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 You would think they are outdated, but don’t be surprised to spot several classic scales in Vienna’s city center.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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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