Vienna is the capital of Austria and one of the nine Austrian
provinces. With over 1.8 million inhabitants, Vienna on the Danube
is the most populous city in Austria, the second largest in the
German-speaking world, and the sixth largest in the European Union.
About 2.8 million people live in the Greater Vienna area, which
corresponds to around one third of the total Austrian population.
Architecturally, Vienna is still dominated by the buildings
around the Vienna Ringstrasse from the Wilhelminian period, but also
by Baroque and Art Nouveau. Due to its role as imperial imperial
capital and residence city of the Empire of Austria from 1804 on,
Vienna became a cultural and political center of Europe in the 19th
century. As the fifth largest city in the world around 1910, the
city had over two million inhabitants. The historic center of Vienna
and Schönbrunn Palace are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With
around seven million tourists a year and around 15 million guest
nights, Vienna is one of the ten most visited cities in Europe.
Already at the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15, the city played a
significant role in international diplomacy, which it has retained
to this day. As an international congress and conference venue,
Vienna is now home to more than 30 international organizations,
including the OPEC, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
and the OSCE, making it one of the world's cities. The United
Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV) houses one of the four offices of
the United Nations at the Vienna International Center (VIC),
popularly known as the UNO City.
In addition, Vienna is
considered a city with a very high quality of life. In the
international Mercer study 2017/2018, which compared the quality of
life based on 39 criteria such as political, economic, social and
environmental factors in 231 major cities worldwide, Vienna took
first place for the ninth consecutive year. A study by the United
Nations saw Vienna 2012 as the wealthiest city in the world.
Vienna is proud as a birthplace of Johann Straus II
The winding streets and spacious squares of this area form the ancient heart of Vienna. After World War II, excavations uncovered the remains of a Roman garrison, established here 2,000 years ago. In the area of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, there are many buildings from different eras, from the Romanesque arches of the Ruprecht church to the modern steel and glass buildings of the impressive Haas Haus on Stephansplatz. In many buildings in the area are located government offices, businesses, taverns and stylish shops. The gothic temple of Stephansdom or St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the center of the city and its geographical center.
Stephansdom (Vienna)
Stephansdom 3, A- 1010
Tel. 01- 51552 3526
Subway: Stephenplatz
Bus: 1A
Open: daily
Stephansdom (actually St. Stephen's Cathedral of
Vienna) at the Stephansplatz in Vienna (district Inner City) is
since 1365 a cathedral (seat of a cathedral chapter), since
1469/1479 cathedral (episcopal see) and since 1723 Metropolitan
Church of the Archbishop of Vienna. The Roman Catholic Cathedral,
also called Steffl by the Viennese, is considered a symbol of Vienna
and is often referred to as the Austrian national sanctuary. The
namesake is St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The second
patrocinium is All Saints Day.
The building is 107 meters
long and 34 meters wide. The cathedral is one of the most important
gothic buildings in Austria. Parts of the late Romanesque
predecessor building from 1230/40 to 1263 are still preserved and
form the west facade, flanked by the two pagan towers, which are
about 65 meters high. Overall, the Stephansdom has four towers: The
highest is the South Tower with 136.4 meters, the North Tower was
not completed and is only 68 meters high. In the former
Austria-Hungary no church higher than the south tower of St.
Stephen's Cathedral was built. For example, the Cathedral of the
Immaculate Conception in Linz was built two meters lower.
The
south tower is an architectural masterpiece of the time; despite its
remarkable height, the foundation is less than four meters deep. In
the south tower there are a total of 13 bells, of which eleven are
the main ring of St. Stephen's Cathedral. The Pummerin, the second
largest free-swinging church bell in Europe, is located since 1957
in the north tower under a tower dome from the Renaissance period.
Stephansdom or Church of Saint Stephan stands in the center of Vienna. The church was originally constructed here in the 13th century. Today all that remains from the Romanesque structure is Heathen Towers and Giants' Doorway. It is burial place of many rulers from the Habsburg dynasty that once ruled Austrian Empire. Over the centuries emperors spared no expanses in magnificent additions to the church. The Gothic nave, the side chapels and the choir are were made in the 14th and 15th centuries. While High Altar, the Lower Vestry are later Baroque additions.
By the middle of the 12th century , Vienna had
become an important center of German civilization in Eastern Europe
, and the four existing churches, including only one parish church ,
were insufficient to meet the religious demand.
In 1137 , the
bishop of Passau , Reginmar , and the Margrave Leopold IV signed the
treaty of Mautern , where for the first time reference is made to
Vienna as "Civitas", and the Church of St. Peter is transferred to
the diocese of Passau. According to the treaty, the bishop donated
to the Margrave Leopold IV the lands that extended beyond the walls
of the city, with the notable exception of the territory assigned to
the new parish church, which would become the cathedral of San
Stephan.
Although previously believed to have been built in
an open field outside the city walls, the new parish church was
probably built in an old cemetery dating back to Roman antiquity ;
the excavations carried out in the year 2000 to install a heating
system exposed tombs, 2.5 meters below the surface, which were dated
in the IV century with the carbon 14 technique . This discovery
suggests the existence of a religious building, even before the
Ruprechtskirche church .
The history of this temple begins
in 1137, with a Romanesque- style church that, a hundred years
later, was rebuilt in a late Romanesque style. In the seventeenth
century it was extended using a Baroque style . The Romanesque
portico is flanked by the two Torres de los Paganos, both 64 meters
high. The tower of the north, unfinished and with a height of 68
meters, was closed in 1579 with a Renaissance cover. In the time of
the Counter-Reformation, the cathedral was decorated with Baroque
ornaments. Some of the elements placed have an associated symbolism:
the gargoyles on the outside represent evil spirits.
This
parish was consecrated to the patron of the cathedral of Passau ,
San Stephan. In 1137 , all the other churches of the city were
placed under the jurisdiction of this parish church.
In April
1147 there was the partial consecration of the church, still under
construction, in the presence of the Bishop of Passau. Its
dimensions were exaggerated for what was Vienna at that time, which
indicates the vision of the future of its creator, who prepared it
to become the episcopal seat or church of the dukedom.
This
parochial church was completed in 1160 , and possessed, with its 83
meters in length, the profile of a cathedral. It was oriented in the
same way as the current, towards the sunrise point of December 26,
1137. There is almost no remains of the old church, although thanks
to archaeological studies are known the measurements of the central
nave, which had 12 meters wide (about 26 if the three naves are
added), and a length, including the apse , of 83 meters.
The
second Romanesque construction, begun in 1240 and consecrated in
1263 , and from which the western façade is conserved with the
gigantic door, was promoted essentially by the new powers, the
bourgeoisie and the ducal house.
