The world’s oldest zoo

On the grounds of the Schönbrunn Palace resides the Tiergarten. It is open 365 days a year, which is pretty great considering how Vienna almost completely shuts down on Sundays and holidays. We really liked the exhibits, which for the most part seemed to give the animals plenty of space while still allowing ease of viewing. Tigger had been wanting to see a panda, and he was able to realize that wish here.

The zoo is large, so make sure to plan accordingly when timing your visit.

While there are some new exhibits, they have worked hard to maintain the old-world feel of the original zoo, which is something I really enjoyed.

There is a great playground for little children as well.

Admission is a bit steep at 15€ for adults and 7€ for kids between 6 & 18 years old. If you buy your tickets online, you’ll save 1€ per ticket.

If you’re riding the metro to visit the zoo, get off at the Heizing station. That one is closer than the Schonbrunn station.

Aquarium

The Haus des Meeres is a combination aquarium, reptile house, and small zoo. It bills itself as an Aqua Terra Zoo. It is located in a former air raid shelter which is an impressive 12 stories tall. While the building is butt ugly quite plain on the outside, it’s quite a bit more attractive indoors.

We took the elevator to the highest floor it serviced and used the stairs to work our way down. The elevator takes forever, so this is really the best way to go.

We were a bit disappointed with the shark exhibit. They are very young sharks so quite small still.

The rest of the exhibits were fairly interesting, though. I was especially impressed with the transparent ant colony. There are glass pipes going throughout some of the exhibits. You can watch the leafcutter ants walking throughout the colony structure. It’s really quite creative.

The marine life exhibits were enjoyable. In the very large tank, we were able to see a sea turtle swimming around. When it rested on the sea bed, a remora came up and attached itself to its shell. We’ve seen them swimming in the ocean, attached and unattached, but this was my first time being able to see exactly how they connect to their customer. It was pretty cool to watch.

The zoo part doesn’t have a lot of animal exhibits, as you might assume. However, it’s really a fun area as there is a group of monkeys and they are free roaming. They are a lot of fun to watch, and they are pretty comfortable with the presence of humans. Don’t worry, they aren’t like some monkey encounters you may have read about. They aren’t going to jump onto you, steal anything, etc.

There are some play and activity areas for small children.

I would say it’s fair to plan on at least 1-1/2 hours for a visit. With younger kids, you’ll probably spend more time there.

If you visit during school holidays, you’ll want to arrive at the aquarium before 10:30 AM. The lines and crowds get huge after that.

The famous Naschmarkt is an easy walk from here and a great place to pick up lunch after your visit.

Natural History Museum

This museum is absolutely amazing, and it is located in the heart of the old district, very close to the big and famous sites of Vienna. The interior of the museum is so gorgeous and ornate I initially thought it was a renovated palace. I was quite surprised to learn that was not the case. It was built and designed to be a museum! The emperor was a serious collector, and it shows.

Some of the specimens in this collection are hundreds of years old. I’m not talking about the dinosaur fossils either. This Japanese snow crab specimen is about 160 years old and was a gift from the emperor of Japan.

A visit here takes some time, especially for the adults, because you won’t just be looking at the exhibits but also the decor on the walls and ceilings, the carved doors, and so on. There are also several interactive exhibits.

I was really quite blown away by this museum, and Tigger enjoyed it as well.

One of the things that will put a smile on a parent’s face is admission is free for children under 19. Adults are 10 EUR. The museum is closed on Tuesdays and some holidays. It is easily accessed by metro and by walking from other sites in the downtown area.

Amusement Park

Prater has multiple places to visit as well as rides for pretty much every level of bravery.

One of the big attractions is the giant Ferris wheel. It was built in 1897 and is somewhat unique in its design. It offers a great 360-degree view of the city along with diagrams to help you identify the various buildings. At night some of the cars become a revolving dining event.

Madame Tussauds is here, along with roller coasters and another larger Ferris wheel in case you need something a bit more adrenaline producing.

On the grounds you will also find a planetarium.

During the holiday season, they host a small Christmas market.

It’s really a lot of fun. You can get here quite easily via the metro. When exiting the train, just follow the Ferris wheel symbol (a circle with a triangle at its base). The park is across the street from the station.

