City of the month

Wien

History

Arts

Musician Emperors :
In the 17th century, opera was above all a court entertainment in Austria. The personality of the Emperor had an influence on both creations and programmes. The Viennese emperors were themselves in many cases experienced composers and musicians. The first operas were performed in the reign of Ferdinand III (Ariadna abbandonata by Bonacossi in 1641). Leopold I (1685-1705) even participated in the writing of Il Pomo d’Oro de Cesti.

The great composers in Vienna, between conformity and revolution: Vienna probably saw its first episode of influential musical history when Gluck settled in the capital in 1750. With his librettist Calzabigi, he was the great reformer of opera. Opposing the overwhelming Neapolitan tradition in opera seria, he favoured depth over brio. Another great name in the history of music: Haydn, considered by R. Strauss as the father of modern orchestration, was the great originator of Viennese classicism. Mozart, whose very name suffices to suggest perfection, lived in Vienna and died there in 1791. In the symphonic field, we must not forget that Beethoven, although a German, spent his entire career in Vienna. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven form Vienna’s first trinity of composers.

The emergence of two musical traditions: although Viennese operetta and the waltz epitomised the music of the 19th century, it was a different movement that was to revolutionise musical history: the Neue Wiener Schule der Musik. The introduction of atonality through the twelve-note method or dodecaphony by Schoenberg, Berg and Webern (Vienna’s second trinity) was met with incomprehension from their contemporaries just as the work of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven had been in their day. Today, a fair proportion of contemporary compositions still show the influence of dodecaphony.

The major institutions:
The first operas were performed in a theatre built in the main courtyard of the Imperial palace. Maria Theresa opened the Theater bei der Hofburg (now the Burgtheater) in 1748, where many Operas by Gluck, Mozart and Salieri were put on for the first time.
Wiener Staatsoper: In 1857, on the Ring, the brand new boulevard, the Hofoper (royal opera house) or Oper am Ring was built, as part of Franz Joseph’s redevelopment.
Inaugurated in 1869 with a Don Giovanni in German, the auditorium experienced its true golden age under the direction of Gustav Mahler who, through a company of prestigious singers, brought a new vision to operatic performance. In 1918, the Hofoper became the State opera house (Staatsoper). Richard Strauss was to be director and produced his Die Frau ohne Schatten here for the first time. Clemens Krauss, Bruno Walter, Hans Knappertsbusch and Karl Böhm, among others, succeeded him in this post. The company hosted the top names from the world of singing and orchestral direction: Lotte Lehman, Elisabeth Schumann, Anton Dermota, Richard Tauber, Alexander Kipnis, Josef Krips…
The Anschluss forced many artists and performers to flee; the Staatsoper fell into obscurity. Bombed in 1945, it did not reopen its doors until 1955 with Fidelio, once more performed by a prestigious company (Jurinac, Schwarzkopf, Seefried, Hotter, Patzak…) Herbert von Karajan (director from 1956 to 1964) picked up the tradition of Mahler by also putting on productions of his own. Today the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) with its orchestra, the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic), remains one of the world’s most highly regarded opera houses. Its current Artistic Director is none other than the gifted Seiji Ozawa.
Wiener Volksoper: Originally devoted to the theatre of the spoken word, the Kaiserjubiläums Stadttheater became an opera theatre in 1903 under the name Volksoper (Opera of the people). Some works rejected at the Hofoper by the board of censors were put on for the first time here, such as Tosca or Salomé. It was also the venue for a great many performances which also launched a number of careers.
The Volksoper was used as a cinema during the Second World War, which avoided its being requisitioned by the army. It also lent its stage to the company of the Staatsoper until 1955.
Nowadays works from the great repertoire alternate with Viennese operettas and contemporary operas.
Musikverein: Built at the same time as the Hofoper at the instigation of Franz Joseph, this is one of the finest concert halls in the world. Dominated by a rectangular organ case, it enjoys exceptional acoustics. The venue has hosted the top names and its reputation is well established. It is here that the mythical New Year’s Day Concert is held each year.
Konzerthaus: This was opened on 19 October 1913 by Richard Strauss (with Festliches Präludium, a work written specially for the occasion). The conductors Leonard Bernstein, Carlos Kleiber, Pierre Boulez and Claudio Abbado, among others, have succeeded one another here. It is also the venue for contemporary music; no less than 650 premieres have been held here during the last fifty years. The concert hall’s other special feature is that it offers varied encounters between the audience and the performers.
Theater an der Wien: A theatre built in 1801, at the initiative of Emanuel Schikaneder, a man of the theatre, singer and friend of Mozart for whom he wrote the libretto of Die Zauberflöte. It was here that Fidelio, Die Lustige Witwe, Die Fledermaus and most of the operettas of J. Strauss were put on for the first time. The building was restored in 1962 and today hosts events such as the Wiener Festwochen and Klangbogen.
Wiener Philharmoniker: The orchestra from the Wiener Staatsoper is considered one of the greatest orchestras in the world. It has been at all time directed by the greatest conductors.
.... See Calendar.

