Jenna Hand sees the best of Vienna on the cheap.
Some Viennese love the opera so much, they bequeath their subscriptions to their grandchildren. In a place where high culture is a way of life, relinquishing prime seats at the Staatsoper is virtually unthinkable. Ballet, theatre and visual arts are just as revered. But Vienna is not ranked among the world's most livable cities for nothing. All that sophistication is far more accessible - and affordable - than you may think.
Opera and ballet
The Staatsoper hosts an incredible 300 ballets and operas each year from September to June, most of which sell out in advance. But 567 standing-room tickets go on sale shortly before each performance and, at less than the cost of a cream-topped coffee, they're the best value entertainment in town - €2-€4 ($3.15-$6.30).
The standing-room ticket office opens 80 minutes before each performance (a queue forms earlier).
Museums
Vienna has excellent museums and some offer reduced-price entry on certain days. The fabulous design showcase that is the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts has free admission on Tuesdays from 6pm to 10pm. Haus der Musik, with its interactive exhibits and giant musical instruments, offers night tickets from 8pm for €5.50, half the regular price, and the two hours you have to look around are about enough. Kunst Haus Wien, a museum of the creations of architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, has €5 entry on Mondays. And the Bank Austria Kunstforum of modern classics offers two tickets for the price of one (€9) between 6pm and its 7pm closing, from Monday to Thursday.
