sacher, little paris, from africa to arcadia, horse-drawn

Celebrate, Experience, Boafo, Adia, Heidi, Monokini, Laura, Back to the Future, Stanislaus, Trendsters and Traders,

Farm to Table, All great things start in cities, Life, Vienna

A Journal on the City’s People, Places and Culture ISSUE 2 2022 www.vienna.info

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Visiting Mozart.

www.mozarthausvienna.at

Issue 2 Contents

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Editorial6

Celebrate Life. Experience Vienna.

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Art & Culture 28

Architecture, Fashion & Design

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City Life 64

Food & Drink74

Urban Idyll 88

InsiderCONTENTS 3

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Only in ViennaTHE BEST OF BRUEGEL

5EDITORIAL

reports from the area around Brunnenmarkt and a look at the day-to-day work of a zookeeper at Schönbrunn Zoo.

And it almost goes without saying that sus-tainability in the city also features prominently this time round: we show how contemporary food production methods are driving improvements in quality of life. Talking of sustainability: as one of the most sustainable forms of travel, city tourism is in synch with the destination’s DNA – much like art and culture is the most important part of Vienna’s DNA. On that note, a raft of new museum openings will mark the next step in the city’s cultural evolution. We also take a look at them in this edition.

Presumably you already recognize our cover star Adia Trischler from our VIENNA/NOW YouTube series by this point. We accompany her for the day as she explores Vienna. Turn to page 92 for all of her personal tips.

We hope you enjoy the brand new Vienna, Intl. and can draw inspiration from it for your trip to the capital. We can’t wait to see you and start celebrating life again – inspired by our motto of Celebrate Life. Experience Vienna!

PS: Stay healthy!

All great things start in cities.

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you: all great things start in the cities of this world. And the same is true of Vienna. Cities have always been test labs and centers of experimentation. The intellectual greats of today and yesteryear have always been drawn to cities like Vienna, where they have the opportunity to try out new things and put creative ideas into practice. Filled with life, cities are the places where different outlooks and ways of life come together. In a city like Vienna, every-one can realize their full potential, irrespective of their nationality, gender or age. And here, everyone is free to love whoever they choose. Something that, thankfully, is a given in a modern major city.

The task at hand is to celebrate 2022. Even though it’s plain to see that the crisis is by no means over yet. But the scientific community has recorded some outstanding achievements in a very short space of time, paving the way for a return to restriction-free travel through the COVID vaccine and reliable testing facilities. The Austrian capital has had a hand in this, with Viennese researcher Manuela Födinger playing a pivotal role in the development of COVID-19 gargle testing. Like I said: “All great things start in cities.”

We want to take a look ahead with you at what’s in store and get back to celebrating life. “Celebrate Life. Experience Vienna.” is the theme that we have chosen for 2022. And it is exactly this joie de vivre that characterizes the second edition of our magazine Vienna, Intl., which you have in front of you right now.

We set off on a whistle-stop tour of Vienna, meeting fascinating people and picking up out-of-the-ordinary insights along the way. To take one example at random: did you know that Vienna is turning into something of a hotspot for artists with African roots? We also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of genius fashion designer Rudi Gernreich, inventor of the world- famous monokini. Laura Karsinski – the city’s hottest art director and designer right now – gives us an insight into her work. There are also

NORBERT KETTNER Managing Director, Vienna Tourist Board

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Only in ViennaTHE BEST OF BRUEGEL

Vienna, Intl. – Issue 26

Celebrate Life. Experience Vienna.Vienna is back in all its finery. The Austrian cap-ital is emerging from the crisis even more full of life, even more modern and even more spectacu-lar than ever. With no end of reasons – new and old – to celebrate life here again. Vienna has been working tirelessly on its future. As expected of a world capital of its caliber. Behind the city’s impe-rial backdrop, new attractions are coming to light all the time. For centuries, art and culture, science, diversity, cultural exchange, architecture and enjoyment have shaped the soul of this unique city. Vienna has experienced a great deal. But there is one thing it hadn’t until now: standstill. Also the year 2022 will bring perpetual motion, offering visitors as well as locals the very best of all worlds – with art, culture, city life and enjoyment leading the way.

Celebrate the Arts

One of the central factors behind Vienna’s success is its outstanding quality of life. It draws in artists and creative spirits. The city’s burgeoning art and cultural scene is an integral part of its DNA. Three quarters of visitors to Vienna come because of its world-beating cultural life. The Austrian writer Karl Kraus (1874-1936) summed it up best when he said: “The streets of Vienna are paved with culture, the streets of other cities with asphalt.” And so it is: between the University of Vienna and Karlsplatz alone – an area of not even 1.2 km² – visitors have close to 30 museums to choose from.

