Vienna is a city rich in history, museums and architecture that is well worth introducing to your child. Vienna for children is diverse and fascinating. The city loves its youngest residents and visitors and spoils them with a myriad of special places where they can have fun, learn something useful and fascinating, learn about science and history in a playful way or simply enjoy a delicious ice cream and strudel.
If you plan your itinerary well and, most importantly, choose only what your child is interested in from the many excursions on offer, your introduction to the city will be an unforgettable experience for the whole family.
The suggested itinerary is one of the few options that can be added to, shortened or varied according to the time of year or the interests of your young traveller. Let's get going!
Contents
Day 1. Vienna, The Old Town
After a little rest from the road, it's time to explore the city. A tram ride along the Ring, the circular boulevard that surrounds the Old Town, is a good place to start.
This 25-minute fascinating and, above all, non-tiring overview will give you a first impression of the city and its main attractions. The University, the City Hall, the Parliament, the Burgtheater and the State Opera are just some of the famous Viennese buildings on your route. You can get off at any stop, walk around and continue your journey on the next tram.
One of these stops is Schwedenplatz. In this square, right next to the tram stop, you will find Vienna's historic ice cream parlour. There is a huge selection of cold sweets for children and adults alike.
Trams 1 and 2 (one going clockwise and the other counter-clockwise) and a separate yellow Vienna Ring tram run around the Ring.
A tip. If you are travelling with a child under the age of 15 and plan to make active use of public transport and visit museums, we recommend the Vienna Card. It is valid for 72 hours from the date of the first transport or sightseeing trip and offers more than 210 different discounts for museums, exhibitions and concerts, as well as unlimited use of the city's public transport (trams, buses, underground). Adults and children under 15 can use the same card (proof of age required).
The next point listed in any guide to Vienna is the heart of the old town — Stephansplatz and St Stephen's Cathedral. If you've never been here, you've never been to Vienna.
Take a walk around the square, visit the cathedral and, if your child's age and energy allow, climb up to the observation deck for an amazing panoramic view of the city.
Not far from the cathedral, in the old Hoher Markt square, is the Ankerur clock. If you approach it at midday, you can witness the parade of 12 figures, each accompanied by music, in front of the public.
Don't forget Vienna's sweetest 'attraction', the Sacher cake, which for a long time was only available to the Habsburgs and their entourage.
Nowadays, this royal dessert is available to everyone, so don't deny yourself the pleasure. Knowing how much children love sweets, a trip to Café Sacher, the copyright holder of the Original Sacher Torte brand, should be on your itinerary. It's near the Vienna Opera House, but if you can't make it to that part of town, don't worry — you can sample this masterpiece of Austrian confectionery elsewhere.
The Vienna Opera House is another important destination on the itinerary. You can simply stroll around the building or end your first day of exploring the city by attending a performance. The opera has a special repertoire for children, adapted to the themes and times of the performances. We recommend that you buy your tickets in advance on the Opera's official website.
Days 2–3. Schönbrunn Palace (Schloß Schönbrunn)
During the warmer months, two days are recommended for a tour of the Habsburg summer residence. It's a full and informative day, especially for children.
The first day is a visit to the zoo, considered one of the best in Europe. At the entrance you'll be given a booklet with a map and a programme of activities, including one of the most interesting 'shows' we recommend — the feeding of the animals.
The feeding and weighing of koalas, seals and fur seals is particularly popular with visitors. The zoo is large, so you'll need to take breaks to relax with the kids. There are also cafes and playgrounds to meet up with along the way. You can also hire a trolley for tired children for a few euros and take them for a ride around the park on wheels.
The second day is spent exploring the interior of Schönbrunn Palace. There are 1,441 rooms, of which only 40 are open to the public. Take advantage of the Russian-speaking audio guide, which will tell you a lot about the life of the imperial family.
There is also a small museum inside the palace, which is particularly interesting for children. How did the children of the emperors live, how did they dress, what games did they play?
The Children's Museum at Schönbrunn can tell you all about it (open every day in July and August, but only on weekends and public holidays the rest of the year). Afterwards, explore the grounds, take the kids for a walk through the labyrinth, visit the carriage museum or take a ride on the tram if you're too tired to walk. At Schönbrunn, we suggest you attend one of the exciting events where you can sample another of Vienna's culinary icons — strudel.
Every hour from April to the end of October, the Residenz Café, located in the palace complex, offers a masterclass in the preparation of this delicacy. Not only will you be shown step-by-step how to make strudel, but you will also be given the original Viennese recipe to take home as a souvenir.
A tip. Get a combined Gold Pass which includes all the main attractions including the Palace, Maze, Strudel Show, Zoo, Orangery and Carriage Museum. It will save you time and money.
How to get there. Take the metro (line U4) to Schönbrunn station, take tram No. 10, 58 to the Schloss Schönbrunn stop, take tram No. 60 to the Hietzing stop.
Day 4. Vienna's museums for children: exploring the world
On this day, we recommend a trip to one or two of Vienna's museums that are geared towards younger visitors. There are many museums in Vienna that will be of interest to children, but it is probably best not to overload your child with information.
Even at the planning stage, you and your child should only choose those whose themes are of most interest to your child. So, recommendation number 1 — one of Europe's best museums for children — Zoom. The museum caters for all ages, from 8-month-olds, who have their own Zoom Ocean area, to teenagers, who can visit the animation studio and take part in the making of a film.
The museum has a very relaxed atmosphere and you can touch, create, play or just relax in one of the rooms. There are workshops for children between the ages of 3 and 12, where they can express their talents as artists or designers. All the exhibitions are very colourful, informative and varied.
How to get there. By metro (line U2) to Museumsquartier or Volkstheater (line U3), bus 2A to Museumsquartier or bus 48A to Volkstheater, tram 49 to Volkstheater.
If your child has a passion for music, make sure they visit the House of Music. It's an interactive museum where state-of-the-art multimedia equipment takes you into a world of notes, sounds and musical instruments.
You can conduct a virtual orchestra, wander among instruments much larger than a human being, walk through a gallery of in-wall listening niches, listen to the sounds of nature and then compose your own composition.
In the hall dedicated to famous composers, you can borrow an audio guide and learn many curious and often little-known facts about the lives of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and Strauss.
How to get there. The Museum of Music is located near the Vienna State Opera. It can be reached by metro (U1, U2) to Karlsplatz station, by bus 4A, 59A or tram no. 2.
Another fascinating themed museum is the House of the Sea, which will appeal to anyone who loves the sea, rivers, lakes and their inhabitants. You can see large and small fish, turtles, snakes, frogs and the exotic colours of exotic sea plants. Just like in the Vienna Zoo, visitors are treated to a feeding frenzy of sharks, piranhas, reptiles and snakes at certain times of the year.
The tropical forest is particularly fascinating, with all the characteristics of the ecosystem on display. Lots of greenery, vines, orchids, monkeys and noisy birds... And what's a tropical forest without crocodiles? The Sea House has them too. In a word, a visit is highly recommended. Adults and children alike will be delighted.
How to get there. Take buses 13A, 14A and 57A to the Haus des Meeres stop. Take the metro (U3) to Neubaugasse, Fritz-Grunbaum Platz.
Curious children, especially schoolchildren, should visit the Natural History Museum. Its collection is so rich with interesting exhibits that you can spend a whole day at the museum. You'll find a unique collection of minerals, a vivarium, a herbarium, stuffed animals, dioramas and animal skeletons, including a Jurassic dinosaur.
The museum tries to keep up with the times and offers visitors interesting interactive stands where you can create and watch a volcanic eruption, launch a meteorite and see the globe in different projections. The museum also houses the world-famous statue of the Venus of Willendorf, the oldest known image of a woman. It is about 24,000 to 26,000 years old.
How to get there. By metro to Volkstheater (U2, U3), by tram 1, 2, 46, 49, D (stop Dr. Karl Renner Ring) or by bus 2A, 48A.
Day 5. Prater
Vienna's Prater is a place that everyone associates with festivity, fun and childhood. This is where we suggest you spend your 5th day in Vienna. The park covers a huge area and offers a wide range of activities for adults and children, from merry-go-rounds to traditional walks in the shady alleys.
With over 150 types of rides, there is something for everyone. There are merry-go-rounds, a children's car park, trampolines and a miniature railway for the little ones. Adults will enjoy the Giant Catapult, the 117-metre-high Prater Tower Carousel and the Black Mamba for the brave ones.
The average price of a ride is between €3 and €5. Be sure to visit the park's main attraction and one of Vienna's landmarks: the giant Ferris wheel.
The value of the wheel lies not in its size but in its rich history. It welcomed its first guests in 1897, was badly damaged by fire in 1944, but was rebuilt and since 1947 has been a delight for all residents and tourists, showing visitors a beautiful panorama of Vienna.
Once you've seen the city from above, don't forget to visit the Panorama mini-museum at the entrance to the wheel. The exhibits, with moving figures and mechanisms, are housed in several historic carriages and tell the story of the Prater and Vienna.
If you get hungry, you can visit one of the many cafes and snack bars. Try the Langosch, a fragrant corn flatbread fried with salt and garlic. It's delicious! The amusement season in the Prater runs from March to October, but some attractions, including the Giant Ferris Wheel, are open all year round.
How to get there. Take the metro (line U1) to the Praterstern stop.
Days 6–7. A trip to the Belvedere, shopping in Vienna
As well as buying souvenirs for family and friends and shopping on Mariahilferstrasse, which is one of Vienna's favourite places, you can spend the last few days of your stay exploring the city and taking in the architecture, nature and unforgettable atmosphere of Vienna.
If you have the time and energy, we suggest you visit the Belvedere, a baroque palace complex. As well as being the perfect place to relax in the park, the Belvedere is also home to a world-famous art gallery.
On the eve of your trip, don't get too excited about sightseeing and walking - leave some time for passive relaxation before you head home. Finally, for those of you planning a winter trip to Vienna with children, here's a little extra information. From November to 24th December there are Christmas markets in the city, the most colourful and busiest being on the square in front of the City Hall.
Here you can buy beautiful Christmas decorations and gifts, sip warm, aromatic mulled wine and offer the children a caramel apple or a sweet gingerbread man. Younger visitors can take a pony ride or take part in a Christmas decorating workshop. From the end of January until March, the town's ice rink, Ice Dream, is open in the same place.
