At Christmas time Vienna takes on a different feel with mini market’s all over the place and lots of Gluhwein available.  All the mini markets sell gifts, crafts and food and the largest in central Vienna is outside the City Hall (Rathaus) in the Rathausplatz.  You’ll also fine a really nice market at Spittelberg and [...]]]>

At Christmas time Vienna takes on a different feel with mini market’s all over the place and lots of Gluhwein available.  All the mini markets sell gifts, crafts and food and the largest in central Vienna is outside the City Hall (Rathaus) in the Rathausplatz.  You’ll also fine a really nice market at Spittelberg and a large one at Schonbrunn (see below).   This is an extract from our free Vienna City Guide.

The Christmas lights on Vienna's main shopping street

Of all the Christmas markets in Vienna, we particularly enjoyed the one at the Rathaus with it’s colourful stalls and cheery atmosphere.  It was also the busiest of the markets though, so if you don’t like crowded places it’s probably not the best one for you. Our second favourite was the one at Schonbrunn (pictured below) because the quality of the goods was good, it was less crowded and the view of the palace made the whole thing seem a little more classy! The great thing about Vienna though is that there are simply loads of these market areas.  Here’s a great guide to Vienna’s Christmas Markets from Vienna4u.

Away from the markets, there are plenty of other experiences that feel extra special at Christmas in Vienna. Here are some of the top options:
The Schonbrunn Palace Evening – includes a palace tour, dinner & a concert
The Mozart Concert at the Musikverein – which is conducted in period costume
Vienna City Walking Tour – This 2.5 hour walking tour of Vienna takes in all the Christmas sights during the festive period

The Christmas Market at Schonbrunn, Vienna

LOCATIONS & MAP

This map shows the location of Vienna’s City Hall (Rathaus) Christmas Market but you can move the map around to see other areas mentioned above:

MORE ON VIENNA AT CHRISTMAS

Vienna’s Christmas Markets – A guide from Vienna 4u
More Things To Do In Vienna - From our Tours & Activities pages
Hotels in Vienna – Great rates from Hotels.com
More Vienna Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia
Vienna Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
Vienna Travel Books – Amazon.com (US & Canada)

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It’s one of the most impressive opera houses in the world and apart from seeing a performance, the best way to see it is to take one of the guided tours.  It was built in 1869 and the guided tours take you to the auditorium, the Gustav Mahler Room, the impressive main staircase, the Marble [...]]]>

It’s one of the most impressive opera houses in the world and apart from seeing a performance, the best way to see it is to take one of the guided tours.  It was built in 1869 and the guided tours take you to the auditorium, the Gustav Mahler Room, the impressive main staircase, the Marble Room and the Tea Salon.  There is also an Opera Museum on the same site which you can pay extra to visit, although we chose just to stick to the Opera House tour.   You can’t miss the State Opera House, it’s on the Ring. This is an extract from our free Vienna City Guide.

The front of the Vienna State Opera House

The tour of the Opera House takes you to most of the public areas, including the auditorium. We were particularly impressed with the layout of the building and beautiful red box seats that surround the auditorium (pictured below). The State Opera House tour including the museum takes place Tuesday to Sunday and adult tickets cost 6.50 Euros. The tour without the Museum takes place on Mondays and adult tickets are 5 Euros (2012 prices). There are usually a handful of tours each day.

To experience a concert in the Opera House, consider the Mozart Concert in Historical Costumes which always gets great reviews from people who’ve been.  Check out the latest reviews and prices in US dollars here.

Some of the box seats at the State Opera House, Vienna

LOCATION & CONTACT

Address: Staatsoper, Goethegasse 1, 1010 Wien, Österreich
Tel: +43 1 51444 2606

The State Opera House is located on the Ring Boulevard. You can get here by walking, by tram or on the Vienna Hop on, Hop off Bus Tour which stops nearby.