A Celtic village in the first millennium BC, Vienna came into Roman history in the reign of the Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) as a military camp named Vindobona. It was a bastion of resistance to the barbarian invasions which finally yielded to the Goths at the end of the 4th century.
In 880, Charlemagne turned it into a fort and gave it the name of Venia. It then joined the Germanic Holy Roman Empire under Otto I. Leopold de Babenberg was appointed the Markgraf (Margrave) at the head of the Margravate of Venia, and his family went on to reign for two hundred and seventy years.
In 1156, the Margravate became the independent Duchy of Bohemia, Vienna a princely residence and its fortress a ducal palace (the early version of the present Hofburg).
In 1237, it acquired the status of imperial city and became the second most important city of the Empire. The throne remained vacant between 1250 and 1273. The king of Bohemia, Ottokar II, took over Vienna but was beaten by Rudolf I, the founder of the Habsburg dynasty.
In the 14th century, under the Habsburgs, the influence of Vienna spread and it became home to the second German language university after Prague. The Empire resisted Hungarian and Bohemian pretensions especially by means of marriages. In the 16th century, the Ottomans commanded by Süleyman the Magnificent laid siege to the city, which managed to resist and repel them.
The capital of the duchy was an ideal cradle for the development of Baroque art and architecture in the 17th century. Aristocrats had magnificent residences built such as the Belvedere of Prince Eugène, the palaces of the Schwarzenbergs and the Liechtensteins. The Imperial castle of Hofburg in the centre was also remodelled.
The following century saw the investiture of the first Empress, Maria Theresa.
Vienna grew more attractive and became the capital of music with Gluck, Mozart and Haydn. This was the period of rapprochement with France. Maria Theresa married François Etienne, Duke of Lorraine, then Marie-Antoinette married Louis XVI.
But Napoleon Bonaparte occupied Vienna in 1805 and 1809. This brought an end to the Germanic Holy Roman Empire, putting the Austrian Empire in its place.
The 19th century saw the rise of an industrial bourgeoisie known as Biedermeier. Social conflicts arose and hardened. Hungary gained its independence. The Emperor abdicated in favour of his nephew Franz Joseph.
Franz Joseph modernised the city. The ramparts were replaced by the long circular boulevard, the Ring, and majestic buildings were built: the Hofoper, the Parliament, the Town Hall, the Burgtheater and the University. He also decided on the building of an underground system, and this was put into effect from 1873.
With the First World War and the rise of nationalism, the Empire was transformed into a Federal State. On 10 September 1919, the Treaty of Saint-Germain defined the borders of the new State.
In the grip of economic and political difficulties, Chancellor Dollfuss was assassinated by the national socialists with the support of Nazi Germany. In 1938, the Anschluss transformed Austria into a province of the Reich.
Vienna came out diminished from this dark chapter and also from the Allied occupation which continued until 1955, and it was not until then that the Opera House reopened its doors! The adoption of neutral status and membership of the UN enabled it to retain its international influence. Vienna became the third headquarters of the UN and its cultural influence remains strong.

Austrian Baroque:
Although the Baroque style originated in Italy at the end of the Renaissance, it was above all in Austria and Bavaria that it found its finest expression.
The Baroque style is to be found on practically every street corner in Austria: church interiors weighed down with gilding, abbey façades in shimmering colours, monumental fountains, sumptuous palaces, bourgeois façades in delicate stucco, organ cases, ... the list is endless.

