Mozart and Julius Meinl Chocolates!
by randi413
If you have never been, you must see the palaces and attend a concert in the evening. You can buy tickets on the street safely from costumed salespeople. The food is wonderful, there are street musicians all the time, and people-watching is great along the Kartnerstrasse. One night this summer we took a carriage ride through the city. It was quite late, cool and dark, and our driver was really great. It's a wonderful way to see the landmarks adn is really quite romantic.
Harry Lime's Vienna
by TheWanderingCamel
How could any movie buff come to Vienna and not recall Carol Reed's classic thriller, ''The Third Man"? Any number of films have been shot in Vienna since Reed broke new ground by moving his film out of the studio and onto the the city's street but none have assumed the cult status of Reed's masterpiece or become an integral part of the city's persona. WWII had been over for four years when filming began and Vienna was still an occupied city, divided between the 4 allied powers. Whilst the city had not been totally destroyed by the war, there were more than enough damaged buildings and rubble-strewn streets still waiting to be restored for Reed to create the tension and suspense that pervades the film and virtually turn the city itself into a character in its own right.
For anyone who hasn't seen it, or those who want to see it whilst they are in the city, the film - redigitised and restored - the Burgkino (Opernring 19) screens the film at least a couple of times each week. Real fans can take a guided tour or find their own way around the various locations with a good map.
2-3 hours in Vienna
by globetrott
It is the best, when you start at Karlsplatz or Oper - both of them are in the centre of town and it is really easy to get there by tram and U-bahn.On Karlsplatz you may see first the Art-Nouveau-stations built by Otto Wagner , they are used as a cafe today. Karlskirche is great to see from a distance already, but to enter it, you have to pay an entrance-fee.
Go back to Ringstrasse and Oper :take tram #1 or #2 - both of them go around the Ringstrasse and will take you back where you have started. A dayticket will allow you to hop on and off these trams any-where you may want.
Walk finally through Graben and Kohlmarkt to the Hofburg - through the giant gate you get to Heldenplatz - cross the Ringstrasse again and see Kunsthistorisches- and Naturhistorisches Museum with Maria-Theresia-Platz.
Your 3 hours will pass by quickly, but you have seen some of the best places and buildings already Along Ringstrasse you will pass by :Oper - Hofburg - Parliament - Townhall - Burgtheater - Votivkirche - University - Boerse - Stadtpark with Johann Strauss-monument (300 meters off the Ring) and a lot more . Once around the Ringstrasse without getting out is about 30 minutes.
From the Opera you may start to walk towards the Stephansdom and see the interesting details of it during the day.
Strictly for the birds
by iandsmith
Najadenbrunnen, or the Naiad Fountain, was where I took this picture. The first thing that attracted me was the layer of ice covering half the pond. The ducks were mostly wandering around on it and then one slid into the water. I remember thinking, "How cold is that?" Very b d y cold!
Having said that, I thought the duck was very pretty.
Cafe society
by TheWanderingCamel
Coffee has been a way of life in Vienna since the 17th century. Legend says it was the would-be Turkish invaders who brought their coffee beans with them and left sacks of them behind when they retreated from their seige of the city who started the city's love affair with the bitter bean. (The croissant is said to have first been baked by the city's bakers as a celebration of that defeat, its shape a replica of the Ottoman crescent) Whatever the truth of that, by the more leisurely days of the late 19th century, there were over 500 cafes in the city, and even today there are over 200.
Cafes are places to linger in, a home from home, somewhere to meet a friend to talk or play chess or cards, or to come on your own to read the newspaper or a book, stay as long as you like even if you only order a single coffee and sit on it all afternoon. You can have a meal, or enjoy a glass of wine. Food is fairly simple, and if you're after a decadent cake you'll need to head for a cafe-konditorei.
Cafes like the Central were once very clubby, different cafes attracting their own particular like-minded clientele. Those days are not quite gone, but the old-style cafes themselves are dwindling in number as city property values rise and the pace of life increases.
Coffee is still served Viennese-style, strong and black with some variation of whipped cream topping being a favourite, but a "Kapuziner" is akin to a cappucino and an espresso is an espresso wherever you are though here a "Mokka" will give you a good caffeine hit too.
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Mixed sushi - sashimi set
Figures at Parliament, Vienna, AT
Butterfly house, Vienna, AT
Monument to Franz Schubert (Vienna, Austria)
