Where to stay in Vienna?

Stay in Innere Stadt: the emblematic Old Town district

Innere Stadt, or ‘inner city’ in German, is Vienna's old town. Once protected by a 13th-century city wall, it was redesigned in the 19th century to remove its fortified walls and make way for more space, with the creation of the Ringstrasse, the emblematic avenue of the Viennese capital. This avenue serves a large number of famous monumentsthat are part of Vienna's reputation as the capital of music. This proximity to the most visited places probably makes Innere Stadt the best area to stay in Vienna.

This is where you can easily walk around and enjoy the myriad of sights, such as Kärntner Strasse. You'll also find plenty of restaurants and shops in the adjacent streets. If you head towards Habsburgergasse or Kohlmarkt, you'll find the streets leading to the luxury boutiques, as well as numerous secondary museums. The city of Vienna is a hotbed of cultural establishments, a selection of which we have put together to help you make the most of your time in this Central European capital.

• Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera): This is the oldest building in the Ringstrasse project, which reshaped the urban landscape of the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century. With its rich history, it is a must-see in the Austrian capital.
• Austrian Parliament: Also built in the 19th century, this neo-classical building was inspired by the architecture of ancient Greece. Guided tours available.
• Hofburg Palace: An emblematic architectural ensemble and home to the Habsburgs, it houses the Empress Sisi Museum, the Austrian National Library and the Imperial Apartments.
• Schönbrunn Palace: Dating from the 17th century, this was the summer residence of the imperial family. The rococo style of the official salons is splendid and well worth a visit in itself.
• Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna's art history museum): This is the Austrian city's must-see, visited by over a million people every year.
• Albertina Museum: Another of Vienna's eminent museums, it houses many of the city's more modern works of graphic art.

You'll find plenty of historic hotel-style accommodation to stay in the Old Town, which has the advantage of being close to everything. So you'll be able to find a wide range of prices to suit as many people as possible and make your stay in the imperial city as memorable as possible. It has to be said, however, that accommodation prices in Innere Stadt are higher than elsewhere, which is entirely justified. We have selected a list of interesting hotels for you to stay at if you want to visit Vienna.

Leopoldstadt: accommodation near Vienna's parks

In the second district of the Austrian capital, Leopoldstadt, you will find several parks which have earned it its reputation as the ‘green lung’ of Vienna. Very well placed and served by public transport, it is a very good choice for accommodation in Vienna during your stay.

Its huge Prater Park is home to an emblematic Ferris wheel dating back to the 19th century, making it Europe's oldest amusement park. There are plenty of old-fashioned attractions to keep your trip fun-filled, especially if you're with the family. There's also a second park, Augarten, where you'll find the Porzellanmuseum, simply known as the Porzellanmuseum.

This district of Leopoldstadt is also ideal for its many affordable restaurants and wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets. So it's easy to find accommodation between these two parks, which are also ideally close to the city centre. All these advantages mean, however, that accommodation prices can be quite high, but still reasonable.

With an average walking distance of just twenty minutes from the old town, you can stay in this northern part of the city and benefit from its ideal location, not too close to the crowds but not too far from the centre either. The metro will take you to the centre in just a few minutes. Handy if you choose to stay close to a station. Finally, there are bus routes in the area linking LeopoldStadt to the centre, which will save you a lot of time if you want to enjoy all the best that Vienna has to offer.

Here is our selection of the most interesting accommodation concentrated in the north of Vienna, which are mainly hotels.

Neubau: the museum district, a good alternative for accommodation

Head west of the capital and you'll come across the Museumsquartier. This is a large cultural area covering 60,000 m² where you will find the Leopold Museum, the Museums Quarter Water Featureand the Mumok, to name but a few. There's also the baroque-style Kunsthistorisches Museum, which houses an impressive collection of art and antiques. This is an area dedicated to its cultural offering, centred around Museumsplatz.

If you want to stay overnight in this western part of the city, also known as the Neubau, you'll find a wide range of accommodation, mainly hotels and flats. This is a very lively part of the Austrian city, with restaurants, bars, shops and cafés to make your stay as stimulating as possible.

The main advantages of staying in this area are its proximity to the old town and its more reasonable prices. The 7th arrondissement can be reached by public transport in around twenty minutes from the Innere Stradt. Note that Neubau is crossed from north to south and east to west by two tram lines, which is very practical for getting to other districts, particularly the centre, which will take you to the airport or other outlying areas of Vienna.

Accommodation in Landstrasse: the cheap place to stay

About 10 minutes by metro from the centre to the east, you'll come across this pleasant district called Landstrasse. Just past the Stadtpark park, which crosses the Danube, you'll come across a district that is very popular with young people, thanks to the presence of its eminent academy of arts and music, which dates back to the 19th century. It's a lively place, and you'll love strolling through its streets, which also boast numerous tourist attractions such as the Botanical Gardens, the Schwarzenberg Palace and the Belvedere Palace, a Baroque establishment par excellence that houses one of Klimt' s best-known works, “The Kiss”.

In this 3rd district of Vienna, close to the park, you'll find numerous restaurants and boutiques selling major international brands. The prices you'll find in this area are very affordable, making this part of the city a great place to stay.

It's also on the metro route that links the centre to the airport, so it's easy to put your bags down when you arrive at Landstrasse and to leave at the end of your stay. We particularly recommend staying in the northern part of this area, to make it easier to get around.

Staying in the southern districts: Mariahilf, Margareten and Wieden

We've put together three areas in the south of Vienna that are of real interest if you're looking for accommodation close to the Austrian capital's major points of interest. For those on a budget, the Mariahilf area is the best choice. Note that you will find much less accommodation in this area, which is more commercial. That said, you will be able to find a few cheap places to stay for less. The major advantage of staying here is the presence ofVienna's main shopping avenue, Mariahilfer Straße, which stretches for no less than 2km and will delight anyone who loves shopping. A number of secondary and special museums enrich the area's cultural offering. The metro to other parts of Vienna serves the area fairly well.

The second area where you can stay is Wieden. Situated just to the east of Wieden, on the other side of the metro line that runs through it, you can easily make the most of this area, which boasts a not-to-be-missed flea market called Naschmarkt, the Karlskirche cathedral with its dome dating back to the 18th century and the Wien Karlsplatz museum, which houses a rich collection of ancient works and traces the history of Austria. Its proximity to the Resselpark and the historic centre makes it a great place to stay in Vienna, especially as prices start fairly low, although they can rise if you're looking for better-quality accommodation.

Lastly, we found Margareten, which is a little more out of the way, but very quiet. In this 5th district of Vienna, you'll feel like you're in a small village that has managed to retain its authenticity of yesteryear. From here, you can clearly feel the Viennese past as you imagine it, but you may feel a little too far from the places to visit. Opt for this southernmost area if you're running out of options or want to save money, as this is where you'll find some of the most affordableplaces to stay, whether you like hotels or flats.