Things to Do in Vienna on a Rainy or Cold Day

 

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Vienna, Austria, two times so far. First time, on a scorching summer in 2008. Second time, during winter in 2013. And the thing I dislike about winter is…obviously, the cold. While the weather wasn’t exactly nasty, it wasn’t warm either. And since I had planned to visit some museums, that’s exactly what I’ve done.

Museum of Technology

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It is, by far, my favorite museum in Vienna. Having missed visiting the similar one in London, I was in heaven when I got to visit the one in Vienna. The interactive objects – which I am sure fascinate the younger crowds – made my brain remember all the physics lessons from general school to high school. I’ve re-discovered electricity, electro-magnetism, forces, used a bicycle to make energy and light a TV set, learned a lot about the space and …television. I’ve ended up spending 5 hours in the museum. My better half was just as impressed.

The museum is located on Mariahilfer Street , nr. 212 and it is easy to get to by u-bahn (underground). If you have a Vienna card, you’ll get a discount (8 euros / adult instead of 10 euros).

The Globe Museum

It is housed in the Palais Mollard, part of the Austrian National Library. It is a fascinating world to visit. The museum comprises globes depicting both the earth and the celestial bodies. It is the only museum in the world dedicated entirely to globes.

Entrance is 4 euros/adult (or 3.60 euros with a Vienna card), but it’s part of a combined ticket which also allows you to visit Esperanto Museum (same building) and the Papyrus Museum (in the Imperial Palace).

Museum of Natural History

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I’ve seen natural history museums before … but this one surely beats the one I’ve visited until December 2013. Set in a huge building right on the Ring Street, the museum is a unique word which comprises minerals, crystals, dinosaurs, the world’s biggest and oldest collection of meteorites and, when I visited, a very impressive exhibit on animal extinction.

It was much nosier than the technical museum and this put us off a bit ; enough to spend only couple of hours inside. I was fascinated by the dinosaurs and the full skeletons on display. There’s also a realist allosaurus, which moves and roars (not enough to scare anyone but good enough to put on a show).

The entrance fee, just like in the case of the Museum of Technology, is discounted to 8 euros/adult if you have a Vienna card (otherwise it’s 10 euros/adult).

(c) photos by Traveling Cricket and may not be used without permission

Traveling Cricket

Traveling Cricket has been a travel writer since high-school (many moons ago). Currently she blogs in English on her personal blog and you can find her traveling around Europe. She is hopelessly in love with Budapest, London and Athens.

2 responses to “Things to Do in Vienna on a Rainy or Cold Day

  1. Vienna is on our list of places to visit. Regarless of weather conditions museums are always on the list. Although it would make sense to schedule museum days on the ugliest weather days.

    Thanks for the run-down. The Natural History Museum sounds right up my alley.

    1. I’ve been twice but first time the weather was awesome so we went up in Danube Tower. Now it was too cold and too windy to even consider that.
      I loved the Technical Museum and Papirus Museum. It was really hard to just write about some of them.

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