Hello everybody!! The other day we left you with a doubt to resolve (see Bregenz), were you able to find out which cities we will visit today ?? If you guessed it, very good, if you didn’t, don’t worry, we will tell it! Ah, just some advice for you, make yourself comfortable because there will be a lot to read !!!

Wien is Austria‘s capital, it is World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The city is next to the Danube river. Wien is rich in history (and Christmas markets during the winter haha!). It is considered one of the most visited capitals in the world and is also famous for its high quality of life, think that it comes second in the rank of the most livable cities in the world.

To know more (to eat, what to eat, where to have fun, acculturate …) continue to read.

There is much to discover and to learn, so let’s start now!

TYPICAL FOODS

The culinary traditions of Wien are a mix of influences from the Bohemian, Hungarian (as we saw in Eisenstadt), Italian and Jewish cuisine.

• Wiener Schnitzel – veal breaded cutlet and fried. It is the most famous dish of Wien.
  
• Tafelspitz – boiled beef in the broth, served with chive sauce, roast potatoes, apple.
  
• Gulasch – meat stew with lard, flour, onions, carrots, potatoes and paprika. This dish comes from the Hungarian tradition.
• Schnittlauchsauce – mayonnaise sauce with chives.
• Liptauer – cheese cream prepared with paprika, butter, herbs and onions. Great to spread on bread!
• Rindsuppe – meat beef soup.
• Grießnockerl – semolina dumplings.
• Frittatensuppe –  frittata cut into strips and served in a cup of hot broth.
• Sachertorte – chocolate cake with apricot jam. The most famous sweet of Wien.
•   Kaiserschmarren – sweet frittata with jam and fruit.
• Apfelstrudel – cake made of apples, pine nuts, raisins and cinnamon.
• Topfenstrudel –  a sweet stuffed with quark (cheese that looks like ricotta) and raisins.
• Palatschinken – a kind of crêpe (see Eisenstadt for recipe).
• Millirahmstrudel – cake stuffed with sweet bread,raisins and cream, served with hot vanilla sauce.

Mustard is the traditional condiment in Wien.

Wine is served in some pubs know as Heuriger and is often drunk as an aperitif with sparkling water. Grüner Veltliner (white wine) is the most important wine in Wien. Don’t forget the beer (every kind of beer) that is as important as the wine.

In the winter you can eat hot chestnuts and fried potatoes from the street stands but not only, you can also taste Würstelstand, Burenwurst, Bratwurst and Käsekrainer (a kind of sausages,very popular in Wien).

If you like, you can also make a tour at the Naschmarkt, a permanent market for fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, spices … from all over the world.

WHERE TO EAT (RESTAURANTS/CAFE’..)

• Schonbrunner Stockl – typical Austrian, Czech, German cuisine.
  
• Rosenberger – international , Austrian, European cuisine.
  
• Brasserie & Bar Emile – typical French, Austrian, European cuisine.
• Rauch Juice Bar – bar/cafè also makes juice. Great for a good breakfast.
  
• Chilai Landstraße – traditional Austrian, international, European cuisine.
  
• VIENNA CLASSIC Café-Restaurant – typical German, Austrian, European, Vegetarian, Vegan, International cuisine.
  
• Klara Fruchtsennerei – cafè/American 50s-style restaurant with traditional Austrian European, contemporary cuisine and…. healthy food (for the healthy people of the group).
  
• Im Hof Cafe/Bar – bar/ pub with international cuisine.
  
• Loca – typical Austrian, international, European cuisine.
  
• Gmoakeller – typical German, Austrian, European cuisine.
  
• Ribs of Vienna – barbecue and typical Austrian, European, Central European cuisine.
  
• Hill Restaurant – barbecue and traditional Austrian, international cuisine.
  
• Best Wines Vinothek & Weinbar – plus Austrian cuisine.

A special about pastries and historic cafes in the center of Wien: Demel – pastry, Gerstner – cafe, Hotel Sacher – where you will find a pastry shop, Café Central.

Curiosity: the cafe is consider a place to relax. A place to read the newspaper and enjoy the order. Traditionally, the coffee comes with a glass of water.

