Vienna travel guide: St. Stephen's Cathedral, Hofburg Palace, Parliament + vegan food spots

This Vienna travel guide brings together the most important highlights for your first trip to the city. It focuses on the most famous sights of the Austrian capital, supplemented by concise information for easy planning and a smooth experience. The guide also includes selected vegan food spots, ideal for uncomplicated breaks and a relaxing end to your sightseeing.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral is considered the most important landmark of Vienna's city center and has shaped the cityscape for centuries. Its roots reach back to the early 12th century, and it was later primarily influenced by Gothic architecture. The contrast between the lively Stephansplatz outside and the serene, monumental atmosphere inside is particularly striking.

📍 Address: Stephansplatz 3, 1010 Vienna

🕒 Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, Sunday and public holidays 7:00 am to 10:00 pm

Inside St. Stephen's Cathedral, the most striking features are the ornate altars and side chapels, which combine history and craftsmanship in countless details. Many of these chapels were endowed by guilds and families and were used for devotions, memorial masses, and private prayers. The high altar, the finely crafted pulpit, the vaults, the stained-glass windows, and the funerary monuments make the interior feel like a silent history book.

Public Cathedral Tour

🕒 German: Monday to Friday 3:30 pm

🕒 English: Monday to Friday 10:30 am

💶 Price: Adults €7.00, children up to 14 years €3.00

Catacombs tour

🕒 Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, 4:30 PM

🕒 Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday: 1:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, 4:00 PM, 4:30 PM

💶 Price: Adults €7.00, children 6 to 14 years €3.00

The south tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral is one of the city's most famous viewpoints. The climb up 343 steps to the tower keeper's room makes the tower not only a popular photo spot but also a memorable experience. At the top, the view opens up far across the rooftops of the city center, and on a clear day, extends well beyond Vienna. The fact that there is no elevator makes the view at the end feel particularly well-earned.

🕒 South Tower opening hours: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, last ascent 6:15 PM

💶 Prices South Tower: Adults €6.50, Children 6 to 14 years €2.50

Restaurant PLAIN Vienna

PLAIN Vienna stands for modern, feel-good cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere, right in the heart of the Servitenviertel district. The focus is on high-quality ingredients and a menu that also works very well for vegans . Thanks to its bright, airy setting, it's the perfect place for a leisurely breakfast or a relaxed evening.

📍 Address: Berggasse 25, 1090 Vienna

🕒 Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 9:00 am to 11:00 pm

Hofburg

The Hofburg Palace is a historically significant center of power in the heart of Vienna. For more than seven centuries, the Habsburg Empire was ruled from here, and the complex remains of central importance to the state. The areas around the Imperial Apartments and the Sisi Museum are particularly popular because they bring the imperial era to life. For first-time visitors to Vienna, this is a concentrated dose of "imperial Vienna."

📍 Address: Hofburg, Michaelerkuppel, 1010 Vienna

🕒 Opening hours: daily 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, last entry 4:30 pm

Heroes' Square

Heldenplatz offers a view of the Hofburg Palace and is one of Vienna's grand squares, instantly conveying a sense of the city's scale. Closely linked to the Hofburg's history and framed by striking facades, it's a prime spot for photography. It also serves as an excellent starting point for walks towards the Ringstrasse, Volksgarten, and museums.

📍 Address: Heldenplatz, 1010 Vienna

🕒 Opening hours: accessible 24/7 all year round

Volksgarten

The Volksgarten is one of the most elegant parks in the city center and is known for its rose garden with thousands of rose bushes. At its heart stands the Temple of Theseus, which lends the park a classicist, postcard-perfect atmosphere. Monuments and tranquil paths between the Ringstrasse and the Hofburg Palace complete the picture.

📍 Address: Volksgarten, Burgring, 1010 Vienna

🕒 Opening hours: March 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, April to October 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, November to February 7:00 am to 5:30 pm

BILLA supermarket Pflanzilla

BILLA Pflanzilla is a market with a focus on vegan products . Here you can easily find plant-based snacks, basics, and alternatives without having to search extensively or read ingredient lists. The additional areas, such as a bakery station, salad bar, zero-waste section, and a market kitchen with hot vegan dishes, are also appealing. Furthermore, there are regular tastings, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.

📍 Address: Mariahilfer Str. 42/48, 1070 Vienna

🕒 Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, Thursday to Friday 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Austrian Parliament

The Parliament building is one of the most striking structures on the Ringstrasse and, with its style, resembles an ancient temple. It was built from 1874 onwards according to plans by Theophil Hansen and remains a symbol of public life and democracy. The square in front of it is particularly impressive, featuring the magnificent Pallas Athena Fountain, which strongly influences the entire ensemble.

📍 Address: Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring 3, 1017 Vienna

🕒 Opening hours: Monday 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Thursday 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sunday and public holidays closed

Restaurant Zum Wohl

Zum Wohl is a restaurant that consistently cooks gluten-free and lactose-free dishes while still maintaining the atmosphere of a classic Viennese inn. The concept caters to everyone who wants to eat without feeling deprived, offering familiar, down-to-earth, and yet modernly presented dishes. The menu also includes vegan options , making it very convenient for groups with diverse dietary needs.

📍 Address: Stumpergasse 61, 1060 Vienna

🕒 Opening hours: Monday to Sunday and public holidays 11:30 am to 10:30 pm

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Other highlights in Vienna

Finally, here are a few spots on my bucket list for my next visit to Vienna: The MuseumsQuartier Vienna is perfect for culture, cafés, and relaxed courtyards right in the heart of the city. The Vienna Prater is ideal for walks in nature and offers the typical blend of nature and entertainment, while the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel is a classic for a view over the city. Schönbrunn Palace is ideal for imperial history, opulent rooms, and a large estate, and Belvedere Palace combines a Baroque setting with a museum in a particularly beautiful environment. The Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna is the place to go for a large art collection and impressive interiors, and the Albertina offers art in a central location that can easily be combined with a stroll through the city center. The State Hall of the Austrian National Library is one of the most impressive interiors in the city, as is St. Charles' Church (Karlskirche) for monumental Baroque architecture on Karlsplatz. For market atmosphere and everyday scenes, the Vienna Naschmarkt is a great choice, and for playful, photogenic architecture, the Hundertwasser House and Hundertwasser Village are must-sees.