Vienna is celebrating its big comeback in 2022: the capital is showing just how much it has to offer as it celebrates life, art, enjoyment and every unusual aspect of the city in all its rich glory. Let’s celebrate the arts, the city and the extraordinary.

(Text) Robert SEYDEL

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It’s hard to imagine any more art – from the age of antiquity to the present day – packed into such a small space. Vienna is a buzzing hive of art. The sheer volume of cultural attractions found here would easily serve a city four times its size.

The capital’s cultural scene is growing all the time. 2022 will bring a number of new museums like the Heidi Horten Collection and the return of the Lower Belvedere (see story on page 24). And Vienna is on its way to becoming a hot-spot for artists with African roots who draw their inspiration from Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. (see story on page 14). Synonymous with the high-quality offering found throughout Vienna, the city’s rich cultural life is a product and expression of a cosmopolitan and open-minded capital that works to the benefit of residents and visitors alike.

Celebrate the City

Openness and exchanging ideas are an integral part of the city, where diversity is anything but an empty marketing buzzword. It is this outlook that helped Vienna to play a pioneering role nationwide in promoting LGBT equal rights. What’s more, an impressive 178 nationalities are represented by the city’s residents. This blend of different influences is best experienced in Vienna’s countless different neighborhoods (see story on page 56). where real life in the city can be celebrated to the full.

Vienna is built on variety: here, imperial landmarks rub shoulders with examples of con-temporary architecture. In the historic city center it’s easy to get from A to B on foot. The days of

public squares being used as car parks are ancient history – today they provide havens of relaxation where pedestrians can watch the world go by. Almost half the city is accounted for by green spaces and waterways, with just under 1,000 parks and gardens defining its look and feel. Vienna offers the experiences of a safe world capital, without the stress factors associated with a major world capital. And all of this makes it an attractive destination for meetings, too: more than 200 impressive venues and hotels – from historic to modern – provide the perfect backdrop for congresses, corporate events and incentives.

When it comes to planning smart new urban development zones, it’s not just about innovative and sustainable living, but creating spaces for research companies, eco-friendly

Photo: © Vienna Tourist Board/Paul Bauer

Photo: © Vienna Tourist Board/Christian Stemper

CELEBRATE LIFE. EXPERIENCE VIENNA. 9

designer hotels (such as Dormero HoHo, a 75% timber high-rise), co-working spaces, parkland and cultural facilities to thrive in. If this wasn’t enough, Vienna is committed to going carbon neutral by 2040.

All of these factors come together to make Vienna a happy city. A place where nothing is far from anything else, where people feel safe and can make meaningful connections with one another. Where the next green space is only a few meters away – and even if it sometimes doesn’t seem that way, the Viennese really are very happy with their lot in life.

Celebrate the Extraordinary

And it’s not just down to fantastic food and ex-cellent wine: no other European capital has its own cuisine named after it (Viennese Cuisine), a winegrowing industry that comes anywhere close – or can serve up anything like Vienna’s inim-itable coffeehouse culture. Thanks to the city’s un-rivalled reputation for cakes and pastries, all of its cafés offer up a rich slice of Viennese indulgence – with a sugar rush thrown in for good measure.

What might come as something of a surprise: lots of the ingredients that go into the dishes served at the city’s restaurants are actually grown right here. Using cutting-edge methods, without any of the long transport chains (see story on page 68). It doesn’t get much more sustainable than that.

Did you know that Vienna is cucumber central? 62% of the nation’s cucumbers are grown in the capital. And Vienna has another luxury up its sleeve: simply turn on a tap to savor crisp, fresh water direct from the mountains. And that is by no means a given for a major city, which is why people look to us with envy from all over the world.

But that’s not it for astounding achieve-ments in Vienna: a proud centuries-old tradition of handcraftsmanship and design is constantly evolving. Because manufacturers such as Augarten Porzellan – which dates back to the days of the empire – have always kept their finger on the pulse, we can continue to celebrate their exceptional quality and contemporary designs to this day (see story on page 46). Young designers like Laura Karasinski (see story on page 38) are imbuing the capital’s creative scene with fresh ideas, and are very much in demand for interior projects such as the new Superbude hotel next to Vienna’s Prater amusement park.