PLACES TO VISIT(MUSEUMS/THEATERS..)

There will be a lot to discover, so let’s start!

• Albertina – graphic art museum and exhibitions that houses one of the largest collections of prints and drawings. This museum is located in the historic center of Wien.
• Belvedere Palace Museum – is a museum that houses a large collection of Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day. It houses also the works of many international artists and the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt. The museum is located in the Belvedere palace and is is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Leopold Museum – Museum located at the Museumquartier in Wien, houses one of the most extensive collections of Austrian modern art (cultural movements such as the Viennese Secession, Art Nouveau/Jugendstil movement, Expressionism).
• ZOOM Kindermuseum – also this museum is located at the Museumquartier. It’s a museum where children can show their creativity and keep themselves busy in various activities.
• Kunst Haus Wien – this museum houses a permanent exhibition of Hundertwasser’s works and a temporary exhibition of other artists works. It will be easy to find this museum for its original aesthetic form.
• Naturhistorisches Museum – one of the largest museums of natural sciences. You can find collections of insects, dinosaurs and more. This museum was opened in the same period of the Kunsthistorisches Museum (art museum), they share the facade.
• The Technisches Museum Wien – the museum is divided into categories. The “nature and knowledge” which includes physics, astronomy. The “industrial sector” which includes materials such as iron and steel. The “energy”, “mass production” which includes the luxury goods, then there are also musical instruments, transport…
• Wiener Secessionsgebäude – shows the exhibits of the Wien Secession, the city is the motherland of these cultural movements and of the art in general.
• Stephansdom – is the cathedral of Wien in Roman and Gothic styles.
• Deutschordenskirche – Teutonic Order Church also known as Elisabeth von Ungarn.
• Karlskirche – Baroque church, located south of Karlsplatz. One of the most important Baroque churches of Wien.
• Peterskirche – parish church in Roman Baroque style. Here you can admire the beautiful Baroque organ.
• Maria am Gestade –  one of the oldest gothic church in the city.
• St. Ulrich – Roman parish church located in Neubau, in the seventh district of Wien. The hall is in Baroque style and the facade of the church has two towers.
• Votivkirche – a truly majestic church, in neo-Gothic style.
• Augustinerkirche– a church that is the place of the Augustinian order.
• Stadttempel – the only synagogue in the neoclassical style that hasn’t been destroyed during the Holocaust.
• Benediktinerabtei – Benedictine abbey that contains an important work of late Gothic art, Schottenmeisteraltar (altar); of great historical importance.
• Schloß Schönbrunn– imperial palace of  Wien. The palace is famous, not only for the beauty of hundreds of rooms and large spaces, but also because it hosts one of the oldest zoos in the world. It also offers a large park with a series of labyrinths. Compass in your hands and go haha!
• Hofburg– center of the Austrian power. Today the palace is the residence and place of employment of the President of Austria. The building also offers an imperial library and here take place calssical concerts.
• Kinsky Palace-  is one of the most important Baroque buildings in Vienna.
•  Schwarzenberg Palace – Baroque palace, it is used by the City of Vienna for various festivals and events. Part of the building was bought by an important hotel.
• Theseustempel – is a building born as an imitation of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens.
• Hundertwasserhaus – are characteristic apartments. They have a particular shape and are very colorful. These apartments are located in the Landstraße district. You couldn’t be emotionless in front of them!
• Zentrum Wien – known as UNO-city, is a complex of buildings that houses various UN organizations in Vienna (for example, United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention …).
• Donauturm – panoramic tower and tourist attraction. It is the place for different radio services.
• Mahnmal für die österreichischen jüdischen Opfer der Shoah – located in Judenplatz Wien, is a work that commemorate the extermination of the Austrian Jewish citizens during the Holocaust.
• Millennium Tower – the highest tower located in the Brigittenau district.
• Österreichische Nationalbibliothek – sumptuous library that houses over a million of various kinds of valuable books (manuscript, plays, papyrus ..). The structure is covered by the wood wall.
• Villa Wagner I and II – it belongs to Ernst Fuchs, the heir of the painter. The villa houses a private museum. It is situated in the Hütteldorf district.