The new Gothic building of
San Stephan began to be built in 1304 . The spacious premises of the
ship, one of the largest in Europe, testifies that here the
bourgeoisie could reach the dominant position. Between 1304 and 1344
the choir was raised . From 1359 the lateral walls of the central
ship began to be constructed, which enclosed like a sheath the old
Romanesque ship. Until 1446 the last vaults under the gigantic roof
were not concluded. Between 1359 and 1443the southern tower was
raised. The first ray that falls on the main altar and illuminates
the place is used as a symbol of the open sky that, according to the
enunciated in the Acts of the Apostles , San Stephan could observe
before dying.
The only remaining parts of the old building
are the Black Chamber, located on a lower level of the Pagana South
Tower, which currently houses a confessional, and part of the ground
floor of the west floor.
What began as a modest city fortress, for centuries turned into a huge palace, the Hofburg. The palace continued to grow until the Habsburgs lost power in 1918. The presence of the court had a profound effect on the surrounding terrain. Streets, such as Herrengass and Bankgasse, are decorated with palaces that the nobility built in their desire to be as close as possible to the center of imperial power. Former palace gardens are now owned by Volkswagen and Burggarten (city garden). This area is filled with tourists during the day, but at night it is almost empty.
The Belvedere Quarter is a grand and extravagant district of Vienna. The Karlplatz Hotel (Karlsplatz) with its gardens and statues offers a beautiful view of the Baroque church Karlskirche by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. To the east of this great church, visitors can see the two Belvedere Palaces, now public galleries and Schwarzenberg Palace. Palaces and beautiful gardens were designed by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt after the defeat of the Turks in 1683. Only after the Turkish threat was gone, Vienna expanded. The turbulent history of the city is wonderfully documented in the Vienna Museum Karlsplatz. Just a few steps from the hotel stands Musikverein (Musikverein), where the Vienna Philharmonic is located. The Arnold Schoenberg Center contains many materials related to the compositions of the great innovator, as well as some of his paintings.
It was Emperor Franz Joseph who ordered the large institutional buildings during the Hapsburg dynasty. They were erected along the Ringstrasse in the middle of the XIX century. Today these buildings remain a magnificent and impressive example of good urban planning. The districts of Vienna, which lie to the west of the Ringstrasse, remain untouched, including Josefstadt, which still retains the 18th-century atmosphere with its picturesque streets, modest palaces and baroque churches. The cultural institutions of this area are very bright: the brilliant productions arranged by the Burgtheater and the wide exhibits in the famous Naturist Museum and the Museum of Art are very popular among tourists.
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna)
Naturhistorisches Museum (Vienna)
Museums Quartier Wien (Vienna)
Museumplatz 1
Tel. 523- 5881/1723
Subway: MuseumsQuartier, Vilkstheater
Bus: 2a to the MuseumsQuartier, 48a to Volkstheater
Trolley: 49 to Volkstheater
Visitor Center
Open: 10am- 7pm daily
This is an area of great contrasts, ranging from the statue of the Opera House and the wealth of Operring shops to the modernism of modern Mariahilfer Strasse. Cinemas and department stores are located on this long street, attracting buyers not only from Vienna, but also from many parts of Eastern Europe. Another main thoroughfare in the area is Linke Wienzeile, which runs parallel to Rechte Wienzeile. Both roads stretch from the limits of the Ringstrasse to the outskirts of the city, following the winding and sometimes underground Vienna river. Between these roads is a lively Naschmarkt, overlooking Otto Wagner Art Nouveau apartments on Linck Winseil. Visitors who want to escape the crowd should visit the famous Cafe Museum, located next to three great cultural institutions of the region - the Academy of Fine Arts, the Opera House and the Secession Building.
This part of Vienna is dotted with tourist attractions such as Palace Förstel, Shottenring and Shottentor, so named after the Benedictines who came here during the time of Bebenberg to found the monastery of Shotenkirche. Later Austrian rulers were responsible for erecting other monuments in the area: Joseph II built a huge public hospital, now known as Josephum, and Franz Joseph founded the Votivkirche as a way to thank the Almighty for saving the assassination attempt in 1853. In the east, closer to the Danube Canal are located quiet residential streets near the stately palace of Liechtenstein, one of the many summer palaces built outside the city gates of the noble Vienna.
Prehistory, Roman times, Middle Ages
Archaeological findings show
that people had already made the area during the Palaeolithic era
and that from the Neolithic period, the Vienna Basin was
continuously populated. From the Bronze Age urn field culture in
Vienna held many cremation graves but also traces of settlement
testify. The older Iron Age Hallstatt culture in Vienna represented
by a still clearly visible burial mound and settlement remains .
From Celtic times an oppidum on the Leopoldsberg and a Celtic
settlement called Vedunia ("Waldbach") is known.
In the 1st
century AD, the Romans established a military camp (castrum) with
the attached civilian town of Vindobona (in today's 3rd district) on
the site of today's Vienna city center near the Danube to secure the
border of the province of Pannonia. Even today you can see on the
streets of the 1st district (Inner City), the course of the Wall and
the streets of the camp. The Romans stayed in Vienna until the 5th
century. The Roman legion camp was located far to the east of the
Western Roman Empire and therefore quickly fell victim to the
turmoil of the Germanic migration.
Center of the early
medieval Vienna was the Berghof. The first written mention in the
Middle Ages was 881 in the Salzburg Annals , where Weniam was
mentioned as a battle against the Magyars took place. With the
victory of the East Frankish king Otto I over the Magyars in the
year 955 at the battle on the Lechfeld began the rise of Vienna as
well as Austria. In 976 Leopold I of Babenberg became count of the
Eastern March, a 60-mile district centering on the Danube on the
eastern frontier of Bavaria. This initial district grew into the
duchy of Austria. Each succeeding Babenberg ruler expanded the march
east along the Danube, eventually encompassing Vienna and the lands
immediately east. In 1145 Duke Henry II Jasomirgott moved the
Babenberg family residence from Klosterneuburg in Lower Austria to
Vienna. From that time, Vienna remained the center of the Babenberg
dynasty.
After the end of the Third Crusade , the English
King Richard the Lionheart was captured on his return to England by
Margrave Leopold V the Virtuus 1192 in Erdberg near Vienna (now in
the 3rd district) and held prisoner in Dürnstein. With the lush
ransom a mint was established, which financed the first large city
expansion.
In 1440 Vienna became the resident city of the Habsburg dynasty. It
eventually grew to become the de facto capital of the Holy Roman
Empire (800–1806) in 1437 and a cultural centre for arts and
science, music and fine cuisine. Hungary occupied the city between
1485 and 1490.
In the 16th and 17th centuries Christian
forces stopped Ottoman armies twice outside Vienna (see Siege of
Vienna, 1529 and Battle of Vienna, 1683). A plague epidemic ravaged
Vienna in 1679, killing nearly a third of its population.
