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Vienna is an amazing city. The architecture is as impressive as the city itself. There are many amazing buildings, both historic and modern that will take you breath away even if you're not particularly fond of architecture.

Several modern and contemporary buildings that come to mind include the new campus of the Vienna University of Economics and Business, which is located at Welthandelsplatz 1, 1020, Haas House, which is located at Stephansplatz 1010 Wien and Uniqa Tower located at Untere Donaustraße 21 1020.

Of course we cannot write about architecture and Vienna and not mention the St. Stephen's Cathedral, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna City Hall, Hofburg Palace, the Belvedere and Karlskirche. If you love architecture, then Vienna should definitely be on your bucket list.

However, Vienna is much more than that, it is a city that is buzzing with culture, delectable cuisine, beautiful places to see and lots of things to do. What is even more impressive is that there are many free things that you can do while visiting this European gem.

You can spend the day or maybe the week visiting some of the most amazing places by just taking a stroll or hike around the city. Of course you will have to pay to enter some of the places we have mentioned, but you can just enjoy them from the outside. Absolutely Free!

Bridges

Do you know that there are over seventeen hundred bridges in Vienna, which is four times more than there is in Venice. Also helping make the city more pleasing to the eyes are the many water fountains that dot the streets.

Some of the bridges you should visit include the Hohe Brücke (also known as High Bridge, which links both sides of the Wipplingerstraße), the Reichsbrücke (which is considered one of the most famous bridges in Vienna), and the Northern Railway Bridge and Stadtlauer Eastern Railway Bridge, which are two of the railway crossings within the city of Vienna that should not be missed. That is if you're interested in those kind of things.

Water Fountains

When it comes to the water fountains, the oldest of them is the Vermählungsbrunnen fountain, which is located in the Hoher Markt and is a must visit.

Donnerbrunnen is another fountain that you should check out. The Baroque fountain is located in the Neuer Markt Square in central Vienna. Others worth checking out are the Pallas-Athene Fountain and the Hochstrahlbrunnen.

Museums

If you are into museums, then you can visit these for free, the Money Museum (museum of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank), MUSA and Geldmuseum.

The MUSA museum has three sections which features an exhibition space for presenting collections, a Start Gallery, where young, upcoming Viennese artists can hold their first solo exhibitions as well as sell their works and the Artothek, which is an "art library" where Viennese can borrow artworks from a selection of drawings, watercolors and prints to display in their homes for a small monthly fee.

You can visit these free during the first Sunday of every month; Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Uhrenmuseum, Hermesvilla, Haydnhaus, Otto Wagner Hofpavillon Hietzing, Otto Wagner Pavillon Karlsplatz, Pratermuseum, Virgilkapelle, Wien Museum am Karlsplatz and Römermuseum.

Parks and Gardens

The majority of the parks in Vienna are free to the public. Some of the ones that you should check out include the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna (which was established in 1754 and now houses over 11,000 species of plants from around the world. The garden is a facility of the Faculty of Life Sciences).

The Donaupark (the park has a lily garden, nation's garden, rose garden, a Paracelsus herb garden and a moorland garden. However, one of its most impressive feature is the 250 meters tall Danube Tower, which offers breathtaking views of the city.

If you love Japanese garden, then you should definitely visit Setagayapark, which was designed in 1992 by Japanese landscape gardener Ken Nakajima. The garden is about 4,000 square metres in size and is home to a Japanese tea house, several stone sculptures, a fountain and a "Yukimi style" stone lantern. The blossoms of the plants and flowers are breathtaking, which is due to the large variety of plants in the garden.

Other noteworthy and spectacular parks and gardens include Augarten, Kurpark Oberlaa, Kongreßpark, Volksgarten, Rathauspark, Schweizer Garten, the Prater in Vienna, Shakespeare Garden, Stadtpark and Pötzleinsdorfer Schloßpark.

Monuments

Maria Theresia Monument, Monument To Emperor Franz, Leonardo monument, Mozart Memorial Statue, Gloriette, Plague Column, Anker Clock are some of the monuments that you should definitely check out.

