A Child's Review of Vienna, Austria

Vienna Top 10 Things To Do With Kids:

We did a lot of research before we left, and surprisingly could not find any conclusive lists for kids. So we thought is would be helpful to make one of our own. Here are our children's top 10 favorite activities from our November 2016 visit. Adult tested, Child Approved.

#1 - Schonbrunn Palace Children's Museum - By far was the most kid-friendly place we visited. Everything was period themed and "please touchable." From dress-ups to toys and games, it was specifically designed with children at heart. When we went in November the hours were adjusted, but we had pretty much the entire museum to ourselves! Following the Children's museum , our older children enjoyed the audio tour through the palace, the Zoo, and the impressive gardens/greenhouses. Just be prepared to WALK ALOT. The Grounds are HUGE.

#2 -Strudel School in the basement of a side building on the Schonbrunn grounds. Everyone got a free taste with their own plate of Strudel, and the staff was super friendly. The kids loved the hats and sat still the entire demo, even the baby enjoyed it.

#3 - Our kids are active, so they loved the hike up to the top of St. Stephen's Cathedral (we loved the views).

#4 - Prater - the Ferris Wheel of course, and all the rides at the park especially the bumper cars which we did several times! My kids also love Madame Tussauds. Though we know you can do this anywhere, it is a fun photo op and touch friendly zone.

#5 - Time Travel Vienna - This museum was a little hokey, but overall we all enjoyed the unique and entertaining way of displaying Vienna history. Our kids loved in particular the 4D video at the end which made it one of their favorites.

#6 - Votive Church playground. After running all week, our kids loved relaxing mentally for a few hours while we rested our feet, enjoyed our scenery, and got a bite to eat. It's rare to find good playgrounds in European Cities, so this one was a gem.

#7 - Natural History Museum - was very kid friendly, even with a marble ramp built in the front for strollers and handicap accessibility. Okay, I had to include some extra pics of this one, because architecturally it was AMAZING! So Gorgeous!

 #8 - Haus Der Musik (Music Museum) - This was the only consistently high-rated museum we found beforehand for kids and for that reason we felt let down somewhat as it was only average. But, our kids did really enjoy a lot of the fun interactive exhibits, especially the piano staircase that played music as you went up and down. Vienna is a hub for awesome music with so many greats studying there like Strauss, Mozart, and Beethoven, so in the end I have to say this museum is a must for your list.

#9 - Spanish Riding School -  This was one of the least kid friendly places we went. For starters the baby couldn't even enter. Additionally, they patrol the stadium to keep it extremely quiet (not ideal for young kids), and they don't like snacks being brought in (again not ideal when the practice is several hours long). That being said, there is an architecturally impressive auditorium you can walk around if your kids get stir-crazy (which only took mine about 2 minutes). We also learned later that you can come and go as you please once you have your ticket bought (although the entrance to the stadium is a bit of a walk). The horse tricks are pretty cool, but you are fairly far away and there is a lot of down time. Our girls lasted temporarily in the stadium, but LOVED checking out the horse treadmill and stalls outside which is the reason this attraction made the list.

 #10 - I hate to put this as number 10 because it really was a favorite, but because it is seasonal it had to go on the bottom. We loved the Christkindlmarkts in particular the one at Karlsplatz which had local artists, a carousel of restored parts, local bands (with a didgeridoo) and a kid hay play zone. All of these markets are packed with locals. You would think they are a tourist trap, but they are really more a place for the locals to go hang out after hours. We loved the smell of holiday treats, and browsing the local vendors. It was one of the best ways to ring in the Holiday Cheer.

Other activites not listed but loved by all were: Walking through the park to see the Golden Strauss Statue in Statdpark, The Imperial Treasury where we saw a narwhal tusk and a 1811 baby crib made for Napoleon Bonaparte's son, and a quiet bus/car ride to Kahlenberg lookout.