Cool down!
Are you looking for refreshment? We've got the best tips for where you can cool down when it gets hot in Vienna.
1. Jumping into the Danube
Water is obviously the best way to cool down. And Vienna has plenty of it. Simply take a quick dip in the Danube – you can get there in next to no time with the U1 and U6 subway lines. Dive under, emerge fully refreshed, and continue your sightseeing.
2. Eating ice cream
Vienna has the greatest density of ice cream parlors in Europe. The tough competition can be seen in the especially high quality of the ice cream in Vienna. An ice cream really cools you down from the inside. You can find an overview of the best ice cream parlors on our website.
3. In an air conditioned museum
When it's hot, visiting a museum might not be the first thing that springs to mind. But we recommend that you go to one. Not only are the exhibitions of Vienna's museums sensational, but most of them are also very well cooled.
4. In a church
Why not combine your sightseeing with cool places? For example, it's always pleasantly cool inside churches in summer. St. Stephen's Cathedral, Votive Church, Karlskirche (Church of St. Charles), Mexico Church – they are all worth seeing, and the thick walls ensure a cool atmosphere inside.
5. In a crypt
If you like things a touch cooler, you should head underground. To the catacombs of St. Stephen's Cathedral, for example. Or to the Capuchins' Crypt, where the rulers of the former Habsburg empire are buried, including Empress Elisabeth. The crypt in St. Michael's Church is another tip – is 12 degrees Celsius cool enough?
6. At a drinking fountain
Vienna is famous for the good quality of its drinking water. In Vienna, the best, most refreshing drinking water from the mountain springs gushes straight from the faucet. And does so in many public places. Vienna has a total of more than 1,300 drinking fountains, where everyone can refresh themselves free of charge.
7. In a misting system
Cooling is also offered on hot summer's days by fine misting systems in many public squares, parks, and streets. On Neubaugasse, for example. Or in Esterházy Park, considered to be Vienna's first "cooling park". It has an approximately 30 square meter cool spot, with plants for shade and misting nozzles. And on Karlsplatz, for example, additional spray hoses are laid on really hot days.
8. With a summer spritzer
And last but not least – it wouldn't be Vienna if we didn't also refresh ourselves with Viennese wine. Best of all at a heuriger. While a classic spritzer is made of equal parts of wine and soda, the summer spritzer contains much more water. With this mind: mine's a spritzer!
