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It’s only natural that when you’re planning a trip somewhere, you want to visit at the perfect time. When it comes to a city like Vienna, it can be hard to tell when you should visit or which season is best.

This can mean timing your visit for when the weather is good or so that you can maybe experience Vienna’s best seasonal festivals. Learning when to visit Vienna can elevate your holiday and see it at its best. Based on my extensive time in the Austrian capital across the seasons, allow me to share with you the best time to visit Vienna.

Spring

Straight up, the best time to visit Vienna in my opinion is spring. It’s when the city shakes off its winter blues and starts to come alive again. The weather warms, the nature becomes far more vivid and the continue to grow longer. Interestingly, it’s also nowhere near as busy as you would expect which makes it kind of perfect for doing touristy things.

One thing I think Vienna has going for it, is its many city parks and palace gardens and spring is truly their time to shine. The squares and parks of Vienna really blossom at this of year, from the ornate hedges patterns of the Belvedere Palace to the blooming tulips that are dotted about. One constant across Austria, even its cities, is its stunning nature.

Spring is not a particularly great time for festivals and the like, although exploring the Easter markets can be quite nice. There’s also the Genuss Festival in May which celebrates all of Austria’s regional foods in Stadtpark, which seems like a great excuse to eat, drink and soak in the sunshine. Ultimately, spring is when Vienna is at its most beautiful and you don’t need any more reason than that to visit in spring.

Dates: March 20 – June 21

Average High/Low: 15°C / 9°C (59°F / 48°F)

Notable Events: Easter, Genuss Festival

Tourist Numbers: Medium

Summer

There’s definitely something about Europe in summer. It’s certainly the busiest time of year as waves of tourists arrive to embrace the warm weather. Summer means sightseeing freely and sitting outdoors at restaurants. And yet, in my mind this is the worst time to visit Vienna. I just don’t think that the city of Vienna is all that well suited to summer.

Simply put it’s the busiest time of the year and there’s no real advantage to visiting in summer. For starters, places aren’t particularly well designed to deal with the heat. Then there’s the fact that the weather does little to enhance Vienna’s sights, at least no more than spring or autumn. In a city so focused on culture, music and museums, you don’t really need warm summer weather to enjoy your time there.

However I understand you may be visiting Vienna as part of a larger European summer vacation. It’s likely those other places are more suited to summer, so I can understand why you may visit Vienna in summer. If that’s the case, you’re still going to have a great time because, hell, it’s Europe in summer.

Dates: June 21 – September 23

Average High/Low: 27°C / 18°C (81°F / 64°F)

Notable Events: Lichterfest, the Film Festival

Tourist Numbers: Very High

Autumn

Certain places transform when the leaves start changing in autumn and Vienna is one of them. The city’s grand and noble character is quite well suited to the autumn colours and the season’s pensive nature. With autumn you also find Vienna at its quietest with regards to tourists. It’s the shoulder season so finding better prices on accommodation should be easier and places like museums or Schönbrunn Palace shouldn’t be as busy.

September is pretty good, as you get the tail-end of summer and events like Wiesnfest. For autumn leaves, look more towards late October although of course each year is different. The summer warmth usually holds out at least until early October, but things do cool down from there. At this time of year, the sun and wind really determine whether or not it’s nice enough outside.

The days are also getting shorter at this point but you should manage to see the sights just fine. While I’d never say Vienna is uneventful, autumn does seem to be a time when events and festivals are few and far between. You can either see that as missing out, or as an opportunity to see the city at its most regular. In the end, autumn can be a clever pick if you want to engage with the city at its core and want to avoid the crowds.

Dates: September 23 – December 21

Average High/Low: 16°C / 8°C (61°F / 46°F)

Notable Events: Wiesnfest

Tourist Numbers: Medium

Winter

There’s no more charming time of year to visit Vienna than during winter. The city wholeheartedly embraces the festive spirit and you can find Christmas markets and Christmas lights everywhere. Snow tends to come a little later into winter, but safe to say the city looks its true self blanketed with white snow. While it can get cold, it usually hovers close to 0°C meaning it’s a bearable cold.  Plus a mug of glühwein will fix you right up.

Winter doesn’t have a huge impact on most of Vienna’s attractions, so you won’t miss out on much because of the season. Actually, the biggest problem with Vienna in winter is that its quite a popular time to visit, especially before Christmas.

Behind summer, this is the time when many people choose to visit and the number of tourists at the main Christmas markets is a testament to that. December also happens to include several holidays in places like the United Arab Emirates and Vienna is a particularly popular destination for Emiratis then.

Despite the increased number of tourists, I still think winter is a strong choice for visiting Vienna. The city is big enough and there are so many Christmas markets that you can still find places that aren’t packed. Plus the atmosphere with the snow and festive decorations really can’t be beat. Although, it doesn’t snow a huge amount here so adjust your expectations accordingly.

Dates: December 21 – March 20

Average High/Low: 4°C / 1°C (39°F / 34°F)

Notable Events: Christmas Markets, New Years Eve

Tourist Numbers: High

What time of year have you visited Vienna and would you recommend it? What questions do you have about when to visit Vienna? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.