Best Rooftop Views Vienna. Before you climb up the wrong 300 stairs let me share from where to have the best views in Vienna.
1. Canteen of the Palace of Justice
Best Rooftop Views Vienna. Certainly, Justizcafé passes for the weirdest and most 'insider' way to enjoy a rooftop view in Vienna;. In fact, the publicly accessible café is the canteen of the Palace of Justice. To enter, pass bag search at security check, then take elevator to top floor.
Once up there, walk pasts a few offices of judges and public prosecutors until you arrive at the canteen (food is above average for its kind);
Type of View: get an unrivalled clear view of 12 of Vienna's top landmarks: Vienna City Hall, Votiv Church, Austrian Parliament, Minoriten Church (da Vinci Code!), Church of St. Peter, Michaeler Church, Giant Ferris Wheel, Volksgarten, Spanish Riding School Vienna, Stephansdom, Imperial Palace and the Museum of Natural History.
Height: approx. 40 metres
Address, Directions and Opening Times: Schmerlingplatz 8; take trams 1 or 2 to 'Parliament'; (open Monday to Friday 7.00am to 4.30pm)
2. Rooftop of Natural History Museum
Best Rooftop Views Vienna. Because you are surrounded by famous landmarks the Natural History Museum's rooftop promises one of the best views in Vienna: high enough for a great overview and low enough to capture beautiful details of buildings you wouldn't have spotted from below; A caveat: the rooftop visit comes as part of a guided 1-hour tour through the museum on Wednesdays and Sundays; the tour was quite interesting, though;
Type of View: similar to nearby Justizcafé, a little closer to Ringstrasse and Imperial Palace; the view of the opposite Museum of Fine Arts and Museumsquartier are stunning; great views of Vienna City Hall, Volksgarten, and St. Stephen's Cathedral;
Height: 35 metres
Address, Directions and Opening Times: Maria-Theresienplatz, along Ringstrasse; tours in English on Sundays at 3pm; in German on Wednesdays at 6.30pm and Sundays at 4pm.
3. Lamée Rooftop
Best Rooftop Views Vienna. Another magic spot from which to enjoy gorgeous views of the city centre and a good close up of Stephansdom is the rooftop bar of boutique hotel Lamée.
In the run up to Christmas, the café houses Vienna's highest mulled wine booth on its roof terrace. Note that the roof terrace can get closed at short notice if the weather is bad;
Type of View: Stephansdom, city centre roof tops;
Height: n/a
Address, Directions and Opening Times: Mon to Thurs 11.00 am to midnight; Fri to Sun 1.00 am to midnight;
4. Rooftop Restaurant of Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom
Best Rooftop Views Vienna. Enjoy a grand view over the whole city centre with St. Stephen's Cathedral clearly visible; the restaurant 'Loft' serves gourmet cuisine and has a fantastic bar and stunning designed ceiling that hovers like a canopy over the guests.
For the most spectacular views go there in the evening to enjoy Vienna by night.
Type of View: great overview of the city centre;
Height: 75 metres
Address, Directions and Opening Times: Praterstrasse 1, 1020 Vienna; take metro U1, alternatively tramways 1 and 2 to 'Schwedenplatz', then cross the Danube Canal;
5. North Tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral
Best Rooftop Views Vienna. At St. Stephen's, you will be right at the epicentre of Vienna. Especially the tiled multicoloured roof of Stephansdom represents a marvel of its own.
However, there is one caveat for people with vertigo: once up there, you need to step outside of the North Tower on to metal stairways that open up the view below.
Type of View: pedestrian area of historic city centre, dome of Michaelerkuppel at Imperial Palace, hills of the Vienna Woods in the back, nearby baroque church towers;
Height: 68 metres
Address, Directions and Opening Times: Stephansplatz; take metros U1, U3 or U4 to 'Stephansplatz'; open daily, January to June: 8.15 am to 4.30 pm, July and August: 8.15 am to 6.0 0pm, September to December: 8.15 am to 4.30 pm.
6. Rooftop Bar of 25 Hours Hotel
Best Rooftop Views Vienna. Have drinks and snacks in a relaxed atmosphere at one of the best rooftop hotel bars in Vienna. At the 'Dachboden' ('attic') bar you will likely meet locals as the place is popular with the Viennese as well. On Wednesday evenings from 7pm the bar stages its 'Salon Hermes' with swing pop and cha cha cha music.
A slight caveat to bear in mind: In the evenings, you may have to queue in front of the busy outdoor glass elevator;
Type of View: across Ringstrasse to city centre; Museum of Natural History and Museum of Fine Arts;
Height: approx. 35 metres
Address, Directions and Opening Times: Lerchenfelder Strasse 1 to 3, 1070 Vienna; take metro U2 to 'Volkstheater'; (closed on Mondays)
7. Sky Bar Roof Terrace
Best Rooftop Views Vienna. Even before you reach the rooftop the views get amazing: At the outside of Steffl Department Store right on Kärntner Strasse high street you step into a glass elevator that lifts you nine levels up. Up at Sky Bar, the modern bar and restaurant boast a crescent shaped outdoor terrace just slightly higher than the surrounding rooftops.
Whereever you choose to sit, Stephansdom and the city centre's rooftops are right in your face.
Type of View: Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) and city centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Height: n/a
Address, Directions and Opening Times: Kärntner Strasse, 19, 1010; Mon to Fri 10.00 am to 2.00 am; Sat 9.30 am to 2.00 am; Sun and public holidays 11.00 am to 0.00 am; live music Monday to Saturday from 9.00 pm;
8. Roof Terrace of Haus des Meeres
Best Rooftop Views Vienna. Climbing up the former World War II air defence tower (FLAK Turm) that houses Vienna's aquarium 'Haus des Meeres' leads to one of Vienna's most treasured rooftop spots. At 50 meters above ground, the fully glass fronted rooftop Ocean Sky Café and Bar is the highest rooftop location in town. At the moment, visitors still require an aquarium ticket to enter the café.  Alternatively, you can buy a 'staircase ticket' and take the 192 stairs to the observation terrace.
Type of View: Vienna's city life with its beautifully decorated 19th century townhouses; towers of nearby baroque church of Mariahilf; other World War II FLAK towers; St. Stephen's Cathedral and hills of the Vienna Woods further away;
Height: 50 metres
Address, Directions and Opening Times: Fritz-Grünbaum-Platz 1; 1060 Vienna; take metro U3 to Neubaugasse, alternatively busses 13A, 14A and 57A to 'Haus des Meeres'; (open daily from 10am to 6pm; Thursdays until 9pm)
Where To Have The Highest Panoramic Views of Vienna?
For the best views in Vienna from the heights of a small mountain, ascend the Danube Tower (Donauturm), Austria's highest building. Located on the other side of the Danube, the 252 meter high building boasts an airy observation deck, and a rotating restaurant at 170 meters above ground. Find out more in my Vienna Danube guide.
explore more Vienna Insider Tips - Wien Sightseeing Off The Beaten Path
go to Vienna Walks - Six Routes With Maps For Your Sightseeing
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