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The best sauerkraut is made with an indigenous Slovenian cabbage.
Ljubljana Central Market
Welcome to the former home of an order of Teutonic knights.
Križanke
A view of the Palatul administrativ building.
Palatul Administrativ in Satu Mare
Candy bars, flowers, and other memorabilia commemorating the life of rapper King Von.
King Von’s Grave
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The best sauerkraut is made with an indigenous Slovenian cabbage.
Ljubljana Central Market
Line up early to snag a pillowy pączek.
Syrena Bakery
Bar Marsella
Lunch arrives via pneumatic tube here.
C1 Espresso
A cafe in a full-size A330.
Air Diamond Cafe
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Every year, spawning eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) return to the Nass River from the sea, where they spend most of their lives.
Where the Savior Fish Still Swims
Clockwise from top left: white, black, long, cubeb, grains of paradise, red Sichuan, and green Sichuan peppers.
A Guide to the Peppers of the World
Jeannette Beranger with a Poitou donkey, her favorite heritage breed.
What Makes Heritage Livestock So Important? AO Wants to Know.
The walls of the Octagon Earthworks in Heath, Ohio, form an enclosure large enough to fit four Roman Colosseums.
These 2,000-Year-Old Mounds Trace the Path of the Moon

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All Austria Vienna

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Vienna

74 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Vienna, Austria

Updated February 11, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Vienna

The library lobby

Vienna, Austria

Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library)

The beautiful baroque library of the Hapsburg empire.

Vienna, Austria

Stephansdom Crypt

The crypt of the imposing Stephensdom holds royal intestines and thousands of skeletons.

Vienna, Austria

Habsburg Imperial Crypt

The final resting place for the remains of 143 Habsburg royalty.

Vienna, Austria

Schmetterlinghaus: The Imperial Butterfly Park

A tropical paradise just a short trip from the opera house is filled with beautiful winged creatures.
Augustinian Friar’s Astrological Clock - one of the hands takes 20,000 years to revolve.

Vienna, Austria

Clock Museum

A small museum filled with over 1,000 clocks, and one particular clock calibrated to run until the year 9999.
Apotheosis of St Carlo Borromeo

Vienna, Austria

Karlskirche (St. Charles's Church)

Built to give thanks for the passing of a plague epidemic, this cathedral is a one-of-a-kind architectural hybrid.
Mummified head of a murderer with blond hair

Vienna, Austria

Kriminalmuseum

Macabre museum devoted to historical Viennese murders.
Anatomical pathology collection

Vienna, Austria

The Narrenturm

This former insane asylum now holds a pathological anatomy museum.
See All 74 Things To Do in Vienna

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Vienna

Vienna, Austria

Palmenhaus

Dine amidst exotic plants at this former royal greenhouse.
The interior of the cafe.

Vienna, Austria

Justizcafe

A rooftop restaurant hides in plain sight atop Vienna's Palace of Justice.
Omas and Opas at work.

Vienna, Austria

Vollpension

Visiting this café is like visiting the Austrian grandma you wish you had.
Snail farm at Wiener Schneckenmanufaktur

Vienna, Austria

Gugumuck Wiener Schneckenmanufaktur

An IT-specialist-turned-farmer reintroduces an Austrian food tradition while promoting snails as a sustainable "future food" option.
See all 5 Places to Eat in Vienna
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Vienna, Austria

Architecture 20
Museums 18
History & Culture 9
Architectural Oddities 8
Sacred Spaces 7
Churches 7
Collections 6
Art 6
History 5
Memento Mori 5
Homes 4
Medical Museums 4
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

Vienna Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Annetta Black
    5
  2. Jaszmina Szendrey
    4
  3. katielou106
    3
  4. Fred Cherrygarden
    3
  5. Skuttel
    3
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Vienna.

Places Edited

  1. gingercinnamon
    33
  2. Sebastian Wortys
    17
  3. rbenn250
    14
  4. hrnick
    11
  5. Quisquilia
    10

Places Visited

  1. klanggalerie
    57
  2. Svitlana Orlynska
    53
  3. Kolar
    46
  4. sosroita
    45
  5. gingercinnamon
    44

Recent Vienna Activity

  • maanho

    wants to go to Flohmarkt Lager

  • maanho

    wants to go to The Narrenturm

  • maanho

    wants to go to Josephinum Medical Museum

  • maanho

    wants to go to Vienna Sewer System

  • maanho

    wants to go to Schmetterlinghaus: The Imperial Butterfly Park

Stories About Vienna

Podcast: Checking Into Hotel Imperial With Deborah Cohen

On the eve of World War II, the source for all good stories was an opulent hotel in Vienna.
by The Podcast Team
May 2, 2024
Matthias Meinharter plays the leek violin, his favorite vegetable instrument.

Vienna's Vegetable Orchestra Is a Feast for Your Ears

Inside a group that's spent 25 years turning beets into beats.
by Kaja Seruga
January 30, 2024

Unveiling the Mystery of a Royal Wedding Dress Lost for 179 Years

Made famous by 'The Empress' on Netflix, Sisi and her missing garment provoked an imperial hunt over centuries.
by Ronan O'Connell
August 30, 2023
Snow globes were invented at the turn of the 20th century but didn’t often feature Christmas characters until after World War II.

This Family Gave the World the Snow Globe

But did they create the famous one with a starring role in Citizen Kane?
by Carole Rosenblat
December 15, 2022
Definitely don’t judge this book by its cover.

For Sale: A Poisoner’s Lab Secreted in a Beautiful Book

Another reminder that covers can't be trusted.
by Jessica Leigh Hester
May 17, 2019
This IUD prototype was never marketed because it didn’t have any advantages over existing models.

The Twisted History of IUD Design

Before doctors settled on the T-shape, these contraceptives came in all shapes and sizes.
by Sarah Laskow
May 3, 2017

The Atlas Obscura Guide to 11 Hidden Wonders of Vienna

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Lists Featuring Vienna

Original letter of Abraham, the son of Maimonides found in the Cairo genizah.
A sculpture of the Tower of Babel, by Alan Baughman, from the Introductory Room of the Museum of the Alphabet
Boontling word of the week in the tap room of the Anderson Valley Brewing Company.

A Linguistics Lover's Tour of the World

12 places to marvel at the history of human language.

12

Including The Cairo Genizah , The Museum of the Alphabet , and Boontling Language of Boonville

Bolivia’s Witch Market
Dubrovnik Maskeron
The Statue of St. Anthony’s Pig
The Guardhouse Monkey

15 Unlikely Places to Re-Up Your Luck

Luck be a... llama fetus?

15

Including Bolivia's Witch Market, Dubrovnik Maskeron, and Statue of St. Anthony's Pig

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