Vienna with kids: 7 most fun things

By Anna Purpurpurpur

Vienna is a fantastic city to visit with kids: there are lots of fun and educational activities you can do!

I don’t cover too many museums here but you can check them out in my other blogs about Vienna.

1. Spend a day at Schönbrunn Zoo

Schönbrunn Zoo, or Tiergarten Schönbrunn, is said to be the oldest zoo in the world that is still in use! It was founded in 1752 and is part of the Schönbrunn Palace complex. It’s undoubtedly one of the best things you can do in Vienna with kids!

It houses over seven hundred different species, but the main attraction there is probably giant pandas! The zoo runs numerous conservation and scientific projects.

The food served in the octagonal pavilion built by Maria Theresia and her husband is so good!

2. Ride a train around Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace, in contrast to Hobsburg, was the Habsburg’s main summer residence. It’s called ‘Beautiful Spring’ after a famous mineral spring around the court. The Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and if you’re travelling with kids, you can ride a tram train with a guided tour around the palace grounds!

Panoramabahn train takes you around the park to see Gloriette and other hidden (or not conveniently located to get with a pram) gems of the park. During the tour, you can learn about the significant events of the Austrian Empire and its main characters!

The exterior of the palace you see today dates to the mid-18th century and the reign of Empress Maria Theresa. You can also visit the palace itself – the photography inside the Palace is limited; however, you can still take photos of the park outside.

The Neptune Fountain overlooking the Palace is one of the palace gems. It was commissioned by Maria Theresa in the 1770s, along with other park elements.

And to finalise the trip around the Palace, have some treats in the historic Gerstner cafe, right by the final stop of the tram.

3. Children’s museum (Schönbrunn Palace)

The Children’s Museum within the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace is entertaining both for kids and adults: it’s located in the 12 rooms of the Palace itself (it’s a different entity from the Palace’s leading exhibition, and you need a ticket to enter).

There are lots of activities like dressing up, toys, puzzles, educational games – and moreover, you and your kids learnt about life in Austria in the 18th century, during Maria Theresa’s rule!

Think about the lifestyle, dresses, hygiene, daily routine, education, etc: it’s all pretty well covered there.

4. Mythos Mozart immersive experience

The house where Mozart died at the age of only 35 years on 5 December 1791 is located at Rauhensteingasse 8, where he lived with his family at that time. That building existed until 1847, and now the Steffl Department Store occupies the same space.

On the underground floor, our can find a fascinating immersive exhibition dedicated to Mozart’s life and death: Mythos Mozart (and come to the upper floor to see the terrace and the view from it too!) You might ask – is it worth going there with kids? It does indeed! Only first room might be a bit gloomy but all others will be fun to visit with kids indeed!

It’s more entertaining than educational but fun, especially if you visit with kids and want to learn more about instruments and Mozart’s most famous pieces.

There is a series of rooms, starting from the Requiem and Mozart’s death and continuing into the life of Vienna of that period. Variations of musical instruments, interactive musical nets, and AI interpretations of Mozart’s legacy exist.

5. Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum, located on Maria-Theresien-Platz opposite the Kunsthistorisches Museum, is one of the largest museums in the country, with collections assembled over 250 years ago.

Come here if your kids love dinosaurs and scientific discoveries, there are many activities for them and a shop full of cool stuff!

The museum was officially opened in 1889. Come here to learn about evolution, dinosaurs, minerals and all other things you expect from a museum like this.

6. Historical pastry shops

Choosing between the best pastry in Vienna? Visit all of them! The K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel is a famous historical pastry shop in Vienna dating to 1786, and it’s our favourite one. Its name means ‘Purveyor to the Imperial and Royal Court’ – the imperial family got direct deliveries from it. If you want to treat your kids with the most imperial parties and desserts, come here without doubt.

It’s said that even Princess Sisi (obsessed with her weight) couldn’t refuse candied violets from it! Visiting Demel is a must in Vienna, especially if you want to try the famous Sachertorte!

There was a legal battle between the Demel and the Hotel Sacher (and the cafe Café Sacher Wien located inside) over which recipe was original because a slightly different version of it belonged to Franz Sacher and his son Eduard. And of course you have to visit it too to try the Sacher-Torte dating back to 1832 when it was said to be created by Franz Sacher! I don’t know about Sacher, but their curd strudel was the best I’ve ever tried.

Come to Demel, come to the Sacher hotel, and compare both – which one would be your favourite? I strongly incline towards Demel, to be honest, because of the Kaiserschmarrn with plums!

7. Christmas markets

Vienna is a perfect Christmas destination! There are quite a few places around the city you’ll enjoy exploiting with your kids – see more here.

The Christmas Market on Stephansplatz making frame around the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and atmosphere around the Opera and Operngasse as well as Christmas Village on Maria-Theresien-Platz and at Belvedere are incredible.

Tiny but lovely Christmas Market on Michaelerplatz is called ‘k.u.k. Weihnachtsmarkt’ in German ‘k.u.k.’ stands for ‘imperial and royal’ (‘kaiserlich und königlich’).

You might also like my other post about Austria:

Hope you liked my blog!
Yours,
Anna xxx

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