With Vienna river cruises, voyagers have the chance to experience an immersive city with a rich musical history and a great culture. Vienna, Austria has a great blend of famed older districts and modern attractions, making it suitable for any kind of river cruise traveler.

Located along the Wien River, which flows into the larger Danube, river cruises to Vienna take voyagers to the world’s second largest German-speaking city. It’s also the largest city in Austria, with a massive and diverse population. Thousands of river cruises flock to Vienna each year to allow guests to explore its sights, eat in its cafes, and learn about its culture and history. Vienna is a very popular destination for tourists of all kinds, and one of the top cities visited by Austrian river cruises.

River cruise to Vienna's classical music scene on the Danube

Vienna has been the home to many famous composers. Beethoven, Mozart, and Strauss have all lived in or made music in the city, so it’s musical heritage runs deep. The city of Vienna is even known as the capital of classical music. To do this day, it’s still a must-see for virtuosos and music fans alike. 

When your Danube River cruise arrives in the city, you won't be far from some of the world’s greatest classical music concert venues. One can catch a concert in the Golden Hall, less than a mile away. The venue still hosts tribute concerts that recreate the music of Mozart and Strauss. You can catch these regularly, perfect for an evening out on the town before returning to your luxury river cruise ship.

Locations like the Wiener Musikverein and the Schonbrunn Palace are beautiful locales where you’ll be able to catch world-class concerts on your river cruise. In addition to tourists, the city still attracts several famous composers and musicians. Everyone from Hans Zimmer, the well-known modern cinematic composer, to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra has played in this classical music-loving cruise destination.

The Vienna State Opera is another fantastic location to catch music when cruising into Austria’s capital city. First built in the 1800s, the magnificent building was partially destroyed by a bomb in World War II. It was rebuilt after, and continues to house both the opera and Vienna State Ballet. Catching the opera is great, but if you’re short on time you can also take a daily tour of the building. Tours last just 40 minutes, and are perfect for architecture enthusiasts. Regardless of what draws one to to Vienna's music halls, we always recommend visiting in this European river cruise port city.

Our top 4 Vienna museums in MuseumsQuartier

If you’re not in the mood for music, there’s plenty more to do on cruises into Austria’s biggest city. Traveling into the city by river will also get you up close to a ton of history. From gorgeous buildings to ancient artifacts to modern art, Vienna has it in spades.

One of the best places we recommend for river cruise guests in Vienna is the MuseumsQuartier district. Only a little over a mile from the Danube River, this Vienna district is filled with museums. The MuseumsQuartier has theatres, artist studios, cafes, and shops located on the premises. We love all that this Vienna river cruise attraction has to offer and make it a must-see each time. 

MuseumsQuartier district in Vienna, Austria

• The Leopold Museum. This museum houses a large collection of modern art from across Austria. In addition, it features the world’s largest collection of art from Egon Schiele -- a famous Austrian artist who lived during the late 1800s and early 1900s. For river cruise travelers that love history, we highly recommend the Leopold Museum.
• Kunsthalle Wien. A hallmark of modern art, Kunsthalle Wien specializes in modern art that focuses on social issues. It’s art is not solely Austrian, and instead comes from around the world.  For those interested in interpretive modern art, Kunsthalle is the place to be.
• Architekturzentrum Wien. A design museum for architecture and urban planning, this fixture showcases architectural masterpieces and pushes design forward with its own forward thinking. This one is very popular with our river cruise guests interested in European architecture.
• Mumok. One of Vienna’s proudest establishments, Mumok Europe’s largest museum of modern art. It houses all kinds of modern art as well, with works from Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso being some of the most popular. Mumok is one of the world's most renowned art museums. It's a must see if you're interested in art created by the most famous modern artists.

These 4 museums could take up your entire time in the city, but the MuseumsQuartier has even more to offer. Many of our river cruise lines can book tours directly from the ship, taking the stress out of finding your way around Vienna. Vienna river cruise tours are incredibly helpful for those looking to make the most of their time in the city.

More attractions to visit on Vienna river cruise excursions

Aside from MuseumsQuartier, Vienna river cruises take travelers to even more outstanding attractions. Once again proving to be the music and museum city that it is, Mozarthaus is the old residence of Mozart turned into a museum of his works and life. There are even more unique finds just like this throughout all of Vienna, establishing it as one of the most immersive river cruise destinations.

Another great place to visit, the Hofburg Palace has plenty to do to fill an entire day. While the name conveys an old royal residence, the Vienna palace also has cafes, stores, and attractions of its own. It’s essentially an entire square in itself. The Hofburg Palace allows its river cruise visitors a small snapshot of Austria, all in one place. Much like the rest of Vienna, Hofburg Palace features excellent food and beautiful architecture.

Sample Austrian cuisine on Vienna voyages

Being Austria’s capital and largest city, Vienna is full of great food. There are plenty of local restaurants and eateries to be found on nearly every street corner. If you’re trying to find authentic cuisine in the city, the easiest to find is usually in cafes. Some of the best Austrian-specific food is schnitzel, tafelspitz, or sachertorte. All are native dishes to the country, and perfect for picking up while exploring the city.

What to know about Vienna river cruises

Another wonderful hallmark of Vienna is its speediness to get around the entire city. While you’re certainly able to walk or bicycle through, the city has a focus on urban design that has certainly paid off. Public transport stretches across Vienna, so you’ll have access to a new subway system, trains, and buses.

Because of this, Vienna is also a friendlier city to those with wheelchairs and walkers. It’s much more accessible than some older European river cruise cities. Though its purposefully kept older areas intact, Vienna has invested a decent amount into making the city navigable by all, including older and handicapped guests.

Vienna is an amazing city to visit, with beautiful art and architecture. It’s well-designed layout and welcoming culture make it one of the easiest river cruise destinations in Europe to travel around. The city is an ideal spot to stop when cruising the Danube. If Vienna sounds like your cup of tea (or bite of schnitzel), contact us to start planning a Vienna river cruise experience you’ll never forget. ​