Vienna

The capital city of Austria is the beautiful and historic city of Vienna.  Vienna could not be in a more scenic setting, situated along the banks of the Danube River and at the foothills of the Alps.

TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR VIENNA
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Vienna is a popular tourist destination for many reasons, among which are its music, concert halls, theatre, museums, cafes, wine taverns, parks – and even skiing!

Throughout the 19th century Vienna became known for its major cultural and scientific contributions. Vienna is known for the famous Strauss waltzes, and was also home to the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Many famous composers, including Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart and Haydn all lived in Vienna.  Many other composers and musicians were attracted to Vienna, such as Schoenberg, Mahler and Brahms. The musical passion and interest continues today, with concerts held during the summer at the gothic Rathaus and the annual Vienna International Festival, which attracts orchestras from across the world.

The city’s main boulevard is the Ringstrasse (Ring Boulevard) and many of the buildings along it are of architectural interest, including the Opera House and Natural History Museum. The city’s cafes are famous for Viennese pastries and many popular cafes, as well as museums, can be found along the Ringstrasse. 

Vienna is home to the world famous Spanish Riding School with the magnificent Lipizzaner horses.  It is also home to the Vienna Boy’s Choir and the Vienna State Opera – all well worth a visit.

Tours of the city are available by foot, bus, or horse drawn carriage. A terrific view over the city is available from the observation deck or revolving restaurant at the top of the Danube Tower.

Other not-to-be-missed attractions include the Old City, Schonburnn Palace (a former summer home of the Habsburg’s), Karlskirche – a huge Baroque style cathedral, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the historic Naschmarkt (market) and main shopping streets.  Prater Park includes a historic amusement park with a huge Ferris wheel. The magnificent Belvedere Palace contains an impressive collection of Viennese art, including works by Gustav Klimt.

Tours are available of the homes of Sigmund Freud, Johann Strauss, Beethoven and Mozart. The Central Cemetery contains the graves of Beethoven, Brahms, Schoenberg, Schubert, along with many other famous people.

Vienna may not be an obvious winter sports destination, but if you are visiting Vienna it is possible to ski at the artificial snow slopes at Hohe-Wand-Wiese, within the city borders. Several ski areas and winter sports destinations are located within a short distance of Vienna (find accommodation here).

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Useful travel advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for travel to Austria . Click Here

Before your visit to Vienna we recommend reading the travel advice on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), as part of their ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign.  The FCO advice is updated and important and includes tips and advice on:

-Passports, visas, and travelling with children
-Driving (Austria has complex driving laws)
-Skiing and winter sports
-Emergency contact numbers and information
-Security/staying safe
-Identification: carry passport
-Inoculations: risk of infection/disease

Note: If you plan to camp or hike in forested areas be alert to the risk of tick-borne encephalitis and consider inoculations.

Austria is a member of the European Union and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is valid.  However, the EHIC should not be used as a substitute for comprehensive travel insurance. (The EHIC does not cover non-urgent or ongoing medical care, repatriation, lost luggage, scheduled airline failure, as well as many other common travel mishaps).  

Disclaimer: While we have tried to ensure the information in this Travel Guide is correct we do not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy, or the content of external links.

Inclusion in this Travel Guide does not guarantee travel insurance is available in any country at any given time. Travel Insurance is not available in countries where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have issued an advisory against travel.

You are strongly advised to visit the FCO website for updated travel information and general travel advice before you travel.