MORE ON THE VIENNA STATE OPERA HOUSE

Vienna State Opera – Official Website
Mozart Concert at the State Opera House - Takes place in historical costume
Vienna Hop on, Hop off Bus Tour -Stops at the State Opera House
Vienna Ring Strasse – Wikipedia
More Things To Do In Vienna – From our Tours & Activities pages
Hotels in Vienna – Great rates from Hotels.com
More Vienna Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia
Vienna Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
Vienna Travel Books – Amazon.com (US & Canada)

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This is the circular route which takes you past most of the impressive historic buildings in Vienna.  It’s around 4km long and spaciously planned out and along the way you’ll see the State Opera House, the Hofburg, the Austrian Parliament, Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) and the Musuem of Fine Arts.  You can take the Ring [...]]]>

This is the circular route which takes you past most of the impressive historic buildings in Vienna.  It’s around 4km long and spaciously planned out and along the way you’ll see the State Opera House, the Hofburg, the Austrian Parliament, Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) and the Musuem of Fine Arts.  You can take the Ring tram if you don’t want to walk or do it in style with the many horse drawn carriages. This is an extract from our free Vienna City Guide.

The Vienna Ring Tram is the simplest way to see the Ring Boulevard

The Ring Boulevard has several different names along its route, but all of them end with the word Ring. For example, at one point it is called Burgring which becomes Openring and then Schubertring etc.  The road was initially built in the 1850s to replace the city walls, which had become of little purpose, with a wide boulevard to show off the sights of Vienna.

The Ring Tram (pictured above) runs around the ring constantly from 10am to 6pm (7pm in the summer), so you never have to wait long to catch the next one. The full journey takes around 30 minutes and LCD screens advise you an what each building is along the way. Exact departure times are listed on each tram stop. Adult tickets cost 7 Euros (2012 prices), but a 24 hour ticket so you can hop on and off along the way maybe better value at 9 Euros.

The Austrian Parliament is one of the buildings you see on the Ring Boulevard in Vienna

LOCATION & MAP

The Ring Boulevard circles central Vienna with most of the city’s significant buildings on either side. The map below shows Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) but you can move the map around to see the route of the road and switch to “Satellite View” to see the buildings themselves:

MORE ON THE VIENNA RING

Vienna Ring Strasse – Wikipedia
Ring Tram – ViennaLinien (official public transport website)
More Things To Do In Vienna – From our Tours & Activities pages
Hotels in Vienna – Great rates from Hotels.com
More Vienna Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia
Vienna Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
Vienna Travel Books – Amazon.com (US & Canada)

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This grand city centre apartment was home to Mozart whilst he composed the “Marriage of Figaro”. It was also the former home of Strauss though and he wrote the “Blue Danube” waltz here. Mozart lived here longer than any other apartment from 1784 to 1787. Today Mozarthaus is filled with Mozart and Strauss memorabilia spread [...]]]>

This grand city centre apartment was home to Mozart whilst he composed the “Marriage of Figaro”. It was also the former home of Strauss though and he wrote the “Blue Danube” waltz here. Mozart lived here longer than any other apartment from 1784 to 1787. Today Mozarthaus is filled with Mozart and Strauss memorabilia spread over 6 levels. Mozart’s House is just behind St Stephen’s Cathedral on Domgasse. This is an extract from our free Vienna City Guide.

The staircase inside Mozarthaus, Vienna

Mozart actually lived in a number of apartments in Vienna, but this is the only one which still remains. We enjoyed the museum as a whole, but particularly the apartments laid out as Mozart may have had them. We also liked the way the building has been modernised with some parts ultra modern in design but still complementing the original apartments that Mozart lived in.

Mozarthaus is open daily from 10am to 7pm. Adult admission is 10 Euros (2012 prices) which includes the audioguide. Discounts are available for children, groups and families.

Part of Mozart's apartment in Vienna

To experience Mozart’s music as it was meant to be heard, a popular activity in Vienna is the Mozart Concert in the Musikverein which includes historic costumes and wigs!

