Inside and around the Ring (1st district and neighbours)
The Innere Stadt, inside the Ringstrasse, has St Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg, the State Opera and the pedestrian streets of the Graben and Kärntner Strasse. We have only one apartment strictly inside the 1st district, but many of the homes listed simply as Vienna are in the inner districts just outside the Ring, a few U-Bahn stops away. Expect older buildings, some without lifts, so check the floor before you book.
Best for: First-time visitors who want to walk to the main sights
Not for you if: You want space or a quiet street: apartments here are smaller and the centre is busy all year.
Mariahilf and Margareten (6th and 5th districts)
Mariahilf runs down from Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna's main shopping street, to the Naschmarkt, the city's best-known food market, with a flea market at its southern end on Saturdays. The Haus des Meeres aquarium sits in an old wartime flak tower, and the MuseumsQuartier is a short walk away. Margareten, across the Wienzeile, is more residential and a little cheaper. The U4 and U3 put you in the centre in a few minutes.
Best for: Couples and friends who want food markets, shops and bars nearby
Not for you if: You want quiet evenings: streets near the Naschmarkt and Mariahilfer Strasse stay busy late.
Alsergrund (9th district)
Alsergrund sits just north-west of Vienna's Ring, around the university and the big general hospital. The Sigmund Freud Museum is at Berggasse 19, the Liechtenstein garden palace has a formal garden, and the Votivkirche stands at the edge of the district. The streets are quieter than Mariahilf but still walkable to the centre, and the U2, U4, U6 and several tram lines run through it.
Best for: A calmer inner district with cafés, the university and good tram links
Not for you if: You want lots of choice: we have very few homes in the 9th.
Favoriten and the Hauptbahnhof (10th district)
Favoriten is south of the centre, around Vienna's main railway station, the Hauptbahnhof, which has direct trains to the airport in around 15 minutes. The U1 reaches St Stephen's in under 10 minutes. Reumannplatz has the Tichy ice-cream parlour, and the Belvedere palace and gardens are a short walk north of the station. It is a mixed, everyday district rather than a sightseeing one.
Best for: Train arrivals and travellers who want more room for the money
Not for you if: You want old Vienna outside the door: Favoriten is a working district, plainer and more modern.
Brigittenau and Floridsdorf (20th and 21st districts)
Brigittenau sits between the Danube Canal and the Danube, next to the Augarten park. Floridsdorf, across the river, is greener and more suburban. The Danube Island, a long strip of parkland with swimming spots, is easy to reach from both, and in Floridsdorf the Stammersdorf wine taverns (Heurigen) sit among vineyards on Vienna's northern edge. The U6 links both districts to the centre.
Best for: Longer stays, families and anyone who wants the Danube close by
Not for you if: You want to walk into the centre: from here it is a U-Bahn or tram ride.
