Vienna/Landstraße

Landstraße (3) is a rather large district to the southeast of the centre separated more or less by the Wien River (which is partially underground and otherwise chanellized. Stretching from the station Wien Mitte and the surrounding business and financial district where the lively Landstraßer Haupstraße shopping street begins, over quiet residential areas where the Hundertwasserhaus is located, all the way to the industrial hinterlands and the bus station at Erdberg in southeast, through neighbourhoods containing examples of public housing like the Rabenhof and many embassies to the Belvedere Palace and the Soviet Memorial at Schwarzenbergplatz.

Orientation

Landstraße's northern part is nestled between the river Wien and the Wiener Kanal, so it is easy to make out on the map. On the east, Landstraße's border starts with the Belvedere palace gardens and extends along the tracks running south from the Hauptbahnhof. The southern border is complicated harder to make out, but not as important for orientation - one thing to remember is that while the Gasometer U-Bahn station is on the border, the Gasometers themselves are in Simmering.
To those understanding a bit of German it may come as a surprise that there is no street called Landstraße within the districts. Rather than that, the main street running southeastwards from the Wien Mitte/Landstraße train station is called Landstraßer Hauptstraße or "the main street of Landstraße". Another major street in the district is the Rennweg, which marks the northeastern border of the Belvedere Park.

is the main railway station in the district. This is where the City Airport Train from Vienna International Airport terminates and S-Bahn train S7 from the airport stops as well. Wien Mitte/Landstrasse is a part of the Stammstrecke, the part of the Viennesse S-Bahn system that is traversed by all trains, so that you can get there from whichever S-Bahn station within the city and beyond (provided you board the train in the right direction).
Other Stammstrecke S-Bahn stations in the district include Quartier Belvedere and Rennweg, situated at two opposite corners of the Belvedere gardens. The St.Marx station on the trunk line towards th airport is also in the district, but not particularly close to any attractions.
Wien Mitte is a busy station for suburban and metro traffic, but the only intercity trains that stop here are trains to Salzburg and Linz operated by Westbahn - for all other destinations the closest long-distance railway station to Landstrasse is the , from where you can simply walk towards Belvedere or take the S-Bahn to one of the abovementioned stations. From Wien Hbf you can also take tram line O for the northern part of the district, or line 18 for the southern part.
The underground line crosses the district and is available to the north. From Stephansdom and Westbahnhof, take towards Simmering. From Schoenbrunn and Mariahilf, take U4 towards Heiligenstadt and get off at Landstrasse.
There are luggage boxes on the station for €2.50 for 24 hours.

Museums and galleries

• Schloß Belvedere

  phone: +43 1 79 557 0
  Intended as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, was outside the city walls. Its two palace segments, the Upper and Lower Belvedere, later became the permanent home of the Austrian Gallery.

• Österreichische Galerie Belvedere

  address: Prinz Eugen-Straße 27
  Contains recent Austrian and international art from the past two centuries. Viennese art from the early 20th century is well-represented in the permanent collection Vienna around 1900 and the Art of the Classical Modern, and includes masterpieces from Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, and Egon Schiele, as well as earlier works by the Biedermeier painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller.

• Unteres Belvedere

  address: Rennweg 6
  The Lower Belvedere and Orangery house temporary exhibits. The Baroque state rooms including the Marble Gallery, Golden Room, and Grotesque Hall are open for normal visiting.

• Prunkstall

  address: Rennweg 6
  The former stables now house a permanent collection of medieval religious art and a collection of medieval tapestries.

21er Haus

phone: +43 1 795 57-707

address: Arsenalstraße 1

Has a permanent exhibit of works by the Austrian sculptor/architect Fritz Wotruba, and hosts rotating exhibits of international contemporary art.

