The spring is a fantastic time to visit Vienna, and May is the nicest of the three spring months. It is warm in the air, but not too warm. It might rain a little bit, but not much, meaning that you can normally spend your days outside without worrying about dark clouds and getting wet (you should check the weather forecast just to be sure). Are there any special activities that you should enjoy as you come to Vienna in May?
We have compiled a list of four activities that you should try in Vienna in May. The list could have been much longer, but since we know that our generation is used to TikTok and short videos, we decided to make the article shorter so that you will not leave the article before you have read about our four recommended activities.
Do not forget that these activities are fantastic all year around (mostly), but they are even nicer on a sunny day in May. If you want more recommendations about what to do in Vienna, look at our list of activities and attractions in Vienna. If you want to read more about upcoming concerts, events, exhibitions, festivals, and running competitions in Vienna, look at our page what “What’s happening in Vienna.”
You should do the following if you come to Vienna in May!
Here you have some suggestions. I must admit that my palm is sweating a little bit right now, because the first activity is awesome if you like heights. If you don’t, then your palm might start to sweat soon even thinking about this activity.
Prater Tower – Enjoy the view sitting in a chair 117 meter above the ground.
Doesn’t it sound fantastic to sit in a chair 117 meters above the ground enjoying the view of Vienna? Honestly, it doesn’t sound nice to me, because it sounds terrifying. Still, if you like heights and the adrenaline, then this is a perfect way to get one of the must stunning views of Vienna from above at one of the coolest places in the city. Prater is an area very similar to a typical amusement park, but you can enter the area for free… you only pay for the activities that you want to use.
I guess there are two kinds of people reading this article right one. Some are thinking that this looks awesome, while the other group is saying that they will never ever try this. No matter what, there are lots of other, much “nicer” activities waiting for you in Prater, so look around, and you will find something suitable for you. Another activity with a less impressing view is the famous Riesenrad (Ferris Wheel) which was featured in a James Bond movie many, many years ago.
Let’s get back on the ground and look at the three other activities you should try in Vienna in May!
Take a break in Hofburg / Volksgarten / Burggarten.
As you walk up and down the streets of Vienna, you need to have a break. Why don’t you stop as you come to Hofburg? Hofburg is surrounded by two parks and those are both beautiful if you want to relax, look at beautiful flowers, or eat a picnic outside. Nowadays many people play Spikeball, also referred to as “round net”, in these park areas, but it is also perfect if you want to play cards or read a good book. The beauty of it all is that while you are in Volksgarten you can enjoy the view towards the City Hall and Hofburg (and much more), giving you a majestic view while hiding from all the traffic and the busy people of Vienna.
I should also mention that these green areas are in the center of Vienna. You don’t have to walk for hours to get to these parks, but they are places you will walk by as you discover the city center of Vienna no matter what. So why don’t you stop by a grocery store to buy some snacks and something to drink and spend some hours outdoor just lying down in the grass, eating, reading, and having a good time?
Now you have even more to look forward to. Which are the two remaining activities we recommend you to try in Vienna in May?
Explore the city after sunset!
Vienna is a city with beautiful buildings and that is why it is a joy to walk in the city center during daytime to see historical palaces and other important buildings. But, even though the sun goes down doesn’t mean that it gets boring… rather the opposite. There are numerous buildings in Vienna that is bathing in lights in the evenings after sunset, making the city even more gorgeous. As a result, you shouldn’t go to bed early, instead you should put on some good shoes and walk around the city. A great place to start is by Belvedere, and then walk towards the city center and look at all the beautiful buildings and famous attractions as they are illuminated. You should be happy that you no longer travel with the old-fashioned camera with which you could only make 24 or 32 pictures per film, because it would get full quickly as you discover how beautiful the city of Vienna is by night.
Above you can see some pictures portraying Vienna by night, all from Pixabay. One of the pictures portray what the City Hall is like in November and December during the annual Christmas markets. The building is beautifully illuminated all year around in the evenings, but it is even more fantastic in the last months before Christmas. You can also see the Gloriette from Schönbrunn in one of the pictures, the mighty Karlskirche, the Belvedere palace, and the well-known Wiener Musikverein, the location of the annual New Year’s concert in Vienna.
Which is the last fantastic activity waiting for you in Vienna in May?
Spend a day in Schönbrunn!
Schönbrunn is one of the most popular places in Vienna, and that is for a reason. The castle itself is a beauty and if you want to get a glimpse of royal life in Austria, this is a spectacular place to go. There are tours available that will take you inside the castle, and there are other programs in which you can eat traditional Viennese strudel and other delights inside the palace. But, on a sunny day, why spend so much time inside when the palace has a beautiful park?
A great way to get an overview of the park is by traveling with the Panoramabahn. If you like to walk a lot, then you can skip the train, but if you like the sound of being transported around the park area to get an overview, the train is a perfect way to get an introduction to the park. You can listen to an audio guide in German, English, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew, Polish, and French to learn more about what you see along the way.
As you can see, it isn’t a real train, but it is still a fantastic way to visit the different corners of the park. When you are finished, you can start exploring on your own. One of the nicest areas in the Schönbrunn Park on a day in May is the zoo. This is one of the oldest zoological gardens in Europe, and you can see rare animals, walk surrounded by bats, and do other cool stuff as you walk around. Are you more interested in flowers? The park is taken well care of, so you will feel like in a botanical garden, especially in the area between the Schönbrunn Palace and the Gloriette.
Once again, bring some snacks and something to drink, and spend hours walking around and enjoying the fresh air of Schönbrunn and the park behind the palace with all it has to offer. If you come here earlier, do not miss out on the yearly Easter market arranged at Schönbrunn, and if you come before Christmas, then you probably know that one of the most famous Christmas markets in Vienna is arranged here.
Have I managed to inspire you?
Have I managed to inspire you and to give you some ideas with this article? I hope I have, but if you have even more ideas, or some feedback, please use the comment field below. I would love to hear from you.
Do not forget that you can read much more about all sorts of attractions, museums, activities, public transportation, and about ongoing and upcoming programs here in our Vienna Guide. If you like running, there are also quite a lot of running competitions in Vienna in May which you can read more about in our Vienna calendar.
In other words, you are destined to have a wonderful time as you visit Vienna in May!