Austro-Hungarian Empire and the early 20th century
In 1804,
during the Napoleonic Wars, Vienna became the capital of the
Austrian Empire and continued to play a major role in European and
world politics, including hosting the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15.
After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, Vienna remained the
capital of what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city was a
centre of classical music, for which the title of the First Viennese
School is sometimes applied.
During the latter half of the
19th century, the city developed what had previously been the
bastions and glacis into the Ringstraße, a new boulevard surrounding
the historical town and a major prestige project. Former suburbs
were incorporated, and the city of Vienna grew dramatically. In
1918, after World War I, Vienna became capital of the Republic of
German-Austria, and then in 1919 of the First Republic of Austria.
From the late 19th century to 1938, the city remained a centre
of high culture and modernism. A world capital of music, the city
played host to composers such as Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler and
Richard Strauss. The city's cultural contributions in the first half
of the 20th century included, among many, the Vienna Secession
movement, psychoanalysis, the Second Viennese School, the
architecture of Adolf Loos and the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein
and the Vienna Circle. In 1913, Adolf Hitler, Leon Trotsky, Joseph
Tito, Sigmund Freud and Joseph Stalin all lived within a few miles
of each other in central Vienna, some of them being regulars at the
same coffeehouses. Within Austria, Vienna was seen as a centre of
socialist politics, for which it was sometimes referred to as "Red
Vienna". The city was a stage to the Austrian Civil War of 1934,
when Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss sent the Austrian Army to shell
civilian housing occupied by the socialist militia.
Anschluss
and World War II
In 1938, after a triumphant entry into Austria,
Austrian-born Adolf Hitler spoke to the Austrian Germans from the
balcony of the Neue Burg, a part of the Hofburg at the Heldenplatz.
Viennese Jews were looted, deported and murdered. Between
1938 (after the Anschluss) and the end of the Second World War,
Vienna lost its status as a capital to Berlin as Austria ceased to
exist and became a part of Nazi Germany. It was not until 1955 that
Austria regained full sovereignty.
On 2 April 1945, the
Soviets launched the Vienna Offensive against the Germans holding
the city and besieged it. British and American air raids and
artillery duels between the SS and Wehrmacht and the Red Army
crippled infrastructure, such as tram services and water and power
distribution, and destroyed or damaged thousands of public and
private buildings. Vienna fell eleven days later. Austria was
separated from Germany, and Vienna was restored as the republic's
capital city, but the Soviet hold on the city remained until 1955.
Divided Vienna
After the war, Vienna was part of
Soviet-occupied Eastern Austria until September 1945. As in Berlin,
Vienna in September 1945 was divided into sectors by the four
powers: the US, the UK, France and the Soviet Union and supervised
by an Allied Commission. The four-power occupation of Vienna
differed in one key respect from that of Berlin: the central area of
the city, known as the first district, constituted an international
zone in which the four powers alternated control on a monthly basis.
The control was policed by the four powers on a de facto day-to-day
basis, the famous "four soldiers in a jeep" method. The Berlin
Blockade of 1948 raised Western concerns that the Soviets might
repeat the blockade in Vienna. The matter was raised in the UK House
of Commons by MP Anthony Nutting, who asked: "What plans have the
Government for dealing with a similar situation in Vienna? Vienna is
in exactly a similar position to Berlin."
There was a lack of airfields in the Western sectors, and
authorities drafted contingency plans to deal with such a blockade.
Plans included the laying down of metal landing mats at Schönbrunn.
The Soviets did not blockade the city. The Potsdam Agreement
included written rights of land access to the western sectors,
whereas no such written guarantees had covered the western sectors
of Berlin. Also, there was no precipitating event to cause a
blockade in Vienna. (In Berlin, the Western powers had introduced a
new currency in early 1948 to economically freeze out the Soviets.)
During the 10 years of the four-power occupation, Vienna became a
hotbed for international espionage between the Western and Eastern
blocs. In the wake of the Berlin Blockade, the Cold War in Vienna
took on a different dynamic. While accepting that Germany and Berlin
would be divided, the Soviets had decided against allowing the same
state of affairs to arise in Austria and Vienna. Here, the Soviet
forces controlled districts 2, 4, 10, 20, 21 and 22 and all areas
incorporated into Vienna in 1938.
They put up barbed wire
fences around the perimeter of West Berlin in 1953, but not in
Vienna. By 1955, the Soviets, by signing the Austrian State Treaty,
agreed to relinquish their occupation zones in Eastern Austria as
well as their sector in Vienna. In exchange they required that
Austria declare its permanent neutrality after the allied powers had
left the country. Thus they ensured that Austria would not be a
member of NATO and that NATO forces would therefore not have direct
communications between Italy and West Germany.
The atmosphere
of four-power Vienna is the background for Graham Greene's
screenplay for the film The Third Man (1949). Later he adapted the
screenplay as a novel and published it. Occupied Vienna is also
depicted in the Philip Kerr novel, A German Requiem.
Austrian
State Treaty and afterwards
The four-power control of Vienna
lasted until the Austrian State Treaty was signed in May 1955. That
year, after years of reconstruction and restoration, the State Opera
and the Burgtheater, both on the Ringstraße, reopened to the public.
The Soviet Union signed the State Treaty only after having been
provided with the political guarantee by the federal government to
declare Austria's neutrality after the withdrawal of the allied
troops. This law of neutrality, passed in late October 1955 (and not
the State Treaty itself), ensured that modern Austria would align
with neither NATO nor the Soviet bloc, and is considered one of the
reasons for Austria's late entry into the European Union.
In
the 1970s, Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky inaugurated the Vienna
International Centre, a new area of the city created to host
international institutions. Vienna has regained much of its former
international stature by hosting international organizations, such
as the United Nations (United Nations Industrial Development
Organization, United Nations Office at Vienna and United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime), the Preparatory Commission for the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, the
International Atomic Energy Agency, the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries, and the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe.
City tours
Ring road
As a first approach to historic Vienna,
it is advisable to simply get on one of the "ring lines" (tram lines
D, 1, 2 or 71) at any station and (with one or two changes) do a
round along the ring road around the 1. District and take in the
historic buildings and parks to the left and right of the boulevard
from the second half of the 19th century. The trip all around takes
about half an hour. To travel clockwise, change from line 1 to line
2 at Schwedenplatz and from line 2 to line 1 at "Burgring" or
"Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring" to continue on the ring (opposite direction
accordingly vice versa). A ticket or a network card from Wiener
Linien is required for this.
