Location: Vienna
Top Things to do in Vienna
What to do and see in Vienna, Vienna Region: The Best Symphonies
In Vienna, the coffee house isn’t just a hangout: it’s an institution. Lingering over a newspaper with a pastry and a strong espresso drink is, according to UNESCO, officially a Viennese cultural pastime. Walk off your slice of Sachertorte with a self-guided tour of the city’s stunning traditional, Secessionist, and modern architecture, such as the Imperial Palace, the State Opera House, the Kirche am Steinhof, or the Kunsthistorisches Museum, an exercise in ornate geometry.
Restaurants in Vienna
1. Ave Maria Karlskirche
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 11 reviews
Our Ensemble is playing on period instruments. International soprano soloists and "Ensemble 1756" perform at the baroque St. Charles Church. Ensemble 1756 is well known for its historically informed performance. St. Charles Church is the most important baroque cathedral North of the Alps. Listen to the famous Ave Marias Franz Schubert, Bach/Gounod as well to a "Salve regina" composed by the Austrian emperor Joseph I. A special concert evening - inspiring and virtuos! BACH/GOUNOD: Ave Maria MOZART: Ave verum VIVALDI: "In Furore Iustissimae" SCHUBERT: Ave Maria MOZART: "Halleluja" aus "Exsultate, jubilate" KAISER JOSEPH I: Regina coeli
2. Wiener Symphoniker
3. Strauss Concert Hofburg Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
The Vienna Hofburg Orchestra presents classical concerts by Johann Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart featuring international vocal solo artists in Viennas most beautiful concert halls. The concerts are held three times a week every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from May until mid October and additional every Wednesday from June to September. The program features the most famous waltz and operetta melodies by the "King of the Waltz" Johann Strauss, Franz Léhar and opera arias by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
4. Wiener Royal Orchester
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 413 reviews
The "Vienna Royal Orchestra" presents in the course of the Gala one for Vienna unique selection of "Viennese music", with pieces from Mozart, Strauss, Lanner and Haydn, symbols of an era that filled hearts with emotions, warmness, romance and passion. Accompanied by Vienna opera singers and the Viennese dancers, the audience will be fascinated by this "most charming" music.
Reviewed By ronen1231
One of the most beautiful things that we did is this amazing concert at Vienna royal orchestra .It’s a must in Vienna , with professional and very talented Musicians . They played famous aria from Mozart , Beethoven and Strauss . Opera singer did also well . We think this show is amazing and one of the best in our experience in world famous city of classical music... so its worth to see it.
5. The Vienna Philharmonic
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 328 reviews
Reviewed By Connector694495 - Westport, United States
Sat in the third row on a Saturday afternoon performance. The music was so beautiful and entertaining. Would definitely do it again.
6. Mozart Requiem Karlskirche
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 170 reviews
The concerts are performed by the Choir Cantus XVII and the Soloists of the Salzburg Concert Society as well as the Orchestra 1756 (on period instruments). All together there are more than 40 musicians on stage. In Vienna you will not find another concert to experience Mozart and his surrounding mystique in a more authentic, more profound or more typical way.
Reviewed By 44pierre44 - Nantes, France
Magnifique, dazzling, hervorragend!!! What an outstanding piece of art! Very good musicians in such a beautiful church ! We spent such a lovely time
7. Antonio Vivaldi 4 Seasons Karlskirche
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 303 reviews
Vivaldi died in Vienna on July 28th 1741. He was buried just a few meters from Charles Church at "Spitaler God's Acre". 12 musicians are playing on period instruments and with harpsichord.
8. Johann Strauss Konzerte Sofiensale
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By JamesS398 - Brough, United Kingdom
For many years we have always promised ourselves to attend a Struass or Mozart concert whilst in Vienna and to find a concert that had both at the same time was just the ticket. We purchased our tickets on line via Trip Advisor and you have to visit the building to exchange your voucher into ticket which can be done on the night of the event. The concert hall building was excellent and once inside you were directed to your seats and we were in the second row from the stage so the atmosphere was even more electric. The small orchestra performed outstanding pieces from both composers and we were also treated to several songs by a lady opera singer and also ballet which featured both a man and young woman who definitely knew how to entertain us. The experience overall was brilliant and could have sat there for hours and hours, but unfortunately the concert only last two hours with a 15 minute interval for refreshments which can be taken on the balcony of the building. What a great evening and a memorable one as it was our Wedding Anniversary and what a place to spend it. Definitely something not to be missed whilst in Vienna.
