The Best Instagram Spots in Vienna: Ultimate Photo Guide

Stunning baroque architecture, romantic gardens, and vibrant streets – welcome to Vienna. Austria’s capital shines with an abundance of picture-worthy places; but where can you take the best photos and what’s important to know? With this guide to the most instagrammable spots in Vienna you’ll discover the city’s best angles, famous photo locations, and hidden gems you don’t want to miss.
Without further ado, let’s jump into these inspirations & photo examples…

interested in aesthetic food spots?
Check out Vienna’s best restaurants & cafes (Vegan-friendly)!

Intro

Vienna is one of the best cities to travel to in Europe if you want to live the baroque fantasy. The imperial grandeur, charming coffee houses, romantic parks & gardens, and majestic palaces make this city a must-visit destination for photography lovers especially. As Austria’s capital, Vienna is known for its diverse architectural styles, including Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Art Nouveau. In fact, the blend of everything mentioned above gives the city a sense of elegance – making Vienna extremely picturesque. Particularly, if you’ve heard about the Light Academia Aesthetic before. Vienna is the perfect representation of mixing old-world charm and modern sophistication – creating many instagrammable spots around the city.

So the question arises: What are the best photo locations in Vienna aka Where to take Instagram pictures in Vienna? Look no further! This guide highlights some of the best photo ideas + angles & gives inspiration for what to visit. Stay tuned for hidden gems & pictures to save for later.

Most Instagrammable Spots in Vienna

Here you’ll find the most instagrammable spots in Vienna with inspiring photo ideas for your next trip...

Palace of Justice

First things first, this is my absolute favorite photo location in Vienna. The Palace of Justice (Justizpalast) is the seat of the Supreme Court of Austria and, thus, a literal courthouse. The moment you enter you’re greeted by a grand staircase and beautiful neo-renaissance architecture. Even the second floor doesn’t disappoint with intricate arches and columns. Here, you’ll even find a little balcony overlooking the entrance hall and the statue of Lady Justice. Taking captivating pictures here is easy, granted the natural light and countless angles and possibilities. All in all, this is one of Vienna’s most instagrammable places.

Vienna State Opera

Next up, is one of the most popular and famous instagrammable spots in Vienna: the Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper). You can take beautiful photos from a higher viewpoint with the opera as the backdrop. To get the shot, head to the balcony/terrace by the Albertina Museum. From there, you’ll have the opportunity to take amazing photos by the railing and capture the intricate architecture. Definitely one of Vienna’s must-visit places for photographers!

State Hall at the Austrian National Library

This place is the pinnacle of the Academia Aesthetic. The Austrian National Library (Nationalbibliothek) impresses with detailed ceiling art aka frescoes, darker wood tones, and gold accents. On top of that, the library is home to over 12 million books filling the shelves. Taking a photo right at the entrance of the State Hall or by the marble statue of Emperor Charles VI will grant you stunning Instagram pics. Moreover, this place is the largest baroque library house in Europe – that alone makes it worth a visit.

St. Peter’s Church

Another beautiful photo location in Vienna is right outside of St. Peter’s Church (Peterskirche). The Baroque/roman church is not just remarkable to look at but also impresses on the inside. If you happen to get here around noon, you can enjoy the sunlight hitting the roof and parts of the front. Honestly, this is a very effortless Instagram spot, since it’s the perfect backdrop located right in the city centre. We even got lucky and had a carriage with horses parked right on that road!

Hofburg Imperial Palace

To be precise, this instagrammable spot is facing toward the Michaelertrakt. Due to the location by the grand star-shaped intersection that borders the Hofburg Imperial Palace (Wiener Hofburg), it’s very popular and can get quite busy. However, the imposing Baroque architecture makes this a great spot for pictures.

Due to the Hofburg Palace being a large complex with many unique corners, I split the best locations up down below.

St. Michael’s Square

Also known as Michaelerplatz, you can find this place in front of the Michaelertrakt and the Hofburg Palace. It’s one of Vienna’s most famous squares and captivates with the surrounding buildings and traditional horse carriages stopping by. Taking pictures in all different directions at the square is stunning.

Weltmuseum Wien from Burggarten

Adding to the best locations near the Hofburg Palace, the building of the Weltmuseum has architecturally beautiful steps with old-fashioned street lamps that look amazing in the afternoon light. You can find this place on the side of Burggarten heading toward the Butterfly House. It’s definitely worth a stop and makes for a fantastic instagrammable spot in Vienna.

