Vienna

Once arrived in Vienna, we take metro U1 to the Danube bank, at the fourth stop. There we visit the flea market at Schwedenplatz and pass the Rotenturmstrasse. On the square near Stephansdom, dozens of men recommend something: expensive concerts (with Mozart perruques) or restaurants (in Lederhosen).
The Stephensdom itself is too crowded. So we continue for Grübenplatz with its statues, the Petruskirche, and the horse coaches. Behind the vast Burg buildings, we discover the fine Mozart statue. The parliament is closed because of a renovation. Near Heldenplatz, where the crowds have attended Hitlers 1938 radio speech, we read the plaquette which remembers the February 1936 strike: ‘Wo Unrecht Recht wird, ist Widerstand ein Pflicht!’
At the Rathausplatz we find twenty open-air food boutiques, where we take Japanese and Indian meals. We also make a pilgrimage trip to the Freud house at Berggasse 19. Its annex café has funny decorations, with many portraits and (again) a Serbian barmanka. We walk back to Stephansplatz and take the U1 to the Vienna HBf. (e.h.)

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“I used to think that the city was too sterile and boring. Now I saw it as livable, calm, and cheerful. And, no less important, it is a cultural treat, because Vienna is the birthplace of many modern art trends, and is a truly modern city.

It is immediately apparent that you can sit down anywhere in the city: on a bench, on the grass, on the sidewalk. Because everything is clean. In addition, beautiful, well-kept and interestingly ‘furnished’ parks await visitors who want to relax. The city is thus truly a community space. In addition, I was thrilled to find many fantastic coffee houses, and fortunately, they brew for gourmets. Some of them are older and more traditional, while others are younger and follow the latest fashions. But they have one thing in common: they are inviting. My favorite was the one in the butterfly house, with the atmosphere of a palm house.

The architecture of Vienna is a special experience. There are many medieval monuments, and more than one pub has been operating continuously in the same place since the 1400s. Viennese Baroque is beautiful and elegant, but Art Nouveau and Art Deco also left a beautiful mark on the city.

Otto Wagner designed the Austrian Postal Savings building, which is still as modern today as when it was built. It has been operating for about 110 years, and that is no small feat. Since then, they have changed the schedule boards, which he also designed, together with the furniture. Uniform, coolly elegant, and boldly unconventional.

We also visited the antique market, Naschmarkt, just for the sake of the sights and the smells. Unfortunately, the flea market is only on weekends, and we weren't there then. This neighborhood shows the edgier, more bohemian face of Vienna.

Others

1. The tap water in Vienna is among the best in Europe. It comes from mountain springs in the Lower-Austrian Alps, and enters the city’s pipes at most 36 hours after leaving the mountains, without the use of pumps. And that’s not all: Given that the city requires 400,000m3 of water a day, Austrian water engineers have succeeded in harnessing the ‘incidental’ energy this water movement generates, which is sufficient to power a town. Nor do we have to remain thirsty while sightseeing – there are over nine hundred public drinking fountains throughout the city. (2016)

Destination in brief

Vienna's German name is Wien.

Population (in 2020): 1.7 million- 30% of the population is not an Austrian citizen - most of the foreigners are from Serbia, Turkey, Germany and Poland -

14% of the city's population is Muslim. 

Average net monthly salary (in 2020): 2100 Euro (Austria' average: 2000 Euro)

History

,, Compared to the western parts of Austria, Vienna seemed almost underdeveloped in the 1960s-1970s. Vienna was dirtier; buildings were in worse shape, substandard apartments with shared toilets in the hallway still existed. Vienna was indeed dismal in those decades compared to today."

Nowadays

“Deodorants are distributed on Vienna's U6 subway line because of passengers with strong body odor. According to the Austrian daily newspaper Die Presse, more than 14,000 antiperspirants will be given free of charge to passengers in the coming days. The member of the city administration responsible for traffic and the managing director of the Vienna transport company each personally handed out deodorants at underground stations. They pointed out that they absolutely do not want to offend passengers with the promotion.

The city administration does not tolerate overly fragrant food either, so it will be banned from public transport in the autumn. For example, pizza, kebabs, and pasta will not be allowed in subway cars. The exact list will be published later.” (2019)

Tourist etiquette

1. On public transport, don't speak loud while talking on the phone. Austrians might look at you with knitted brows or even verbally judge your misdeed.