7 things to do in Vienna

The first time I was in Vienna 5 years ago, I realized that it was my city. And now by the will of fate I have been living in the capital of Austria for a year and I can confidently advise others: a tour of Vienna is certainly good, but if you want to feel this city for real, do the following yourself:

1. Walk around the center

But don't spend more than two days on this - if you have time left, spend it getting to know the city from a different, non-tourist side. The Inner City (Innere Stadt) is quite compact. All the sights in Vienna can be seen on foot: the Opera House, the Parliament, the Rathaus, the Natural History Museum and so on. All this information is in any guidebook. But few people know about other highlights of the city.

2. Try the local coffee

It seems to me that the Austrian capital stands on three whales: cigarettes, eternal complaints (more on that later) and coffee. But if your inner hipster voice is begging you to pop into Starbucks, chase it away. It's like being in Willy Wonka's magic factory and buying Alenka chocolates. Be sure to look for small coffee shops in Vienna where there are no crowds of tourists.

You can book a hotel in Vienna with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

Here you won't find the classic names of coffee drinks. But there is something like Kaffee verkehrt (latte), Kleiner Brauner (espresso with a little cream) and Melange (espresso with whipped milk, decorated with milk foam).

3. Visit the Prater

Where else to go in Vienna? Of course to the Prater, a small amusement park (Praterstern subway station, subway lines U2 and U1). This is a must go here for three reasons. First of all, there are rumors that it will be closed, which means you have to be there in time.

Secondly, there is the famous old Ferris wheel, which is more than 100 years old. Thirdly, the "space" economic university WU, which is located nearby, is also worth seeing.

4. Take pictures of the city from the observation deck on Leopoldsberg Mountain

For this you need to go to the 19th district, or Debling (green metro line U4 to the Heiligenstadt terminus, and then bus 38A to the Leopoldsberg terminus).

Here you can have a coffee, visit a small church and enjoy an incredible panorama of the whole of Vienna. In this district, the city is quite different: narrow streets, small mansions and restaurants - the contrast between the pompous center and the cozy, remote neighborhoods is particularly striking.

5. Go to a heuriger and drink wine

I think a visit to a heuriger (small inns with homemade wine) is the perfect way to get to know Vienna and the people here. Nussdorf, Grinzing, Heiligenstadt, Oberdöbling are places that are famous for the best wines and atmosphere. There is no beer or classic menu here, and white wine is usually drunk with mineral water.

The standard local order sounds like this: Liter, Liter weiß (a liter of white wine and a liter of mineral water). Wine and water are mixed in a 50/50 proportion, one glass is drunk, and then fresh bread and various toppings are taken from the buffet.

6. Meet the locals

Now it's time to get to know the natives of Vienna and.... listen to them whine. Yes, that's right - high class whining. That's what the people of the capital are so famous for.

Regardless of age or social status, they have a propensity to complain about the weather, education, neighbors, drivers, waiters, food, government.... anything! And you make sure to complain back. That's how friends in Vienna come to be.

7. Dance on Schwedenplatz

When the clock strikes midnight, it's time to head to the Bermuda Triangle - as the locals call the Schwedenplatz neighborhood, which is full of bars and clubs where you can party all night long. Which is what most young people do every Saturday.

It is useful to know that the subway in Vienna runs 24 hours a day on Friday and Saturday nights, Saturday and Sunday nights and before holidays. So, you can have fun without having to keep track of time.

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