Photograph by Elen Farkas

Vienna is subdivided into 23 districts. On Sunday, March 25, 2007 for the first time, Vienna will hold the Tag der Wiener Bezirksmuseen, or the day of district museums. Starting at 10 a.m., all district museums in Vienna will be open to those interested in finding out more about each district’s culture, history, and significant residents.

Aside from exhibitions, there will also be press conferences, seminars, and matinee concerts. In the inner First District, discussions of its famous citizens (Ludwig van Beethoven, the playwright Johann Nestroy, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, among others) are scheduled. In the Eighth District (Josefstadt) a special exhibit, “Hollywood in der Josefstadt” is in planned. Noted Viennese luminaries such as Billy Wilder (who became a popular director in Tinseltown with “Sabrina” and “The Seven Year Itch,”) Oskar Werner, and Fritz Lang will surely be hot topics.

For more information, summary of events and the addresses of the museums, visit the City of Vienna’s Web site or call +43 (0)1 403 6415. Admission is free.

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photograph courtesy of Don_Gru

Lots of cities offer discount cards or city passes that aren’t up to snuff. Not so in Vienna, where the 72-hour Vienna Card, priced at €18.50, is an unambiguously great deal.

So what can this card do for you? First off, it’s a great deal for the transportation benefit alone. A single ticket with return option costs €3, so the card really goes a long way for tourists on the move. (And, incidentally, if you’ve ever witnessed Vienna’s ticket control officers sweeping through trams and U-Bahn cars, you’ll never want to ride in the city without a paid fare again.)

The Vienna Card is great for culture vultures. If museums and historical sights are your game, you’re in luck. Vienna Card holders are entitled up to 50 per cent reductions at 210 museums and sights, theaters and concerts. The card even offers discounts at shops, restaurants, coffeehouses, and Heurigen (wine taverns). The Vienna Card comes with a booklet detailing the the 210 sights and offering all sorts of advice.

The Vienna Card can be purchased at, among other locations, many hotels and hostels, the Tourist Information Center on Albertinaplatz, (open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day), the information booths of the Stephansplatz and Karlsplatz U-Bahn stations, the Südbahnhof in the Fourth District, and the Landstrasse/Wien Mitte station.

Those outside of Austria should dial 43-1-798-4400-148 to purchase a Vienna Card. There’s also the nifty option of ordering it online.

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