The Rococo style:
Seen by some as an extension, by others as a perversion, Rococo is characterised by an almost mannered refinement. Preferring subtlety over monumentality, it spreads out in florid detail: paintings in trompe l'œil, delicate stucco with a profusion of plant motifs, faux marbles and sculptured wood imitating bronze.

Jugendstil, the Secession and Adolf Loos
The early 20th century saw major architectural movements develop in reaction against the historicist academicism of the Ring. The Jugendstil took its inspiration from the English “Arts and Crafts” movement and was similar to Belgian and French Art Nouveau. Resulting from the coming together of a group of artists (notably Gustav Klimt), the Secession advocated a geometric and ascetic approach. As for Adolf Loos, with his own style that he liked to see as “without style”, he is considered the pioneer of contemporary rationalism.

Some Highlights :

In the surrounding area :

Bals :

- Ringstrasse:
A must for taking in the old town and the finest historic buildings. From the Stadtpark to the Votivkirche, this 4.5 km ring road allows you to explore the tree-lined capital in which the many statues of famous musicians evoke its musical vocation.

- Hofburg:
The castle is a veritable historic and cultural complex. From the Imperial apartments to the Spanish Riding School, from the Nationalbibliothek to the church of the Augustins, not forgetting the Volksgarten. On Michaelerplatz, with its bare façade, the Loos Haus finished in 1911 offers a striking contrast.

- Belvedere (residence of Prince Eugène):
This is not only a Rococo architectural gem but also the museum housing the collection of Klimt’s paintings.

-The Palais Ferstel and Café Central:
The covered ways and internal staircases make this neo-Renaissance palace an exquisite site. To the side, the magnificent Café Central illustrates the Viennese soul and the aesthetics of the 19th century.

-The Palais Daun-Kinsky:
The most beautiful city palace of Vienna, a masterpiece by the Baroque architect von Hildebrandt.

- The Secession building:
This emblem of the Secession, adorned with an openwork dome of intertwined laurel leaves to the glory of Art, houses Gustav Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze. Opposite, the pavilion of the Karlsplatz metro station, designed by Otto Wagner, is one of the most beautiful examples of Jugendstil along with the Postsparkasse.

-Schönbrunn or the Viennese Versailles:
Two pleasures rolled into one: a stroll in the park as far as the gazebo and the Imperial apartments, more richly furbished and more evocative than those of the Hofburg. Choose the Grand Tour to visit the maximum number of rooms.

- Zentralfriedhof:
At the central cemetery you can see the cenotaph of Mozart and the graves of Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss, Schoenberg…

The churches:

- The Stephansdom or St Stephen’s Cathedral:
Flanked by the great Gothic tower (the Steffl), 136m high, which offers a magnificent panorama over the city, this is one of the historic buildings most treasured by the Viennese. Although it lacks architectural unity, it does contain several works of art such as the Throne of Truth, the tomb of Frederick II and the organ loft.
- The Karlskirche or St Carlo Borromeo Church:
This votive church was built by the Emperor Charles VI to celebrate the end of the plague epidemic of 1713. An absolute masterpiece of Viennese Baroque it was designed by Fisher Von Erlach. The elliptical dome painted by Rottmayr elevates the interior architecture. Another Baroque church, the Peterskirche displays a remarkable unity.

- Upper Austria became famous as the summer holiday residence of the Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife 'Sissi'. They spent many summers in the Imperial villa of Bad Ischl. The Mühlviertel with its wooded hills to the north forms the border with the Czech Republic.
Regional capital: Linz.
Information: Landesverband für Tourismus in Oberösterreich,
Schillerstraße 50. A-4010 Linz
Tel. : +43 (0)732 60 02 21-0 - Fax: +43(0)732 60 02 20 info@upperaustria.or.at

- Cruises:

- Cruise in the Wachau region:
It is doubtless in the famous Wachau, one of Austria’s most beautiful regions, between Melk and Krems that the Danube is at its finest. The “route” takes you through picturesque villages and vineyards and passes in front of fortified castles and huge monasteries.

