Your Seasonal Guide To Vienna

17 Oct, 2022

Austria.

It’s not the first time we met.

It’s the 4th time and there is a reason we keep going back. Not just for the stories, but for the love of the best city in the world to live in, nature, and most importantly, the food. Besides the extra pounds (or kilos) you are guaranteed to add on, the city has got so much to offer. There is nowhere we would start our story in Vienna other than with The Ritz-Carlton Vienna and rumors are true, if we were to give the best hotel category in Vienna for making us feel at home, at peace, and in love, it’s with the team at The Ritz-Carlton Vienna.

There are plenty of guides out there in and out of Vienna, but here is a seasonal guide you can pick and choose which season suits you best and then book your plane ticket to Vienna. We flew in with flydubai from Dubai to Bratislava, an easy 6-hour flight. (They do have a connection to Vienna airport) but we chose to drive solo directly to The Ritz-Carlton by taxi, (65 euros one way) and in 45 minutes reached the hotel for our 4th visit.

Stay

The Ritz-Carlton in Vienna. One of the most (if not) the best hotels in the world we have come across in terms of location, service, food, history, and luxury, and never fails to impress us. The team makes up 89% of the experience, then the food and if you are a meat lover then DISTRIKT, the popular steak house is right inside the hotel. The first one to breakfast at 7:30am at the club lounge was a ritual for the 5 days and the kitchen catered to my gluten and dairy allergies easily. Our room became our home, the team became our family and there wasn’t anything they could not assist us with.

How to get around Vienna

Walking – You can spend 9 hours walking around Vienna and guarantee you will always find something new! Vienna has one of the friendliest streets and everything is within a walking distance from The Ritz-Carlton Vienna. There are also lots of city walking tours that the concierge can arrange for you!

Cycling – Vienna is known for the cyclists and their lanes. Almost every 5 km you would find a public cycling dock that you can rent and drop back at any stop and station. The Ritz-Carlton can organize for you a bicycle with a child seat if needed and you could also go on cycling tours across the city, into the woods with bikes and wine cycling tours too!

Buses, Trams, Underground – Vienna has a well-developed public transport network. You can get anywhere in the city in no time at all with the help of buses, trains, trams, and underground lines. In the core zone, valid tickets can be used on all forms of public transportation. The majority of subterranean stations have ticket machines or places of advance sale where you can purchase tickets. There are passes available in addition to single tickets for longer periods of time. There are passes available for 24 and 72 hours as well as weekly, monthly, and yearly passes.

What to do in Vienna

In Winter: Christmas Markets are all over the city, and touring around all of them could take you all day and so best to divide your time between different days and explore the magic of these markets! The Christmas atmosphere makes it a perfect place to spend it with family and friends and kids will love the glorious food and activities each market has to offer! Parents will love the food and the punch! The Ritz-Carlton in Vienna also hosts the highest Christmas market in the city and is open to all ages one of everyone’s favorite ones is the Christmas Market Vienna Michaelerplatz right in the middle of historic landmarks and most famous squares at the Vienna Hofburg.

Another favorite is the Belvedere Palace Christmas Market, the Christmas Market in front of Schönbrunn Palace, and the winter market on the square in front of the giant Ferris Wheel.

In Spring

Spring is one of the best times to visit Vienna to witness the breathtaking change of weather, the snow melts, and the trees starting to bloom. One of the best things to do in Vienna is cycle around the city. At The Ritz-Carlton, the concierge would arrange the bicycles for you and your children. 50% of Vienna is filled with green spaces, parks, and gardens. One of the greatest parks is Schönbrunn Palace gardens, Vienna Augarten Baroque Park, Volksgarten, Vienna Stadtpark and so many more! Viennese are also famous for their coffee shops and their delicious Schnitzel, most specifically the famous Sacher chocolate cake! Musical events such as Dave Mathew's band Bruno Mars make part of the spring festivals while the opera commences its busiest season! You can also take a day trip from Wien Westbahnhof (Vienna West station) to Salzburg on a 2-hour train ride to enjoy the breathtaking Scenery. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Vienna concierge would be able to arrange your train tickets for you!

In Summer

Vienna becomes even more alive in summer when school is out and everyone is enjoying the summer heat! The Ritz-Carlton in Vienna hosts rooftop drinks at sundown and it is one of the best places to be in the city! Museums are filled with tourists, and the famous Naschmarkt is Vienna’s most popular food market. Located at the Wienzeile over the Wien River, it’s about 1,5km long and is booming with colors and different varieties of food.

Cyclists are enjoying the wonderful fresh warm breeze and you will find the city busier than ever! David Guetta is one of the examples of performances in summer during the music festival and The Life Ball is one of the biggest AIDS charity events in the world an internationally unique ball that takes place in June the Danube boat trips are one of the best things to do in Vienna. In summer, you can also take a day trip from Wien Westbahnhof (Vienna West station) to Hallstatt on a 4-hour train ride to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and the magical land of Hallstatt. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Vienna concierge would be able to arrange your train tickets for you and you have two options of rails to travel with.

In Autumn

Experience what Autumn is all about in Vienna, the leaves on the ground, the end of summer, and it’s the best time for photographers to visit Vienna with some foggy and sunny days! The north hills of the city center offer some incredible views from the Kahlenberg over the city or enjoy the parks of Schloss Schönbrunn. The Wien modern festival is also another recommendation and is dedicated to contemporary music.