Vienna's 12 Best Year-Round Photo Spots

So, you want some great photos of Vienna?

Do you want to impress your friends and family with your up and coming photography skills?

Have you a desire for photos of Vienna that will demonstrate to anyone that this is the city everyone should visit (which it is!)?

Have you an Instagram following to keep entertained?

Vienna offers the visitor so much in terms of imperial architecture and incredible sights to see. There are palaces, churches, art nouveau designs and other uniquely Viennese features that make for stunning photographs, even more so if you know where to go!

In summer, Vienna is rich in colour with perfectly maintained flower gardens, (usually) good weather and the 'blue' Danube which all add extra beauty to any images you capture.

In winter, of course, things are a little less colourful - some of the gardens that are splendid in summer, are bleak in winter.

However, winter does still offer a good selection of amazing photo opportunities in Vienna.

Below are Vienna's best photo spots to enjoy, no matter what the time of year might be...

Vienna's 12 Best Year Round Photo Spots

1. Stephansdom (St Stephen's Cathedral)

Perhaps the most iconic landmark in Vienna is Stephansdom or St Stephen's Cathedral.

Found in the heart of the city's central district and dominating the city skyline, the cathedral here is an amazing example of Gothic architecture, with parts of the building dating from the 12th century.

The cathedral has four towers, the tallest being the south tower which can be climbed and has great views across the city.

For photos, however, I would recommend taking the lift to the north tower - it is not so high but you can go outside onto the platform here and see all across the colourful and intricately designed tile roof of the cathedral... plus the views from here are pretty good too!

Stephansdom offers great photos opportunities by winter or summer and in winter the benefit will be less crowds to share the views with!

2. Vienna's Rathaus (City Hall)

The Rathaus building in Vienna is the seat of the local government of Vienna and a stunning building in neo-gothic style, built in the second half of the 19th century.

The Rathaus lies on the main Ringstraße in Vienna (the historic ring road).

During the winter there are city based events located in front of the Rathaus which make for even more unique photo opportunities, with the dominating Rathaus in the background.

During my recent late winter visit, the large area in front of the Rathaus was set up as an ice-skating rink, with skate paths which then led off around the park. Surrounding the ice rink were typical Austrian stands offering traditional food and drink such as wurst, schnitzel and hot wine!

In the lead up to Christmas, this same area outside the Rathaus is used for a large Christmas market - one of Vienna's traditions and certainly beautiful to see, capture on camera and just be a part of!

3. Vienna's Giant Ferris Wheel (Wiener Riesenrad)

The Wiener Riesenrad is the giant ferris wheel located at the entrance to the Prater amusement park in Vienna.

The wheel is 64.75 metres high and another iconic landmark of the city.

Built in 1897 to mark the golden jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef I, the wheel was one of the earliest of its kind to be built.

Made famous in films such as The Third Man and the James Bond film, The Living Daylights, the Wiener Riesenrad is a popular spot for visitors to the city who enjoy its history and the views gained when taking a ride in one of the wheel's cabins.

In terms of photo opportunities - getting images of the wheel from afar and up close are equally impressive and if you do take a ride you can also capture views of the city, the Prater and the Danube below.

4. Vienna's Horse-Drawn Carriages

No matter the weather, summer or winter, throughout the central area of the city in Vienna you will see traditional horse-drawn carriages (also called Fiaker) taking visitors around the city's main sights.

Set upon the cobble-stoned roads of central Vienna; surrounded by regal architecture and monuments, the horse-drawn carriages in Vienna fit into their environment entirely.

As you see one of these carriages ride past with two groomed horses and uniformed driver, it is easy to fully appreciate the romance of the city and its history.

The Fiaker make for great photo opportunities too..

Find a good spot in the city where you know the carriages regularly pass and wait for your chance to get fairy tale photos of the horse-drawn carriage, driver, excited passengers and suitably regal back-drop!

5. Hundertwasser House & Village

One of my favourite spots in Vienna is Hundertwasser House...

Designed by the artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser and constructed in the 1980s, Hundertwasser House is found in the 3rd District of the city.

The building is an apartment block owned by the City of Vienna that offers social style housing to Vienna residents.

The concept of the design is based on Hundertwasser's ideas that straight lines are boring and that no building should be ugly.

The result is a colourful and fun building in which there are no straight walls or floors and which also houses more than 200 trees and shrubs, adding a green oasis to this otherwise very urban neighbourhood.

Hundertwasser House alone offers so many great photo opportunities - you will not know when to stop snapping!

In addition, opposite Hundertwasser House there is the more recent Hundertwasser Village, also designed by the artist. This is an indoor shopping area with boutique stores and areas offering refreshments. Here too is unique decoration and design that will capture your imagination and impress your photo audiences.

6. Staatsoper (State Opera House)

Inside, outside, day or night Vienna's Staatsoper (or State Opera House) on Ringstraße is a stunning sight for capturing on camera.

The building of the opera house is grand and originally opened in 1869.

During the Second World War the opera house did experience considerable damage from a bombing, but the building was renovated and rebuilt, with original features preserved where possible.

