Vienna in Spring: Gardens, Easter Markets and the Heurigen Reopen

The short version

Spring in Vienna happens in three distinct acts, and the one you choose changes the trip. March is winter with the light coming back — winter prices, cold mornings, the last of the skating. April is the turn: the parks go green, the wine taverns open their gardens, the marathon takes over the Ring. May is the city at its most generous, with long evenings on café terraces, the roses in bloom and the big arts festival starting — and prices and crowds to match.

• Best value: mid to late March, outside Easter.
• Best balance: the second half of April.
• Best weather: May, if you book palaces and hotels ahead.

What the weather does

The 1991–2020 normals from the Hohe Warte station (GeoSphere Austria) show how fast the season moves. The average high is about 11°C in March, 17°C in April and 21°C in May; sunshine rises from 155 hours in March to 248 in May. May is also one of the wetter months on paper, but the rain tends to come in short, heavy afternoon showers rather than grey days.

The practical result: bring a proper jacket in March, layers in April, and a light raincoat in May. Evenings stay cool well into spring, even after a warm afternoon. See the month-by-month verdicts for March, April and May, and the Vienna weather forecast before you pack.

March: the last of winter, the first of spring

The first week of March still belongs to winter: the Wiener Eistraum rink on Rathausplatz runs until 7 March 2027. By the end of the month the first café tables are back on the pavement and the Schanigärten — the pavement terraces — begin to appear.

Easter falls early in 2027, on 28 March. That brings the Easter markets into the second half of the month. They are traditionally held at the Freyung in the old town and in front of Schönbrunn Palace, with painted eggs, crafts and spring food; the 2027 dates had not been published when we checked in September 2026. Easter Monday is a public holiday, and hotel prices rise over the long weekend.

Outside Easter, March is one of the best months for the interiors. The palaces and the big museums are calm before the tour groups return, and the Staatsoper and the Musikverein are in the middle of their seasons. Book the Schönbrunn Palace rooms with a timed ticket — our Schönbrunn tickets guide explains the 2026 ticket types — and take a seat for an evening at the concerts.

April: the city turns green

April is when Vienna's gardens come back, and most of them are free. The Burggarten behind the Hofburg, the formal Belvedere gardens between the two palaces, and the long chestnut avenue of the Prater Hauptallee all turn green in the course of the month. In the 19th district the small Japanese garden of Setagayapark is at its best in blossom season — timing varies with the year, so check before you make the trip.

The wine taverns wake up. The Heurigen reopen their gardens on rotating dates. Look for a bound pine branch over the gate and the word "Ausg'steckt", and check the monthly calendar on wienerwein.at. On a warm April afternoon, the tables in Grinzing, Nussdorf, Neustift am Walde or Stammersdorf fill with Viennese rather than visitors. Start with our Heurigen collection and the Döbling district guide.

Marathon day: the Vienna City Marathon runs on Sunday 18 April 2027 (vienna-marathon.com, checked September 2026). Streets around the Ring and across the centre close for most of the day. Watch from the course, or use the day for somewhere well outside the centre.

May: Vienna at its most generous

In May every café terrace is set up, the rose beds of the Volksgarten come into bloom next to the Hofburg, and the city lives outdoors until late. It is the month to take breakfast at a pavement table, to walk the Ringstrasse under the chestnut trees, and to go out to a Heuriger on a weeknight.

The cultural calendar is full as well. The Wiener Festwochen, the city's major festival of theatre, music and performance, normally runs from mid-May into June, and Vienna Pride usually begins in late May. The opera and concert seasons are still running, so a May trip can combine long evenings outside with a full programme indoors. The events calendar lists dated events as they are announced.

The price of May is popularity. Hotel rates climb, Schönbrunn and Hofburg time slots sell out earlier, and the long weekends around the Christian holidays — Ascension, Whit Monday and, in some years, Corpus Christi, all public holidays in Austria — bring visitors from across the region. Book the palaces and the Opera well ahead.

Spring walks beyond the Ring

Spring is the season to leave the centre on foot:

• Kahlenberg and the vineyards: take the bus up to the Kahlenberg for the view over the city and the Danube, then walk down through the vines towards Grinzing or Nussdorf and finish at a Heuriger.
• The Lainzer Tiergarten: the former imperial hunting ground on the western edge of the city, with the Hermesvilla built for Empress Elisabeth. It is a genuine forest with wild boar; check its seasonal opening hours before you go.
• The Prater: the Hauptallee is a flat, several-kilometre walk under chestnut trees, which are in flower in spring.
• Schönbrunn's upper garden: the climb to the Gloriette gives the classic view back over the palace; the park itself is free.

Easy day trips in spring

The Wachau valley along the Danube reopens for the season in spring: Melk Abbey's main visitor season in 2026 ran from 28 March to 1 November, with adult admission at €16 (stiftmelk.at, checked September 2026), and the river boats between Melk and Krems follow a similar seasonal pattern. Our Wachau day trip guide has the train-and-boat loop.

Practical notes for spring

• Transport tickets: the 48- and 72-hour Wiener Linien tickets were abolished on 1 January 2026. A 24-hour ticket costs €9.70 digital or €10.20 on paper, a 7-day ticket €25.20 digital (Wiener Linien, checked September 2026). The Vienna City Card still exists in 48- and 72-hour versions at €31 and €37, with discounts included (viennacitycard.at, checked September 2026). See getting around.
• Arriving from the airport: until the end of October 2027 the central S-Bahn line is closed and the CAT runs as a bus; the airport page has the current options.
• Where to stay: in spring, a room near a park is a real pleasure — Wieden near the Belvedere, or the Innere Stadt near the Volksgarten. Browse the hotel collection.
• Choosing your month: if you are still deciding between spring and autumn, read the best time to visit Vienna.