If you want to travel the same
route without changing trains and with explanations, you can take
the Vienna Ring Tram from Schwedenplatz for a full lap around the
Ring. Runs daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at: 00 a.m. and: 030 a.m.,
duration approx. 25 min, fare 10 €, under 15 years 5 € (2019) There
is an audio guide with numerous foreign languages as well as
Viennese dialect and child-friendly explanations. More information:
Tel. +43 (1) 7909 121; Email
viennaringtram@wienerlinien.at
Fiaker
With a typical
Viennese Fiaker, a historic carriage, a ride through the city is
particularly fun. There are several departure stations at points of
tourist interest in the center. A stylish 20-minute tour in an
original (or true to the original) two-horse carriage costs 55 €, a
40-minute tour 80 € (2012), with the Fiaker explaining the main
sights.
There are large stands for Fiakers at Stephansplatz
and Heldenplatz. You can start a trip here without pre-booking.
However, it must also be said that a ride in a Fiaker supports a
business that is based on the suffering of countless horses. In
principle, horses are sensitive escape animals and are not built for
loud, polluted road traffic and constant walking on asphalt. The
animals often have 12 hour shifts, stand in the sun for hours and
are inadequately housed. Everyone who books such a trip should bear
this in mind.
Hop on Hop off tours
Tourist buses with
audio guides in different languages travel on a total of six
routes through the city and also reach sights such as UNO-City and
places in the area (including Klosterneuburg Abbey). A 24-hour card
costs from 25 euros and also includes a city walk with a guide. You
can get on and off as often as you like. Combined tickets available
for a boat trip on the Danube Canal. Tickets are cheaper online than
directly on the buses.
Boat tours
From the beginning of
April to the end of October the DDSG boat tours on the Danube and
Danube Canal take place. Entry points are at Schwedenplatz and at
Reichsbrücke. Day ticket € 26 (2019).
National Park Boat: From
May 2nd to October 26th, boat tours are offered from the Donauauen
National Park. You drive to the visitor center in the Lobau, there
you get a one-hour guided hike through the Au and then you go back
again. Departure daily at 9:00 a.m. from the pier on the Danube
Canal by the Salztorbrücke (bank of the 1st district), duration 4
1/2 hours, € 12 adults, € 6 children from 6 to 15 years (2019).
Children under 6 free. Registration required: Tel. +43 1 4000-49495,
e-mail nh@m49.magwien.gv.at
By train
There are daily direct trains from Hamburg, Berlin,
Munich, Frankfurt, Zurich, Prague, Warsaw, Moscow (not daily),
Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Rome,
Milan etc.
It pays to search the various websites of the
railway companies for savings offers (e.g. ÖBB-Sparschiene), as this
enables significant savings (e.g. Munich-Vienna from 29 euros,
Budapest-Vienna from 13 euros).
In addition to the ÖBB,
Vienna is also served by the following private railway companies,
which are cheaper than the ÖBB when comparing the regular price:
Western Railway: Salzburg-Linz-Vienna Westbahnhof or
Salzburg-Linz-Vienna Central Station-Vienna Praterstern
Regiojet:
Prague-Brno-Vienna main train station
Long-distance train
stations
1 Vienna Central Station: At Südtiroler Platz on the
site of the former Südbahnhof (U1 station Südtiroler Platz -
Hauptbahnhof). With the U1 one is in 5 minutes (2-3 stations) in the
city center (U1 direction Leopoldau). At the eastern exit of the
main train station you will find a stop for tram line D, which will
take you past the Belvedere to the ring. With the bus line 13A you
can easily reach the western central districts (4th-8th). Several
S-Bahn lines, some of which stop in the basement, connect the main
station with destinations in the city and region. The main station
was opened for regional traffic in 2012 and has been served by all
international and national long-distance trains since the end of
2015.
2 Vienna Meidling train station; Almost all long-distance
trains that go to Vienna Central Station also stop at Meidling
station. The train station outside the city center can be reached
with the S-Bahn, the U6 subway line, the Vienna-Baden local train,
the 62 tram line and some bus lines (including 7A, 15A). If you are
traveling to the western districts of Vienna, it may be cheaper to
get off in Meidling instead of at the main train station.
3 Wien
Westbahnhof; Close to Mariahilfer Strasse, one of the major shopping
streets in Vienna. From there you can take the U3 underground line
in 10 minutes (3-5 stations) in the center (U3 towards Simmering).
The U6, which tangentially reaches the inner districts, also has a
station here. The trains from Salzburg run by the private railway
company Westbahn go to the Westbahnhof; Since December 2015, ÖBB has
only operated regional trains to Linz or Sankt Pölten. If you are
traveling to Vienna from the west, you can reach the western
districts of the city more quickly by changing trains in St. Pölten
and continuing to the Westbahnhof than with a journey via Meidling
or the main train station.
Regional transport hub
Regional
trains also stop at different suburban train stations, so depending
on the destination in Vienna, the journey to the main train station
is not necessary:
Stadlau (U2) or Simmering (U3) on the
Vienna-Bratislava hl.s. route
4 Hütteldorf (S45, U4): Regional
and regional express trains from Linz and St. Pölten as well as
trains from the Westbahn railway company. No long-distance traffic
stop since the end of 2015.
Floridsdorf (U6), Praterstern (U1,
U2), Wien Mitte (Landstraße, U3, U4): S-Bahn and regional trains
from Wiener Neustadt, Baden, Mödling, Mistelbach, Gänserndorf,
Hollabrunn, Hainburg, airport etc.
Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof,
Spittelau (U4, U6) and Heiligenstadt (U4): trains from
Klosterneuburg or the Waldviertel.
By bus
There are two
long-distance bus stations in Vienna, the Vienna International Bus
Terminal (VIB) is located at the Erdberg subway station, accessible
by the U3 line, and the Vienna bus terminal is at the Stadion subway
station, near the Ernst Happel stadium Accessible with the U2 line,
the VIB is also shown in the quick connection plans of Wiener
Linien. The long-distance bus stations in Erdberg and at the stadium
are served by long-distance buses from the bus companies Eurolines,
Flixbus and HELLÖ. Individual connections also run from the
long-distance bus stops at the main train station, Westbahnhof and
Gumpendorfer Straße.
5 Vienna International Bus Terminal
(Erdberg bus station), 3rd, Erdbergstraße 200a (U3 Erdberg). Tel .:
+43 (0) 900 128 712 (chargeable), E-Mail:
info@vib-wien.at. U.A.
Eurolines, Flixbus Open: 6.30am-9pm.
6 Bus Terminal Vienna
(Stadion Center), 2., Olympiaplatz 2 (U2 Stadion). Tel .: +43 (0)
810 4001 11. U.A. Orangeways, Student Agency, MeinFernbus Open:
6.30am-9pm.
By boat
Vienna is connected to numerous cities in Europe via the Danube.