• KunstHausWien

  phone: +43-1-712 04 91
  address: Untere Weißgerberstrasse 13
  Even an avowed hater of modern art can appreciate this. This is Hundertwasser's (born Friedrich Stowasser in 1928) major contribution to the Viennese art world. In a time when artists often try to shock the public or merely impress other members of the rarefied gallery subculture, Hundertwasser's KunstHausWien would be a bastion against the dictatorship of the straight line, the ruler and T-square, a bridgehead against the grid system and the chaos of the absurd. Starting with the façade of the building, adapted from its prior life as a furniture factory, there is a Gaudi-in-Barcelona feel to the place. Windows peek out like eyes from curvy, rounded plaster and colorful paint. It is a Disneyland for grownups.

• Heeresgeschichtliches Museum

  phone: +43 1 79561-0
  address: Arsenal 18
  A huge museum featuring weapons and military maps from different periods. You can also see the open-top car in which Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the last Austrian prince, was shot in Sarajevo. His death triggered World War I and the eventual downfall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the same room as this is the visibly blood-stained jacket he was wearing at the time of his assassination.

• Fälschermuseum

  phone: +43 1 715 22 96
  address: Löwengasse 28
  Unique museum devoted to art forgery. Houses a large collection of counterfeited paintings, many from highly-skilled, infamous forgers. Includes several pages of the infamous fake Hitler diaries which fooled numerous experts in the early 1980s.

• Remise - Verkehrsmuseum der Wiener Linien

  phone: +43 1 7909 46803
  address: Ludwig-Koessler-Platz
  This museum in a former depot houses a comprehensive collection of vintage vehicles explaining the history of Viennese public transport. The exhibits include horse-drawn streetcars from 1868, a steam tram set from 1885, many electric streetcars from the 1910s until the recent past, and buses from 1949-1978, including the infamous "Reichsbrücken-Bus" which fell into the Danube but was recovered and repaired to run for many more years. The simulator of a U-Bahn train is considered the highlight among guests. Attached small gift shop. Major labels are in English and German, but some smaller items are labelled in German only.

Architecture

• Hundertwasserhaus

  phone: +43 1 4701212
  address: Kegelgasse 36-38
  Interesting apartment/office complex, designed by the Austrian architect/painter Hundertwasser. Remember that most of it is still in use as housing of offices and respect the residents' privacy. The nearby KunstHausWien (see above) is a Hundertwasser building you can freely explore.

• SchwarzenbergplatzThe Schwarzenberg place is a big square in inner Vienna. It is faced by many palaces amongst them the Palais Schwarzenberg, the hosue of industry, the French embassy and others.The square runs next to the RIng.

• Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee

  address: Schwarzenbergplatz
  An imposing Soviet-style monument near Karlsplatz commemorates the Soviet victory in Vienna over the Nazi army.

Historic sites

• Arnold Schönberg Center

  phone: +43 1 712 18 88
  address: Schwarzenbergplatz 6 (entrance at Zaunergasse 1)
  This building houses an archive of the works of the Viennese composer, with a permanent exhibit relating to his work and music and a gallery of his paintings.

• Sankt Marxer Friedhof

  phone: +43 1 4000-8042
  address: Leberstrasse 6-8
  This historic cemetery was in use from 1784 until 1874. Mozart was buried here in an unmarked pauper's grave in 1791; the tombstone dates from a later period, after his grave was tentatively identified. The Bezirksmuseum Landstraße offers regular guided tours of the cemetery (in German).

Parks

• Botanischer Garten

  phone: +43 1 4277-54100
  address: Rennweg 14
  Established in 1754 by Empress Maria Theresia as a garden for medicinal plants and granted to the University of Vienna, which has maintained it since. The gardens contain a number of rare plants, including alpine specimens.

• Konzerthaus

  phone: +43 1 242002
  address: Lothringerstraße 20
  Built between 1911 and 1913, the Konzerthaus is the homebase for the Vienna Symphony (Wiener Symphoniker), the Vienna Chamber Orchestra (Wiener Kammerorchester), the Wiener Singakademie and the Klangforum Wien.

• Arena

  phone: +43 1 7988595
  address: Baumgasse 80
  The arena is one of the biggest concert and alternative culture places. The slaughterhouse got squatted in 1976 and operates since as culture center. FM4 hosts here its annual birthday party. The programme lists the performing artists. The open air arena can host 3000 peoples.