Wien is the city that hosts the most prestigious theaters in Europe.

State Opera, Volksoper (opera and operetta), Burgtheater Gods (also called die Burg), Musikverein (concert room, among the most elegant in the world), the Theater an der Wien (theater on the banks of the river Wien), Haus der Musik and Theater in der Josefstadt.

 

ENTERTAINMENT(PUB/DISCO/PARKS…)

There is so much culture, but also lots of fun!

• Wiener Prater – is the important park in Wien. It is an amusement park with various attractions including the Riesenrad ferris wheel. The center of attractions for tourists and a meeting place for lovers of outdoor sports. The park offers Pratermuseum museum and a planetarium and Kugelmugel (a spherical building) as well.
• Tiergarten Schönbrunn – is the oldest zoo in the world. Here live more than 500 species of animals (pandas, koalas, lions …), plus there are some aquariums. You just have to admire the great variety of fauna and flora.
• Wienerwald – Vienna woods all to visit. It offers a beautiful landscape, great for a walk or for some outdoors sports.
• Schlosspark at Schloss Belvedere – there is the botanical gardens of Vienna.
• Stadtpark – very extensive municipal park, in which we can also find some of the most important statues. A nice way to combine fun and culture!
• Danube Island – an island in the center of Wien. It lies between the Danube and the Neue Donau canal (New Danube). The island offers bar area, restaurants and nightsclubs but you can also practice some sports like canoeing , cycling or rollerblading.
  
• Türkenschanzpark – a park where you can find some monuments such as Paulinenwarte or-Yunus Emre-Brunnen.
  
• Kurpark Oberlaa – park located in Laaer Berg. Here there are area thermal sulphur springs . A popular park for residents and tourists. Nearby the park can find the famous Oberlaa Café and its pastries.
  
• Casino Wien
• Adventure rooms or Mindx– escape games.
  
• Ice-skating – a wonderful ice skating rink. A magical place!
  
• Gartenbaukino– cinema.
  
• Vienna Flight Flight Simulation & Training Flight OG – a game where you can pretend to be pilots for a few minutes.

Many are the festivals that take place in Wien, now we’re going to see them.

• Internationales Musikfest – takes place every year or at the Musikverein and at the Konzerthaus.
  
• Konzerthaus  for festival Resonanzen with many dances, especially during the carnival.
  
• Regenbogenparade  e la Love Parade – takes place in June.
  
• Life Ball against AIDS
  
• Donauinselfest – party on the Danube Island that takes place in  June.
  
• Hallamasch – a multicultural festival,  takes place in September.
  
• Jazzfest in July at the Staatsoper and the various clubs of the city.
  
• Hörgänge in March and the Wien modern in October-November for all electronic music lovers.
  
• In November take place at the Kunst-und-Antiquitätenmesse (art and antiques fair)  and the Kunst Wien.
• In December there is the Mozartfest.

IMPORTANT: as you’ve already seen in Salzburg to get a lot of discounts for concerts, subways, buses, trams but also museums, theaters, shops, cafes, restaurants, you can get the Wien Card. It has a duration of 48 or 72 hours.

It’s not the end because the night is always young in Wien!

• EXZESS! Gentlemen-Club Vienna – local.
  
• Monaco Bar – nightclub.
• Loos American Bar
• Onyx Bar .U4 Vienna – disco.
• Pratersauna – local live music.
  
• Roter Engel – lounge bar.
• Jazzland – local.
• Das Loft Bar & Lounge – bar on the eighteenth floor with windows to enjoy the view and a very colorful ceiling.
• La nave Havanna – located along the Danube Canal, is famous for its parties.
  
•  Josefstadt e Neubau district located around the Ruprechtskirche in the historic center are meeting points for fun evenings.

 

The tour around this city is over but it’s over also our trip in the beautiful region of Austria. I hope you liked it and has been helpful and made you dream for a while.

Who guesses what will be the next region that we will visit ?? Meanwhile, let us know your opinions about this place. If you liked it or not, if you have been or are you going to go? What did you like least and what more? We are curious to read your opinions.

A big kiss to everyone.