Being one of Europe's pricier cities, going out for drinks or having lunch might be not an everyday activity. But does it always have to cost money to enjoy this city's beautiful sights and views? No, not at all! Vienna offers a broad range of public squares and gardens to explore or to hangout and provides cool activities and free museums to experience something new! Here's our long list:
Take a stroll through a park or garden
Volksgarten
Nearly 50% of Vienna's innertown is "green" - which means parks, gardens and recreational areas - and all of them open to the public. Viennese love to hang out in the parks and spend considerable time there whenever the weather is right. It's no problem to bring your own snacks and drinks! Here's a list of some parks & gardens in Vienna:
Volksgarten
Burggarten
Stadtpark
Belvedere Schlossgarten
Schönbrunn Schlosspark
Rathauspark
Botanical Garden (University of Vienna)
Augarten
Sigmund Freud Park
Lainzer Tiergarten
Setagayapark
Türkenschanzpark
Grüner Prater
Kurpark Oberlaa
Visit the Wien Museum
The Wien Museum is not fully free, but its permanent exhibition (“Vienna. My History”) is free for all visitors. Special (temporary) exhibitions have an admission fee: € 12 / € 8 for general, and reduced tickets are € 10 / € 6. On the first Sunday of every month, special exhibitions are free for everyone.
The collection covers the entire history of Vienna, with well over a million objects — from everyday items to rare, precious works of art. You can also visit the café on the rooftop terrace for a lovely view over Karlsplatz and St. Charles Church.
Go on a tour through the City Hall
Rathaus | @lazytravelphoto
The square in front of Vienna City Hall attracts visitors almost all year round with events. But have you already been inside this impressive building?
You can join a free guided tour of the Vienna City Hall on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1 PM. Tours are conducted in German, but you can borrow an audio guide in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and other languages free of charge by leaving an ID as a deposit.
Important: Registration is required — tickets are available from 8 AM on the day of the tour at the City Information Center in the City Hall entrance. Each tour has a maximum of 50 participants.
📍Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 1, 1010
Relax on the "Enzis" at Museumsquartier
Museumsquartier | ©Udo Titz
Next to the rooftop "Libelle" Museumsquartier is a beautiful 90,000 m2 large area in the 7th district, inhabiting not only a range of art installations, museums as well as exhibition spaces and regular events but a beautiful square with its own designed furniture - the "Enzis" - to sit and chill! It is not rare to see people bring their own wine and snacks and just enjoy themselves or meeting new people doing exactly the same thing. It is a very social place and ideal if you like to be in a bit more crowded spot.
Enjoy the view at the top of MQ Libelle
MuseumsQuartier | ©Hertha Hurnhaus
Next to the MuseumsQuartier, you will find this spectacular viewing terrace that offers an amazing view over Vienna’s city center — completely for free. Though the Libelle doesn’t exactly look like a dragonfly, which its name translates to, it is definitely an architectural highlight and a must-see if you are in the area.
The elevator to the MQ Libelle runs daily from 10 am to 10 pm, with the last ride at 9:30 pm. Note: the terrace is closed on Tuesdays.
For further updates and information, you can check their official website.
Go on a Hike around Vienna
Kahlenberg
Yes, you heard right: Vienna is the perfect place for hiking … on an amateur level of course. You won’t find glacier covered mountains but quite a lot of hills are surrounding the city, with endless forests on top. With its 13 Hiking Paths in and around Vienna, ranging from 4 up to 22.9 kilometers in length, hiking time is estimated to be varying from 2 hours for the shortest to around 6 hours for the furthest route.
Find all hiking paths here.
Try samples at the Naschmarkt
Naschmarkt
The Naschmarkt in Vienna is Austria‘s biggest and most popular market. The famous market is not only a great place to find fresh food and produce, but you can also score some free samples, so you can try them before you buy something.
Visit the Justizpalast
Justizpalast
The Palace of Justice (Justizpalast) sits just off the Ring boulevard, between the Parliament building and the Museum of Natural History. Set back behind a small park, it’s an impressive neo‑Renaissance landmark that many passersby miss.
After passing a security check, visitors can enter parts of the building for free, including the grand entrance hall, the main staircase, and the second-floor gallery. On the 5th floor, the Justizcafé is open to the public and features a terrace with panoramic views over the Ring and the city center.
Note: Visitor access is generally limited to weekdays during working hours, and some areas are reserved for court business.
Enjoy the view at the IKEA Rooftop
Ikea Rooftop | @ro_li94
Up again we go! This location is a unique and breathtaking spot and still quite a secret tip: the roof of the newly built IKEA at Westbahnhof (U3, U6) is a free to enter terrace with an amazing view to enjoy Vienna from above. Just take a ride with the elevator from outside. The building that also inhabits a hotel is actually Vienna’s first city-IKEA and it's definitely not just a warehouse for furniture.
Explore Vienna's cemetery Zentralfriedhof
Zentralfriedhof
The Vienna Central Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred. There are graves of honor from Beethoven to Falco, fantastic Art Nouveau architecture as well as abundant lush greenery that makes the cemetery a popular local recreation area. You can enter this place for free but don't forget to be respectful.
If you want to learn more about this interesting place, book our tour!
📍 Simmerringer Hauptstrasse 234, 1110 Tor 2
Stroll through the amuseument park Prater
A fascinating world awaits visitors for both young and old. Full of turbulent roller coasters, spooky ghost trains and attractions of all sorts - there is hardly any other place in the world to challenge your senses in this intoxicating way even if you're just strolling through this large amusement park. The entry to this location is free - you just have to pay for the rides!
Go on a tour through the Parliament
©Parlamentsdirektion/Hertha Hurnaus
The newly renovated Parliament offers guided tours free of charge. Explore and learn about the building, its rich history, and the democratic process that takes place there.
You can register via the event calender here.
📍 Dr. Karl Renner Ring 3, 1017
Visit the MUSA Museum
Musa Museum | ©TimTom
The MUSA Museum (MUSA – Wien Museum Startgalerie & Artothek) houses contemporary art collected by the City of Vienna’s Department of Culture. It has one of the largest collections of its kind, including paintings, graphics, sculptures, photography, films, videos, installations, and “art on the building” such as mosaics, graffiti, and frescoes.
Admission is free for all visitors, and the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm. The museum also features an Artothek, where residents can borrow artworks for their homes.
Admire streetart at the Danube Canal
Donaukanal
The area along the Danube is open to graffiti artists who have turned the concrete walls into their very own art gallery in Vienna. In the last 20 years, the Danube Canal has become a walkway mile in summer - walking there feels like you're on vacation! You can also bring your own snacks and drinks and sit along the danube while watching the sunset.
Have a look inside St. Stephen's Cathedral
Steohansdom | @wienzufussphotoblog
Stephansdom is one of Vienna's most stunning landmarks. A part of the interior of the church can be visited free of charge if you want to get a quick taste of it's atmosphere, beautiful ornate chapels and architecture. The front of the nave and part of the northern side are open access.
Visit the Money Museum
Money Museum | ©OeNB
To bring the story behind its exhibits to life, the OeNB’s (Austrian National Bank) Money Museum offers free guided tours and workshops for visitor groups of 10 people or more. The interactive tours allow visitors to explore the many aspects of money, monetary history, and central banking.
Reservation is required — you can reservate here.
FREE Things To Do
6 mins reading time
Nov 18, 2025
Kathrin Schwarz
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