Fiaker, Vienna

The word "fiaker" seems to be typical from Austria (not used in Germany) but close to the French "fiacre" except that you won't find nowadays any fiacre in Paris but many in Vienna.

As we had money left and the rain had stopped we made a short ride on our last afternoon before leaving for the airport.
We took one of them waiting at the Heldenplatz in front of the Neue Burg. You have to take the first in the line. During 20 minutes at a price of 40 € we explored the surrounding area.
My wife found especially pleasant to hear the sound of the hoofs passing under the portico of the Hofburg. That was well worthwhile the 40 €; the Kaiser must have heard the same sound.
The horses of our fiaker were well educated; they waited that we left to do what they were in need to do.

A trip with a Fiaker is a romantic way to discover Vienna. In our case, a pink carriage with two horses, with this combination we made a city tour from a half hour for € 40, =.

See for an impression the video Giant Ferris Wheel and the Fiaker.

Stands are the Augustinestraße for the Albertina and the Stephansplatz on the north side of the Cathedral.

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My first Fiaker ride was in April 2005 and it was surprise birthday gift from someone special. He arranged for the Fiaker to come to my apartment so that we can ride in style to my birthday party held at a restaurant in the 1st district. So, there we were, dressed in our formal outfits, and riding in a Fiaker to a restaurant for dinner. I felt like those elegant noble ladies in those old days, i.e. before the invention of cars. As I stepped into the horse carriage, I was being helped on board by the driver. With my friend sitting next to me, I sat back and enjoy the beautiful ride. People were looking at us in the Fiaker passing them by. I felt rather strange when I saw people looking or staring at us. Some tourist even took photos! Anyway, it was fun riding in an open Fiaker and it was great to see the inner city sites from a different point of view - from top of a carriage.

Here are the prices for the Fiaker ride:
Rate for a short city tour @ 20 minutes will cost Euro 40.
Rate for grand city tour @ 40 minutes will cost Euro 65
Rate for one hour city tour will cost Euro 95

One Fiaker can seat 4 people, so if you want to save money, go in a group of 4.

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This is probably the first thing that comes to your mind on the mention of Vienna. I love this picture!

Walking around Vienna, seeing "fiaker" is nothin strange. And it fits in perfect!

What we have noticed is that horses in Vienna do not look abused, like the ones we saw in Schwangau
and that made us very happy!

The budget didn't allow it the first few times I was in Vienna, and paying to ride around in a closed carriage in the rain had no appeal on a Christmas visit, but beautiful sunshine and a friend who'd never been there before combined to see us negotiating with the driver of one of the fiakers waiting by the Stephansdom on a day that was a public holiday in June (Corpus Christi - the Thursday following Trinity Sunday).

There's no getting away from the fact that this is both a)expensive and b)very touristy - but what the heck - it was our last day in Vienna, our plans for the day had gone somewhat awry, and it was fun. We opted for the full hour (90 euros). As it was quite early and a holiday, there was very little traffic around our coachman was prepared to make a few unscheduled photo stops. He gave us a knowledgeable running commentary as we clip-clopped along and some unforseen barriers meant we took a couple of unexpected detours.

I don't know that I would say this is a "must-do" in Vienna - I've been an impecunious backpacker in my time, counting every schilling, and riding around in horse-drawn carriages certainly doesn't fit within that budget but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a tourist trap either. Fiakers are as much a part of the Viennese street scene as the grand buildings and the Baroque domes, the horses are well-cared for unlike the broken-down old nags you find in some cities, so if you fancy a taste of bygone days, this could be for you.

A rather touristically clichéed mode of transport in Vienna is to take a Fiaker - a horse-drawn carriage around Vienna. Prices can vary somewhat but for a 20 minute ride you can expect to pay between EUR 50 and EUR 70. Sure you'll get to see some of the sights and have an experience reminiscent of the long-gone k.u.k. era, but if you are unlucky you might have a pony ride which doesn't really satisfy you as it should! There are Fiaker stands all around the 1st district by the major sights - and usually the drivers speak English and will point out sights.

No matter how heavy the traffic in modern Vienna, there always is room for the horsedrawn cab known as the Fiaker. The German word " Fiaker’ refer to both the two-horse cab itself and to the cabby, who is generally dressed in pepita-check trousers, a velvet jacket and derby hat.

Once the fiakers were Vienna’s taxi transport, but today they are mostly popular for special ceremonial use and as a tourist attraction. Fiaker ranks are near the Imperial Palace, the State Opera and beside St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The well-kept vehicles and their picturesque drivers add an attractive bit of color to the Vienna street scene.

The fiaker cabs have a long history, which is recorded in the Fiakerhaus, a building that has belonged to the profession for a century. It now houses the fiaker museum and is located at Veronikagasse 12 in the 18th district.

Today, a traditional use of the fiaker by the Viennese is at Confirmation, when youngsters are brought from St. Stephen’s to the Prater amusement park by horse-drawn cabs. They are frequently used to transport wedding parties.

A fiaker ride is almost obligatory for the visitor to Vienna. Each cabby is well-versed in local history and is always delighted to tell visitors stories of the buildings they pass on their horse-drawn tour of his beloved city.

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At 40E for a 20 minute ride in a horse and buggy around a busy city I took about a nano-second to decide that I didn't want to take a 'Famous Fiaker' to see the sites. They look pretty though and obviously enough people are willing to fork out a small fortune to keep these guys in bowler hats :)

There are other options of 40 minutes for 65E or a WHOLE hour for 95E!!!!