aliced

Will be taking Danube river cruise this year. Been some years since last in Austria, it was a ski trip, when we spent few nights afterwards staying in St. Stephens marketplatz, and seeing Schonbrunn Palace and the Spanish Riding School and sampling delicious desserts of course. This tour includes the riding school as well as Liechtenstein Palace. Thinking the palace tour might be too similar to Schonbrunn, and considering other Vienna attractions. What are your top choices in the city? We'll be dining aboard or sailing, so evening concerts probably not an option. Thank you as always, Fodorites!

shelemm

The gardens at Schonbrunn are like a whole city unto itself. We didn't even go into the palace. Completely awesome. As well as the garden between the upper and lower museums of the Belvedere, not nearly as huge, but iconic.

Michael

For a change from aristocratic Vienna, consider a visit to the Hundertwasser museum and the nearby apartment conplex designed by him:

https://flic.kr/p/7pKswA https://flic.kr/p/7pFt2g

neckervd

There are outstanding theatres and concerts. As you have been in the Spanische Reitschule, you may have visited Hofburg, Kapuzinergruft and the Museums nearby..
May be you like Prater or - at evening - Grinzing..

aliced

Will be there in colder weather, so not seasonal for gardens, but thank you. Like the style of Hundertwasser alot.

progol

We visited Vienna in mid-November after 4 weeks touring Egypt and Jordan. Needless to say, we were not in the mood for intense touring! We did a great pay-what-you-wish walking tour the first day. We toured with Red-and-white tours, and our guide was Anita. It was an excellent overview of the central sites.

Then we stuck to more modern art and visited the remarkable Leopold Museum (https://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en/collection) and the Secession (https://secession.at), the latter to see the stunning Klimt frieze in the basement space.

If you’re going around mid-November, the Christmas markets will also be starting to open, so that might be something to look into, if interested.

progol

The Vienna Secession


Klimt frieze

aliced

Thank you, these are FABULOUS, having seen too many palaces of the golden years of the empire and Empress Sisi story in Geneva. On the list. We will be there first wk of December, so yes, Xmas markets, which is fine even tho am trying to pare down objets d'art from our home of 50 yrs of travel! Many thanks-

HappyTrvlr

We had pastries at Demel, wonderful. There was a take out window for Apple Streudel that we walked by. We loved the gardens at Schoenbrun Palace, even had a zoo. We ate a lot of Weiner Schnitzel for dinners. Hopefully your river boat will serve it to you or skip the ship and eat in the city. We did that.
We returned to Vienna by train from Budapest where the river cruise ended. We thought the limited time offered in Vienna by the ship’s schedule was not enough time and we were so glad we returned there. It is an easy train ride from Budapest.

aliced

Yes, many years ago when we skied in Austria with a quick post trip to Vienna & Salzburg, we got to the Demel, and yes, konditories (sp?) are definitely on the list for afternoon stops. We will have dinners aboard, with lunch on the go I guess. We have been to Europe 16 times, but only via 3 ocean cruises, and this river cruise a first, we usually do one country at a time on our own. In Salzburg, planning to lunch at the St. Peter old monastery tucked in the corner of a square that I shall find again. Believe the main dish was the Salzburger Knockerl (sp?) -- If any can identify this place and dish, I'd be very grateful. I fear it's turned into a modern restaurant at this point since our 1987 visit.