Vienna can shine – no question. Baroque splendour, imperial squares, horse-drawn carriages in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. But those who are open-minded, bring time and are willing to wander beyond the postcard scenes will discover a different city. This Vienna tour leads to places off the beaten tourist path. Away from the hustle, toward the city’s hidden gems.
The Vienna Tour in Detail
- 8:00 AM – Breakfast at Coffee Pirates
A good day starts with good coffee – and here, it’s world-class. Coffee Pirates is more than just a café: it’s a young, small Viennese institution right next to the old General Hospital (AKH). Freshly roasted coffee, homemade cakes, lots of wood and warmth.
Address: Spitalgasse 17, 1090 Vienna
Web: coffeepirates.at - 10:00 AM – Narrenturm and Pathological-Anatomical Collection (Wed–Sat)
Next stop: just across the street at the old AKH. In one of the back courtyards rises a building disturbing in its architecture alone: the Narrenturm. Built in 1784 as Europe’s first psychiatric clinic. Today, it houses the world’s largest collection of pathological specimens – a quiet archive of disease, research, and humanity. From Wednesday to Saturday, you can join a guided tour at 11 AM led by medical students. Alternatively, the exhibition can be explored on your own.
Address: Altes AKH, entrance via Courtyard 2, Spitalgasse 2, 1090 Vienna
Web: www.nhm.at/narrenturm - 12:00 PM – Votive Church
A ten-minute walk away stands one of the city’s true gems: the Votive Church. It’s the exact opposite of the tourist-overrun St. Stephen’s – neo-Gothic, bright, delicate. A place of light and silence. The church was built in gratitude after a survived assassination attempt and is one of the most important buildings of Vienna’s Ringstrasse era. - 1:00 PM – Ferstel Passage and Globe Museum
From the church, head into the vibrant city center. Tourists are hard to avoid here. First, walk through the hidden, magnificent Ferstel Passage (be sure to look up).
A few steps further is the Globe Museum – the only public museum of its kind in the world. Over 600 exhibits: terrestrial globes, celestial spheres, planetary models. The oldest dates back to 1536.
Address: Palais Mollard, Herrengasse 9, 1010 Vienna
Web: onb.ac.at
Then head to Stephansplatz, weave through the tourist crowds and take the subway (U1) toward Oberlaa. Get off at Reumannplatz and take the north exit. - 3:00 PM – Viktor-Adler-Market
This is where another world begins. The Viktor-Adler-Markt is loud, friendly, affordable, and completely untouristy. The exact opposite of the Naschmarkt. Fruit, cheese, fish, spices from all over the world – here, Vienna lives, not as a backdrop, but as a daily stage. - 4:00 PM – Kurpark Oberlaa
Back on the subway to the final stop, Oberlaa. If you’re hungry, stop by the Kurkonditorei for a Wiener Melange and some excellent cake (the cream slice there is a dream).
Right behind it stretches the Kurpark Oberlaa – once the site of the legendary 1974 International Garden Exhibition. The tour follows the Japanese garden, through the flower maze, past the petting zoo and the “Film Pond” toward the north exit. In earlier times, clay was mined here; later, monumental silent films were shot on location. - 6:00 PM – Böhmischer Prater
Now about a 30-minute walk through the Löwygrube park area, and you’ll arrive at a place that seems frozen in time. The Böhmischer Prater is the smaller sibling of Vienna’s famous Prater – but with more soul and character. Carousels, stalls, a merry-go-round from the 19th century – a retirement home for amusement rides. Nostalgia in its most honest form. If you’re hungry, grab a hearty traditional meal in one of the lovely beer gardens or play a round of mini-golf – among real locals. - 8:00 PM – Bräuhaus Ten.Fifty. (Tue–Fri)
End the evening with the best beer in town. Ten.Fifty. is a 15-minute walk away in the old Ankerbrotfabrik. In the setting of a revived machine hall, craft beer is brewed with passion and talent. A fitting finale. And perhaps the beginning of a new love for Vienna.
Address: Absberggasse 27/3/10.2, 1100 Vienna
Web: tenfifty.at
