Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Vietnam - Hue Royal Tea
Vietnam • 10 days, 9 nights
Flavors of Vietnam: Fish Sauce, Pho & Royal Tea
from
The Jaipur City Palace remains the home of the Jaipur royal family to this day.
India • 14 days, 13 nights
Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India
from
View all trips
Upcoming Experiences
View All Experiences »
Members Only
Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Frankenstein
Members Only
Antiques and Their Afterlives: Holiday Gift Guide
Upcoming Courses
View All Courses »
The Table as Canvas: Designing a Bizarro Dinner Party With Jen Monroe
Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva
Making Scents: Experimental Perfumery With Saskia Wilson-Brown
A Cup of Yuletide Fear: Monsters of the Holiday Season With Cory Hutcheson
Altered States & Expanding Horizons: Exploring the Legacy of Esalen
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ruins of the church in Dvorine from above.
Dvorine
The three castaways, depicted on the memorial at Fort Vancouver
Japanese Castaways Memorial
Bronze hen near the spring.
Hønekilden (The Hen Spring)
The Bard is represented on the sign.
The Shakespeare
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The Bard is represented on the sign.
The Shakespeare
This restaurant celebrates a country that only existed for a few weeks.
The Republic of the East
Introducing one of the only train station lobsters that won't leave you filled with regret
Grand Brasserie
A simple box of soba noodles with aburaage (fried tofu), the foxes’ favorite food.
Inari Soba Mansei
Chef Boyardee Statue
Recent Stories
All Stories Puzzles Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Developed by Farrell Monaco, our Black Banquet included dark loaves of bread, beans, dates, and fish—all inspired by an ancient tombstone.
Recreating an Ancient Roman Dinner of Death
These unassuming lichens growing on rocks in Antarctica may have a sexy secret.
The Secret Sex Lives of Lichens
This pygmy hippo at the 1939 World's Fair Firestone exhibit was probably Gumdrop I, Billy's first surviving calf.
Before Moo Deng, There Was ‘William Johnson Hippopotamus’
Bronzed and pleasantly spicy from a dry-brine of chiles and mint, this turkey is anything but bland or boring.
Talking Turkey With Eric Kim

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All Austria Vienna

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Vienna

72 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Vienna, Austria

Updated November 20, 2024

Email
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists
Hotel Deals

Unusual Attractions in Vienna

The library lobby

Vienna, Austria

Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library)

The beautiful baroque library of the Hapsburg empire.

Vienna, Austria

Stephansdom Crypt

The crypt of the imposing Stephensdom holds royal intestines and thousands of skeletons.

Vienna, Austria

Habsburg Imperial Crypt

The final resting place for the remains of 143 Habsburg royalty.

Vienna, Austria

Schmetterlinghaus: The Imperial Butterfly Park

A tropical paradise just a short trip from the opera house is filled with beautiful winged creatures.
Augustinian Friar's Astrological Clock - one of the hands takes 20,000 years to revolve.

Vienna, Austria

Clock Museum

A small museum filled with over 1,000 clocks, and one particular clock calibrated to run until the year 9999.
Apotheosis of St Carlo Borromeo

Vienna, Austria

Karlskirche (St. Charles's Church)

Built to give thanks for the passing of a plague epidemic, this cathedral is a one-of-a-kind architectural hybrid.
Mummified head of a murderer with blond hair

Vienna, Austria

Kriminalmuseum

Macabre museum devoted to historical Viennese murders.
Anatomical pathology collection

Vienna, Austria

The Narrenturm

This former insane asylum now holds a pathological anatomy museum.
See All 72 Things To Do in Vienna

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Vienna

Vienna, Austria

Palmenhaus

Dine amidst exotic plants at this former royal greenhouse.
The interior of the cafe.

Vienna, Austria

Justizcafe

A rooftop restaurant hides in plain sight atop Vienna's Palace of Justice.
Omas and Opas at work.

