A couple of weeks ago, I visited one of my dream cities for the first time ever. It was a 2 day itinerary art trip to Vienna. The trip was very short but I definitely got to see more than I thought I would and most importantly, I got a taste of the artistic scene in this marvelous central European city.
So if you are looking for a 2 day itinerary art trip to Vienna, this article is crafted with passion for you.
What to see in Vienna in 2 days?
Vienna is one of those cities with A LOT to see. It will not be possible to see everything in 2 days but you can make the most out of your art trip with the right plan. So, I will share mine with you for inspiration.
For my 2 day itinerary art trip to Vienna, I had four main activities that I wanted to do and those were:
- Visit the Belvedere Palace where most of Kustav Klimt’s art is being exhibited
- Attend a classical music concert
- Visit the Austrian National Library
- Sightseeing and visiting the Viennese christmas markets
I booked a ticket to the Belvedere Palace for my second day at 10am, and a ticket to the classical music concert for my first evening at 8pm beforehand. I always book my tickets through the GetYourGuide app so that I could have some fixed time slots that I can play around ; and I highly recommend you do the same because it will keep you organised but still give you a margin to see more and discover the city at your pace.
You can also check some of my previous art trips here:
My Art Trip to Italy: The Vatican City and Rome
6 Art Museums in Florence: The masterpieces you need to see
Day 1 of my art trip to Vienna
Breakfast
I arrived in Vienna around 11:30 am. First thing I did was to grab a coffee and a croissant for breakfast because I took the train from české budějovice pretty early that day.
Walking and sightseeing on your way to your destination is a great hack to see more in less time
Once out of the cafe, my destination was to go to the Austrian national library. I didn’t buy the entry ticket beforehand because I didn’t know if my train will be arriving on time and how much it would take me to have my breakfast so I decided to wait in line (which luckily was not very bad, maybe a 15 min wait). However, during my walk to the library, I came across many landmarks such as the soviet war memorial, the church of St. Charles which also had a Christmas market next to it, the Vienna State Opera house, the Donnerbrunnen, and the St. Anne’s church. All of these landmarks were at a very comfortable walking distance from each other.
While I didn’t stop at any of these or got any entry tickets to them, the sightseeing was enough for me to really feel the magic of the city and its artistic history.
My first art stop in my 2 day itinerary art trip to Vienna was The Austrian National Library
I have dreamed of seeing this library in person for years. The Austrian National Library is one of the world’s most beautiful libraries ever. In my opinion, It is a must-see in any art trip to Vienna. More so if you are interested in the history of classical music or want to see the frescoes and learn more about them. When getting a ticket to the library, I suggest you go with the state hall which was built in the 18th century as part of the former Court Library. And it is an elaborately decorated dome with numerous frescoes creating an imperial flair.
The state hall also contains over 200,000 historical books, and four magnificent Venetian globes with a diameter of over one meter.
At the very left corner of the state hall’s center, you will find an interactive screen where you can learn more about the frescoes in the ceiling and the meaning behind the different symbols used in them, as well as, details about the history of the building and the books it holds.
The whole visit with the waiting time included took about an hour and a half. So I was ready to go out and explore the city a bit more, grab lunch and head to my hotel to check in and get ready before my concert at 8 pm.
My next destination was the christmas market next to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral which was in one of the most popular neighborhoods of Vienna, the Stephanspaltz.
You could grab a snack or even lunch in the christmas market but as I have food restrictions, I decided to wait until I reach Naschmarkt for more suitable options.
On my way to Naschmarkt, I could also see the Opernviertel or the Secession in English.
That was everything I saw for my first day before heading to the classical music concert at night. The concert was an amazing experience. I highly recommend it. I attended a two hour Mozart and Vivaldi concert at the Musikverein and the artists were amazing. The building was absolutely gorgeous as well and it was a 10 out of 10 experience for me. Would definitely do it again especially with a friend or a loved one.
Day 2 of my 2 day itinerary art trip to Vienna
I started the day with a visit to Upper Belvedere palace.