Let’s CelebrateAs you can see, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the year 2022 in – and with – Vienna. You will not only leave happier than when you arrived: the impressions you take away with you will live on for a very long time to come. And you’ll have to keep on coming back, too – after all, Vienna won’t be standing still in future, either. It is firmly on the path to becoming a sustainable smart city. Quality of life will continue to rise. The Vienna of the future arrived a long time ago. And that is more than enough reason to celebrate in 2022.

Photo: © WienTourismus/Christian Stemper

Photo: © Vienna Tourist Board/David Payr

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Celebrate: Art & Culture

Is it African art that’s ringing the changes? Or could it be Viennese strings (or yodeling) that’s setting the

tone – at the capital’s new monuments to the arts?

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Ten Questions for Agnes Palmisano The Viennese yodeling aficionado talks about the songs of Vienna.

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Viennese Modernism Revisited How rising stars with African roots are stirring up the art scene and

conquering the world from Vienna.

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Viennese Strings for the World Handmade strings for stringed and plucked string instruments from Viennese

company Thomastik-Infeld – used by the world’s music superstars.

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Return to Splendor Lots of museums are set to open – or reopen – over the next few years.

A look at Vienna’s new monuments to the arts.

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Carpenter Twins at the Konzerthaus Viennese Originals Wolfgang Becker and Franz Risavy work

behind the scenes at the Wiener Konzerthaus.

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Agnes Palmisano c/o Heuriger Hengl-Haselbrunner Iglaseegasse 10 1190 Vienna www.agnes-palmisano.at www.hengl-haselbrunner.at

Dudeln – never heard of it? Well, singer Agnes Palmisano is a past master. We stop by and interview her at home – she lives in a Heuriger wine tavern; it doesn’t get much more Viennese than that – and she tells us about this uniquely Viennese style of singing. And about Wienerlieder songs, performing live, the Viennese soul and her city – Vienna.

Ten Questions for Agnes Palmisano

➀ What is Wiener Dudler? A mix of coloratura vocal melody and Alpine yodeling, very heavy on the emotional ex-pressivity. I would compare it to what babies do with their voices: whining, whooping.

➁ Your tip: where can you listen to live Viennese music? Every Tuesday at the Hengl-Haselbrunner wine tavern. (Laughs.) Which just happens to be where I live.

➂ Where else do you like to perform? Anywhere and everywhere! But I feel most at home in a kind of chamber music setting, where I can feel the audience. Then we feed off each other’s energy.

➃ How important is the live element in a performance? Artists transform the existing energy. Every-one listening plays a role in whether the evening hits the spot, through the way – and whether – they let the music land.

➄ Dudeln isn’t all that you do… I sing a lot of Wienerlied songs, preferably with my trio. But I also do a “Lied” set with the pianist Paul Gulda. As well as songs by Renaissance composer John Dowland in Viennese dialect.

➅ What does Vienna sound like to you? A little hoity toity and a little basic – just the right blend. The direct coexistence of both is what makes Vienna what it is.

➆ What defines the Viennese? A tendency towards being phlegmatic and laid back. And the humor – the ability to laugh at themselves. About the dazzling and the dark sides.

➇ What do the Viennese moan about? It’s all about that comfort zone. But they can always summon up that little bit of energy to get annoyed about something if needs be. But no more than that – such as actually changing something.

➈ What can only be found in Vienna? Wiener Dudler [Viennese-style yodeling – ed.]. It has been inscribed on the Represent-ative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. At present it’s associated with my name – which is fine by me, and I like doing it.

Where do you think Vienna is at its most beautiful? On my terrace. And on the Danube Island – my anchor, ever since I moved here. I can breathe freely there.

(Interview)Susanna BURGER

(Photo) Paul BAUER

15WIENER MODE

Viennese Modernism REVISITED(Text)

Johannes LUXNER

The hottest art on the US market right now has its roots deep in Vienna. Rising star Amoako Boafo from Ghana studied painting in Vienna and was hugely influenced by artists like Egon Schiele along the way. And he’s not the only artist with African roots to draw inspiration from the radical thinkers of Viennese Modernism, either. The next mercurial talent, Alexandre Diop, is already waiting in the wings. And the theme that links them? Black identity and Black self-perception.

Viennese Modernism and its art is more on trend – and international – than ever before. As demon-strated by Ghana-born artist Amoako Boafo. The 37-year-old is currently taking the US art mar-ket by storm. His works adorn the walls of the Guggenheim in New York as well as the museum run by high-profile US collectors Don and Mera Rubell. Prices for his evocative works went through the roof in 2020. These days, Boafos can change hands for up to a million dollars. The international art world cannot get enough. But what is so special about Boafo’s art? The focus of his work is on people of color. He portraits people of the diaspora, plays with their percep-tions of themselves and their beauty, inviting the beholder to reflect on notions of Black subjectiv-ity. For Boafo it is all about showing the complex nature of his sitters. On an intellectual level, it is art that perfectly reflects the messages of the Black Lives Matter movement. “The main idea

behind my work is representing, documenting and celebrating and revealing new ways of engaging with Black identity,” announced the publicity-shy artist via a press statement. His impressive story started in Vienna.