TwinCityLiner. Tel .: +43 (0) 1 727 100, Fax: +43 (0) 1 727 102
91. The TwinCityLiner is a public passenger ferry that commutes
daily between Vienna and Bratislava, the jetty in Vienna is at
Schwedenplatz. The ships operate from the end of March to the end of
October. In 2019 a new ship was purchased and modernizations were
carried out.
There is also a liner connection to Budapest, which
departs from the shipping center at Mexikoplatz.
Danube cruise
and excursion ships usually dock in the Mexikoplatz area on the
Danube. Private boats and yachts can moor in the Kuchelau or in the
Donaumarina.
By street
Vienna can be reached by motorways
from all directions. A motorway ring around the city - this,
however, consists of numerous different motorways and not just a
single street as in Berlin or Rome - has largely been completed;
only the Danube crossing and the subsequent eastern bypass is not
yet finished. Depending on the destination in the city, there are
different approaches.
From the west from St. Pölten (Linz,
Salzburg):
Center and west of Vienna: A1 to the end of the
motorway in Vienna Auhof
North and northeast: S33 - Danube bridge
Traismauer - S5 to Stockerau - A22
South and southeast: A1 to
Steinhäusl junction, then via A21 to Vösendorf junction and then,
depending on the destination, via A23 or S1.
From the northwest
from Korneuburg (Prague, Krems) via the A22 to Vienna:
Center:
North Bridge, B227
North, northwest, west: over the north bridge
and belt
South, southwest: A22 to the Kaisermühlen junction, then
continue on the A23
Transdanubia and districts 2nd, 20th: Local
access roads from the A22
From the north from Wolkersdorf
(Brünn): A5 to the Eibesbrunn junction
North and north-west of
Vienna and the 21st district: B7 Brünner Straße and continue over
Nordbrücke and Gürtel
Other destinations: S1 and S2 to the Prater
junction, from there fine distribution A23, B227, B221
From the
east from Bruck an der Leitha (Bratislava, Budapest):
Southwest:
A4 to the Schwechat junction and on via the S1 to Vösendorf, from
there A2 and A23 - Altmannsdorfer Ast
Other destinations: A4 to
the end at the Prater junction, fine distribution via the Gürtel,
the Danube Canal or the A23.
From the south from Mödling (Graz,
Eisenstadt): A2 to Vösendorf junction.
West of Vienna: A23
Altmannsdorfer Ast, continue on Altmannsdorfer Straße and Grüner
Berg
Center: Exit Triester Straße, continue on Triester Straße
and Wiedner Hauptstraße
Other destinations: A23 Südosttangente
The Viennese city motorways (Südosttangente A23, Donauuferautobahn
A22, Nordbrücke) require a vignette. See the country article
Austria. The motorways in and near Vienna, especially the A2, A22
and A23, are heavily loaded with traffic on weekdays during rush
hour,
Park
Traveling to Vienna by car is only partially
recommended. Almost all inner-city areas are short-term parking
zones: in districts 1-11, 12, 15 and 19 and 20 in full, in parts of
the 14th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 20th district, there is a short-term
parking zone all day, and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. In the inner city
(1st district within the Ringstrasse) and in some inner districts
(including Neubau and Josefstadt) there is a great shortage of
parking spaces on weekdays despite the short-term parking zone. In
the districts (13th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd) that are not (yet) managed,
it is also extremely difficult to find a parking space in densely
built-up areas and in the vicinity of high-level public transport.
You can leave your car here indefinitely, but you have to fight for
parking spaces not only with residents, but also with numerous
commuters. In addition, there are numerous local short-term parking
zones throughout the city - including in the outskirts (e.g. in
shopping streets or around subway stations). As of May 2018, the
parking fees for all short-term parking zones in Vienna are: 30
minutes: € 1.05, 60 minutes: € 2.10, 90 minutes: € 3.15, 120
minutes: € 4.20. Different tariffs apply for multi-storey car parks,
underground garages and privately managed parking spaces.
In Vienna, unlike in cities where parking tickets are purchased
at parking ticket machines, parking tickets are not automatically
valid from the date of purchase; the date and time must be entered
on the parking ticket with a ballpoint pen. The date must be entered
in the columns provided on the parking ticket in the format
DD-MM-YYYY, the time must be ticked, for this purpose the parking
tickets have fields from 00 to 23 for the hour and fields 15, 30, 45
for the minutes and 60. For this reason, it is necessary to always
have a functioning ballpoint pen with you in the vehicle. Pay
attention to the boards and blue floor markings (some only exist at
the entrance to the district)! The short-term parking zones do not
apply on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Some main shopping
streets have different regulations, for example there is a
short-term parking zone there on Saturday mornings. The short-term
parking zone does not apply to drivers of motorcycles (motorbikes,
scooters and mopeds), single-lane vehicles can park free of charge
in the designated parking areas throughout the city, but the maximum
parking time is two hours.
Attention parking for residents:
Some parking spaces in the public space are reserved for residents
of the district ("with parking sticker for the district"), these
regulations generally apply from Monday to Sunday 00:00 to 24:00.
Parking tickets for Vienna must be purchased in advance and are
not available from machines. Sales outlets include:
in
tobacco shops (tobacco shops)
in advance booking offices of
Wiener Linien in some of the underground stations and in the
customer center in Erdberg
from Wiener Linien ticket machines in
all Vienna underground stations
at the ARBÖ and ÖAMTC traffic
clubs
in post offices
at gas stations
at some cigarette
machines
At the main city cash desk and in the other city cash
registers
There are numerous paid garages in the inner city area
(prices from 2 euros per hour or from 15 euros per day). Many hotels
also offer parking spaces that cost from around 20 euros per 24
hours.
Park-and-ride facilities on the outskirts of the city
near underground and S-Bahn stations are a good choice. You can park
the car relatively cheaply for several days and continue comfortably
by underground or S-Bahn:
Line U1: Leopoldau, Aderklaaer
Straße, Altes Landgut, Neulaa, Oberlaa
Line U2: Donaustadtbrücke
Line U3: Kendlerstraße, Erdberg
Line U4: Hütteldorf, Spittelau
Line U6: Siebenhirten, Perfektastraße, Spittelau
S-Bahn:
Leopoldau (S1, S2, S7), Hütteldorf (S45, S50, S80), Liesing (S2, S3,
S4), Ottakring (S45)
Other P + R facilities are located in the
Lower Austrian area around Vienna, these are not served by the
Vienna underground, but by regional trains, regional buses and
S-Bahns, but unlike the P + R facilities in Vienna, they are in the
Usually free of charge.
By plane
Vienna-Schwechat Airport
is located approx. 20 km southeast of Vienna's city center in the
city of Schwechat. Here is a large hub for Austrian Airlines
(Lufthansa Group) and Laudamotion. Numerous other major European
airlines fly to Vienna from their hubs.