- Cruise from Vienna to Bratislava or Budapest: from one capital to another:
An excursion to the capital of Slovakia can be made every day from Wednesday to Sunday. You can also leave for Bratislava in the morning and return the same evening.
It is also possible to visit Budapest, Hungary’s superb capital, with an excursion available daily.
The Danube Riverboat Company (DDSG)
Friedrichstrasse 7. A-1010 Wien.
Tel : + 43 1 588 800, Fax : 43 1 588 80 440.
Email : info@ddsg-blue-danube.at
http://www.wienguide.at/f/fmain.htm

- Sequence of events: The ball opens with a fanfare. To a classical polonaise the year’s debutantes and their partners take to the floor. The young women are almost always in white dresses and the young men in white tailcoats.
After a few words of introduction from an official figure, the second dance, always a waltz, is performed by the jewels of Viennese youth. Then, the master of ceremonies utters the words they are all waiting for: “And everyone to the waltz…”. All the generations then take their place on the dance floor.

- The waltz: a tradition
Formerly, the balls were composed of minuets, gavottes, polonaises or other dances that required no physical contact. The arrival of the waltz overturned centuries of Austrian tradition.
In the early days, this dance was considered highly immoral and shocking. Count Johan Fekete said of it in a description: "The women gave themselves over to these bacchanalian dances, all innocence cast to the winds". The Duke of Devonshire went one better: "I will never marry a woman who dances the waltz!"
But its popularity grew. Its reputation was sealed in 1837, when Johann Strauss the Elder composed and played a waltz for the coronation of Queen Victoria.
In the 19th century, balls were part of the daily lives of Austrians of all classes. Towards the end of the century, a number of professions and guilds began to organise their own balls: servants, hatters, florists, chambermaids, café owners… They became a popular tradition.

- The balls today:
In Vienna there are balls for all tastes and all pockets.

- The most prestigious balls are: the Kaiserball or emperor’s ball held on the evening of the 31 December at the Hofburg and the Opera Ball (7 February), where the stage and the auditorium of the Staatsoper are transformed into a gigantic dance floor.
- The Ball of the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Musikverein (17 January) where, for the occasion, the members of the orchestra abandon their instruments and take to the dance floor.
- The Huntsman’s Ball (28 January): all the guests wear traditional costumes.
- The most important masked ball of Vienna is the Rudolfina Redoute (11 February). Until midnight, the floor belongs to the women, who are free to choose their partners.
- The Gschasfeste, organised by young performers, are the least intimidating balls; there is just one motto here: everything goes!
- The Laundresses’ ball is one of the city’s liveliest and most cheerful. This ball is held every Saturday from April to October, from eight pm to midnight. The rule is that no one should remain a wallflower here “and that everyone should waltz”
- The Life-Ball (on behalf of AIDS victims), one of Vienna’s most important charity events. This is also one of the highpoints of the city’s social life. Thousands of visitors attend fashion shows, concerts… and dance until the morning.

See: Office de Tourisme de Vienne
Tel : 43 1 211 14 222 - Fax : 43 1 216 84 92
Email : info@info.wien.at - www.info.wien.at

Food & Drink

Traditional customs

Traditional dishes:
- Griessnockerl, Frittaten or Leberknöde Suppe: a soup containing semolina dumplings, small strips of savoury pancake or Knödel of liver. The one and only true Austrian starter.
- Knödel: a dumpling made of potato, breadcrumbs or semolina that can accompany all dishes. Sometimes stuffed.
- Schweinebraten (or Schweinsbraten): roast pork with garlic and cumin, served with Knödel and sauerkraut.
- Tafelspitz: boiled fillet of beef with horseradish sauce or with chives.
- Rindsrouladen: beef escalope rolled and stuffed with streaky bacon and pickled gherkins.
- Gulasch: braised beef with onions and paprika.
- Beuschel: stew of minced offal in a sour sauce with cream.
- Krenfleish: suckling pig cooked with its rind, seasoned with grated horseradish. Strongly flavoured.
- Wild: game (roe deer, venison, hare, wild duck) with a bilberry compote.

