Vienna from above: viewpoints and rooftops

Kahlenberg: the overview from the Vienna Woods

The Kahlenberg, in the 19th district, is 484 metres high and part of the Vienna Woods. From its freely accessible terrace the whole city is laid out below: the rooftops, the Danube and the surrounding vineyards. The Vienna Tourist Board counts it, with the Leopoldsberg and the Bisamberg, among the city’s local hills that suit a general overview. There is a café and a restaurant at the top.

Bus 38A runs from Heiligenstadt station (U4) up the hill and on to the neighbouring Leopoldsberg. The Stefaniewarte, a lookout tower of 1887 at the summit, opens only seasonally; the terrace is enough for the view.

Donauturm and Riesenrad: two views on the U1

The Donauturm (Danube Tower) in the Donaupark is 252 metres tall, the tallest structure in Austria. It was built to designs by the architect Hannes Lintl for the Vienna International Garden Show of 1964. Express lifts go up to a viewing platform at about 150 metres, with a view in every direction; above it are a café and a restaurant that revolve slowly around the tower’s axis. Take the U1 to Kaisermühlen-VIC or Alte Donau, then bus 20A to the Donauturm stop.

The Riesenrad, the giant Ferris wheel in the Prater, opened in 1897 for the 50th jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph’s reign and is just under 65 metres high. Since it was rebuilt after the Second World War it has carried 15 wagons. They turn slowly, and the view takes in the Prater and the city beyond. It is far lower than the tower, but here the view moves. The station is Praterstern (U1, U2).

St Stephen’s Cathedral: the view from the centre

The cathedral offers two ways up. In the south tower, which is about 136 metres high, 343 steps lead to the Türmerstube, the old watchman’s room; in the lower north tower a lift goes to a platform beside the Pummerin, the cathedral’s great bell, rung only on special occasions. Both look out over the roofs of the old town and, at close range, over the cathedral’s patterned tile roof.

Stephansplatz station (U1, U3) is on the square in front of the cathedral.

Gloriette and Upper Belvedere: Baroque vistas

The Gloriette, built under Maria Theresa, has stood on the hill above the gardens of Schönbrunn since 1775. From there you look across the park and the palace to large parts of Vienna. The viewing terrace on its roof charges admission and is open according to season; there is a café inside. Take the U4 to Schönbrunn and walk uphill through the park.

From the Upper Belvedere the view runs down the sloping Baroque garden towards the old town. It is known as the Canaletto view, after Bernardo Bellotto, called Canaletto, who painted it in 1759/60; the painting hangs in the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The palace was built between 1717 and 1723 to plans by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. The museum inside needs a ticket; the garden is free to enter. Tram D links the Hauptbahnhof with the Schloss Belvedere stop.

Rooftop terraces without a ticket

Two museum roofs are open to the public. The MQ Libelle, on top of the Leopold Museum in the MuseumsQuartier, is reached by two glass lifts on the outside of the building; it is free, open in the warmer months, and looks over the city centre to the hills beyond. The Wien Museum on Karlsplatz has had a freely accessible terrace since its rebuilding, with a view across the square to the Karlskirche.

Check current opening times for all towers and terraces before you go; several are open only in season.

In Advent, Stephansplatz, Schönbrunn and the Belvedere can each be combined with a Christmas market; see Vienna in Advent.

From Keplerplatz: routes and a private view

From Keplerplatz station on the U1, in Favoriten, you reach Stephansplatz (four stops), Praterstern (seven stops) and the stations for the Donauturm without changing. At Karlsplatz, three stops away, you change to the U4 for Schönbrunn and Heiligenstadt.

Domenig House stands right at the station. Its Rooftop Suite has a balcony and three large roof windows: a private view over the rooftops of Favoriten. The building itself, Günther Domenig’s design with its curved stainless steel façade, features in the article on radical architecture in Vienna; all connections are set out in Getting around Vienna.