Schonbrunn Palace

While I wouldn’t really recommend a tour of the palace, they do have a rather fun children’s museum that is quite interactive.

The grounds themselves are quite extensive, and there is no admission to simply walk the grounds. You will find people riding their bikes, rollerblading, jogging, etc., all over the place. So, it’s a great place for the kids to just have a great time running around.

The solarium and other areas can be quite enjoyable, too.

During warmer weather, there is an outdoor maze, great gardens, fountains, and a playground for kids. During the summer, you can enjoy the large public swimming pool.

There is really so much to do in Vienna you shouldn’t be concerned your kids will be bored.

What are your favorite places to visit in Vienna with children?

So far our experience of Vienna and the holidays has been that basically everything shuts down. Some of the family-oriented activities like the amusement park, zoo, and museums remain open, but other than that the city basically goes to sleep on holidays and for about half of the weekend.

I wanted festive! Lots of people, lots of noise, and lots of fun.

We met up with friends earlier in the day for a nice lunch and some socializing. As we walked back to our apartment in our excessively quiet neighborhood, I started to wonder if it was even worth going out that night. By the time we sat down and began our wait, the fireworks began.

And they continued for the next 6 hours. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all, I thought.

When it was time to head to the metro and go downtown, I saw that Vienna indeed takes the new year celebration quite seriously. The trains and stations had more people in them than we had seen all week. Passengers were wearing silly hats and carrying pig effigies, a symbol of good luck. They were laughing, smiling, and being jovial. Many of them had a bottle in hand as they stepped onto the escalators.

A smile spread on my face at their joviality. And in relief. It seemed that we were in for a treat, and I was very happy about that.

Vienna has several public celebrations, and they last well beyond the stroke of midnight. Fireworks continued exploding as we made our way to the Maria-Theresien-Platz area. There was live music and plenty of booths selling food and drinks.

As with the Christmas markets, when you buy a drink, you pay a deposit. When you return the cup, you get your deposit back, or you can keep it as a souvenir. All the booths use the same cups, so you can just hand your cup off at any booth when you buy your next beverage or when you’re ready to get your deposit back.

It was the perfect atmosphere for New Year’s Eve. It was an international crowd, and I loved hearing all the languages around me. The night was just chilly enough to help you appreciate a hot beverage.

If you’re near the big cathedral at Stephansplatz, you will hear the bells begin chiming 12 seconds before the end of the year.

Then the real fireworks begin! The sky was filled with explosions of color everywhere we looked. No matter where we turned, BOOM! I quickly heard myself laughing and whooping as the Viennese skyline was silhouetted by a riot of flashing colors.

As I watched the explosions, my cheeks hurting from smiling so broadly and for so long, I felt tears begin forming in my eyes. Once again I found myself feeling so incredibly blessed and grateful. I felt so in love with my life.

What a way to start a new year!

By the time we returned to our apartment, with a short stop to accept an offer by some locals for Tigger to shoot off a Roman candle, I knew we had picked the right place to begin 2014.

Vienna may take its days off seriously, but it sure knows how to celebrate the new year!

Where have you experienced your most exciting new year celebration?

When we were preparing for our visit to the Imperial City, it was natural that we would plan to visit the 17th century imperial summer palace, which is now a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. The fact that it also hosts one of Vienna’s Christmas markets didn’t hurt either.

The grounds extend for an impressive 1.2 x 1 km and were opened to the public as early as 1779. Today the sculptured grounds continue to serve Viennese locals as a public park. We’ve visited the grounds a few times during our stay, and you can tell it is well loved by the locals and with good reason.

Der Tiergarten

There is a zoo on the premises, and it just happens to be the oldest zoo in the world. The imperial menagerie was opened in 1752 and continues as a scientifically administered zoo focused on conservation efforts. The preserved Baroque buildings help you feel like you’re experiencing something from the past. It is an ambience that is unmatched by any other zoo experience we’ve had.

Tigger had been wanting to see a giant panda, and lo and behold Vienna would give him that opportunity!

The exhibits are really quite well done and allow you an up-close experience. Interspersed throughout the grounds are play areas for kids which I think is a great addition.

