Sometimes, you find yourself with a very short time in a city. Include an overnight stay and you’ll be amazed what you can fit in. Take, for instance, Vienna, Austria, where a day, a night, and the next day afforded a wide variety of ways to explore this beautiful city. 

Save this article to Pinterest to help you plan your own overnight adventure in Vienna. Photos and graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Planning an Overnight Adventure in Vienna

Imagine visiting one of the world’s great cities, and only having a few hours to enjoy what it has to offer… How do you choose what to visit? Is it even possible or worthwhile, considering the hassles of navigating the craziness of most big cities? Would it be more stressful than pleasant?

After a memorable overnight visit to Vienna, I am happy to share these highlights and YES Vienna is worth the effort!

Vienna has been a fantasy destination for me for decades, inspired by a long-lost friend (see Epilogue) and stoked every time I hear the quivering strings of Ricard Strauss’ Blue Danube. A glittering Imperial city of white palaces set in gardens and verdant parks, where elegantly dressed couples waltz effortlessly to orchestras in gilded halls under glittering crystal chandeliers… Could reality live up to the fantasy?

Read on to learn what I experienced to help you plan your own overnight Vienna adventure!

When my wife and I planned our Viking Danube river cruise, we decided to spend a night off the boat in Vienna as it was docked there overnight. After alerting the cruise director to our plans, our overnight Viennese adventure was set.

After a smooth journey from Budapest, our longboat docked in the early morning and our Vienna debut was enchanted from the start. Our cabin was at water level, and when we peered out our window for a glimpse of modern Vienna, a swan swam by, craning its graceful long neck to see us. What other city in the world greets visitors with swans? So magical! See our video below to watch this scene in action.

A swan swam by our Viking river cruise cabin window, welcoming our arrival in Vienna.

Hungry for more? An ocean cruise-lovers guide to river cruising.

The first day of our overnight adventure in Vienna

One of the excursions of our Viking river cruise was a guided tour through Vienna’s historic old town and Hofburg district, including a glimpse at the glorious Lippizaner stallions in their stables. The palaces and surrounding grounds, full of statues and memorials, were awe-inspiring. And mobbed with visitors, like us. With a late summer heat wave grilling us as we walked, a cool and calm respite was a must. So, when our guided tour ended at the foot of St. Stephens, the massive gothic cathedral at Vienna’s heart, we ventured away from the throngs along St. Stephensplatz, seeking a quieter place to enjoy lunch.

Scenes from St. Stephensplatz, including the beautiful St. Stephens cathedral plus a glimpse of the Lippizaner Stallions, lower right.

Vienna is awash in culinary options! For affordable, simple, on-the-go eats, there are numerous food vendors with piles of assorted sandwiches (mostly on hearty multi-grain breads and rolls), wurst stands, as well as places serving doner, kebob, and shwarma. Bakery windows are piled with tempting pastries and breads.

Vendors throughout St. Stephensplatz sell a variety of goods including baked items, sweets, pretzels and wurst.

Happily, we landed on a lovely smaller platz Neuer Markt, and an inviting café, Die Feinkosterei. Despite the heat, we dined al fresco under an umbrella to watch Vienna’s street life and enjoyed a parade of locals and visitors alike. As it happens, we had stumbled upon the ideal place – this is known as Vienna’s first tapas-style café serving Austrian foods. The menu offered so many choices, so we ordered a variety to experience something known and something new. It was all delicious. Refreshed, we set out to wander some more through the streets of Vienna, on our way to our hotel for the night, the wonderful Hotel Altstadt Vienna. Click the bar below to read our article about it.

Die Feinkosterei cafe is a great place to try a variety of classic Viennese dishes such as Veal Schnitzel, top and Beef Goulash, bottom.

Hungry for more? Read about the Hotel Altstadt Vienna.