The monument of Maria Theresia is located in the Maria Theresien Platz, which is a large square in the Ringstrasse. You will also find the Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum) and the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) close by. The monument, which is classified as a World Cultural Heritage site, features empress Maria Theresa with her right hand extended and a document in her other hand.

If you love monuments and statutes, then these are some of the others that you should check out. Strauss Monument, Mozart Statue, Beethoven Statue, Monument to Empress Elisabeth, The Gates of Violence Monument, Statue of Johannes Gutenberg and Erzherzog Karl Denkmal.

Markets

There are many Viennese markets that you can visit (no! The items are not free) in Vienna. The largest of them is the popular Naschmarkt, which offers both Viennese and international food, fruits, vegetables and more. You can also have a cup of tea or coffee at one of the bistros. You should not miss the flea market, which is held on Saturdays.

The Naschmarkt is opened from Mondays to Saturdays. Karmelitermarkt is another market you should check out. It is located just minutes from the Old Town in the Second District. You will find a lot of bars, restaurants, and galleries there. You can also check out the authentic ethnic food and products they sell. It opens from Mondays to Saturdays.

Other markets worth checking out in Vienna include the Brunnenmarkt (you will find a European and Turkish food and other items. It opens from Monday to Saturday) and Rochusmarkt (you will find flowers, fruits, vegetables, grocery items and a wide selection of cheeses. It is open from Mondays to Saturdays).

Danube Island

While you might have to take a train or some form of transport to get to Danube Island, there are a couple of things that you can do there for free. You can have a bath at one of the family beaches or you can have lots of fun at the 5,000 square meter water playground. There is also a fenced area for children under the age of three.

If you are visiting Danube Island in June you can check out the free open-air party, which is know to have over three million visitors and considered the biggest open air party in Europe. Be sure to also visit Old Danube and Danube Canal a.k.a Little Danube as well.

Hiking

Hiking is a popular recreation in Vienna and is considered one of its traditions. There are many well laid out hiking trails in the city. They are Kahlenberg (path 1). It takes you through vineyards and wooded hills. You will enjoy a breathtaking view of Vienna as well as the Danube. This hike takes about three and a half to four hours.

Leopoldsberg (path 1a). You will get to enjoy the flora and fauna as well as many different views of the Danube. The distance is eleven kilometers and the hike takes between three to four hours.

Hermannskogel (path 2). This hike also takes about three to four hours and you will encounter a lot of leisure and recreational facilities in this popular area. You will also find several restaurants and taverns.

Hameau (path 3). On this four-hour hike you will get an extensive look at the woods of Vienna, as you will walk from Neuwaldegg to the wooded peak of Hameau.

Jubiläumswarte (path 4). This hike takes around three hours. It takes you through Dehnepark to Jubiläumswarte, where on a clear day you can see as far as Schneeberg.

Ottakring (path 4a). This tour takes you from Ottakring centre into the Vienna Woods. It takes about three hours.

Bisamberg (path 5). If you are traveling with kids, they will love going on this hike. When they arrive at Falkenberg (Bisamberg) they can enjoy the play area, which is ten hectares in size. This hike takes about four hours.

Zugberg-Maurer Wald (path 6). The Wotruba church, Sterngarten, an open-air planetarium and the St Georgen-Berg are some of the highlights of this hike. You will pass Zugberg and Wiener Hütte before reaching Maurer Wald. This hike takes around four and a half hours.

Laaer Berg (path 7). This is a long hike, which takes between four and five hours. You get to see the southern parts of Vienna including Kurpark Oberlaa, Laaer Wald and Bohmischer Prater.

Sofienalpe (path 8). The highlight of this hike is that you get to enjoy the beautiful nature of this part of Vienna. The hike takes about four hours.

Prater (path 9). This is another hike your kids will enjoy. This family hike is around four hours and takes you from Praterstern to Freudenau, where you get to explore the Prater recreation park.

Vienna Tours

There are many exciting adventures you can do in Vienna and its surroundings. Check out some of these tours.

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Have you ever visited Vienna? We would love to hear about your experience?