Because of this illustrious past, prospective visitors might think that the largest city in Austria is  too expensive for the average Cheapo. On the contrary! Vienna, while not exactly a bargain (it was BusinessWeek’s 24th-most expensive city in 2010), boasts enough free events, attractions and activities that you’ll be able to have a great time whether you’re a Habsburg or a habs-not.

Here’s our guide to free activities in Vienna:

Saint Stephen’s Cathedral
Daily, year-round

An impressive structure that looms over the heart of the city, St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the most important religious building in Vienna, as the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna and also as a historical site that dates back to 1147 AD.  It is instantly recognizable for its multi-colored mosaic roof that features the double-headed eagle of the Habsburg dynasty.

It’s also completely free to enter! Open to the public from 6 a.m. (7 a.m. on Sundays and holidays) to 10 p.m. every day, the interior of the church is as impressive as its exterior.

The cathedral also offers guided tours to anyone interested in learning more about St. Stephen’s and its history, though these are unfortunately not free. Depending on the tour, visitors also have the option of seeing the towers of the cathedral, the catacombs and the treasury—areas off-limits to non-paying guests.

Tours range in price from €5 for just the main area to €12.90 for the all-inclusive package.

Mass at the Augustinian Church 
Sundays, year-round

If touring Saint Stephen’s doesn’t get you your fill of religious sights in Vienna, then head to the Augustinian Church next to Vienna’s imperial palace (Hofburg) for Sunday mass.  Services begin every Sunday at 10 a.m. and feature a full orchestra and choir performing works by the likes of Mozart, Schubert and Haydn—appropriate fare for the City of Music.

Schönbrunn Palace gardens
Daily, year-round

Another one of Vienna’s signature sights is the Schönbrunn Palace.  While admission to the building itself isn’t free (€11.50), the gardens are, and are equally as impressive as the palace. Featuring numerous statues, fountains and fields, the park stretches  a kilometer from north to south and 1.2 km east-to-west.

Most of the complex is completely free to the public, though certain areas charge admission fees.  These include the viewing terrace of the majestic Gloriette, the maze and labyrinth, and the Crown Prince Garden.  Charges range from €3 to €4.50 for these attractions.

Also located on the palace grounds is the Tiergarten Schönbrunn, the world’s oldest zoo.  Admission is €15 (€7 for children).

Summer in the MuseumsQuartier
Daily during summer

Vienna’s MuseumsQuartier is a cultural complex that features, obviously, museums, but also trendy restaurants, shops and many smaller art and culture initiatives.  With over 70 cultural facilities, there’s plenty to do here throughout the year, but during the summer is when the MuseumsQuartier really picks up.

Throughout the warmer months, the many courtyards of the complex feature free, open-air entertainment, from concerts to street theater to literary readings. Public art installations and micro-museums are also installed in squares and passageways. Combined with the numerous sidewalk cafes of the MuseumsQuartier, these exhibitions make for a lively atmosphere.

Perhaps even more significantly, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., every institution in the MuseumsQuartier is available to visit free of charge.  This year’s program runs until October 1st. If you’re in Vienna during the summer, this is the place to spend your evenings.

Museum of Applied Arts
Tuesday nights, year-round

If you visit Vienna in the off-season, though, you’ll have to get your free art fix somewhere other than the MuseumsQuartier.  Luckily, the Museum of Applied Arts offers free evening admission on Tuesdays throughout the year. Featuring furniture and other decorative arts from around the world and from various historical periods, the museum is a great compliment to a city that values design as much as Vienna.

Free admission lasts from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Tuesday.  During the rest of the week, (except Mondays, when it is closed) the Museum of Applied Arts is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Regular admission is €7.90 (€5.50 for students, seniors and military).

Anything to add?

 If you know of any other free activities in Vienna, please let us know by posting in the comment box.  We’re always on the lookout for Cheapo ways to save! And if you’re interested in discovering Vienna for yourself, check out our recommendations for the best budget hotels in the city.

The post Five free cultural attractions in Vienna appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

On Wednesday we put together a photo montage of some of our favorite things about Salzburg’s Christmas markets, so today we offer “some more of our favorite things” about Vienna’s Christmas markets.

(Cue: music!)

Brown paper packages (and puppets and ornaments) tied up with string…

Photo courtesy of tttaaaooo

**Tip: Be sure to pick up a Mozart-themed tree ornament, of which there are many.

Cream colored (Ok, so he’s brown.) ponies and crisp apple streudels…

Photo of the Christmas mini-horse by PaulaFunnell

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes…(but we’ll settle for boys in parkas)-

Ice skating at Town Hall; photo by Premshree Pillai

Snowflakes (stenciled into fancy decorations) that stay on my nose and eyelashes…

Photo of holiday lamps courtesy of Edi Weissmann

Silver white winters that melt into spring…

Photo by mosint

Ooooh.

Photo of Vienna’s Townhall by ahisgett

Ahhh.

Photo taken in front of Schonbrunn Palace, by tomanthony

Fancy!

These are some more of our favorite things!

(Repeat all verses.)

The post Vienna Christmas Markets: More of our favorite things appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

While tours through travel agencies could cost you anywhere from €10-20 or more, there are a slew of easy-to-navigate walking tours available for free on-line.

Free Mozart walking tour-

Our favorite walking tour comes courtesy of the Vienna Tourism Board. Retracing the Footsteps of a Genius: A Mozart Walk, is available for free as a downloadable PDF file.

The tour kicks off at The House of the Teutonic Order, where Wolfgang got his start after leaving Salzburg for the big city. The trek continues with visits to mainstays like Mozart’s deathplace at 8 Rauhensteingrasse, a building which now houses a department store, and the memorial to Mozart in Burggarten. Make sure you snap some photos of the noble sculpture of Amadeus here, especially if you visit during warmer months when the floral landscape is in full treble-clef bloom!

The Vienna Tourism Board’s tour ends with an optional second tour (also available in the PDF format) of Schonbrunn and its surroundings.

South of the Ring Vienna tour-

And, if you still can’t get enough of Mozart’s Vienna, try Frommer’s “South of the Ring” tour. This walk, while not all about Amadeus himself, does pass some of his old haunts and eventually leads you to Freihaus and the Theater an der Wien, where Mozart’s “Magic Flute” first premiered.

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in Vienna.

The post Vienna: Free Mozart walking tour appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.