The zoo is open 365 days a year. Prices are similar to large zoo prices in the US. If you order online, you’ll get a 1€ price break per ticket. However, you will have to print out paper copies of the ticket, so it might just be cheaper to get them at the zoo, unless you’re doing a visit during a peak time. We were there on Christmas, so there was no one in line.

If you’re planning on hitting the zoo first and are coming via the metro, you’ll want to choose the Hiezing station. The palace is on the other side of the park, and it’s a bit of a walk.

The palace

There are 3 types of tickets for touring the palace: imperial tour, grand tour, and the Sisi tickets. The imperial tour covers 22 rooms and takes about 30-40 minutes. Adult tickets are 11.50€ (about $16 USD) and kids are 8.50€.

The grand tour encompasses 40 rooms and will set you back about $20 USD for adults.

If you plan on seeing a lot of Vienna’s history, especially of the imperial life, then you may want to consider the Sisi ticket. It costs about $35 USD for an adult; however, you do get a lot with it. For starters, the ticket is valid for one year from the date of issue. At the palace you get to skip the longer lines, and you get free use of the audio guides. It includes admission to the grand tour of the palace, the Hofburg imperial apartments, the Sisi museum, and the imperial silver and furniture collections.

Note that the other sites are located in district 1, not on the same site as the Schönbrunn Palace.

Additionally, you are not allowed to take photographs inside the buildings. We were both provided with press passes, and even as members of the press we were forbidden to take photographs “during business hours.” That is really OK because the interiors are not that exciting. The emperor did not want a lot of fancy decoration.

So you’re probably wondering if it’s worth the price of admission.

Before I give my opinion, let me say this: We’ve been to Versailles twice, the Grand Palace in Bangkok, and some castles, including the wondrous Peles Castle in Romania. It’s REALLY difficult to compete with those places.

Having said that, I have to admit that I would not feel justified in paying these prices to tour the Schönbrunn Palace. It’s beautiful inside, but it just can’t compare with other similar buildings. Even the natural history museum downtown was much more impressive than the interior of this edifice.

Tigger agrees from the tween perspective.

Christmas market

The Weihnachtsmarkt at the palace is smaller than most of the others but also a lot less crowded. I believe the ratio of food and drink booths compared with arts & crafts, etc., was about half and half, which is also nice. We did eat here for lunch and had some hot drinks, and it was all quite fabulous and very fairly priced. As entrance to the grounds is free, it’s really worth coming to the market.

Note: Some Christmas market maps make it look like the market is on the side closest to the Hietzing station. This is incorrect. The market is held in front of the palace, and the closest metro station is the Schönbrunn stop.

Visiting the market at night makes the experience that much more magical.

Die Kinder

If you’re considering visiting the grounds with children, I definitely would encourage it. There are plenty of areas for running around, riding bikes, and so on.

The palace has a maze and playground area for kids (admission charged). There is also a fun museum experience for kids from ages 4 to 12.  The kids can even dress up as princes and princesses and play with toys from the imperial times.

Obviously, the zoo will probably be a big hit. There is also a fun train to take around the 160-hectare park. A daily pass gives you hop-on and hop-off privileges and will save your feet, possibly your back, and definitely your sanity if you have little ones.

Tigger’s advice

Skip the palace tour. The grounds and the zoo are much more interesting.

Tips

• Decide where you wish to begin your visit because choosing the right metro station can really make a difference.
• The U4 metro line, trams 10 & 58, and bus 10A will all bring you to the palace grounds. As with all parking in Vienna, you will pay half the national debt to park near here. Public transportation is really your best friend. Keep in mind that on Sundays, children 15 and under travel on the metro, tram, and bus systems for free.
• If you’re really itching to see the inside of the palace but don’t want to pay big money, I’d recommend the imperial tour. Those rooms were more interesting than the additional sections you’ll see on the grand tour unless you just really have a fascination with the daily apartment life of the imperial family.
• There is virtually no signage within the palace, so if you tend to be the curious type, you’ll want to rent audio guides (they are included if you get the Sisi ticket, however).
• The Christmas market closes early on the night of the 24th. When we visited, it actually closed an hour earlier than the posted schedule. So if you wish to visit it at night, you’ll want to come another day.