LOCATION & CONTACT

Address: Mozarthaus, A-1010 Vienna, Domgasse 5, Austria
Tel:+43 1 512 17 91
Email: info@mozarthausvienna.at

MORE ON MOZARTHAUS

Mozarthaus – Official Website
Hotels near Mozarthaus/St Stephen’s Cathedral – Great rates from Hotels.com
More Vienna Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia
Mozart Concert in the Musikverein - Experience Mozart’s music as it was meant to be heard
Vienna Segway Tour - Stops at the main sights in Vienna

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This gothic cathedral is right in the centre of Vienna and has brightly coloured zig-zag roof tiles. It’s another of the city’s landmarks and it’s well worth looking inside as it’s packed with history. You can see Austria’s largest bell in the North Tower, but our recommendation would be to climb the steps up the [...]]]>

This gothic cathedral is right in the centre of Vienna and has brightly coloured zig-zag roof tiles. It’s another of the city’s landmarks and it’s well worth looking inside as it’s packed with history. You can see Austria’s largest bell in the North Tower, but our recommendation would be to climb the steps up the South Tower for a terrific view of central Vienna. If you fancy going down, rather than up, you can also visit the catacombs on the regular guided tours which run at the Cathedral. This is an extract from our free Vienna City Guide.

The carved gothic pulpit inside Stephandom, Vienna

There are lots of highlights to look out for around the cathedral but our favourite was the incredible Gothic pulpit (pictured above) which dates back to the 1500s.  The carvings are so detailed they are haunting and look also for the lizards and toads!  You wouldn’t know it now, but the cathedral was severely damaged by fire in the last days of the second world war and was re-built within the space of 7 years.

Cathedral Tours in English take place daily at 3.45pm with an adult tour price of 4.50 Euros (2012 prices). The South tower is open 9am-5.30pm daily and adult admission is 3.50 Euros (2012 prices).

The colourful roof tiles on Stephansdom, Vienna

LOCATION & CONTACT

Address: Stephansdom, Stephansplatz 1, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 151552 3767 (administration)
Email: kirchenmeisteramt@stephanskirche.at

MORE ON ST STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL

Hotels near St Stephen’s Cathedral – Great rates from Hotels.com
More Vienna Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia
Vienna Segway Tour - Stops at the Hofburg
Stephansdom - Official website
St Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) - Wikipedia
Vienna Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
Vienna Travel Books – Amazon.com (US & Canada)

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Take a Vaporetto (Water Bus) to the Lido to see a different side of Venice.  You’ll find cars here for one thing, but it’s much greener too and to us it seemed like a sort of half-way-house between Venice and the rest of Italy.  It’s a sort of “resort” island which even has a beach.  [...]]]>

Take a Vaporetto (Water Bus) to the Lido to see a different side of Venice.  You’ll find cars here for one thing, but it’s much greener too and to us it seemed like a sort of half-way-house between Venice and the rest of Italy.  It’s a sort of “resort” island which even has a beach.  It’s much cheaper to book accommodation on the Lido if you fancy a discount way of doing Venice and the Vaporetto ride to St Mark’s Square is about 15 minutes.  We don’t think it’s quite the same feeling as staying in Venice itself though. This is an extract from our free Venice City Guide.

Some of the typical houses on the Lido, Venice

For centuries, the Lido was just a bank of sand which protected Venice from the sea, but that all changed once the first bathing facility was set up in the 1850s.  Since then, it’s become the sunbathing and beach island that it is today.

Probably the most famous thing to take place on the Lido is the Venice Film Festival which makes use of the large hotels on the Adriatic side of the island. They back on to the sea and have their own sections of the long sandy beach.

The Lido is also the location of many leisure activities that there just isn’t space for on Venice island.  As such, you can play golf and tennis here and horse riding is also possible.

The beach on the Lido, Venice

LOCATION & MAP

When you arrive on the Lido by Vaporetto, you’ll come into the landing station pictured in the top photo. To get to the beaches, you’ll have to walk from one side of the island to the other.