• Akademietheater

  address: Lisztstraße 1
  The Akademietheater is the smaller of two performance halls of the Burgtheater ensemble. It was built between 1911 and 1913 by the architects Fellner und Hellmer and Ludwig Baumann.

Sports

• Ice skating

  address: Lothringerstraße 22
  At the Wiener Eislaufverein in winter time one can skate on a big 6000 m² square.

Shopping streets

• Landstraßer HaupstraßeA relatively upper middle-class neighbourhood shopping street, with a wide variety of business from pubs and clubs to organic shops to second-hand stores. The Rochus Market, Rochusmarkt, and a shopping arcade are located along this street as well.

Shops

• Mocca Brasil

  phone: +43 1 713 61 12-0
  address: Rennweg 75
  The coffee shop also sells and repairs coffee machines. The main reason to come here is to purchase good coffee beans. They are one of the very few places in Vienna which even sells excellent green beans, and their roastery offers many choices.

• wakeup

  phone: +43 1 908 90 92
  address: Landstraßer Hauptstraße 105
  Mario Sciurti sells Italian Espresso-machines. The shop serves a short espresso (Ristretto).

Due to the concentration of embassies in the 3rd district the restaurant selection is very international. It also includes with the Steiereck the most famous Austrian restaurant.

Budget

• Vegetasia

  phone: +43 1 713 8 33 2, +43 1 523 1 091
  address: Ungargasse 57
  Chain of vegetarian restaurants. Serves a huge variety of Taiwanese Buddhist vegetarian food. Most of it vegan, many meat imitations. Non-smoking.

• RochusmarktTypical Viennese outdoor market with fresh produce as well as stalls selling baked goods and other prepared food.

Mid-range

• Amon

  phone: +43 1 798 81 66
  address: Schlachthausgasse 13
  The restaurant serves seasonal Viennese food typically of course plates with large quantities. The cellar is a vinothek with a good selection of Austrian wines.

• Benkei

  phone: +43 1 718 18 88
  address: Ungargasse 6
  Favorite place from nearby Japanese embassy. The place has a bit dated interior.

• El Fontroussi

  phone: +43 1 7125430
  address: Reisnerstraße 39
  The Belgium restaurant in this renovated tavern offers seafood with refined sauces. Daily lunch menu.

• Marx Restauration

  phone: +43 1 51500 500
  address: Maria-Jacobi-Gasse 2
  The restaurant inside an old butchery serves modern Viennese food. Free Wi-Fi.

• No. 27

  phone: +43 1 714 31 24
  address: Ungargasse 27
  The Chinese restaurant is best visited with several persons to be able to taste their different plates.

• O'Connor's Old Oak

  phone: +43 1 236 67 2
  address: Rennweg 95/2/1
  Gareth "Gaz" Smith is cooking here daily, hence this Irish pub may serve the best Irish food in Vienna (not only legendary fish and chips).

• Pho & Saigon Market NR

  phone: +43 1 943 30 25
  address: Rennweg 5
  A Vietnamese restaurant next to the shop has small delicate choices. The cellar has one table tennis.

• Sri Thai Imbiss

  phone: +43 676 70 79 296
  address: Baumgasse 18/1
  The small cellar place cooks Thai food (green curry,..) on the spicy side of life.

• Taverna Lefteris

  phone: +43 1 713 7451
  address: Hörnesgasse 17
  The Cretan (not Greek) restaurant changes its menu daily.

• Rochus

  address: landstraßer hauptstraße 55-57, 1030
  Contemporary Viennese and European cuisine. Vegan options available. Extensive wine and cocktail list.

• al Italiana

  address: Landstraßer Hauptstraße 71 1030
  Traditional Italian pizzeria and trattoria. Friendly service, extensive menu, good wine list. Popular with locals.

Splurge

• Meierei im Stadtpark

  phone: +43 1 713 31 68 10
  address: Am Heumarkt 2A / im Stadtpark
  The very posh restaurant offers 120 different cheese varieties combined with freshly baked Viennese bread. This is the "bistro" of the Steiereck, but still extremely classy.