To cap off our day, we headed to Schönbrunn Palace for dinner and the concert of my Vienna fantasy – to hear Strauss played in the Hapsburg’s Vienna Royal Summer Palace. Too perfect!

Allow extra time when visiting Schönbrunn – the palace is massive and just getting to the entrance from the street where ride shares (or public transit) drop you off is a quest! On this sweltering summer day, the massive cobblestoned platz felt like the Sahara as we made our way to the entrance for our after-hours tour of the Palace. The tour was fascinating. Learning about the Hapsburgs family and their foibles was a reminder that, despite their power and prestige, they were all as human as the rest of us.

After our tour, we headed to an onsite restaurant for a traditional Viennese dinner. The dining room was lovely, and the service staff was friendly; however, there was no air conditioning and no fans to move the stagnant air around the space. It was uncomfortably hot and all the guests were suffering. Strangely, for a summer menu during a heat wave, hot beef broth soup was served when a cool salad would have been welcome. And the kitchen was painfully slow – a simple three course dinner took almost 2 hours! The dinner would have been lovely during cooler weather – the food was good; but unless they solve this heat issue, I would avoid dining inside during a summer visit (there are shaded outdoor patios).

After a slice of tasty apfelstreudel, we sprinted out of the dining room for a quick visit to the magnificent, landscaped grounds of Schönbrunn, now beloved by the Viennese as their urban playground. We marveled at the scale and beauty of the place and wished for more time to explore.

Schönbrunn palace is beautiful, day or night, including the gardens and concert venue.

From the gardens, we strolled back across the simmering platz, out the gates and down the street to the Orangerie where the concert was to be held. Here, the high ceilings and a few fans cooled us enough to enjoy the wonderful concert. The musicians and exuberant maestro conductor treated us to a night of Viennese artists- including Strauss- along with some opera, all in a sparkling space of chandeliers and enchanting lighting effects. The concert concluded with rousing hand clapping and hoots to a Strauss march tune. It was delightful and banished all the heat-related miseries of the day! The only thing missing were the waltzing couple – but it turns out that the Waltz really is a part of life in Vienna and over 450 balls are held each year! Next time.

We returned to the Alstadt exhausted and relieved to fall into bed.

Hotel Altstadt Vienna is the perfect place to stay to explore the city.

The next day of our overnight adventure in Vienna

After a restful night’s stay and fortifying breakfast at the Alstadt, we checked out early to complete our Vienna adventure. Our longboat was set to depart at 5pm, so we wanted to make the most of our visit without killing ourselves in the sizzling heatwave. Seeking cooler sightseeing options, we headed to admire some of Vienna’s cultural treasures in the nearby MuseumsQuartier Wien.

The area is a playful complex of new and old structures set amid open plazas and public art. A quick, pre-museum ice cream from a Veganista stand fortified us before taking in some culture.

Enjoy a treat of vegan ice cream from the Veganista stand in the MuseumsQuartier Wein.

We only had time to visit the Leopold Museum which houses an incredible collection of modern art; on our visit, an exhibition of Viennese artists revealed the rich history and impact of Vienna on western culture. A major display of Jewish art and culture was particularly impactful given Austria’s past history of antisemitism and that of our times today.

The MuseumsQuarter complex in Vienna.

After the robust galleries of the Leopold, we needed a special place to pause and reflect. Included in my Vienna fantasy is lingering in a traditional Viennese coffeehouse – preferably an authentic, non-touristy old one frequented by artists, poets, and philosophers. Happily, we chanced upon Café Sperl, an easy walk from the museum district. Through the modest yet still grand entrance was the Belle Epoque atmosphere of dark woods and heavy brass fixtures of my dreams. Giddy, I ate schnitzel and apfelstreudel, sipped Austrian wein and Kaffe Viennese, attempting to conjure Big Ideas to discuss, like the intellectuals inhabiting my fantasy coffee house.

A visit to the iconic Café Sperl is a must when in Vienna.

