The Districts Of Vienna: What You Need To Know

One of the most important things to know about Vienna before visiting is that the city is divided into 23 districts. Knowing the different districts of Vienna is helpful when you’re trying to navigate the city.

You’ll want to focus on the Vienna districts that are around the city centre (2-9) when visiting Vienna. Each district is known for something and they’re very different, developing their own unique set of characteristics.

I’ll focus on the main districts of Vienna and the main things to do in each one and where you’ll want to stay.

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Vienna Districts Explained

There are 23 districts in total in Vienna that all spiral out from the city centre (which is the 1st district). Then two are two distinct sections: districts 2-9 wrap around the 1st district. These are the main districts in Vienna (the ones that we’re mostly interested in with one exception). They are the closes to the city centre.

Districts 10-23 are on the other side of Gürtel highway and they’re mostly residential. The only disctric out of these that you’re interested in going to is District 13 because it’s home to the Schronbrunn Palace (more on that in a bit!).

Why It’s Important To Understand Vienna Districts?

Understanding how Vienna Districts works is convenient because its an easy way to know how far away you are from the city centre. Every street sign has the building number and the district number.

So you’ll always know where you are. Just make sure not to confuse the district with the street number.

It’s also a super easy way to plan your stay in Vienna – visiting a new district each day.

Vienna Districts Where To Stay

You might think that you should stay in the first district of Vienna, but you’d be wrong. The first district is where some of the main attractions are, but it’s also the most expensive. So instead, opt to stay in one of the surrounding districts that all border the first (like Districts Six, Seven, and Eight).

This way, you’ll be equally as close but for half the cost.

The ultimate place to stay should be either walking distance to the First district Vienna and on a tram line for easy access to the rest of the city.

I stayed in an Airbnb while in Vienna, but here are some hotel recommendations that I found.

If you do want to stay in the heart of Vienna, stay in luxury at Hotel Kaiserin Elisabeth. You cannot get a better location than this, literally a few steps from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Kärtner Straße shopping street, the State Opera and Hofburg Imperial Palace. See room rates and availability on Booking.com.

If you want to still be close to some attractions, stay at Hotel Gilbert in the Seventh District, Neubau. Hotel Gilbert offers a truly unique and trendy stay! See room rates and availability on Booking.com.

Or stay in Josefstadt, the Eigth district which offers much more local vibes and it’s within walking distance to the First District.

Book Apartments near Rathaus, offering apartment style living near the city hall of Vienna. You might even be able to get an apartment with a terrace! See room rates and availability on Booking.com.

Or see more accommodation options in Vienna on on Booking.com.

An In Depth Guide To The Main Vienna Districts

Innerestadt – The First District Vienna

Innerestadt is the first district Vienna and the heart of the city – literally. All the others districts wrap around the first one.

The First District of Vienna also the oldest part of the city with a lot of historical buildings. Because of that, it’s also the most expensive part of town. So, as I mentioned, you probably don’t want to stay here.

The First district is actually surrounded by a boulevard known as the Ring or Ringstrasse. This is the border of the First District. There’s a guided sightseeing tram that you can take all the way around it. It’s about 25 minutes and costs 9€. Along the route, you get to see all the main attractions.

The tram is a quick and easy way to see the city if you’re pressed for time, but also just a good way to get your bearings in the city.

What To Do In The First District Vienna

There’s a lot to see and do in the First District Vienna. The main historical building to see here is the Hofburg Palace. This was the Austrian royal family’s main palace.

Today it’s actually still used by the President of Austria and hosts several museums open to the public. I recommend going to the Sisi Exhibit and watching the Spanish Riding School train.

The first district is also home to the State Opera House, Parliament (Rathaus), and the Vienna Stock Exchange. You’ll also find the Burgtheater and the University here (like I said, the First District is PACKED with things to do!).

In the middle of the First District Vienna is Stephanplatz. This is where the major shopping street Graben is and two cathedrals that are worth checking out: St. Peter’s Church and St. Stephens. You might notice that these two cathedrals could not be more different from each other. St. Peter’s Church is classical when compared to the striking gothic elements of St. Stephens.

You can walk inside St. Stephens for free. But pay to go up to the top for an incredible view.

Leopoldstadt – The Second District

The second district is Vienna’s Jewish quarters (so if you were looking for kosher food, Leopoldstadt is where you’ll find it!). But it’s mainly known for Vienna’s largest amusement park: The Prater.

Entrance to the park is completely free! You can walk around all you want but you’ll still have to pay for any rides you want to do. Because the rides are paid, there’s hardly ever any lines which is a nice benefit!