• Steirereck im Stadtpark

  address: Am Heumarkt 2a
  The most renowned Austrian restaurant in middle of the beautiful Stadtpark is defintely worth a visit. Heinz Reitbauer is cooking with exotic or mostly forgotten natural herbs. Much of the menu features modernistic presentations of traditional Central European meats such as venison, carp, and crayfish. Adi Schmid is the leading Sommelier. Reservation in advance is definitely needed.

• That’s Amore

  phone: +43 1 3439518
  address: Messenhausergasse 13
  Italian cooks use well chosen products for their pizzas.

• Cafe Menta

  phone: +43 1 966 84 23
  address: Radetzkyplatz 4
  Designed by Robin Molenaar and Yvonne Krisch with Rainer seats and an industrial bar, the café has a cool look plus interesting vegetarian options.

• Intermezzo Bar

  phone: +43 1 711220
  address: Johannesgasse 28
  Incredible lustre above the bar from the 1960s.

• Salm Bräu

  phone: +43 1 799 599 2
  address: Rennweg 8
  The brewery has a Viennese kitchen, but people mostly come for the good beer.

• Strandbar Hermann

  address: Herrmannpark
  The outdoor bar serves daily happy hour cocktails during 18:00-19:00. As the name tells it is a bar on sand next to the Danube canal near the Urania.

Budget

• Ibis budget Wien Sankt Marx

• Vienna Sporthotel

  phone: +43 1 798 82 01
  address: Baumgasse 83
  Spa and tennis possibilities.

Mid-range

• Hotel Am Konzerthaus - MGallery Collection

  phone: +43 1 716160
  address: Am Heumarkt 35-37
  The rooms are nice and smallish, but still stylish.

• Austria Trend Hotel Doppio Wien

• Best Western Plus Amedia Hotel Wien

  address: Landstraßer Hauptstraße 155
  Rather boring outside and inside (although with liberal use of red), the hotel is easy to miss at the far end of Landstrasser Hauptstrasse. Amedia marks high on comfort, cleaniness and service, which is a combination rarely found in Viennese hotels.

• Lindner Hotel Am Belvedere

  address: Rennweg 12
  Surprisingly tasteful, with large rooms, oversized beds and very reasonable pricing - and next to the Belvedere gardens indeed. You can get airline miles with many frequent flier programmes by staying at Lindner hotels.

• Mercure Grand Hotel Biedermeier Wien

  address: Landstraßer Hauptstraße 28
  More Biedermeier than grand, this Mercure is a very typical representative of Viennese hotels, with questionable colours and patterns, all wrapped in a vaguely historic setting. That said, the unusually large rooms (esp. Privilege) make it an option worth considering. Many rooms face the narrow internal courtyard, i.e. another room's windows within a short distance.

• NH Wien Belvedere

  address: Rennweg 12a
  The NH corporate unformization did not quite make it to this hotel, but you can expect reasonable standards - and a simpler format of the typical Viennese hotel. Next door to the Lindner, the NH is indeed close to the Belvedere

Splurge

• Austria Trend Hotel Savoyen

  phone: +43 1 206 33-0
  address: Rennweg 16
  The hotel offers spacious and modern rooms including great breakfast.

• Hilton Vienna

  phone: +43 1 717000
  address: Am Stadtpark 1
  Home to Vienna’s premier conference centre. Features meeting space for 2-1,800 and provides a business service centre.

• Imperial Riding School Renaissance Vienna

  address: Ungargasse 60
  This Renaissance is one of the Marriott properties scattered across Vienna, located in a renovated historic building of the former Imperial Riding School - not to be confused with the Spanish Riding School, which is far away from it. With an impressive interior and rooms appointed with decorations referencing the equine history, it surely does impress.

• Intercontinental Wien

  phone: +43 1 711 22 0
  address: Johannesgasse 28
  See above for the bar.

• Spiess & Spiess

  address: Hainburger Str. 19 1030 Wien
  Classy older hotel on a quiet side street, tastefully renovated and modernized. Good-quality breakfast buffet included in the price.

• Innere Stadt is the central town district.
• Wieden is an inner district to the west.