10 Things to Do in Vienna in the Spring

Spring is one of Vienna's most favorable seasons. As the good weather approaches, the city is decked out for festivals, concerts, sporting events and parties that only take place in the spring months. Another great attraction are the palace gardens and parks.

The weather in Vienna in March, April and May is very changeable. It is easy to go from a sunny day to a cloudy day or for rain and even snow to appear. So you have to have plans both outdoors and indoors, but fortunately Vienna has no shortage of things to do and see.

Vienna boasts one of the greenest cities in Europe thanks to its many parks and gardens. It is always advisable to visit and stroll through them, but even more so when spring arrives and they are full of life and color thanks to the blooming of flowers.

In keeping with Vienna's imperial air, the most beautiful and well-kept gardens are to be found in Vienna's palaces, true oases of peace and tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Of all the palace gardens in the city I especially recommend:

• Visit Schönbrunn Palace
• The Belvedere Palace
• Those of the Stadtpark or Burggarten, are really parks and the latter is famous for the statue of Mozart.

Since Vienna is the city of music, what better way to welcome spring than with a classical music festival. From the beginning of March until the end of April, the Vienna Spring Festival takes place in Vienna, with classical music concerts in Vienna as the main attraction.

In the city's musical temples, such as the opera house, the Musikverein or the Karlsalon, these concerts are performed by the best interpreters of classical works by Mozart, Strauss or Beethoven.

The world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra gives many of these performances, which is a unique opportunity to see and hear the best classical musicians in the world. In this festival there is also room for music of other styles such as jazz and open-air concerts.

Information of interest

• Venue: Vienna State Opera, Musikverein, Karlsalon...
• Date: from March to the end of April
• Price: there are free open-air performances and other paid performances.

Most of Vienna's population is either Catholic or Protestant, so Easter is celebrated with fervor in Austria's capital. During this week, events such as the spring festival or the Easter markets are combined with the more traditional Easter celebrations.

It is especially worthwhile to visit the city's churches as some of them, such as St. Charles Church, host special events such as choirs and concerts. In some city tours many of them are included, so if you are interested I recommend you to join one.

Besides the religious part, the Easter egg hunt is also a tradition. Although tradition dictates that the egg hunt is done after Easter, the city's bakeries start preparing these chocolate delicacies during the school vacations.

In mid-April, and as a culmination of the Vienna Spring Festival, the so-called Mozart Week is celebrated in honor of the famous composer, closely linked to the city.

Although born in Salzburg, Mozart lived for several years, some of the most prolific of his musical career, in Vienna. He is an institution in the capital, so during this week he is paid tribute with several concerts in mythical places where you can buy tickets and attend. You can also pay your own tribute by visiting:

• The composer's house on Domgasse Street where he lived for three years during which he composed, for example, The Marriage of Figaro.
• The monument to Mozart in Burggarten Park.
• The House of Music in Vienna to learn more about him.

Useful information

• Venue: Vienna State Opera, Musikverein, Karlsalon, Schoenbrunn Palace...
• Date: mid-April

Many of the plans we have seen in this post are done outdoors, and it is that the spring sunny days lend themselves to it. But I can not close the list without telling you one of my favorites and the Viennese themselves.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Danube runs through Vienna, a canal was made that crosses the city center and has been used to make a walk along its banks perfect for opening terraces, mooring boats with pools and bars or put small gardens.

This makes it an ideal place to spend a spring morning and exploit it in a bike tour of Vienna or to rest on one of its terraces or rest areas.

But spring is not all sunny days and clear skies. The rain also makes an appearance and on more than one occasion so it is advisable to have a plan to take shelter. I can think of no better place than in the city's museums.

In Vienna there are dozens of museums for all tastes and some of them are considered the best in the world in their specialties. Among the best museums in Vienna I recommend:

• The Belvedere Palace Museum, where you will find the famous work of Klimt's kiss among other jewels.
• The Kunsthistorisches Museum, with an impressive collection of classical art.
• The Albertina Museum, with drawings and prints by Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Miró or Magritte, among others.
• The impressive Museum of Natural History or the Museum of Art History.

