Car Rental Vienna - Exploring Vienna

A car in central Vienna isn’t much use, but beyond the cluttered ancient lanes lie some worthwhile attractions.

A train ride away, or 20 minutes by car, is the grandiose Schloss Schönbrunn, another of the Habsburgs immodest palaces. Built around the Schöner Brunnen (a fountain mounted over a natural spring), the palace dates from the early 1600s and its interior is so laden with chandeliers, gilded ornaments and giant mirrors it borders on kitsch. The gardens, however, are magnificent and seemingly endless, with rose gardens, fountains, lakes and ponds, fake Roman ruins and Greek statues, a palm house and even the world’s oldest zoo. The enormous Gloriette Monument, facing the palace, is actually an oversized teahouse.

For a spectacular display of horsemanship, visit Hofburg's Winter Riding School to witness the magnificent Lipizzaner show horses – a 400-year-old tradition.

The Danube is hardly ‘blue’ and romantic as it passes through Vienna, but Krems is one of the delightful ancient villages on its banks, out of town. The boat trip from Krems to the monastery town of Melk is a regional highlight. Situated on the edge of the Vienna Woods is the spa town of Baden, popular since Roman times. It’s still rather up market and has hosted illustrious names in the past.

Also a feasible daytrip is an excursion to Lake Neusiedl, particularly the little town of Rust, popular for bird watching.