Vienna-off the beaten path?
 

Hey looking at going to Vienna for Christmas Markets this year. Looking for off the beaten path places to check out. Plan on doing touristy stuff, but want to find some random not to miss places/things to do as well. Thank you in advance.

I like the little streets leading off the cathedral square, particularly Wollzeile, behind the cathedral, which has a great mix of little restaurants and interesting shops of all sorts. Adjoining streets are similar. I found small gifts that I liked better than what is on offer in the markets. The markets are fun for the atmosphere and gluhwein but frankly I think most (not all) of merchandise is Made in China tat.

Vienna has lots of quirky small museums (Freud, etc.) that I've not explored. The Prater should be fun at Christmas time.

When I went to the Liechtenstein Palais maybe 10 years ago you could enter anytime during opening hours. It looks like guided tours are now required. It's an amazing place:

https://www.palaisliechtenstein.com/en/home.html

cool, thanks! yes, i see so many museums that i would really be interested in seeing...Wollzeile sounds great, thank you.

topping...

The Hundertwasser Museum might be considred off the beaten track.

https://www.kunsthauswien.com/en/museum

We enjoyed the small Freud Museum in his former apartment. Our hotel concierge didn't know anything about it but we found it easily using the metro to that part of town from our hotel on Ring Rd.

"Off the beaten path" can mean so many different things.

Sights? The snow globe was invented in Vienna; there is a small museum with occasional factory tours owned and operated by the original family, and with easy public access in the city. The Church am Steinhof, an Otto Wagner construction, is a former sanitarium with a dark history. The Museum of Heating Culture is more interesting than it sounds. The Ernst Fuchs Museum is a treat for the eyes, both inside and out. Touring the former royal and imperial Sekt cellars (with tasting afterward) is noteworthy. Outside of Vienna (with decent public access) is Gugging, a museum that showcases the works of the special artists in residence.

For wandering, the streets around Neubaugasse (U3) offer eclectic shopping and dining. And, if you plan your Christmas-marketing well, you can be wowed by the lights, commercialism, and crowds at the biggest market, Wiener Kristkindl, but find handmade items at many other markets.

I hope this is helpful.

Hermesvilla, the palace in Lainzer Tiergarten, which Empress Sisi liked better that Schönbrunn palace. If only to escape the strict protocol.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermesvilla

You may also want to check Vienna's TI website for temporary exhibitions at museums etc.

More special interest or unusual than a must-see:

Karl-Marx-Hof, the longest residential building in the world
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx-Hof

Haus des Meeres. While an aquarium is not something really unique, this one is housed in one of the huge former flak towers of Vienna.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haus_des_Meeres

To see the highest number of world-class celebrities in one location in Vienna, you find them waiting for you here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zentralfriedhof

The Kirche am Steinhof is a beauty (http://www.wien.info/de/sightseeing/...teinhof-kirche).
The Rabenhof is interesting example of the public housing projects of the 1920s (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabenhof_(Wien).
A nice outing could be Eisenstadt, with the interesting Esterhazy Palace (another one is across the border in Hungary). It has an hourly direct train service from the Central Station, taking a little over one hour.

DON'T PUT PARENTHESIS AROUND LINKS!

They interfere with the links.

<i>DON'T PUT PARENTHESIS AROUND LINKS!</i>

Just add a space at the end, like this:

(http://www.wien.info/de/sightseeing/...teinhof-kirche )

happytrvlr...def interested, the Freud musuem is on the list!
fourfor...those sounds exactly like what i was looking for...thank you!
all else...thank you, will look into it!

topping...looks like we are adding prague to the itinerary as well...any feedback on off the beaten path for prague?