The Prater is home to the famous Wiener Riesenrad Ferris Wheel. If you’re going to do any rides at the park, it has to be this one. Over the years it’s become one of the city’s most iconic symbols.

The Wiener Riesenrad Ferris Wheel dates back to 1897. But the main draw is that this 65m tall Ferris Wheel gives you some truly breathtaking views of the city.

Landstraße – The Third District of Vienna

Before I say anything else about Landstraße, let’s discuss how you pronounce it. That weird symbol ‘ß’ us essentially a double ‘s’. So you pronounce Vienna’s third district like Landstrasse. 

You have to make two stops in the Third District of Vienna. First, you’ll want to go to the Belvedere Palace. This used to be the summer palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy. But now it’s an art museum.

The main attraction at the Belvedere Palace is Gustav Klimt’s Kiss. If you didn’t know, he was a native Viennese. Take time to wander the grounds here as well, they’re truly spectacular, I mean, this is a palace after all!

Next, you’ll want to head to Hundertwasserhaus. This is somewhat of a hidden gem in the third district. It’s just an apartment building, but probably the nicest one you’ll ever see. It’s an art piece on its own.

I recommend going to the cafe around the corner, Kunst und Cafe. Ask to watch a documentary about the building. It’s totally free! This is also a good time to sit for a bit, grab a coffee, and some sweets. We ordered their “Sachertorte”, a traditional Viennese chocolate cake.

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Weiden – The Fourth District

Weiden is home to Karlsplatz, one of Vienna’s largest town squares. It’s where you’ll find their baroque church Karlskirche. They also have two main cultural centres there (concert and exhibition halls), and of course a park.

The Happening Districts of Vienna… 6, 7, 8

The next three districts of Vienna are more residential young hubs. There are less main attractions to here, but are still worth visiting.

I also recommend staying in one of these Vienna districts. It’s very local, young, and it seems like there’s always something happening! They’re also not as expensive because they’re outside the city centre. But because they still border the First District Vienna, you’re never too far from the main attractions.

Naschmarkt – The Sixth District

The Sixth District of Vienna is all about shopping. They have one of Vienna’s main markets and biggest shopping streets: Naschmarkt. Yup, Naschmarkt is home to none other than the Naschmarkt. Here, you can buy delicious food, sit at a café, and go souvenir shopping.

But if you happen to be in Vienna over a weekend, you’ll want to plan to come here on Saturday. There’s an extra flea market set up that day.

Once you’re done at the market, head to Mariahilferstrasse. This a pedestrian shopping street. Here, you’ll find commercial stores, but also some new ones you’ve probably never heard of.

Neubau – The Seventh District

Neubau is a big cultural part of the city. It’s mainly known for its museums quarter. And it’s exactly what it sounds like. They have a lot of museums here. But the most famous ones are the Leopold Museum (Schiele collection), Mumok (modern art), and Kunsthalle (temporary exhibits).

But because this is Vienna, museums aren’t the only thing offered here. You can come here to admire the architecture. It was designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, the architect for the Schonbrunn Palace. These use to be the Imperial Stables.

Neubau is also the place to go for cafes and bars. Or head here just to walk around the area, you’ll probably stumble upon some great local street art.

Here’s a great guide to the seventh district.

Josefstadt – The Eighth District of Vienna

Josefstadt is a young laid back district. The University of Vienna borders the 8th district so a lot of students end up staying here. So it’s quite lively with local bars, cafes, and parks.

This is actually where we booked out Airbnb. It was within walking distance to the First District Vienna. But it also had a lot of public transport options if we didn’t want to walk.

It’s also in walking distance to the Grütel highway. This doesn’t really sound like a good thing at first but if you want to party, this is where you’ll be going. All underneath the highway you have your choice of bars and clubs. It’s THE place to go in Vienna if you’re looking to have a good time.

Hietzing – The Thirteenth District

Like I said, the Thirteenth District of Vienna is the only one you care about outside of the first nine Vienna districts. The thirteenth district of Vienna is where you’ll find probably Vienna’s biggest attraction – the Schronbrunn Palace. It’s a bit further out of the way but you have to come here at least once during your time in Vienna.

Schloß Schonbrunn was the imperial families summer palace. Over the years it has grown into so much more than just a palace. They have kept up the grounds and made this into a whole day trip from Vienna.

You can visit the palace to get a tour of the royal rooms, and the gardens, or even go to the zoo. You can even stay in the palace overnight if you want. See all the activities you can do.

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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API