Walk across the Danube canal on Schwedenbrucke and you will reach the vibrant 2nd district, Leopoldstadt, one of Vienna’s trendiest neighbourhoods.

The 2nd District

Leopoldstadt or the 2nd district is best known for Vienna’s giant Ferris wheel and prater park. Walk through the quiet and lush backstreets, and you will find the real Vienna—warm and friendly.

The 9th District

Alsergrund or the 9th district is located across the Danube from Leopoldstadt. This place is home to the University of Vienna, Franz Schubert (born here), Ludwig van Beethoven (died here) and Sigmund Freud (lived and worked here).

TOP EXPERIENCES

1. The Prater wheel: Take in the city view while riding the Giant Ferris wheel at the Vintage Prater Amusement park.
2. Sigmund Freud Museum: Visit the birthplace of the famous psychoanalyst and ring the bell on his door as his patients did over a hundred years ago.
3. Augarten Porzellanmanufaktur: learn about the history of this 300-year-old porcelain factory and see porcelain artists at work.
4. Schubert Geburtshaus: Schubert was a famous Viennese composer who lived in a modest but charming house home to 16 other families. Many of his personal items are displayed here.
5. Votivkirche: This neo-Gothic church was built by Emperor Franz Josef as a reminder of the spot where he survived an attempted assassination.
6. Johann Strauss Wohnung: The most famous composer of all, waltz king Johann Strauss the younger, composed the “Blue Danube waltz“ Austria’s unofficial national anthem in 1867.
7. Kriminalmuseum: This museum is entirely devoted to the most gruesome murders. Murderers and their victims are depicted in photos and newspaper clippings and the instruments used are displayed.

Other sights include:

• Karmelitermarkt
• Augarten park
• MuTh
• Volksoper Opera
• Stroll along the praterstrasse
• Café Landtmann

Getting there

The main transport stations to leopoldstadt are the U2 to Taborstrasse or praterstern. For Alsergrund, hop on the U2 to schottentor or U4 to Rosslauergelande or Friendsbrucke.