The best city hikes and walks in Vienna

The MuseumsQuartier (MQ) in Vienna is one of the largest art and cultural complexes in the world, a vibrant area of over 60,000 square meters (with a total floor area of approximately 114,000 m²) located right next to the historic center. Opened in 2001, the district blends extraordinary Baroque architecture with impressive modern structures, repurposing what were originally built in the 18th century as the imperial stables of the Habsburg court. Today, it houses more than 60 cultural institutions, galleries, cafes, shops, and spacious inner courtyards, making it an iconic meeting point for both art enthusiasts and Viennese locals, also famous for its iconic and colorful outdoor furniture (the celebrated Enzi sofas).

Personal favorite among Vienna's churches

Palmenhaus Schönbrunn – one of the most impressive highlights of the entire complex. The historic glass structure with its exotic plants feels like a small piece of the tropics in the middle of Vienna and is definitely worth a short stop.

Already in the Biedermeier era, the Wasserglacis in front of the Karolinenstadttor was a popular place for entertainment. As part of the redevelopment following the demolition of the Vienna city walls into the Wiener Ringstraße, the then Mayor of Vienna, Andreas Zelinka, promoted the project of a public park on this site. In September 1860, the city expansion fund transferred an area of 94,000 m² to the city of Vienna free of charge for the establishment of the Stadtpark; in 1861, an additional 51,000 m² on the right bank of the Wien river were added. The cost estimate for the design of the park on the left bank was 115,000 guilders; in reality, it amounted to 180,000 guilders in 1862 (approx. 1.6 million euros).

Maria-Theresien-Platz lies between two very impressive museums, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum. It is a beautiful place where you can take great photos both during the day and at night.

The contract for the construction of the Reichsrat building was awarded to Hansen as a result of a competition announced by the k. k. Ministry on October 12, 1864 (participants Heinrich Ferstel, Theophil Hansen and Friedrich Schmidt as well as Ignaz Ullmann [Prague], August Ottmar von Essenwein [Graz] and Nikolaus Ybl [Pest]). The building, created by him from 1874 to 1883 in Hellenistic forms (foundation laid on September 2, 1874), shows rich articulation and is adorned externally with sculptures and paintings; Hansen himself explained the choice of architectural style (thereby simultaneously fulfilling his wish to erect a monumental building in this style) by stating that the roots of democracy were to be found in the Greek polis.

Francis I, husband and co-regent of Maria Theresa, had bought an area on the west side of the palace park from the municipality of Hietzing in 1753, where he had a Dutch Garden laid out. Adrian van Steckhoven and his assistant Richard van der Schot erected a large greenhouse in the north and four glasshouses in the west of the area, which was divided into three sections: The "Flower Garden" with exotic plants in the north, south of it the vegetable garden (where espaliered fruit trees were also grown), and at the very south an orchard.

A walk through the passage with its magnificent arches and glass roof transports you back to the heyday of the Habsburg Monarchy and the social life of its upper class.