Banana beer at the Filmfestival
They make the best schnitzels, but when it comes to their drinking habits, the Viennese have a peculiar taste. The Ottakringer banana beer doesn’t taste that bad though, as I discovered at the Filmfestival. Each summer the Wiener Rathausplatz turns into an open-air cinema where you can watch concerts, films and opera’s on a huge screen and eat at more than twenty eateries. The
22-carat gold in Rathaus
Vienna has plenty beautiful historical buildings to visit, but if you have to pick one, definitely take the guided tour through the ‘Rathaus’. The ceilings of the City Hall are actually covered with 22-carat gold leaf rosettes. It’s more impressive than the Staatsoper and even more beautiful than the Parlement. The ‘Rathaus’ in Vienna looks more like
Bittersweet Sachertorte in Café Central
Even with all the tourists there, it’s hard to resist a visit to Café Central, the famous Wiener Kaffeehouse where great writers and philosophers used to meet. Reading the newspaper, I wondered what they would think if they saw today’s headlines about the growing ‘Judenhass’ in Europe. What would Sigmund Freud, or writers Karl Kraus and Hugo von Hofmannsthal say about the increasing tension in
Best ‘Stehplatz’ at Mozart’s Requiem
Because the Viennese feel that everybody should listen to Mozart, they invented ‘Stehplätze‘. But if you’re lucky, you can still sit and enjoy a breathtaking Requiem from one of the first rows. In the capital of classical music, everybody – either rich or poor – is able to experience classical concerts, opera’s and operettes (light opera’s). Thanks to the Stehplätze, if you don’t
Back to the future in Bellaria Kino
If you like going to the movies, but hate it if everybody around you is loudly chewing popcorn or dropping their m&m’s, you should visit the Bellaria Kino. It’s more than going to the cinema, it’s like traveling back in time. Founded in 1911, the Bellaria Kino is one of Vienna’s oldest movietheaters. Even most visitors looked
‘Streetslaughter’ in Vienna: 1700 cops vs 19 squatters
Even in a city where everybody patiently waits for the traffic light to turn green before crossing the streets (while no car in sight), there’s trouble now and then. In those cases, police troops do the job. So it costs a million euro, and the free newspaper Österreich calls it ‘one of the biggest streetslaughters in the history
Noisy neighbours in Vienna, part 2
Woken up by that other Viennese tradition, sunday morning 09.30 in Vienna. Sorry for the shaking, still rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Alsergrund, 9th district
Wiener Prater’s unexpected charm
It’s ugly, it’s shabby, it’s outdated. Wiener Prater, world’s oldest amusement park, has an unexpected charm to it. Looking for a bench to eat my Indian take-away-curry, my curiosity led me to Wiener Prater, or ‘Wurstelprater’, how the gigantic fair is originally called. Cause you don’t have to buy a ticket at the entrance, I walked straight through the
Books and Kaffee Latte
The best discoveries are done by accident. That also counts for ‘Phil’ in Vienna. Here, you can buy books, music and sit down for a Kaffee Latte with soy milk. Phil is a typical place where young and creative people like to go to. Most of them were between twenty and forty years old, so I felt at home immediately,
Citybike Vienna: cheap, fast and easy!
Although Vienna has a perfect public transport system, I think biking is the best and nicest way to get to know a new city. With Citybike, you can bike across the city for free! Being a Dutchie, I cannot survive without a bike. Also, I don’t want to spend more money than necessary. For people like me, God invented Citybike.
Schnitzel take away
Don’t feel like Thai, sushi or pizza today? Get yourself a schnitzel take away! (Novaragasse, 2nd district, Leopoldstadt)
Best working spots: Café Prückel
My football-friends were right about Café Prückel; I’ve definitely found one of my favorite working spots for this summer. I decided to celebrate this newest discovery with my first Viennese Apfelstrudel! It’s light, it’s spacious but ‘gemütlich’ and quiet at the same time, there’s (free) wifi ánd more Apfelstrudel than a girl can desire. And even better, Café Prückel is popular with
‘Elfmeter’ victory at Cafe Toni
Tonight I watched the Dutch football team win the quarter-finals in Cafe Toni at the Servitengasse. I learned two essential German words: abseits (offside) and Elfmeter (penalty). Also, I hope to have found a good, typical Viennese coffeehouse to work. Four Viennese guys were so kind to adopt me and I had a great evening. I asked them if they
Know your district: Alsergrund, part 1
This evening I went for a little walk in my neighbourhood Alsergrund, the 9th ‘Bezirk’. The district feels quite relaxed and because of the students who live here, there are enough bars, restaurants and shops. Vienna has more than twenty districts. ‘Bezirk’ 1 is the historical centre and Alsergrund lies next to it. It’s one of the smaller districts that hosts
Vienna: how to travel from the airport to city centre
Once landed on Vienna airport, it’s very easy to travel to the city centre. You just take the train! The trainstation is perfectly located underneath the airport. Now, you have two options. You can travel with the green City Airport Train (CAT or City Express) that takes you to the centre in 16 minutes. You can buy the tickets at the green ticketmachines.
‘Morning!’ in Vienna!
Yesterday i arrived in my new home town Vienna, and although i haven’t met my roommate Martin in person yet, he sure knows how to make someone feel welcome. Looking forward to meeting him tonight! His roommate Sophie is also very friendly and helpful. I wunder if all Viennese people are like this!