20 Top Things To Do In Vienna In Your 20s

From all-night techno parties to bustling flea markets, there is plenty of fun to be had in Austria’s capital for 20-somethings.

1. Paddle in the Danube

Going for a dip in the Danube is the perfect way to refresh in the hotter months. The Danube Island is where Vienna’s younger population tend to gather. Bring your inflatables.

Danube |© Österreich Werbung / Popp G.

Go to Akademie Exhibition

A night likely beginning and ending in obscurity and hedonism, the Akademie of Fine Arts end of year show is a great way to discover new art, and, more importantly for some, after parties.

2. Early Bird Visit To The Naschmarkt

Market

Stalls start setting up as early as 4 a.m. along the sprawling Naschmarkt, Vienna’s 16th-century flea and food market. If at all intoxicated, you will likely pick up something obscure that you’ll end up treasuring forever.

Naschmarkt in Vienna | © Österreich Werbung, Photographer: Volker Preusser | © Österreich Werbung, Photographer: Volker Preusser

Karaoke at Celeste

Karaoke, similarly to techno parties, chips, and internet dating, gets less and less fun when you pass the age of 30. Do it now and never look back.

Website:

Hamburgerstraße 18, 1050 Wien

3. Hang Out Outside Karlsplatz

This seems to be becoming a favorite spot for young people who drink cans of beer until late outside the dimly lit Baroque church.

Karlsplatz |© Österreich Werbung

4. MQ

Museum

Vienna’s Museum’s Quarter, a 60,000-meter-squared square crammed full of some Vienna’s cultural highlights, is also a great place to chill out when the weather behaves.

Musesums Quarter |© WienTourismus / Christian Stemper

5. Explore the 6th District

The up and coming area of Mariahilf is a melting pot of art and culture—full of lesser known bars, galleries, and cafés to check out.

View from the Haus Des Meeres |© weisserstier / Flickr

6. Techno

Like its German-speaking cousin Berlin, Vienna loves techno. The city isn’t short of clubs offering evenings featuring primarily electronic music—including the well-established Grelle Forelle.

Location:

Spittelauer Lände 12, 1090 Wien

Das Kino

If there’s one thing that Vienna isn’t short of—it’s beautiful, historic cinemas. Catch a cult classic or a recent release, or check out some of the film festivals that run throughout the year.

Party

Club Titanic, in the 6th district, has been serving the Viennese population with doses of techno and hedonism since the 1980s. Not for the faint hearted.

Visit a Sausage Stand

Since sausages were recently dubbed “as harmful as cigarettes” by The World Health Organisation, it’s probably best to sample them when you’re young, fit, and/or healthy. Vienna’s Würstlstands are regarded by locals as institutions. Here are some of the best in town.

Sample Austrian Beer

Stigel, Wieselburger, and Ottakringer are a few of the most popular you’ll see. Try them all. More sophisticated beer lovers should also check out some of the craft beer joints in the city.

7. Get a Borek at the Brunnenmarkt

The area around the Brunnenmarkt is one of the most vibrant, multicultural, and lively in all of the city. Indulge in a Spinach Borek and have a gander.

Fruit at the Brunnenmarkt |© _molle / Flickr

Local Flea Markets

The hustle and bustle of this wonderfully chaotic local market, the Riesenflohmarkt Wienerberg in the 12th district, is probably best experienced when you’re in your 20s because you can engage with the scrums with less chance of injury. There are lots of gems to be found among the junk—get there early to avoid the crowds.

Location:

Wienerbergstraße, 1120 Wien

Smoke Indoors

Obviously, this isn’t advisable, however, seeing as the 2018 smoking ban (implicated about 20 years too late) will put an end to smoking indoors in Vienna for good, now is the time to do it, if you must.

8. Prosecco Bar

Bar, Beer

Gentrified by art students from the Akademie, this quaint little joint, Café Prosecco-Bar Piccaro, used to be purely a local hangout. Find out what all the fuss is about for yourself.

9. Open House Architecture

Being in your 20s isn’t necessarily all about getting staying up all night and partying. Vienna’s architecture is impressively diverse—from Art Noveau to Brutalist buildings. The Open House event, taking place annually in September, gives you the chance to see inside some ordinarily closed-off establishments, such as the DC Tower—Austria’s tallest skyscraper.

DC Tower |© WienTourismus / Christian Stemper

3rd Wave Coffee House

Although Vienna’s traditional coffee houses are bursting full of charm and character, they can be considered a little antiquated by some. There is another kind of culture brewing, sometimes referred as the “3rd wave.” People On Caffeine or Cafe Z are among the names challenging the status quo.

Locations:

Schlösselgasse 21, 1080 Wien

Meiselstraße 2, 1150 Wien

Explore the City By Bike

Vienna’s roads are relatively kind to cyclists, with clear pathways and many “city bike” stations dotted around, where you can rent a bicycle cheaply.

10. Wander Along Burggasse

The 7th district, Neubau, has long been a stomping ground for Vienna’s creative and young scene, due to the spat of cool cafés, galleries, and thrift stores. Wander along Burggasse to get a taste of the best.

Streets of Neubau, Vienna |© Sarah Sampsel / Flickr

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