Viennese Pastries and Cakes:
- Sachertorte: a delicious chocolate sponge cake with a layer of apricot jam coated with chocolate icing.
- Strudel: rolled puff pastry filled with curd cheese or apples, raisins and walnuts (Apfelstrudel)
- Germknödel: yeasted pastry with plum jam, sprinkled with ground poppy seeds.
- Salzburger Nockerln: a very creamy soufflé whose shape is reminiscent of the surrounding mountains!
- Kaiserschmarren: a kind of sweet omelette cut into strips, accompanied by a compote or fruit in syrup.
- Marillen/Zwetschken Knödel: an apricot (or plum) wrapped in pastry and rolled in breadcrumbs.
- Beugel: a croissant of shortcrust pastry filled with walnuts.
- Semmel: a delicious bread roll served at breakfast.
- Buchteln: tasty sweet buns with prune jam.
- for Easter, Zops, plaited sweet buns wrapped around painted eggs.

Wines, spirits and beverages:
The Austrian vineyards produce a wine that will not put off a refined palate, although not many great vintages are destined to be cellared long term. The majority of it (85 % of national production) is white, and comes from the wine-growing regions of Burgenland, Styria and Vienna.
Of higher quality still is the beer which the Austrians drink in Seibel (0.35 l) or Krügel (0.5 l).
For liqueurs, visit the Wachau at the time when the superbly fragrant apricot trees are in bloom. Schnapps is a spirit that makes an excellent after-dinner drink.

White wines:

- Grüner Veltliner (dry): Very spicy bouquet with a typical peppery, fresh and lively aroma.
- Riesling (Rheinriesling): an elegant and complex bouquet of stone fruit, distinguished and delicate, classical fruit.
- Müller Thurgau: a hybrid produced in Germany by professor Müller-Thurgaun. Also known as “Riesling X Sylvaner”, this is the main vine variety grown in German-speaking Switzerland. In this region of temperate climate it produces elegant and aromatic wines. In the warmer areas, these qualities can be masked by a certain heaviness and a lack of acidity.
- Welschriesling (medium dry): subtle and clear with a slight aroma of apples, lightly or even delicately structured, distinguished play of acidity.
- Weisser Burgunder (Pinot Blanc): compact aroma with a nutty taste, often well-matured, balanced and harmonious.
- Chardonnay (Morillon): distinguished fruity green apple style; a fresh steely wine with a discreet acidity.
- Zierflander Blauer Zweigelt: rounded, full-bodied, lightly spicy, rich in tannin, pleasant acidity.
- Blaufränkisch: full-bodied, discreetly tannic.
- Blauer Portugieser: sweet and fruity wine, low in acidity, low alcohol content.
- Muskat Ottonel (fruity).

Dessert wines: Spätlese (sweet), Eiswein (smooth and sweet).
- Glühwein (red or white): warm spiced wine (cloves, cinnamon, orange peel).

Beers (lagers): Gösser, Schwechater, Zipfer, Puntigamer.

Festivals : .... See Calendar

- Jan-Feb: The Vienna carnival: The Viennese love the carnival, called Fasching. It usually lasts from the beginning of the year until Ash Wednesday.
- April: Osterklang Wien. Numerous concerts and operas.
- May-June: Wiener Festwochen. Established in 1951: hundreds of operatic, musical, theatrical and film events. www.festwochen.
- at-End of June-mid-July: Jazz festival, in concert halls and in the street.
- July-August: Open Air Gars, open-air music festival.
- July-August: Klangbogen Wien. Over a hundred concerts in the top concert halls, in historic palaces and in the house where Schubert was born. www.klangbogen.at
- July and August: Festival of musical Film. Films of concerts, operas and ballets with international stars are shown free of charge every evening on a giant screen. The "back drop" is the Vienna City Hall.
A-1010 Vienna, Rathausplatz, admission free
- October and November: Modern Vienna Festival This festival of contemporary music was founded by Claudio Abbado and presents a broad panorama of pieces, from "classical" to electronic compositions. In 2002, the programme lays emphasis on the visual side, and orchestras and soloists, and even DJs, from all over the world are on the bill. www.wienmodern.
- at-November: Schubert days. Established in 1982; this festival presents his entire works at the Musikverein.

