Vienna Attractions

Butterfly House
1 Burggarten, Vienna Austria
Located on the gardens of Vienna's Imperial Palace, the Butterfly House is an impressive art nouveau home to hundreds of uncaged butterflies from all over the globe (including the Atlas, with a wing span of 11 inches). Wild with tropical foliage and set to a humid 80 degrees year-round, Vienna's Butterfly house is an enchanting refuge for children and adults alike.

Central Cemetary | Zentralfriedhof
Leberstrasse 6 - 8, Vienna Austria
Built in the 17th century, the serene grounds of Vienna's Central Cemetary has a moody romanticism still today. While Mozart was originally buried in an unmarked grave, a tombstone commemorates his prodigal genius, along with that of Brahms, Strauss, Schubert and others.

Giant Ferris Wheel | Riesenrad
Prater 90, Vienna Austria
Individual art deco carriages soar above Vienna's Prater Amusement park, easily accesible from central Vienna by train. Burned down in World War II, Vienna's Giant Ferris Wheel was faithfully recontructed in peacetime; views still include old Vienna and the surrounding countryside.

House of Music
Seilerstatte 10, 1010 Vienna Austria
Located in Vienna's historical city center near the State Opera, Vienna's House of Music is an attraction dedicated to everything music in a city renowned as a musical muse. All-age interactive exhibits explore musical history and treat sonic expression as a language that transcends time and nationality.

Mozart House | Mozarthaus Vienna
1, Domgasse 5 , Vienna Austria
Figaro! Figaro! Figaro! The apartment building in which Mozart wrote "The Marriage of Figaro" will reopen as a six-story ode to everything Mozart on the composer's birthday, January 27th, 2006.

Schoenbrunn Palace and Gardens
13 Schonbrunner Schlossstrasse, Vienna Austria
Undoubtedly one of Vienna's biggest tourist attractions, Schoenbrunn Palace is an opulent testament to Hapsburg monarchy. Set on sprawling manicured grounds studded with statues and local Viennese joggers, the Palace itself is an impressive structure, the product of centuries of construction. Tours of the Palace run year round. The Palace gardens, collectively Schoenbrunn Park, host a myriad of unexpected delights. Just a few examples include a life-size maze and labrinthe (harder than it seems), a zoo and stylized Roman ruins.

Spanish Riding School | Spanische Hofreitschule
Michaelerplatz 1, A-1010 Vienna Austria
A magnificently baroque setting forms the backdrop for Europe's oldest breed of horses, the Lipizzan stallions. Equestrian lovers can watch the morning excercies, take guided tours of the modern information center or watch grand gala performances of horses and riders in full dressage.

Tombs of the Capuchins | Kaisergruft
1 Teggetthoffstrasse, Austria Vienna
History buffs and macawb Vienna visitors can descend below street level into air-conditioned chambers housing the royal remains of Austria's regal Kaiser past. Dating back to the fifteenth century, ornately wrought iron tombs, housing Kings and Queens, are adorned with crowned skulls, scenes of battleship feats and angelic figures.

Vienna Horse and Carriage Rides
Vienna Austria
See the sights to the clopping of horse hooves on cobblestone, exploring the baroque buildings of Vienna's city center from the plush velvet seats of an authentic horse-drawn carriage. Chariot drivers are knowledgeable Vienna locals who gather just in front of Vienna's State Opera; available by the hour.

Vienna State Opera | Staatsoper
Opernring 2, Vienna Austria
One of the first places to hear opera in world, and still one to experience opera and ballet 300 days a year. An impressive Renaissance building, fronted by imposing copper statutes and formidable fountains, the Vienna State Opera also houses an thorough collection of medieval armor and historical musical instruments (get the free audio accompaniment to hear the instruments in stereo sound).

—Vienna attraction reviews by Erica Pedersen