The Parliament is the heart of Austrian political activity. Are you interested in seeing how and where politicians work? If so, you will be spoiled for choice! Plus, the Parliament (located on the Ringstrasse, close to the Volksgarten and Hofburg Imperial Palace) is worth a visit not only to observe the politicians at work but also to admire the historical building itself.
The best place to start is with the Parliament’s Visitor Center, which you can visit any time during its opening times from Monday through Saturday, during non-meeting times. You will also find plenty of multi-media information as well as an information desk, a shop and a small café.
Interested children and adults can attend plenary sessions of Parliament or participate in one of the daily guided tours. Sittings of the National and Federal Councils are, in principle, open to all visitors interested in attending. Admission is free, but you need an identification document showing your photo to receive the free ticket. The minimum age is ten, but young people under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
General tours of the Parliament are offered within the opening hours every day except Sundays, public holidays and parliamentary sitting days and start every hour on the hour.
For families, special guided tours are offered for children ages 6-10 and 11-14. Family tours are mostly organised on request, during the summer and Christmas holidays, and as part of the WienXtra holiday game.
For schools, guided tours on parliamentarism and democracy are offered, designed for teens and young adults ages 12-15 and 16-18. Generally, tours are offered in German, but can also be arranged in other languages on request (i.e. English, Spanish, and French).
While guided tours for the general public don´t need a pre-registration, you still need to make a telephone registration for family tours!
Note: Currently, the Parliament building is undergoing a complete renovation. Therefore, Parliamentary business had to be relocated to the alternative accommodation in the Hofburg and in three temporary office buildings. During this time, you can visit the temporary visitor center at Heldenplatz square at any time during opening hours. While guided tours continue throughout the renovation, they are not available for the main historical parliament building. They are only allowed in the Hofburg Imperial Palace, in the temporary building at Heldenplatz square, and in the Palais Epstein.