Explore Vienna

St. Stephen's Cathedral on Stephansplatz is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna. Its Romanesque and Gothic form was largely begun under Duke Rudolf IV in the 14th century on the site of a church consecrated in 1147, and it is known for its patterned tiled roof and 136-metre south tower.

St. Peter's Church is a Baroque Catholic church on Petersplatz, just off the Graben, built from 1701 to 1733; Gabriele Montani began it and Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt continued the work from 1703. Its green oval dome rises 56 metres, and inside Johann Michael Rottmayr painted the dome fresco. Since 1970 the church has been entrusted to Opus Dei.

The Hofburg is the former main palace of the Habsburgs in the centre of Vienna, begun in the 13th century and extended over 700 years into a complex of wings and courtyards. It houses the office of the Austrian president, the Imperial Apartments, the Treasury, the Spanish Riding School and the National Library.

Heldenplatz is a public square in front of the Hofburg, laid out in the 19th century as part of the never-completed Kaiserforum. It is framed by the curved Neue Hofburg wing and holds equestrian statues of Archduke Charles and Prince Eugene of Savoy by Anton Dominik Fernkorn; in 1938 Hitler announced the Anschluss from the Neue Hofburg's balcony here.

The Austrian Parliament Building on the Ringstrasse is the seat of the National Council and the Federal Council. Theophil Hansen designed it in Greek Revival style, built from 1874 to 1883, with the Pallas Athena Fountain in front. After a renovation it reopened in 2023 with a visitor centre, guided tours and public galleries for sittings.

Vienna City Hall is the Gothic Revival seat of the mayor and of the city and state government, built from 1872 to 1883 to designs by Friedrich von Schmidt. Its 98-metre central tower carries the Rathausmann, a copper standard-bearer in armour. The square in front hosts seasonal events, and the city runs guided tours of the interior.

The Naschmarkt is Vienna's largest permanent market, stretching about 1.5 kilometres along the Wienzeile above the vaulted Wien River. Rows of fixed stalls sell fruit, vegetables, spices, cheese, fish and delicacies, between small restaurants and bars. It has been called the Naschmarkt since around 1820, and a flea market fills its southern end on Saturdays.

The Votivkirche is a neo-Gothic church beside the University of Vienna, built from 1856 to 1879 to designs by Heinrich von Ferstel as thanks for Emperor Franz Joseph's survival of an assassination attempt in 1853. Its museum in the raised oratory shows liturgical objects, banners and the carved Antwerp Passion Altar of around 1500.

The Prater is a public park of about 6 km² in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district, a former imperial hunting ground opened to the public by Emperor Joseph II in 1766. The chestnut-lined Hauptallee runs about 4.4 km from Praterstern to the Lusthaus, and at its northern end lies the Wurstelprater amusement park with the Giant Ferris Wheel.