Imperial Butterfly House

Found in the heart of the Hofburg complex, this is a total must-visit location if you love experiencing serene nature in the midst of a city. The Butterfly House (Schmetterlinghaus) is the perfect spot to add a splash of greenery to your Vienna camera roll. Not only is the glass greenhouse home to hundreds of exotic butterflies, you can also walk through mini caves and see a waterfall. The natural lighting inside is ideal for capturing the perfect Instagram shot. And who knows, you might even catch a butterfly flying by in your picture!

Palmenhaus Café

Located directly next to the Butterfly House, the Palmenhaus is a popular café spot in Vienna that used to be a tropical greenhouse. If you’re not the biggest fan of butterflies or don’t necessarily want to sweat inside the Schmetterlinghaus, the café is a great alternative. The hanging plants and palm trees will make an iconic backdrop while sipping on your coffee! Check their website and make a reservation here.

Secret Alleyway by Neustiftgasse

A beautiful location if you’re in the area – the hidden alleyway by Neustiftgasse. Unfortunately, we were in Vienna during winter, so the hanging vines were brown and sparse. But imagine how beautiful this spot would look in the summer! The arch makes for an interesting viewpoint into the light-flooded courtyard and is totally instagrammable. Besides, the entrance is right across from Veganista, a super popular vegan ice cream shop.

St. Charles’ Church

Going back to churches and cathedrals: The St. Charles’ Church (Karlskirche) is located on the famous Karlsplatz. It’s a lovely hangout spot, particularly during the warmer weather. The fountain / manmade pond in front of the church is the ideal spot for taking pictures in Vienna. Furthermore, St. Charles’ Church has a very majestic Baroque-styled architecture with gigantic columns.

St. Charles’ Church from Wien Museum

While in the area, why not try a different angle of the St. Charles’ Church? Heading up to the third floor of the Wien Museum, you’ll discover a balcony overlooking the Karlsplatz and the church. It’s a “hidden” location granting you a unique vantage point with fantastic picture opportunities for Instagram or your camera roll.

Schönbrunn Palace & Palm House

Schönbrunn Palace is one of Europe’s most beautiful Baroque complexes. As it dates back to 1569, the detailed architecture here makes an amazing backdrop in pictures. Nearby, you can also find the breathtaking Palm House (Großes Palmenhaus) with the famous winding staircase. The Palm House consists of three pavilions and has many exotic plants to explore. Heading to Schönbrunn is especially worth it during the summer days.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

If you haven’t had enough of cathedrals, here’s another one. The St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) is actually the tallest and most famous church in Austria. The colorful roof is made up of 230,000 glazed tiles and is the eye-catcher in the city. Moreover, even the inside of the cathedral stuns with a Gothic style, i.e., colored glass, detailed structures, and sunlight lightly beaming through the tall windows. It’s a memorable experience to be standing inside and shouldn’t be left out of the most instagrammable spots in Vienna.

Burgtheater

Similarly to the cathedrals, you’ll find amazing architecture by the Burgtheater. Located close to the Hofburg Palace and across the street from the Rathausplatz, you’ll find yourself taking great pictures here. The clean architecture makes a very easy backdrop and is perfect for that Vienna Instagram feed.

Belvedere Palace

In addition to Schönbrunn Palace, another must-visit place in Vienna is the Belvedere Palace (Schloss Belvedere). This huge historic complex is set on a Baroque park that contains two palaces, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. Coming here on a warm day in a cute summer dress will truly fulfill your romantic garden aesthetic. Ultimately, this is the Instagram spot in Vienna in summer!

Streets in Vienna

Second to last, let’s get a little more general with this one. Overall, Vienna has fascinating architecture all over the city that is extremely instagrammable. And sometimes, you just have to be open to the unexpected, e.g., taking pictures outside your Airbnb. We stayed in the neighborhood of Neubau and randomly found this street with pastel-colored buildings. Thus, I really recommend being ready at all times since you never know when the next Instagram-worthy opportunity will approach.

Town Hall Square

Last but not least, Vienna’s town hall, located in Town Hall Square (Rathausplatz), is a real gem. The Neo-Gothic architecture looks stunning as a backdrop in pictures and is definitely worth a visit. What makes the square so special is that the entire building is lit up in the evening, resulting in superb night photography.

---

That concludes the Most Instagrammable Spots in Vienna, Austria – now you should be all set for filling up your camera roll while in Vienna.
Whether it’s photos of detailed architecture, cafés, or vibrant streets – you should have a bucket list of the best places in Vienna now.

Let me know where you’re heading first with your camera!

Please also share your suggestions for photo spots in the comments! 🙂

Still looking for more Photo Spots? Check out these:
London || Bangkok || Maui, Hawaii

Love it? Pin it!