9. Kammeroper
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 10 reviews
The Kammeroper in Vienna has been firmly established as part of the city's cultural life for nearly sixty years and aims to retain the spirit and character that its founder, Hans Gabor, wanted it to have. Since the 2012/13 season, the Theater an der Wien has been responsible for the Kammeroper programme and presents opera productions and portrait concerts. The broad spectrum of the intimate chamber opera repertoire complements the Theater an der Wien's programme and also picks up on some dramatic focal points of the operas presented there.
Reviewed By MuscoviteVT - Moscow, Russia
Finding this tiny theatre is quite a quest! I walked to and fro, I dropped at nearby shops, I even asked a guide, there was a tourist group close to the Greek church – no use, no one appears to have heard of it! At last, when it was already getting dark, I suddenly spotted the entrance – there were no lights there at day time. The trick is that the entrance is in the side lane, not in the street, very difficult to find unless you know where it is. Now you do :)) The start was clearly not the most encouraging. But that wasn’t all! The night before I was at Staatsoper, my first theatre visit in Vienna. And it proved to be absolutely awful! I could never imagine to encounter such rudeness, I wrote about that unfortunate experience in my Staatsoper review. Of course, the next day heading to Kammeroper I was very much on the defensive – who knows, what if they have all theatres like that here? Luckily for me – and, trust me, for them too – the atmosphere at Kammeroper was completely different. The staff was very friendly and competent – maybe they are students and work in their spare time? Anyway, the girl in the cloakroom knew everything about this particular opera, and even found a booklet for with the description of their other productions. To say that it was a classic opera would be an understatement. It’s a 18th century work, Händel‘s ‘Giustino’, very rarely on stage, in fact, I do not know if ever in this century. A very complicated plot, you can look it up online; likewise unusual voices for our times - an alto, a male soprano, two contraltos, God knows where to get them these days... Well, the point was that it was sort of test performance. They had a group of students, and it was to be like an exam for them, if I understood it right. There was only one professional singer, very young, too, but at least he was resident either at this theatre or at Theater an der Wien; his was the title role, a countertenor. You’ll see him on the photos in the centre, in funny shorts. Yes, the stage settings and costumes were ‘modernized’, as it is very much in fashion now. I am not in raptures about it, in fact, I find it rather cheap! Especially in a beautiful location like this… But with young singers it was bearable, sort of a good-natured student party :)) The cost of the tickets was a feel-good factor, too – just about 20 euro, incredible for Vienna which is generally no budget city. I don’t remember the prices in the theatre cafe, it’s downstairs, must be quite modest, like the whole place. Make sure you have cash on you, as far as I remember, they don’t accept cards. The cloak-room is free of charge, and it’s the right thing to do, to my mind – one cannot sit in one’s winter coat and fur boots through the whole performance, can one? This isn’t a railway station after all! They have a WC on the same floor, behind the cloak-room. But I would rather use the one downstairs, it’s less crowded. Both are in a very good shape. When I was choosing the seats I first wanted to try the balcony, but it appears this space is for personnel only, I did not see anyone from the audience there. Then I considered sitting as central as possible – on the sides the sound may be distorted. A few rows at the back of the hall are a bit elevated and provide a fairly good view, you will see it on one of the photos. And note, the seats are arranged chequerwise, otherwise the stalls would be only to listen, not to watch… Oh, just recalled – the opera was in Italian, which language the captions were in I can’t remember, but it didn’t matter, I always read the libretto before heading to the theatre. And, by the way, isn’t it remarkable - out of 9 reviews for this away-from-beaten-paths opera house 5 are in Russian...
10. Schonbrunn Palace Orchestra
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 595 reviews
Classical music at the highest level at the Schönbrunn Orangery in Vienna The Schönbrunn Palace Orchestra invites you to a fantastic evening of music, dancing and singing! Enjoy Vienna from its most beautiful side with enchanting music, courtly traditions and royal and imperial history. In the historical Orangery at Schönbrunn, the Schönbrunn Palace Orchestra presents a programme of the most beautiful melodies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss.
Reviewed By 536richard - Swansea County, United Kingdom
Thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Schonbrunn Palace. The orchestra played a lively mixture of Mozart and Strauss and the two opera singers and two ballet dancers were all excellent. Lovely way to spend an evening in Vienna.