Things to Do

Museums

- The Kunsthistorisches Museum or Museum of Fine Arts:
Opened in 1891, the museum is devoted to the immense heritage of the Habsburgs and contains one of the most famous collections of works of art in the world.
Van Eyck, Bosch, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Dürer, Cranach, Titian, Veronese, Caravaggio, Velázquez and the largest collection of paintings by Breughel the Elder.
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Maria-Theresien-Platz.
Tel. (+43 1) 525 24-0. www.khm.at

- The Secession building:
The Secession building is today the nerve centre of Austrian contemporary art. It contains the famous gem-incrusted Beethoven Frieze which runs for 34 metres. This illustrates the ninth symphony, from Longing for Happiness to the Ode to Joy.

- Jüdisches Museum:
A museum of memory and history but also of art. Dorotheerg. 11. Tel : +43 (1) 535 04 31.

- Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK):
In its new location in Vienna’s museum district, it contains modern and contemporary works of art from Europe and the United States: New Realism, Radical Realism, Surrealism, Pop Art, conceptual art and landscape art… It also offers a chance to experience the Austrian “Wiener Aktionismus” performance art movement.
Museumsplatz 1. Tel : +43 (1) 52500 1313.

- Sigmund Freud Museum: Visit the place where psychoanalysis was born, the consulting room and the general living environment of Sigmund Freud.
Berggasse 19.

- Technisches Museum Wien: Museum of science and technology.
Maria Hilfer Strasse 212. Tel.: +43 (1) 89 998-6000.
E-mail: mbox@tmw.ac.at

Hôtels :

AMBASSADOR (5*)
Kärntner Straße 22
Tel +43 (0)1 961 61-0 - Fax+43 (0)1 513 2999
office@ambassador.at
www.ambassador.at
DFor over 100 years the Hotel Ambassador has offered luxury and tradition in a classical ambience such as cannot be found in any hotel in Vienna. The hotel is uniquely located in the pedestrian zone of "Kärntnerstraße". St. Stephen's, State Opera and the Imperial Palace are in immediate vicinity making it possible to experience the cultural metropolis at the very pulse of the times. 86 spacious, luxuriously furnished rooms offer elegance and style with the latest technical equipment.

SACHER (5-star): The Hotel Sacher Wien, founded in 1876 by Eduard Sacher, son of the inventor of Sacher-Torte, is a genuine Austrian institution.
Philharmonikerstraße 4
Tel: +43 (0)1 51 456 0
Web: www.sacher.com

IMPERIAL (5-star): This hotel is one of the most luxurious in Vienna. Opened in 1873, it has hosted the city’s most distinguished guests. The Restaurant Imperial is equally renowned.
Kärntner Ring 16
Tel:+43 (0)1 501 100

IM PALAIS SCHWARZENBERG (5-star): A very beautiful hotel in an 18th century Baroque palace.
Schwarzenbergplatz 9
Tel: +43-1-798-45-15

RADISSON SAS PALAIS (5-star) : The Palais Leitenberger and Palais Henckel von Donnersmarck were built in 1872 on the Ring then joined together in the late 20th century to create this luxury hotel.
Parkring 16
Tel.: +43-1-515-17-0

STEFANIE (4-star) : The first documented mention of Tabor street, on which this historic hotel stands, dates from 1409. A document gave the right to the gentlemen of Taborstrasse to "accommodate and serve meals to visitors in exchange for money".
In 1728 a certain Joseph Winkler bought the “Weisse Rose”, today the “Hotel Stefanie”, to commemorate the marriage between Prince Rudolf and Princess Stefanie of Belgium.
Located in the heart of the city, just a few minutes walk from Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. Taborstrasse 12.
Tel. : +43 12 11 500.

CITY CENTRAL (4-star) : Just a few minutes from Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, right in the centre of Vienna. The building itself of great tradition was built at the beginning of the century and completely renovated in 1990. Taborstrasse 8.
Tel. : +43 121 1050

KAISERHOF (4-star) : A good hotel in a magnificent setting. It is just a few minutes walk from the Ringtrasse, the Opera house and the famous pedestrian Kärntner Strasse. Frankenbergasse 10.
Tel : +43 15 05 17 01

REGINA (4-star) : This is a former palace of historic Vienna which is protected for its architectural heritage. It is close to the university area and the Votive church.
The hotel takes its origins from the famous "All-Pilsenetzer Bierhalle" brasserie bought up in 1896. Roosevelt Platz, 15.
Tel. : +43 14 04 460

Viennese Cafés
The Turks were the inspiration for the Viennese to make pastries, but it was coffee above all that they introduced, and this was to become the favourite drink. Entering a café in Vienna takes you straight back to a very special atmosphere. In the 19th century, the aristocracy, soon followed by the bourgeoisie, would play billiards, cards and chess in the cafés, whilst listening to music. Intellectuals, artists and politicians then turned to cafés as their places of choice. Newspapers are always available in them.