Today the Vienna Opera House is considered one of the most important opera houses in the world.

There are so many options for incredible photos of this building - capturing it by day, with the intricate details and by night when it is lit up and elegant.

It is also well worth accessing the inside of the opera house to capture further pics of the regal decor!

For information on how to see an opera at the Staatsoper for €3 read my post here!

7. Otto Wagner Pavillion, Karlsplatz

Located next to Karlsplatz station are two buildings in Art Nouveau style by Austria's famous architect, Otto Wagner.

The buildings were originally built in 1899 for a main Stadtbahn train station in Vienna.

When the U-bahn (underground) was to be opened at the same location in 1981 these buildings were due demolition. However, public outcry saved them and instead they were carefully taken down and rebuilt 2 metres higher than their original location.

Today, these two buildings remain as beautiful as ever.

Made from steel, with marble slabs and art nouveau features, they are unusual and very photogenic!

8. The Secession Building

Perhaps one of the most unique and eye catching buildings in Vienna is the Secession Building found very close to Karlsplatz.

The building here was built in 1897 after Gustav Klimt, alongside other artists, started the Secession Association to break away from the otherwise conservative art groups within the city.

The gold leaf dome to the top of the building is simply breathtaking and visible from afar, with other detailed Art Nouveau features in the building's design revealed as you draw closer.

The building today continues to house contemporary art exhibitions, with a changing programme.

Definitely a great photo opportunity, the gold and white contrasts of the Secession Building make for captivating images.

9. Graben And The Column Of Trinity

Graben in Vienna is centrally located and an entirely pedestrianised shopping street with imperial buildings on either side, upmarket stores and a range of coffee houses, bars and restaurants.

Central to the Graben and impossible to miss is the 'Plague Column' or Column of Trinity, a dominating baroque sculpture erected in 1679 after plague swept through the country.

Graben is always a popular street in Vienna and for good reason - it offers great photo opportunities either taking in the street as a whole, the Column of Trinity from near or far or of the side streets with their churches nestled between buildings and old style cobble stoned roads.

10. Spittelberg

Slightly hidden away beside the Museumsquartier section of the city is the Spittleberg area.

Here you will find cobbled lanes with traditional buildings to either side, hidden courtyards and small boutique shops, cafes and restaurants.

As you wander through the streets of Spittelberg it is easy to think you have left the main part of the city far behind you.

Truly old world Vienna with a romance and almost rustic charm, the pretty streets, buildings and features make for some great photos!

11. The Hofburg

In the very centre of Vienna sits the grand Hofburg Palace which dates from the 13th century and is another extremely impressive example of imperial architecture.

The Hofburg was the central seat and home to the Habsburg family during their long reign and today is partly used as the official residence of the Austrian President, with other sections used for public museums and to house the Spanish Riding School.

The best views of the palace are from the front at Michaelerplatz - a beautiful cobblestone square with the palace entrance dominating.

Approaching the Hofburg Palace from Kohlmarkt is also a good way to capture the striking Palace sitting at the end of the pedestrianised shopping street.

Enter through the gates to the palace and be rewarded too with the central square courtyard which provides quite different but also stunning photo opportunities.

12. Other Buildings All Around!

In addition to some of the big and well known sites of Vienna, just about everywhere you go in the city you will find simply amazing architecture and beautiful sights that you will want to capture on your camera...

Were many of the other grand buildings in Vienna found in any other city they would be internationally recognised but as Vienna has so much, the smaller but equally beautiful buildings are overlooked by their even more imperialistic neighbours!

However, some of the best photo opportunities can still be gained by keeping your eyes open as you travel around the city, looking up at the architecture and finding some hidden gems!

Examples would be the Otto Wagner building at Naschmarkt called Majolikahaus and its neighbour, Musenhaus, also designed by Wagner.

Both in very individual Art Deco styles, these incredible buildings are passed by by thousands of people everyday.

In addition, when you visit Hundertwasser House, don't overlook the building slightly further down Lowengasse - the Palais des Beau Arts - another great and unusual building which is now home to the Embassies of Lithuania and Moldova!

Ok, to be honest I could keep going for a very long time on great year-round photo spots in Vienna but I need to stop somewhere!

You might be thinking that I have missed some obvious choices of Vienna's gems to photograph, such as the palaces of Schönbrunn and the Belvedere and you are right.

However, as photogenic as they are, I have missed them off this list because their spectacular beauty really comes to shine in the spring and summer months when their gardens are in full bloom and the water features not covered for the winter!

Therefore, although I would (and did) still visit and photograph them in winter, I did not feel them quite justifying a place on year round BEST spots in Vienna to capture on camera... you might disagree!

I hope though to have given you some ideas of good places to visit in Vienna at any time of year to get some incredible photos - happy snapping!

Want to know more about Vienna?

Ensure you also check out my post about what Vienna is famous for and why you should visit - here.

**To make my travels possible and affordable I do so through international house-sitting, using both Trusted Housesitters and Kiwi Housesitters**