The beating heart of Vienna

Lively Karlsplatz

The gateway to the local neighbourhoods, Karlsplatz is the city’s magnificent central square. Home to the newly-renovated Wien Museum, it bustles with life around the clock and is where Vienna holds many of its popular outdoor events such as the Art Advent Christmas Market, Popfest Wien and outdoor cinema.

The Wien Museum reopened in December 2023 after an extensive renovation and now offers a new 276 sqm event hall. The spectacular terrace area and ground floor foyer can also be hired for events. Tours of the exhibition displays can be arranged offering a glimpse of the city’s history from Roman times to the present day. Alongside the flexible meeting spaces, it offers fantastic views of Karlsplatz and Karlskirche (St Charles Church), one of the city’s most beautiful buildings. The epitome of Baroque architecture, with an enormous green dome and opulent interior, the church was completed in 1739.

Also close by are other important attractions including the Wiener Musikverein, Albertina Modern and the Otto Wagner Pavilion.

Set off from Karlsplatz to discover two of the city’s typical and fascinating neighbourhoods – Gusshausviertel and Freihausviertel.

Relaxed Gusshausviertel 

Situated directly behind the Karlskirche, you enter the wonderful Vienna neighbourhood of Gusshausviertel. This relaxed area is home to the Belvedere (both the Upper Belvedere and the Lower Belvedere are fantastic meeting venues) and Vienna Central Station. The numerous embassies provide an international feel, with many housed in grand former palaces. Here, too, are the historic Hotel Kaiserhof and the Schick Hotel Erzherzog Rainer offering excellent event facilities.

Authentic restaurants, bars and cafés have sprung up around Gusshausstrasse, which was once home to ‘Gusshaus’, the former imperial and royal cannon foundry. For excellent Viennese cuisine, visit the Buchecker & Sohn family business, Wiener Wiazhaus or Artner Gasthaus auf der Wieden. Z'Som serves innovative bistronomy while Casolaro Bros offers Neapolitan specialties. Take a break for networking in the delightful Carl Ludwig Cafe in the Palais Erzherzog Carl Ludwig garden.

Sustainable mobility has long been popular in Gusshausviertel and Argentinierstrasse, the neighbourhood’s main road and one of Vienna's busiest cycle routes, will be converted into a traffic-free cycle lane by the autumn. The ORF RadioKulturhaus, which hosts many events, is one of the area’s cultural venues while numerous faculty buildings of the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) also offer special event locations.

Popular Freihausviertel

Crossing the Wiedner Hauptstrasse from Gusshausviertel, you encounter the colourful Freihausviertel neighbourhood, named after the ‘Freihaus’, where Mozart’s Magic Flute premiered in 1791. Today, the Freihausviertel is a popular neighbourhood, hip and urban, yet Viennese through and through.

Discover vintage and upcycling shops as well as a lively gallery scene, while special restaurants and shops line the Schleifmühlgasse. Café Anzengruber is well known for its Wiener Schnitzel while next door, the Sekt Comptoir Szigeti serves excellent sparkling wine. Enjoy speciality coffee in the nearby Rösterei Alt Wien. The Vollpension is a local initiative helping to combat poverty and isolation in the elderly and offers delicious pastries baked and served by grandmothers and grandfathers.

Also close by is the Ehrbar Hall (Ehrbar Saal), a lovely venue for classical music, the Third Man Museum, dedicated to the famous film noir, the Planquadrat Park and the Old Hay Mill (die Alte Heumühle), one of the oldest buildings in Vienna.

If you walk through Gusshausviertel and Freihausviertel, you end up on the Rechte Wienzeile, where you can explore the famous Viennese Naschmarkt. A great place to organise a food tour. There are also some excellent meeting hotels here such as the Hotel Indigo Vienna – Naschmarkt.