To our delight, this family-owned café has served a regular clientele of locals, politicians, Royal staff (when MuseumsQuartier were the Imperial Stables and part of the Hapsburg’s palace complex) and bohemians alike over the decades. Despite the August heat, I reveled in the atmosphere and tried to absorb every detail of the space, such as the ornate iron coat and hat racks at each booth… A bit reluctantly, we bid adieu to Café Sperl and headed toward our next destination – Wien Museum.

Along the way, we popped by Vienna’s popular market – Naschmarkt – and found a mind-blowing array of fresh fruits/vegetables, prepared food options, cafes, and so much else. It was tempting to linger, but we pressed on, following the continuous white line of tiles embedded in many of the sidewalks and pedestrian thoroughfares installed to guide tourists between attractions across the city. Past an enormous white cathedral, reflected in a pool ringed by abstract sculptures and potted palms, we arrived at the very modern Wien Museum.

Stop by the Naschmarkt, where the locals shop, for everything from dried cod, to baked goods and fresh produce.

To miss this museum would be a serious mistake – every newcomer should START their visit to Vienna here (after, of course, a coffee and torte at a café). Recently reopened, Wien Museum provides a fascinating journey through Vienna’s millennia of history – a whole day could easily be spent here. Highlights on our visit include the collection of Medieval artifacts (the armor and weapons collection is a must see!); central lobby dramatically displaying an eclectic array of massive artifacts; and the pink hued rooms housing a collection of royal portraits, busts, and clothes that humanized the powerful royal families of the past.

The Wien Museum offers varied exhibits and architecture to enjoy.

With a couple hours left before our longboat’s departure, we took the subway to lovely Stadtpark to see Vienna’s famous tribute to its favorite son – the golden Strauss statue. Happily, we quickly found him and gave thanks for his music. We enjoyed a brief stroll among the many statues, whimsical gardens, and grassy lawns, longing for a bit more time to linger in the park’s leafy biergarten. Next time.

Hopping back on the subway, we became disoriented and got off too soon, and ordered a ride share back to the river port to make it back to the ship in plenty of time. Our overnight Vienna adventure had ended.

Vienna was not quite the fantasy city of my dreams – and that is ok. It is much more than a museum of past glories. Vienna is a dynamic, contemporary hub of culture with a diverse population. There is “big city” energy and urban challenges common to cities everywhere – as suggested by the graffiti covering many walls. Today’s Vienna is rated as the top city to live in the world with 50% of area devoted to green spaces, natural areas, and agricultural space. We observed, thanks to the presence of nature in the extensive parks system, how the Viennese seek a sustainable balance between modern life and the environment. Vienna exceeded our expectations as a fascinating city, and we intend to return with more time to explore – and waltz.

YES – an overnight adventure offers a rewarding and memorable taste of what Vienna offers!

Stroll Vienna’s beautiful parks to see salutes to classical music greats such as Strauss in Stadtpark and Mozart near the Hofburg palace complex.

Epilogue

Vienna first came into my consciousness in college when I was studying abroad in Bordeaux, France. Birgit was another visiting student and she called Vienna home. She was one of the kindest, calmest people I knew and when she described what a wonderful city it was to love in, full of life, culture, and great food, I knew her homeland had to be special. She also introduced me to the German word Gemütlichkeit, a word with no English equivalent. It means a feeling of comfort, welcome, and good energy. Thank you, Birgit, for your introduction to Vienna! It took me 40 years to get there, and you were right. Vienna is a magnificent city, and I felt the Gemütlichkeit.

Tips for getting around in Vienna:

There is train access from 15 European countries.

Within Vienna, use the ivie app to help guide you through Vienna with information, videos, and more. And on ivie, purchase the Vienna CityCard to save money on transportation, admission and more.

-Jimmy McDonough, Eco-Friendly Food, Travel & Adventure Editor, Real Food Traveler

Hungry for more? Here are some other RFT articles about Vienna.