A good alternative is
Bratislava Airport, approx. 70 km east of Vienna. It is mainly
served by low-cost airlines such as Ryanair. From there there are
direct bus connections to Vienna (Erdberg or Stadion) approx. Every
hour - fare per direction approx. 10-15 euros; Travel time 60-90
min.
Vienna International Airport is very well connected to
the city of Vienna by public transport. The following options are
available:
Public transport: fare 4.10 € (single journey
before 1.70 + Vienna core zone 2.40; as of 6/2018). With this ticket
you can continue your journey on all public transport within Vienna
(Vienna core zone), it is not valid in the airport buses ("VAL") and
the City Airport Train ("CAT"). Anyone who already has a ticket for
the Vienna core zone (formerly “Zone 100”) only needs to buy a
single ticket “VOR” from the Vienna core zone, which costs € 1.70
(as of 6/2018).
With the S-Bahn S7 you can reach some important
local transport hubs, including Wien Mitte-Landstrasse (22 minutes)
or Praterstern (approx. 25 minutes). The S7 runs every half hour
between 5.30 a.m. and 11 p.m.
With the ÖBB long-distance trains
to the main train station or Meidling station; Travel time approx.
20-30 min; Connections every hour during the day.
CAT - City Airport Train: takes you to Wien Mitte station without
stopping (approx. 16 minutes travel time) The trains run every half
hour, costs: € 12, there and back € 21 (at the machine) or € 19
(online; as of 6/2018). The fastest connection between the city and
the airport is only about 5-10 minutes faster than the S7 and the
tickets do not entitle you to continue your journey with public
transport in Vienna. You can check in and hand in luggage for
numerous airlines 24 hours before departure at the CAT terminal in
Wien Mitte. Whether this justifies the price difference is up to
each traveler.
Bus connections to and from the airport are
available with the Vienna Airport Lines, timetables and information
from the operators at Postbus and the Eurolines. Fare 8 euros each
way.
Morzinplatz (at Schwedenplatz; approx. 20 minutes drive,
runs every 30 minutes, even at night).
Kagran, UNO-City, Stadium
(approx. 20 minutes driving time, operating times approx. 5-24
o'clock)
Westbahnhof. Town hall, Schottentor (approx. 35 minutes
by car, operating times approx. 5-24 a.m.)
Car or taxi: Via the
A4 Ost Autobahn to the airport exit; from the city center, depending
on traffic, it takes about 25-40 minutes to drive. The price varies
depending on the taxi. There are different providers, almost all of
whom call themselves airport taxis: www.airportdriver24.at, or at
www.vienna-airporttaxi.at, flughafen-taxi.wien from 20 euros or
www.wien-airportdriver.at from 23 euros.
Around the city
Public transport
Anecdote for public transport in Vienna: route
numbers explained
The line designation of the public transport in
Vienna seems complicated at first, but actually mostly follows a
clear logic. The names of the lines are still based on the numbering
system from 1907, which was introduced for the tram at the time and
has since been expanded to include bus routes and even regional bus
routes in the surrounding area. Due to the numerous line changes in
the last few decades, the 1907 system is of course a little watered
down today, but is still recognizable:
Letter lines denote
through lines, that is, tram lines that include two radial branches
and cross the center. Of these there are still the tram lines D and
O; other such through lines are now numbered 1 and 2.
Line
numbers 1 to 20 are circular or tangential lines, they drive part of
an arc around the city center. Lines 1 and 2 are now through lines
(see above).
Line numbers from 21 are radial lines, they start
near the center (not always on the ring) and go to the outskirts. At
the "direction line", which is roughly the road axis from
Schwedenplatz over the Reichsbrücke, the 20 lines begin and the
numbering increases counterclockwise until the 90s. In this way you
can also tell from the line number in which part of Vienna the line
is traveling - e.g. the 40 lines go to the northwest, the 60 lines
to the southwest, the 70 lines in Simmering or the 80 and 90 lines
in the eastern Danube city.
Buses follow this numbering system
and are given a letter suffix (e.g. 13A or 92B)
Night buses have
the number of the corresponding day line (even if they partially
deviate from this during the course) with a preceding N (e.g. N31)
Regional buses are given a three-digit number, with the first digit
indicating the outer zone (the larger, the further away from Vienna
the terminus is) and the two following digits follow the rudimentary
numbering system.
In short, everything can be summarized as
follows:
Line designation Letter or one to two-digit number:
Tram
Line designation One to two-digit number with a letter
suffix: Bus line
Line designation one and two-digit number with
prefix N: night bus line
Line name three-digit number: regional
bus line
The entire municipal area of Vienna, as well as a few
smaller areas, forms the core zone of Vienna in the Verkehrsverbund
Ost-Region (VOR). All in this transport association, which covers
the greater Vienna area within a radius of approx. 60-80 km, can be
used with the same tickets (even long-distance trains), with a few
exceptions such as CAT and airport buses.
A single ticket or a zone in the VOR costs € 2.40 at the machine,
€ 2.60 in the vehicle, a stripe card (2 single trips) costs € 4.80.
With one strip, you can travel in one direction until you reach your
destination within the city limits. The 24-hour card costs: € 8.00,
48 hours: € 14.10 and 72 hours: € 17.10. Children under 6 travel for
free. (Status: 9/2014) The “1 day Vienna” ticket for € 5.80 is only
available as a mobile ticket via the smartphone app and is valid on
the calendar day (and until 01:00 the following day) in the Vienna
core zone. 1] (As of: 6/2018) • The “Vienna Card” is also
interesting. It costs € 17.00 for 24 hours, € 25 for 48 hours or €
29 for 72 hours and grants various discounts at the same time. For
stays of around 4 days or more, we recommend a weekly ticket at €
17.10, which is only valid from Monday With this you can also use
all public transport from Monday to Sunday.
Tickets for
public transport are available in Vienna at the following sales
points:
At stationary ticket machines in the subway stations
of the Wiener Linien, at the train stations of the ÖBB and at most
stops of the local railway Vienna-Baden
In advance booking
offices of Wiener Linien and in the customer center in Erdberg
In
the customer center of the Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region in the
Westbahnhof
In tobacconists
At mobile ticket machines in the
vehicles of the local railway Vienna-Baden, in trams and sometimes
in buses
With the bus driver in the buses that do not have a
ticket machine
Attention:
Only single tickets are
available on Wiener Linien trams, other tickets can only be
purchased via the other sales channels.
The ticket requirement
applies in the underground stations from the moment the "lock" is
passed, staying in the underground stations without a valid ticket
counts as fare dodging.