- Sacher: A typical old Viennese café, with its ancient pictures. It is from here that the authentic Sachertorte, the emblematic ambassador of all Viennese pastries, was launched on the world. At Sacher, you can taste it for example in the winter garden with its magnificent unobstructed view of the Staatsoper...
Philharmonikerstraße 4 - Tel. 514 56-661
- Central: After 1900, the Central became a haunt for writers and artists. The writer Peter Altenberg still hangs out here – as a papier maché doll. A high society image, a cosmopolitan atmosphere and a touch of extravagance are still to be found here.
Herrengasse 14 - Tel. 533 37 64-26
- Mozart: The first café was set up here in 1794. In the Biedermeier period (the first half of the 19th century), this locale became the favourite haunt of writers and artists. Located opposite the Albertina Graphic Art collection, not far from the Imperial Palace and close to the Staatsoper, this café with its rich traditions still combines touches of culture with the flavours of coffee.
Albertinaplatz 2 - Tel. 513 08 81-
- Café Bräunerhof: All the atmosphere of a café of great tradition.
Stallburgg. 2 - Tel. +43(1)5123893
- Café Hawelka: A legendary meeting place of writers and artists, with an inimitable atmosphere. By 10 pm, you must have tried the famous sweet Buchteln dumplings.
Dorotheerg. 6 - Tel. +43(1)5128230
- Frauenhuber: Vienna’s oldest restaurant. An elegant sheen and the sweet aromas of coffee.
Himmelpfortgasse 6 - Tel. +43(1)5128383

The Heuriger wine taverns
It is in the Heurigen, those charming wine taverns in the outer suburbs, that you will best be able to appreciate, in front of a glass of Riesling, Weissburgunder or Veltliner, this mixture of nonchalance and melancholy that is characteristic of the Viennese. Here you can sample traditional peasant food to a musical accompaniment.

Mayer am Pfarrplatz: In a place where Beethoven came to compose, Franz Mayer, the grand old man of Viennese winegrowers, pampers his guests with a rich buffet, excellent vintages from the most sought-after vineyards and traditional Heuriger music.
19th arr. Pfarrplatz 2 - Tel. 370 33 61
- Weingut Reinprecht: It is a three-hundred year old monastery, located in the heart of Grinzing, that houses this Heuriger par excellence with its 15 rooms and huge garden; the traditional music known as “Schrammelmusik” that you can come and listen to here, still has its original authenticity.
Cobenzlgasse 22 - Tel. 320 14 71
- Wieninger: The vintage wines of this traditional Heuriger with an essentially Viennese clientele are among the city’s finest, as is the buffet.
Stammersdorfer Str. 78 - Tel. 292 41 06

Restaurants
The Viennese usually lunch in a Beisl, an unpretentious café where people like to eat the dish of the day or in a Gasthaus, the typical tavern, which is an authentic restaurant where you will find culinary specialities.

- Fadinger: In an unpretentious atmosphere, the chef lovingly prepares his inimitable Viennese specialities
Wipplingerstraße 29 - Tel.533 4341
- Steirereck: Creative and typical cuisine. Rasumofskygasse 2 Ecke Weissgerberlände. Tel.: 713 31 68.
- The Plachutta tavern: a plunge into the Austrian social scene, the Viennese paradise for beef. Wollzeile 38. Tel : 512 15 77.
- Zu den Drei Hacken: typically Viennese cuisine.
1-Singestrasse 28. Tel.: 512 58 95.
- Vestibül: The luxury version of the brasserie, this restaurant has pride of place in the Burgtheater and offers the finest terrace in Vienna.
Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Ring 2 - Tel. 532 49 99