Returning to Vienna to visit cafes and see Klimt’s works
It was my first visit to Vienna in 14 years. Just walking around the city was fun, but there were two things I especially wanted to do: to visit a cafe and to view Klimt’s paintings. I felt truly fulfilled after accomplishing these two things.
I also had planned to enjoy wine at a Heuriger, a unique autumn pastime, but I have written about this in a separate article here.
Contents
Cafe Prückel: Try the daily specials at lunchtime
Cafe Landtmann: A long-established restaurant on the Ringstrasse
See “The Kiss” at Belvedere Palace
Take your time to appreciate masterpieces at the Vienna Secession
Cafés in Vienna
Vienna is probably the only city where just the word “cafe” gets you so excited. Elegant spaces and the relaxed flow of time are unique charms of Vienna’s cafes, and can never be replicated by the coffee chains and fast food venues that have become mainstream in recent years.
During your stay in Vienna, be sure to take the time to relax at a cafe.
Cafe Prückel: Try the daily specials at lunchtime
Access
Cafe Prückel is a 5-minute walk from the Hilton Vienna Park, just after crossing the bridge over the canal. After the sun goes down, the neon sign above the entrance makes it easy to find.
From the Hilton Vienna Plaza, it’s about a 20-minute walk past St. Stephen’s Cathedral towards Wien Mitte Station.
It was getting late after a stroll through Stadtpark, so we decided to take a lunch break at Cafe Prückel. The interior has been kept exactly as it was when it was renovated in the 1950s, and the colours and furniture feel much more modern than other famous cafes.
Even though smartphones and tablets have become widespread, there are still newspapers on display, which is impressive. The atmosphere of this typical Viennese cafe has not changed at all since its predecessor, and I felt like I had travelled back in time to 14 years ago, when I last visited Vienna.
As it was Friday, I chose a fish dish for the daily special. This week, it seems to be catfish, which I have not eaten much even in Japan. It was well seasoned and delicious.
On weekdays, I recommend choosing from the specials that change daily, with vegetarian dishes costing 9.80 euros and meat or fish dishes costing 10.80 euros.
Cafe Landtmann: A long-established restaurant on the Ringstrasse
Access
Cafe Landtmann is a 30-minute walk from the Hilton Vienna Park or a convenient tram stop on line 2 to Parliament.
It’s a 10-minute walk from the Hilton Vienna Plaza.
Tired from walking around the city, I stopped in at Cafe Landmann, which is close to the Reichstag and City Hall. Apparently actors from the neighbouring Burgtheater (with Klimt’s ceiling paintings) are regular customers. The Tokyo store is nice, but the main store has a better atmosphere.
I chose Apfelstrudel. I’m usually a tea drinker, but when I come to Vienna, I can’t help but drink coffee. I ordered melange to go with the cake.
I know I’m not making a good comparison, but I still find it much more palatable than British sweets. I personally think that British sweets are too sugary and the sweetness takes over everything, so they have no flavour. But there are so many types of cakes I want to try here that I’d have to have cake for all three meals to try them all!
Explore Klimt’s works
Vienna has many art museums, each with its own masterpieces, so it can be hard to know where to start. This time, I decided to focus on Klimt’s works and narrowed it down to the following three museums.
| Belvedere Palace Vienna Secession Vienna Museum |
In addition to these, there are other places where you can see Klimt’s works, such as the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Leopold Museum. Unfortunately, I was not able to visit them on this trip due to time constraints.
See “The Kiss” at Belvedere Palace
Access
From Hilton Vienna Park:
Take the local train (S-bahn) from Wien Mitte station towards Hauptbahnhof for two stops and get off at Quartier Belvedere station. After passing through the palace forecourt, you will find the ticket office at the back on your left. You can also get there by tram line O from Landstraße station.
From Hilton Vienna Plaza:
Take tram line D and get off at Schloss Belvedere station. It takes about 20 minutes.
On my fifth visit to Vienna, I was finally able to see Klimt’s “The Kiss” at the Upper Belvedere Palace. I was enchanted. The Kiss is very famous, but there were also portraits, such as “Judith” and “Friza Riedler”, as well as several landscapes. You have to line up to buy an admission ticket and then to enter the palace. I recommend making reservations early once you have decided on your travel plans.
North of the Upper Belvedere is the vast palace garden, which is free to enter.
Take your time to appreciate masterpieces at the Vienna Secession
Access
From the Hilton Vienna Park:
Take metro line 4 to Karlsplatz station.
From the Hilton Vienna Plaza:
Take tram line 1, 71, D or metro line 2 to Karlsplatz station.
Although I was able to achieve my primary goal of seeing “The Kiss”, I visited the Vienna Secession to look for another representative work by Klimt: the Beethoven Frieze.
Even after returning from my trip, I still can’t fully explain the impression of sweetness and sensuality I had of Klimt’s work combined with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, which possesses a sublime quality.
The renovated Vienna Museum
It’s only a 10-minute walk from the Vienna Secession to the Vienna Museum, so I recommend visiting both at the same time. Moreover, admission is free for permanent exhibitions. The museum has been undergoing renovation and expansion work since 2019, but has just reopened in December 2023.
Here you can see “Pallas Athena” and “Portrait of Emilie Frege”. Although admission is free, there are several works by famous artists such as Egon Schiele, and in addition to paintings, there are a variety of exhibits such as posters and models, so it was even more enjoyable than I expected.
Useful information
If you have a Vienna City Card, you can get discounts at many tourist attractions, art galleries, and museums.
I have also listed the prices of joint tickets that can be used on the city’s public transport (commuter trains, subways, trams, and buses). For example, if you are staying for 72 hours (3 days), and the discounts at tourist attractions are 11.9 euros or more, it is better to buy the card.
You can search for facilities where you can receive discounts here. The places mentioned in this article are summarised below for your reference.
・Upper Beldevere Palace (home to “The Kiss” exhibition room): admission fee of 17.5 euros reduced to 16.0 euros (price for online reservations; same-day tickets cost 20 euros at the local ticket office).
・Vienna Secession: There is no discount on the admission fee, but the audio guide and tour, which normally cost 3 euros, are free.
・Kunsthistorisches Museum: admission fee of 21 euros reduced to 20 euros. Audio guide, normally 6 euros, is reduced to 5 euros.
・Leopold Museum: admission fee of 17 euros reduced to 14.5 euros. Priority entrance available.
・Café Landtmann: 20% discount on food and drink
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