MORE ON VENICE LIDO

Venice Lido – Wikipedia
Hotels in Venice – Great rates from Hotels.com
More Venice Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia

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This museum is in Peggy Guggenheim’s former home alongside the Grand Canal. It’s a nice place to visit to get away from the heat and the crowds and it houses her personal collection of 20th century art. We really enjoyed our trip here and the gardens outside were peaceful and spacious. You also [...]]]>

This museum is in Peggy Guggenheim’s former home alongside the Grand Canal. It’s a nice place to visit to get away from the heat and the crowds and it houses her personal collection of 20th century art. We really enjoyed our trip here and the gardens outside were peaceful and spacious. You also get a great view of the Grand Canal from the veranda. You’ll find the museum at 704 Dorsoduro. This is an extract from our free Venice City Guide.

Marini's "Angel of The City" sculpture at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

Alongside the permanent collection of works belonging to Peggy Guggenheim, you’ll find temporary exhibitions too. Our favourite part of the museum is the sculpture garden where you can wander amongst trees, shrubs and very valuable works of sculpture! There’s always a crowd taking photos around Marini’s “Angel of the City” pictured above, but you will also see sculptures by Henry Moore, Giacometti, Gilardi, Goldsworthy, Holzer and Minguzzi amongst others.  Peggy Guggenheim’s died in 1979 and her grave is in the garden too.

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is open daily from 10am to 6pm. Adult admission is 12 Euros (2012 prices)

Peggy Guggenheim's Grave, Venice

LOCATION & CONTACT

Address:  Collezione Peggy Guggenheim, 704 Dorsoduro, I-30123 Venezia
Tel:  +39 041 2405411
Emial: info@guggenheim-venice.it

MORE ON THE PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION

The Grand Canal Boat Tour - A 70 minute guided trip passing the Guggenheim Collection
Hotels near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection – Great rates from Hotels.com
More Venice Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia
Peggy Guggenheim Collection – Official Website
Peggy Guggenheim Collection - Wikipedia
More Things To Do In Venice – From our Tours & Activities pages
Discount Venice Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
Discount Venice Travel Guides – Amazon.com (US & Canada)

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There’s no doubt that the biggest attraction in Venice is simply to walk the streets and cross the bridges. “Seeing” Venice is as simple as that and you’ll be amazed at how unspoilt it all is. Street after street of impressive houses and picturesque canals. It’s easy to get lost doing this, but the best [...]]]>

There’s no doubt that the biggest attraction in Venice is simply to walk the streets and cross the bridges. “Seeing” Venice is as simple as that and you’ll be amazed at how unspoilt it all is. Street after street of impressive houses and picturesque canals. It’s easy to get lost doing this, but the best thing is that it doesn’t really matter! You’ll find beautiful areas devoid of tourists too. This is an extract from our free Venice City Guide.

We stumbled upon this typical Venetian Canal

There are many unusual buildings and interesting features you should look out for on a walk around Venice island. Here are some of our favourites…

Scala Contarni del Bovlo – A fascinating spiral staircase near Campo Manin which is nice to look at, but also provides a interesting view of the Venice roof tops when you climb up it.

The spiral staircase of Scala Contarni del Bovlo

Campo Santa Margherita – A friendly Venetian square surrounded by bars and cafes where children play and you can sit back with an ice cream an watch the world go by.

Rialto Markets – Near to the Rialto Bridge, the food markets are vibrant and packed with fresh produce.

Also look out for things like old water pumps (many of the squares have them) and washing! Most houses dry their clothes on washing lines which are strung from one window to another, often across a street.

