Vienna Day Trip from Prague

TOUR INFO

Vienna Day Trips from Prague

Both Prague and Vienna rank among the most visited cities in Europe. Why not take a one-day excursion to get a taste of Vienna while you are staying in Prague? Vienna is only 300 kilometers from Prague, approximately a three-and-a-half or four-hour drive away.  During the journey you can gaze at the stunning Czech and Austrian countryside. Join our day trip from Prague to Vienna (and back) and explore breathtaking Saint Stephen’s  Cathedral in Vienna, admire the paintings at the Upper Belvedere Palace and gape in wonder at the lavish rooms of the Schönbrunn Palace. Do not forget to taste the famous Sacher-Torte. You will also have time for shopping and exploring on your own.

Prague – Vienna – Prague: 14-hour Itinerary

4-hour drive from Prague to Vienna
1 hour for lunch
3-hour tour of Vienna
2 hours for shopping / free time
4-hour drive from Vienna to Prague

Please note that one cannot see all of Vienna in a few hours. Our experienced driver-guide will recommend you the most famous sights. If you wish to have an in depth tour we recommend to hire a local tour guide.

Tour Details

 About Vienna

The 137-meter south tower and glazed roof tiles of Saint Stephen’s Cathedral dominate the Vienna skyline, and the city is filled with tributes to the Habsburg rulers, especially the 68-year reigning Emperor Franz Joseph. Habsburg history permeates the town. The breathtaking State Opera offers astounding performances, and visitors are awed by the opulence of Schönbrunn Palace and the Hofburg Palace, which is dotted with museums and the imperial apartments. Austrian painters Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele are household names here, and the Secession House pays a stirring tribute to the Art Nouveau. The plethora of museums includes the Upper Belvedere and Kunsthistorisches Museum, to name a few. Coffeehouses bustling with life appear at almost every corner.

Saint Stephen´s Cathedral

Dating back to the Romanesque era, the most famous Viennese landmark marks the cityscape with its 137-meter high south tower and 230,000 colorful glazed roof tiles. When it caught fire during April of 1945, about 45 percent of the architectural gem was destroyed but fortunately rebuilt. On the exterior gargoyles spew water, defending the city against demons. Inside the high altar is the first and most prominent Early Baroque altar in the city. Hailing from the late 15th century, the pulpit is astounding for its Renaissance sculptural ornamentation. Four church doctors peer out from what look like stone windows on the sandstone blocks, symbolizing the four ages of man and the four temperaments. The 12 Apostles and saints make prominent appearances, too.

The Hofburg Palace

This large complex of palaces used to be home to Habsburg emperors. Now it houses the elegant imperial apartments, the Spanish Riding School and the Sisi Museum dedicated to Empress Elizabeth, Emperor Franz Joseph’s wife who was assassinated in 1898. The New Palace museums show off weaponry and musical instruments.  A visit to the Imperial Apartments is a must.

Schönbrunn Palace

Proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996, Schönbrunn Palace with its yellow façade boasts state rooms and private apartments on the piano nobile, splendid monument-filled parks and a zoo. The glory days of Empress Maria Theresa’s reign were lived out here, and this is where Emperor Franz Joseph was born and died. American President John F. Kennedy even met with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in a stunning hall at the palace.

The State Opera

The elegant State Opera opened in 1869 but was bombed in 1945. It took 10 years for the makeover. On the exterior a loggia façade with statues of muses on horseback enthralls.  A triumphal arch is set prominently in front of the main roof. Above it is a shield flanked by eagles with the so familiar Habsburg-Lothringen coat-of-arms, and on the top is the Austrian imperial crown.

Belvedere Palace

The Belvedere Palace includes the Lower Belvedere (1714) and the Upper Belvedere (1720-21), connected by an elegant garden. While the Lower Belvedere boasts lavishly decorated residential rooms, the Upper Belvedere is the focus of any visit as it is home to masterful works of art. The Kiss and numerous other paintings by Klimt are on display. Egon Schiele’s creations enthrall as well. Some works even drew inspiration from Prague. For instance, Oskar Kokoschka’s Prague Harbor is a mesh of brilliant colors showing Saint Vitus Cathedral, Petrin Tower, the Charles Bridge and other landmarks.

Other Museums in Vienna

The Kunsthistorisches Museum presents the art collection amassed by Habsburg leaders. Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the 16th century master of scenes from village life, is a star performer here. Venetian Renaissance artists are well-represented, too, with Titian, Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese getting the most attention while Raphael, Correggio, and Giuseppe Arcimboldo dominate the Italian Renaissance and Mannerism. Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Johannes Vermeer, Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt van Rijn are by no means forgotten, either. But this is only one of a plethora of museums in Vienna. The Albertina, adjacent to the Hofburg, hosts tremendous, extensive temporary exhibitions and houses a permanent exhibition called “From Monet to Picasso,” featuring works of Modernism and contemporary art. The Leopold Museum is well-known for the world’s largest collection of paintings by Schiele and an extensive collection of works by Klimt.

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