Vienna, Austria

Vollpension

Visiting this café is like visiting the Austrian grandma you wish you had.
Snail farm at Wiener Schneckenmanufaktur

Vienna, Austria

Gugumuck Wiener Schneckenmanufaktur

An IT-specialist-turned-farmer reintroduces an Austrian food tradition while promoting snails as a sustainable "future food" option.
See all 5 Places to Eat in Vienna
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Vienna, Austria

Architecture 20
Museums 17
History & Culture 9
Architectural Oddities 8
Sacred Spaces 7
Churches 7
Collections 6
Art 6
History 5
Memento Mori 5
Homes 4
Medical Museums 4
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

Vienna Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Annetta Black
    5
  2. Jaszmina Szendrey
    4
  3. katielou106
    3
  4. Skuttel
    3
  5. Rachel
    2

Places Edited

  1. gingercinnamon
    33
  2. Sebastian Wortys
    17
  3. rbenn250
    14
  4. hrnick
    11
  5. Quisquilia
    10

Places Visited

  1. klanggalerie
    56
  2. Svitlana Orlynska
    53
  3. Kolar
    46
  4. sosroita
    45
  5. gingercinnamon
    44

Recent Vienna Activity

  • cdbonham1

    wants to go to Hundertwasser's Odd Architecture

  • cdbonham1

    has been to Karlskirche (St. Charles's Church)

  • cdbonham1

    wants to go to Vienna Sewer System

  • cdbonham1

    has been to Wiener Pestsäule (Vienna Plague Column)

  • cdbonham1

    has been to Vienna Grand Ferris Wheel

Stories About Vienna

Podcast: Checking Into Hotel Imperial With Deborah Cohen

On the eve of World War II, the source for all good stories was an opulent hotel in Vienna.
by The Podcast Team
May 2, 2024
Matthias Meinharter plays the leek violin, his favorite vegetable instrument.

Vienna's Vegetable Orchestra Is a Feast for Your Ears

Inside a group that's spent 25 years turning beets into beats.
by Kaja Seruga
January 30, 2024

Unveiling the Mystery of a Royal Wedding Dress Lost for 179 Years

Made famous by 'The Empress' on Netflix, Sisi and her missing garment provoked an imperial hunt over centuries.
by Ronan O'Connell
August 30, 2023
Snow globes were invented at the turn of the 20th century but didn't often feature Christmas characters until after World War II.

This Family Gave the World the Snow Globe

But did they create the famous one with a starring role in Citizen Kane?
by Carole Rosenblat
December 15, 2022
Definitely don't judge this book by its cover.

For Sale: A Poisoner’s Lab Secreted in a Beautiful Book

Another reminder that covers can't be trusted.
by Jessica Leigh Hester
May 17, 2019
This IUD prototype was never marketed because it didn't have any advantages over existing models.

The Twisted History of IUD Design

Before doctors settled on the T-shape, these contraceptives came in all shapes and sizes.
by Sarah Laskow
May 3, 2017

The Atlas Obscura Guide to 11 Hidden Wonders of Vienna

Sponsored Post

Lists Featuring Vienna

Original letter of Abraham, the son of Maimonides found in the Cairo genizah.
A sculpture of the Tower of Babel, by Alan Baughman, from the Introductory Room of the Museum of the Alphabet
Boontling word of the week in the tap room of the Anderson Valley Brewing Company.

A Linguistics Lover's Tour of the World

12 places to marvel at the history of human language.

12

Including The Cairo Genizah , The Museum of the Alphabet , and Boontling Language of Boonville

Bolivia's Witch Market
Dubrovnik Maskeron
The Statue of St. Anthony's Pig
The Guardhouse Monkey

15 Unlikely Places to Re-Up Your Luck

Luck be a... llama fetus?

15

Including Bolivia's Witch Market, Dubrovnik Maskeron, and Statue of St. Anthony's Pig

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Puzzles
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Art & Culture Trips
  • Food Trips
  • Hidden City Trips
  • History Trips
  • Wildlife & Nature Trips
  • FAQ
  • Experiences
  • Online Courses
  • Online Experience FAQ
  • Online Course FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2024 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.