Austria fears for its Wiener Schnitzel after EU-proposal for healthier frying
Last week the European Commission announced it wants to reduce the presence of acrylamide in food. This carcinogenic substance forms automatically during high temperature processing, such as frying and baking. Exactly how the traditional Wiener Schnitzels are made… Once implemented, the new regulation will require that food business operators apply mandatory measures to reduce the presence of acrylamide. One
‘Immer wieder’ the same song in Austria
Now that the presidential election must be held again, the battle between ‘green’ candidate Alexander van der Bellen and his right wing opponent Norbert Hofer (FPÖ) continues. The Freedom party likes to do this the traditional Austrian way: with lots of beer, schlager music and lederhosen. I was walking in the Prater this Tuesday evening, when live music drew my attention. Turned out the Freedom Party
Ignored damage control
In a city where you can eat Kuchen and Käsekrainers just about everywhere, the Viennese have an old fashioned solution to prevent your appetite from getting out of hand. You would think they are outdated, but don’t be surprised to spot several classic scales in Vienna’s city center. They are mostly located at bus- and tram stops, where people probably don’t have anything better to do than to wait or weigh.
P.S. to God
In Viennese churches you’ll often find a book lying on a little table, in which you can write your gratitude and prayers. Most people pray for the health of their loved ones and ask for God’s guidance in difficult times. Others pray for an independent Scotland. The idea of the ‘wishbook’ is that other people can read your prayers, so that they can pray for
Feel the Force at Vienna’s University
If you want to experience Vienna’s ancient history in piece, set course to the university. Because of its impressive corridors, several movies have been shot here, including an Austrian no-budget Star Wars-film that was released this June. Founded in 1365, the University of Vienna is one of the oldest universities in the world. And the good news is that you
Judgement day in Austria
It’s election day. One of the most important since decades. Today, Austria will choose its new president and future political course: will it turn right of left? Most Viennese, like my roommate Caroline with whom i went to see a soccer game today, hope for the second. But according to the vote polls, the left wing and
Goosebumps at Heldenplatz
Yesterday, on May 8th, Austria celebrated it’s liberation from the Nazi regime. At the same location where Hitler announced the Anschluss in 1938, the Wiener Symphoniker gave a concert under a bright, starry sky. Although it is the fourth year that the Fest der Freude (‘Festival of Joy’) is celebrated with the famous Viennese orchestra, for me, it was actually the first
Homemade ‘Karottenkuchen’ for breakfast
Yesterday I arrived in Vienna and met my roommate Sarah and her two cats, Yumus and Django. Today, I enjoyed her homemade Karottenkuchen (carrot cake) for breakfast and learned a thing about bees. Besides baking now and then, turns out Sarah likes bees. She is a beekeeper and she visits her little friends every few weeks in
Weekend break in the Alps
One of the great things about Austria is its diverse landscape. From Vienna, it takes five hours to get to the Tiroler mountains. Don’t buy a normal train ticket, though. You’ll find much cheaper offers on the internet. My weekend trip to the mountains was my first actual holiday this summer and I was happy to spend it with family and friends. Johanna’s
Where one door closes, another is still open
In Vienna, you’ll find a Billa at almost every street corner. Maybe that’s a result of the supermarket’s typical opening hours; if one Billa just closed for the day, you’ll only need a few minutes to get to another one. Although dining out in Vienna is relatively cheap compared to Amsterdam, buying and cooking your own food is not. After my first
Award winning beer at Salm Bräu
If you want to drink an award winning beer and eat good meat, go to Salm Bräu. Even the staff is superfriendly. It was here, that I first learned how the Austrians call half a liter of beer: Krügerl. For my stomach, a ‘little’ Seidel was good enough though. Salm Bräu is a traditional brewery with
Hippo taking a cold shower
Because of the high temperatures, many Viennese flee the city in the summer. The ones who remain, like to keep their pets happy.
Hiking to a Heuriger
You can drink a melange in Café Central, listen to Strauss at the Musikverein or feel like an empress in Schloss Schönbrunn. But the best Viennese experience is drinking a Grüner Veltliner at a gemütlicher Heuriger. A Heuriger is a wine tavern where they serve the best Viennese wines and local specialties like cheese, meat and bread with homemade Aufstrich (spreads). They often have a garden
Old fashioned beer at high altitude
Yesterday evening I got to know Andi, who rents me his room. He suggested to go to 25hours Hotel Wien, where we drank a beer on high altitude. The view was amazing, what makes the hotelbar definitely worth a visit. But even at a hotel that never sleeps, the Viennese tend to be a bit old fashioned. In many places in
Bad habbits at the Musikverein
As you take your bad habbits wherever you go, today i arrived ten minutes too late at a concert at the famous Musikverein. Luckily, me and two other people could listen to Brahms in the ‘waiting room’ until the first applause. By that time, half an hour later, we could sneak in and see the rest of the
Warm welcome in Vienna
I’m back! Yesterday evening I arrived in beautiful Vienna once again and it felt like coming home. My roommate Alex and I got along immediately and his roommate Andi, who rents me the room, even left me a nice present. Steirisches Kürbiskernöl is said to be great with vanilla ice.
Farewell-sushi at Naschmarkt
Don’t feel like Wiener Schnitzel? Try sushi! Judging from the amount of sushi restaurants in town, it’s the second favorite dish of the Viennese. One of my favorite sushi-places is Kojiro, located right next to the ‘gemütliche’ Naschmarkt. I like small places. They’re so cozy and for whatever reason their littleness is always an indication of good food. On my last day in Vienna
Graffiti as it’s supposed to
Being the biggest graffiti-zone in town, the Donaukanal in Vienna has a totaly different look and feel than the spotless inner city. I love to walk alongside the canal, where graffiti-artists are allowed to experiment freely. The contrast couldn’t be bigger. Whereas the inner city is supertidy, the shores of the Donaukanal are covered with graffiti, decorated with dented trash cans and floating
Schloss Schönbrunn: world’s biggest doll’s house
One cannot leave Vienna without having seen Schloss Schönbrunn, the famous palace of the Habsburgs. It’s gold-coloured interior with chandeliers and fresco’s is so ‘over the top’, you feel like you’re walking in world’s biggest doll’s house. Once entered the gates of Schloss Schönbrunn, it’s impossible nót to be impressed by the look of the gigantic palace