(best for native speakers)
Vienna is the imperial city on the Danube, which is famous for its classical music, magnificent architecture and cozy coffee houses. The city of two million inhabitants, capital of Austria, is divided into 23 districts. We are guided by the road signs that indicate the respective district in which we are located. Equipped with a 24-hour ticket for bus, road, subway and train, the timetable app and a detailed city map we conquer the city from our exceptionally inviting, brand-new city campsite ‘MiCampa Wienerwald’.
We had been here 40 years ago. Rolf is looking forward to his first Melange at ‘Café Westend’, a place we used to frequent back then. This is where we start our day. The café, its owners, and its guests are as Viennese, authentic, and genuine as can be. The piece of bread is the best roll of the season.
Take the subway to Vienna’s Central Cemetery or to one of the cemetery’s eleven gates.
The Central Cemetery is a place of burial and rest. Famous people are buried here alongside ordinary citizens—not just Viennese, but also people from other regions, those of other faiths, Jews, and Muslims. The most frequently visited grave is that of the Austrian pop star Falco. Those who are interested can take a seminar on funeral culture. The cemetery is a nature recreation area. NaBu (nature club) provides information about foxes, deer, and squirrels, which are native to the area and very much welcome. There are two running trails where you can jog. Or you can stop by the cemetery pastry shop: ‘Aber bitte mit Sahne’! (by Udo Jürgens)
Music Recommendation: “Es lebe der Zentralfriedhof” by Wolfgang Ambros
In Vienna’s inner circle (1st District) we find the things that many people associate with Vienna: the Habsburgs, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Spanish Riding School, the Hofburg, and the Hotel Sacher. Add to that countless tourists from the States, Asia, and Europe lining up outside the trendy coffeehouses.
We go exploring the “other” districts. There is the 9th District, a multicultural neighborhood where we drink tea at a Turkish café and feel like we are in Izmir.
In the evening, we find the bar and brewery 7Stern in the 7th district, which serves the best roast chicken and potato salad, offers seven of its own brewed beer varieties, has a great atmosphere, and features friendly staff.
The next morning, the sun is out again: a day in Schönbrunn Palace.
The Karl-Marx-Hof, a housing project built in 1926 in the 19th district, is the world’s longest continuous residential building, stretching 1,050 meters. The spacious, green inner courtyard provides plenty of fresh air and helps mitigate heat buildup. This fosters a sense of community that is entirely in line with the ideals of Red Vienna. Also noteworthy is the integration of infrastructure facilities into the complex—such as a kindergarten, school, laundromat, fitness center, and organic market—which elevates it to the status of a city within a city.
The Prater is Vienna’s amusement park in the 2nd district. We almost have tickets for the world’s tallest chain carousel in our pockets when we read the warning that it is off-limits to people who get motion sickness or are afraid of heights. Actually, we are glad 🙂
We wrap up our city tour with a happy hour beer in the Westend Café. The train and bus take us safely home. Vienna—what a great city! This calls for a return visit. We are hoping for some luck in the MiCampa raffle: a two-night stay at the Vienna City Campground.
To wrap things up, here are a few more signs, some linguistic curiosities with unconventional grammar, and an idea about Austria’s culture of hospitality:
