vienna and a fitting farewell.