This map shows Rialto Bridge, but you can change it to “satellite” view and see the streets of Venice for yourself:

MORE ON THE STREETS OF VENICE

More Things To Do In Venice – From our Tours & Activities pages
Venice In One Day Tour – ‘Skip The Line’ and speed up your visit
Hotels in Venice – Great rates from Hotels.com
More Venice Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia
Discount Venice Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
Discount Venice Travel Guides – Amazon.com (US & Canada)

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This is San Francisco’s largest park and it’s a lovely place to while away a few hours walking and relaxing. You probably won’t see it all as it’s 3 miles long and bigger than New York’s Central Park, but there is the option to drive through some of it instead.  The park is jam packed [...]]]>

This is San Francisco’s largest park and it’s a lovely place to while away a few hours walking and relaxing. You probably won’t see it all as it’s 3 miles long and bigger than New York’s Central Park, but there is the option to drive through some of it instead.  The park is jam packed with interesting features and structures, attractive walkways and stunning flower beds. The park’s edges are lined by Fulton Street and Lincoln Way.  This is an extract from our free San Francisco City Guide.

Spreckels Temple of Music in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park was created in the 1870s and runs from central San Francisco right down to the Pacific Ocean. A park of this size needs to have plenty to look at and you won’t be disappointed. Here are the main features and buildings that we think you should see…

Conservatory of Flowers – It’s had some scrapes over the years, but this huge wood and glass conservatory (pictured at the top of the page) is still standing and in great shape.

Spreckels Temple Of Music – This structure is part of the music concourse area of the park which has a sunken oval shaped auditorium. It’s not unusual to find musicians performing here, but even if it’s quiet, you can spend time looking at the statues of historic figures.

The Japanese Tea Garden – This is the oldest Japanese Garden in the USA and is stunning with the Pagoda, Tea House and the beautiful Drum Bridge.

Windmills –  Two of them were built in the park to pump water to the right locations. They’ve both been restored in recent years.  The North Windmill (pictured below) is on the North side of the park facing the ocean and Murphy’s Windmill is on the south side of the park.

Beach House – Built in 1925, this 2 storey beach chalet is right next to the Pacific Highway at the western edge of the park and now houses a brewery and restaurant.

The North Windmill in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

LOCATION & CONTACT

Address: Golden Gate Park, Conservatory Dr E, San Francisco, CA, United States
Tel: +1 (415) 750 5105

MORE ON GOLDEN GATE PARK

Golden Gate Park – Wikipedia
Hotels near Golden Gate Park – Great rates from Hotels.com
More San Francisco Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia
San Francisco Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
San Francisco Travel Guide Books – Amazon.com (US & Canada)

This tower stands on Telegraph Hill and is visible around large parts of San Francisco.  As such, there are great views of the city from the top of the tower and it’s free to go and see them, although there is a charge for the elevator. The tower was built in 1933 with a donation [...]]]>

This tower stands on Telegraph Hill and is visible around large parts of San Francisco.  As such, there are great views of the city from the top of the tower and it’s free to go and see them, although there is a charge for the elevator. The tower was built in 1933 with a donation from a wealthy resident who was a big supporter of San Francisco fire fighters.  Therefore, the 210 feet tall tower is designed to resemble a fire hose. Inside there is a shop and some impressive art murals on the walls. This is an extract from our free San Francisco City Guide.

This is the amazing view of San Francisco taken from Coit Tower

The biggest tip we can give you for Coit Tower is to make sure you go on a clear day. You’d be surprised how even a little bit of mist or low cloud can dramatically affect the view that you see and if you’re going to make the effort to walk up the stairs, you want it to be worth it! One other thing to bear in mind, the tower isn’t particularly near any of the main tourist sights, so you need to think how you’re going to get there.  We walked from Fisherman’s Wharf, but it is a long trek uphill. Alternatively the number 39 MUNI bus service from Pier 39 stops at Coit Tower.

Coit Tower, San Francisco from the base

Coit Tower is open daily from 10am, but closing time depends on the time of year ranging from 5pm in the winter to 7pm in the summer. Admission to the first floor is free but the elevator fee to go higher is currently $4.50 for adults (2012 prices).

LOCATION & MAP

Address: 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Tel: +1 (415) 362 0808

MORE ON COIT TOWER

Coit Tower – Official Website
Hotels in San Francisco – Great rates from Hotels.com
More San Francisco Hotels – Massive discounts from Expedia
San Francisco Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk (UK)
San Francisco Travel Guide Books – Amazon.com (US & Canada)

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