In general, we recommend downloading the
"Qando" application from Wiener Verkehrsbetriebe, which calculates
routes from the current location (or from the selected starting
point) to the end point and takes delays and current intervals into
account. The service is usually accurate to within a few seconds in
the subway network and the rapid transit network, outside of this it
is usually within a few minutes. More and more bus lines (tram lines
are generally always equipped with real-time monitors) will output
the intervals in real time. Qando not only covers Vienna, but also
the area around Vienna (VOR) and is therefore an extremely helpful
tool for every Vienna traveler, which the Viennese themselves almost
always install on every smartphone. Qando works natively on Android
and iOS, on all other mobile phones it can be reached at m.qando.at.
Qando also shows the footpath. Under normal conditions, despite
walking, you arrive at your destination exactly at the time
indicated by Qando. Although Qando uses little data and routes can
also be preloaded in the WLAN, the use of a data tariff is
particularly recommended for visitors from other countries.
Subway
There are 5 subway lines. Each subway line is assigned a
color code, which is intended to facilitate orientation in the
stations:
U1 (red) from Oberlaa (Therme Wien) via
Reumannplatz, Karlsplatz, Stephansplatz and Kagran to Leopoldau
U2 (purple) from Karlsplatz via the Museum Quarter and City Hall to
the stadium and on to Seestadt
U3 (orange) from Ottakring via
Westbahnhof, Mariahilfer Straße, Stephansplatz to Simmering
U4
(green) from Hütteldorf via Karlsplatz, Schönbrunn and Landstrasse /
Wien Mitte to Heiligenstadt
U6 (brown) from Siebenhirten and
Alt-Erlaa via Philadelphiabrücke / Wien Meidling station,
Westbahnhof and Michelbeuern / General Hospital to Floridsdorf
The missing U5 is to be built between Karlsplatz and Altes AKH by
2020.
The underground trains run approximately from 5:00 a.m. to
0:30 a.m. On the nights before Saturdays, Sundays and public
holidays, all underground lines are served continuously at 15-minute
intervals. During rush hour (7 a.m. - 10 p.m., the trains are
usually on the move every 3 to 6 minutes, and at special events
(such as football matches) they are also much shorter.
Bicycles are allowed on the underground Mon - Fri 9:00 a.m. - 3:00
p.m. and from 6:30 p.m., all day on weekends and public holidays
Wiener Linien information points can be found in the Westbahnhof
(U3, U6, S-Bahn), Schottentor (U2), Karlsplatz (U1, U2, U4),
Praterstern (U1, U2, S-Bahn) underground stations and the customer
center of Wiener Linien in Erdberg (U3), next to the long-distance
bus station Vienna International Busterminal (VIB), in addition
there is a customer office of the Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region (VOR)
in the Westbahnhof.
On the website of the Wiener Untergrund (not the official website
of Wiener Linien!) There is information on excursion destinations,
sights and architecturally interesting buildings, listed according
to the Vienna subway lines, in the "Tips for Vienna visitors"
section (under outdated price information!) and their stations. In
addition, a separate page deals with art in Vienna's underground
stations.
Train
The S-Bahn (popularly also "Schnellbahn")
is operated by the ÖBB. Timetable query at the ÖBB timetable
information (official website of the operator) or Schnellbahn-Wien.
The S-Bahn is blue on the Wiener Linien network maps.
The
main S-Bahn line between Meidling and Floridsdorf is particularly
useful as a quick city crossing. Single-digit line numbers branch
out on external routes and travel the main route together,
supplemented by numerous regional trains. This results in a tight
interval during the day, a train comes about every 3-5 minutes.
Important stations are Meidling (U6), Hauptbahnhof (U1), Wien Mitte
(Landstraße, U3, U4), Praterstern (U1, U2), Handelskai (U6) and
Floridsdorf (U6). You just have to be careful with the S-Bahn line
S7, this goes from Floridsdorf to the airport and on to Wolfsthal
and leaves the main line after the Rennweg station.
Another
S-Bahn line that is interesting for tourists is the S45, the
so-called suburb line (Hütteldorf-Handelskai). It is a good
tangential connection through the northwestern outskirts (14th and
16th to 20th) and most of the route, including most of the train
stations, was designed in Art Nouveau style by Otto Wagner.
The
intervals of the Vienna S-Bahn are designed differently, while on
the main route between Meidling and Floridsdorf there is a tight
interval between 03 minutes during rush hour on weekdays and 05
minutes on weekends and holidays, individual other lines run every
15 or 30 minutes. From the timetable change in December 2019, the
main S-Bahn line between Vienna Foridsdorf and Vienna Meidling to
Mödling (Lower Austria) as well as the suburban line, S45 (Vienna
Hütteldorf - Vienna Handelskai) will be operated every 30 minutes on
the nights before Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Interval.
Trams
There are currently 28 tram lines in the city of
Vienna. The plans at the stops show the starting point on the left
and the end point of the route on the right. At busy stops, there
are display boards showing when the next tram is coming.
Wheelchair-friendly low-floor cars are also used on all lines, but
the distribution of these cars leaves much to be desired. While some
lines (e.g. 43, 44, 46) are operated almost completely on a
low-floor basis, waiting times of up to 45 minutes for a low-floor
car can be expected on other lines. The waiting time for the next
low-floor car is shown on the mentioned displays with a wheelchair
symbol. If the next car is a high-floor, the display changes every
few seconds between the next train and the next low-floor.
Some routes of interest to tourists are:
D:
Alfred-Adler-Straße - Central Station - Belvedere Palace -
Schwarzenbergolatz (Hochstrahlbrunnen) - Kärntner Ring (State Opera)
- Burgring (museums and Hofburg) - Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring (Parliament)
- Universitätsring (Town Hall, University, Burgtheater ) -
Schottentor - Berggasse (Sigmund Freud Museum) - Nussdorf,
Beethovengang
1: Prater Hauptallee - Löwengasse
(Hundertwasserhaus) - Franz-Josefs-Kai - Schottenring -
Universitätsring - Burgring - Karlsplatz, Opera - Matzleinsdorfer
Platz - Stefan-Fadinger-Platz
2: Dornbach - Ottakringer Straße -
Josefstädter Straße - Parliament - Burgring - Opernring - Kärntner
Ring (Hotel Imperial) - Schubertring - Parkring (City Park with
Johann Strauss Monument) - Stubenring (Post Office Savings Bank by
Otto Wagner) - Franz-Josefs-Kai - Taborstrasse -
Friedrich-Engels-Platz
38: Schottentor (University) - Nussdorfer
Straße (Schubert's birthplace) - Grinzing: This line goes to the
classic Viennese Heurigenort, from where you can take the 38A bus
(which you can also get on at the Heiligenstadt U4 station) to
Kahlenberg . Here you have a great view over the city.
