Vivaldi's Four Seasons Concert at St. Charles' Church - Category II

The church sits directly beside Karlsplatz station, one of Vienna's main interchanges, served by the U1, U2 and U4 lines. From the exits towards Resselpark it is about a two-minute walk to the church.

Tram D stops at Gußhausstraße, roughly a five-minute walk away. Trams 1 and 62 and the Badner Bahn (WLB) also call at Karlsplatz and Kärntner Ring, a short walk from the church.

City bus 4A stops at Karlsplatz, a few steps from the church. The Schwarzenbergplatz stop, about a five-minute walk away, is served by several day and night lines.

From Wien Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station, take the U1 to Karlsplatz in a few minutes. Regional and S-Bahn services connect to Karlsplatz through the U-Bahn network.

Driving into the centre is discouraged, as Vienna's 4th district is a paid short-stay parking zone with limited street parking. Public garages near Karlsplatz and the Musikverein are the most practical option, though public transport is usually faster.

The concert lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, with a single performance each evening beginning at 20:15 (8:15 pm).

The programme is Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, four violin concertos evoking spring, summer, autumn and winter. Orchestra 1756 performs it live on Baroque instruments, close to the sound Vivaldi's audiences would have known.

Doors open at 19:45. Exchange your smartphone voucher for a printed ticket at the venue box office at least 20 minutes before the start; the box office is open from 9:00 to 20:15 on concert days.

All three categories admit you to the same concert and the same programme; they differ only in where you sit. Category I places you closest to the musicians with the best view, Category II offers excellent seats with a fine view, and Category III offers well-placed seats further back in the church.

The concert takes place on most evenings throughout the year, every day except Thursday, always beginning at 20:15.

Families are welcome, though children under 6 are not admitted, and children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the performance.

St. Charles' Church (Karlskirche) is one of Central Europe's finest Baroque churches, built from 1716 and consecrated in 1737 as a votive church after the plague of 1713. Designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, it is famous for its green dome, its two great columns modelled on Trajan's Column, and Johann Michael Rottmayr's frescoes inside the cupola, an atmospheric setting for an evening concert.