Vienna is perhaps the city with the longest tradition of markets in Europe, and the Easter markets are a good example of this. Around these places the Viennese and visitors gather to buy handmade products from the stalls, taste the street food or enjoy the activities that are organized.

At Easter the most important ones in the city open on April 1 until the end of Holy Week around April 18 and are set up in:

• Schoenbrunn Palace (the biggest)
• Freyung Square
• Am Hof square
• And Prater Park

Spring is also the time for sports and the Viennese like to take advantage of the time to go out and run in their parks or on the banks of the Danube. But there is one event above all else, and that is the Vienna Marathon.

This is one of the most important running events in Europe and brings together thousands of runners from all over the world, as well as passing through many of the main points of the city.

Whether you like to run or watch as a spectator, it is an event to be admired. As a curiosity, part of the route of the Vienna Marathon was the stage chosen by the athlete Eliud Kipchoge to break the world record of covering the 42 kilometers of a marathon in less than two hours.

Interesting information

• Place: start from Danube Island, finish at Heldenplatz.
• Date: end of April
• Price: 36€ 10 km, 89€ half marathon, 115€ full marathon.

One of the favorite traditions of the locals is to go to the cafés for a sweet treat with coffee or an ice cream and stroll through the center of Vienna. That is why when spring brings good weather the city's cafés set up their terraces to the delight of locals and visitors alike.

Vienna is home to some of the most prestigious cafés in Europe that are well worth a visit in spring:

• Café Sperl on Gumperdorfer Strasse.
• The famous Café Central in Herrengasse.
• The terrace of the Sacher Hotel and taste its mythical chocolate cake of the same name.

Styria is a region of Austria itself commonly known as the "Green Heart", as it is an area full of forests, green meadows and high mountains. And what does this area have to do with Vienna? Well, such is the beauty of this area that Vienna itself tries to recreate it in what is known as Styrian spring.

For this purpose , they set up a market in the Rathausplatz, or town hall square, and fill it with stalls and vegetation trying to recreate a Styrian village.

Also, many of the merchants dress in the typical costumes of the area and many of the stalls offer typical dishes. Since it is also a wine region, Styrian wines are a must for a whole celebration of spring.

Interesting information

• Date: Mid-April

If there is one word to define Vienna' s spring weather, it is "changeable". Sunny and cloudy days are just as common, not to mention rain and even snow in early spring.

Temperatures start below 10 degrees Celsius maximum and below zero minimum in mid-March and rise to over 10 degrees Celsius minimum and over 20 degrees Celsius maximum in May.

On average there are 50% cloudy days in the spring months and between 20% and 30% chance of rain, with May being one of the rainiest months of the year. Even in March with the first days of spring it is possible to get snow, although the probability is low. In the first weeks of spring temperatures are still cold.

Summer and Christmas are the busiest times for tourists in Vienna, followed by spring. The gradual arrival of good weather and vacation periods such as Easter attract quite a few tourists to the Austrian capital. However, it is the perfect season to have a good balance between the influx of visitors and good weather.

Vienna is still somewhat expensive and in spring prices remain similar to summer, but you will find it easier to find hotels and offers, so in most cases the trip will be cheaper than in July or August.

Easter week is an exception as demand rises during this holiday period and prices go up slightly.

Since the spring weather in Vienna is changeable and almost unpredictable, you should be prepared. In order to be able to deal with all possible scenarios I will tell you what to pack for a trip to Vienna in spring:

• In general the weather in spring is cool but pleasant so** long-sleeved and light clothes** are the most suitable.
• Don't forget to bring sweaters or warmer clothes especially if you are going in early spring.
• Coats are still highly recommended especially for evenings, rainy days and for the first days of spring in March.
• Bring raincoats or umbrellas and waterproof clothing.
• Prioritize comfortable and waterproof footwear.