49:
Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring - Neubau - Fünfhaus - Breitensee - Baumgarten -
Hütteldorf: Although this line does not open up any classic sights,
it offers a good cross-section through the city along its route from
the Ringstrasse through an old suburb (Spittelberg) , the Bobo
suburb (new building), workers suburb (15th district) to the posh
villa district in Hütteldorf.
With the combination of these lines you can easily reach most of
Vienna's sights.
The local railway Vienna-Baden (popularly
called "Badner Bahn") is a special case of the tram. It starts at
the opera and runs as a tram to Meidling, then as a full-line tram
to Baden. Practical it is u. A. for the journey to the SCS shopping
center and for trips to Baden. Attention: The Vösendorf / Shopping
City Süd station is located in the municipality of Vösendorf in
Lower Austria and thus outside the Vienna core zone, so a second
ticket must be purchased for the section between the
Vösendorf-Siebenhirten stations (Kerzone boundary) and Vösendorf /
Shopping City Süd.
If you want to take a city tour by tram, you
can also do this with the Vienna Ring Tram, which goes around the
ring around the old town in around half an hour. On this trip, the
sights are explained using LCD screens and headphones in several
languages, optionally also in Viennese dialect. The tickets cost € 7
for one trip or € 9 for a trip with any number of interruptions
within a day. Alternatively, you can circumnavigate the ring by
combining lines 1 and 2 with a normal ticket, but without tourist
information. Unfortunately, the Vienna Ring Tram is "behind" at
times, which can mean that spoken texts do not match the current
position of the car, which means that the sight (building, etc.) can
no longer be seen.
buses
Vienna has a fairly dense network
of bus routes, most of which are operated by Wiener Linien or on
behalf of Wiener Linien, some of which are also operated by other
companies. Buses that run on liquefied gas run on almost all lines,
while the more modern ones use diesel; Electric buses are also used
in the city center. The timetables at the stops show (as with the
trams) the starting point of the line on the left and its end point
on the right.
Some bus and tram lines also run for less than
0:30 am at the end of day. Night buses run every half hour between
1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., and more frequently on weekends. The
Nightline buses run at night, marked with an N. The normal tickets
and tariffs also apply there. Wiener Linien provides the network
plans Nightline on weekdays, Nightline on Saturdays, Sundays and
public holidays as well as Nightline for all lines and stations
online as well as in the customer and information points.
Among other things, the following bus routes are of tourist
interest:
Citybus routes 1A (Stephansplatz - Schottentor), 2A
(Schwarzenbergplatz - Oper - Graben / Petersplatz - Stephansplatz -
Schwedenplatz) and 3A (Schottenring - Concordiaplatz - Hoher Markt -
Stephansplatz - Stubentor) drive through the narrow streets of the
First District. They are less suitable for quickly reaching the
sights, as it is usually quicker on foot. But they are good when
your legs are slack.
13A: Alser Straße / Skodagasse - Central
Station; Practical cross-connection through the western inner
districts about halfway between U2 and U6.
38A: Heiligenstadt -
Grinzing - Am Cobenzl - Kahlenberg - Leopoldsberg; On the Kahlenberg
and Leopoldsberg great views over the whole of Vienna.
48A:
Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring - Ottakring - Baumgartner Höhe - approach to
the hospital area in Art Nouveau style with a famous church,
designed by Otto Wagner and now named after the architect (Otto
Wagner Spital)
Regional buses have a three-digit line name
without a letter suffix. In terms of tourism, however, these are
only significant for traveling to the surrounding area and are of no
importance for inner-city mobility. In principle, regional buses can
also be used with normal tickets, but since they cross the city
limits, payment for additional outside zones may be necessary. It is
best to ask the driver about the fare to be paid; you can also buy
the ticket from him.
Car
In principle, a car is not necessary in Vienna. The public
transport network is very dense and practically every place can be
reached within three quarters of an hour from anywhere, from
districts closer to the center such as the 2nd, 9th and 20th,
usually within a maximum of 30 minutes. Parking is only possible to
a limited extent in most of the city (see arrival). A car is only
suitable for excursions in the immediate vicinity of Vienna if the
destination cannot be reached by rapid transit (Verkehrsverbund
Ostregion - VOR). Above all, the Weinviertel should be mentioned
here, in which almost all secondary railway lines were closed, as
the railway was almost no longer used there.
car sharing
If you only need a car temporarily, you can use one of the car
sharing offers, all of which, however, require prior registration
and a personal visit to one of the service centers. This service is
therefore only of interest to short-term tourists in exceptional
cases. An exception is the DriveNow company, which has branches in
several European cities. If you are already registered in one of the
cities, you can also have the service activated for Vienna:
Denzel DriveNow (free floating)
Car2Go (free floating)
ZipDrive (fixed locations)
It should be noted that in most cases
the entire city area may not be used. Billing takes place after
operating minutes via a stored credit card.
Taxi
Vienna
offers countless taxi stands. Taxis can also be waved to the side of
the road (if the taxi sign lights up, it is free) or ordered by
telephone (journey time usually less than 5 minutes). Taxi prices
are billed within the city using a taximeter; prior agreement of the
tariff is not permitted and is only made for trips to the
surrounding area. In the case of a destination beyond the city
limits, the empty journey of the taxi to the city limits must also
be paid back, as Viennese taxis are not allowed to take passengers
outside the city.
Taxis are a good, albeit expensive, option,
especially at night when public transport is not running. Even short
trips cost around 10 euros.
bicycle
Main article:
Bicycling in Vienna
City bike
Bicycle Citybike Vienna (free
bike)
The bikes are free for the first hour; for the 2nd hour you
pay 1 €, for the 3rd hour 2 € and each additional hour 4 € (as of
May 2012). To use it, you have to register at a terminal; you need
either an Austrian debit card (Maestro card) or a credit card (VISA,
MasterCard or JCB), a one-time registration fee of € 1. The user
guidance on the terminal is clear. Alternatively, you can also
purchase a CitybikeCard, but it takes about 3 weeks to send it.
Attention: a credit card or debit card only entitles you to use one
bicycle. So you cannot unlock 2 or 3 bikes with one card. For
additional bicycles, you have to purchase the CitybikeCard (for a
rental fee).
Information on taking bicycles with you on Wiener
Linien and ÖBB trains can be found below in the cycling section.
Much of it is easily accessible on foot, and walks in the city
or in one of the parks and gardens are highly recommended.
More information here:
Transport association and tariffs:
Verkehrsverbund Ostregion, timetable search for Vienna and the
surrounding area
Traffic Company:
Wiener Linien (bus,
tram, underground)
ÖBB Schnellbahn, local and long-distance
trains
Local railway Vienna-Baden
Miscellaneous:
Information platform on the subject of rapid transit
Private page
about the Vienna subway