Weihnachtsmärkten

While most of the city is surprisingly under-decorated for the Christmas holiday, the Christmas markets definitely make up for it, especially the one located in front of the city hall, Rathausplatz. If you don’t get a smile on your face just walking up to this spot, you better double check to make sure you don’t have your Scrooge switched on!

There are 12 markets beginning around mid-November and running through Christmas; however, keep in mind that in Austria, like much of Europe, the 24th is the day of the big celebration. About half of the markets will be closed after the 23rd. All of them will close early on the 24th, and only a small number will still be going strong after the 24th.

This map is a huge help! For schedules, locations, and more info, refer to this site

Since we arrived on the 23rd, we ended up missing a bunch of them. However, we managed to attend some of the larger markets. Our apartment is in the 11th district, so we took the fabulous metro and visited the Maria Theresien-Platz (MTP) market first where we picked up some lovely waffles to give us enough energy to make it to the larger, more crowded, and way more festive market at Rathausplatz.

If you prefer smaller crowds, you’ll like the MTP market more, but really Rathausplatz is the place to be. This is also where I picked up my first cup of glühwein (although reportedly the best is found on Graben street). When you place your order for the mulled wine, you pay a deposit (2.50€) on the cup. If you wish to keep it as a souvenir, then no problem. Just leave with it. Otherwise, you return the cup to either refill it or get your deposit back. This is how it works at all of the markets.

When checking out the food stalls, I can also recommend you get the Käsekrainer. It was amazing. It’s basically a bratwurst with cheese inside. I’ll admit I moaned when I bit into it.

Besides yummy food, there are all sorts of handicrafts, ornaments, etc., for sale. Rathausplatz also has areas more focused on kids, including a “fun train.” You’ll find all kinds of fun workshops for the little ones.

Based on where we’re staying, our route was MTP, walk to Rathausplatz, and take the metro to Schönbrunn Palace for their market (see below for more info).

Amusement Park

When planning for Christmas, your first thought is probably not “Ferris wheel” and amusement park. But why not! The site of Wiener Riesenrad not only has a very cool Ferris wheel (you can even have a candlelit dinner on the wheel!), but several other attractions that the kids will love. Tigger especially loved the bumper cars (2.50€). Madame Tussauds is also there.

The wheel is a bit of splurge and costs 9€ for adults and 4 for kids.

There is a small Christmas market here which is mostly food and drink oriented, but its design and lack of crowds make it especially more enjoyable for families with small children. If you go on Christmas Day, you will pretty much have no wait for any of the rides or activities.

Take the metro, tram, or train to the Praterstern station, and the park is across the street. You can’t miss it. In the station, just follow the Ferris wheel symbol to get to the right exit.

The Schönbrunn Palace complex (trust me)

Perhaps visiting a former imperial palace isn’t exactly your idea of excitement. Especially on Christmas. However, you’ll want to come here because the complex also houses a Christmas market with the palace as a backdrop. In addition, they have lots of activities for kids, and the world’s oldest zoo is located on site. It’s open 365 days a year. This market is also one of only three that are open on Christmas Day.

If you do happen to want to also see the palace, it’s open as well for tours.

Enjoying the lights

Outside the markets, you’re not going to find many decorations or lights. However, in the 1st district around Stephansplatz, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. The area right around the cathedral isn’t that heavily decorated, but once you get on side streets, especially around shops, you’ll easily find them.

Cathedral

This amazing structure located in Stephansplatz is a great place to visit even if you aren’t interested in attending Mass. The interior is quite breathtaking. They also have some great decorations inside the cathedral, as one might expect.

This is a great starting place to just walk around the city center, take in all the tremendous history, and do some serious people watching. It’s a transportation hub so very easy to get to.

While you’re in the area, you may want to pop over to Cafe Sacher at the Hotel Sacher and have a cup of coffee while indulging in a slice of Sacher-Torte made from the original recipe. If you’re there on Christmas, though, consider making reservations or standing in line for a while.

***

In general, this is really a great time to visit Vienna. For the most part, crowds are practically nonexistent. When you ride the metro, you’ll generally have plenty of room and no problem finding a seat. There is a palpable energy of celebration in the air that can be quite infectious.

And Vienna is just an amazing place to visit period.

Which of these things to do in Vienna would interest you most during the holidays?