Vienna

As a Viennese, of course, I would like to promote my city. To this end, I have summarized some of the information that can possibly be interesting and make Vienna more exciting.

Five golden rules for tourists in Vienna

1. You never order just "coffee" in a Viennese coffee house. You order a melange, a "Häferlkaffee", a "Einspänner", a small or large bay, a cappuccino or whatever your heart desires. But no "coffee". And certainly not with emphasis on the first syllable. If you are already in Vienna, you should also visit one of the traditional coffee houses and not get a coffee-to-go.

2. On the escalators in the system of the Vienna subway applies without exception: "Stand right, go left!" Who does not stick to it, gets to feel a very different side of Viennese charm. It is jostled and "geraunzt".

3. "The Old Town" to visit is not so easy, because "the old town" does not exist in Vienna. Mostly tourists are talking about the 1st district when they speak of "the old town". But you should not limit yourself to these, because in other districts there are many interesting places ("Grätzel").

4. If someone who wears a Mozart costume wants to sell something, a healthy mistrust is never out of place. You want to go to the opera? Then you prefer to buy your tickets at the venue or at an official ticket office and not necessarily at Mozart.

5. If you are looking for individual pieces while shopping, you have to leave the big shopping streets like Kärntner Straße or Mariahilfer Straße. Shops of (small) Austrian designers can be found for example in the Neubaugasse, around the Spittelberg or in the Siebensterngasse. Anyone who knows a bit, notes: In the 7th district you can shop well

The most popular sights

Creating a top ten ranking of the most beautiful or popular attractions is next to impossible. After all, it depends on how you travel: alone or in a group, with children or with a wheelchair. Do you want to do a lot inside or rather discover the nature in the city and in the surrounding area? Should culture or sport be the focus of the journey and so on and so forth.
And yet, there is a sort of canon of sights that you may not have seen as tourists, but at least a few. These include the Albertina, the Belvedere Palace, the Hofburg, the Karlskirche, the Museumsquartier, the Prater, the Ringstraße (along which the State Opera, Parliament, City Hall, Burgtheater, University and Stock Exchange are located), the Schönbrunn Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral and the central cemetery.

Free Sightseeing

Even those who travel with a small budget can experience great things in Vienna. There is no entry fee for the following attractions:

- Prater

If you do not want to ride the Ferris wheel and want to try every ride, you can have fun without paying. Especially in the evening, a walk through the Prater is a nice end to the day - provided the weather is appropriate.

– Schloss Schönbrunn

Anyone who is satisfied with outward appearance and also does not want to go to the zoo can get a good impression of the splendor of the Habsburgs from the outside.

- Stephansdom
If you do not want to go to the tower or want to listen to a concert, you do not have to pay for admission.

- City Park

The most photographed statue of the city (Johann Strauss Monument) is located in the city park. Anyone who comes to see greenery may be in better hands at the Botanical Garden or the Burggarten. There, too, admission is free.

- Zentralfriedhof

The grave of Falco, numerous honorary graves of various composers and a beautiful Art Nouveau church can be visited free of charge. A glimpse into differences in burial and mourning culture can be gained by walking through the Jewish or Buddhist part of the cemetery.

I hope the information was quite helpful. Maybe we see each other soon in the city center of Vienna on a melange.