Black Lives Matter meets Viennese Modernism: “In Yellow with Malcolm” by Amoako Boafo

Photo: © Amoako Boafo, 2018. Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects Los Angeles; photo by Robert Wedemeyer

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16 Vienna, Intl. – Issue 2Vienna, Intl. – Issue 2

Inspirational ViennaBoafo came to Vienna in 2014 to study at the Academy of Fine Arts. A decision that would have a life-changing effect on Boafo, who is the son of a fisherman and a cook. It was in Vienna that he first came into contact with Viennese Modernism, and the radical works of Egon Schiele in particular. Schiele’s influence on Boafo’s creative output is hard to miss, even for those with only a pass-ing interest in art. In terms of its ex-pressivity, the Ghanaian’s figurative painting is every bit the equal of the art created in fin-de-siècle Vienna. In both cases, it is a question of break-ing free of entrenched patterns and looking at the world with fresh eyes. And it is here that Boafo really has struck a nerve.

Stellar RiseThe renowned US painter Kehinde Wiley, creator of the official portrait of Barack Obama, discovered Boafo on Instagram and became his first major backer. Drawing on his strong inter-national connections, Vienna-based art manager Amir Shariat gave Boafo’s career another boost alongside LA gallery Roberts Projects by put-ting the artist on the radar of influential US art collectors Dona and Mera Rubell. Boafo was the first artist to be awarded an Artist Residency at the Rubell’s new art museum in Miami, setting a dynamic relationship in motion. These days Boafo shuttles between Vienna, Los Angeles and the Ghanaian capital Accra as he continues to build one of the most incredible art careers of recent years. In September 2021 he opened his second major solo exhibition at the Roberts Projects gallery in Los Angeles, while somehow finding the time to work on fashion label Dior’s 2021 menswear collection. Perhaps more excit-ingly than that, Boafo is not an outlier when it comes to art from Vienna with an African background which is significantly shaped by Viennese Modernism.

Football, Dance, ArtVienna was also the launchpad for Alexandre Diop, who at the age of just 25 is in the midst of making it big in his career. In fall 2021 Diop fea-tured at Art Basel. Known for their impeccable instincts, the Rubells already own a number of his pictures thanks to dealer Amir Shariat, and the next 20 works that Diop produces have already been sold. The hype surrounding him is similar to the buzz around Boafo. Both artists are represented by Roberts Projects, Los Angeles. But even before art enters the picture, Diop’s bio- graphy already says a thousand words: originally, the Franco-Senegalese had dreams of becoming a professional footballer, having played in the Paris Saint Germain youth team as a teenager. But it was not to be. Instead, he headed for Berlin where he studied dance and choreography. But a couple of years ago, he was drawn to Vienna and the Academy of Fine Arts where he studies painting under Daniel Richter. “Vienna is the perfect city for me.

Egon Schiele's influence on Amoako Boafo's art is undeniable: “Reflection 1”

Photo: © Amoako Boafo, 2018. Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects Los Angeles; photo by Robert Wedemeyer

16

Materials from garbage and scrapyards are Diop's preferred materials. Photo: © Vienna Tourist Board/Paul Bauer

17WIENER MODE

I can fully concentrate on my work here. Vienna is incredibly inspirational,” Diop confirmed during a visit to see him at his courtyard workshop in the third district. It’s a place where multiple threads

come together: Amoako Boafo has a studio in the same building. In fact, the two are friends. And the Austrian artists Martha Jungwirth and Erwin Bohatsch also have their studios here. A world-

class hotbed of creativity, unknown even to most of the people who call the city home. Diop: “I’m at my most comfortable here. It would have been impossible for me to get hold of a studio like this in Berlin. It’s really not surprising that more and more artists from all over the world are being drawn to Vienna.”

Klimt’s Bling-BlingDiop also engages with Black iden-tity and Black self-perception. But his work is definitely more forebod-ing and mysterious. And Klimt’s influence is palpable: “Schiele is great, but for me Klimt’s even

Just a few years ago, Alexandre Diop was playing soccer for Paris Saint Germain. But he moved to Vienna to study at the Academy of Fine Arts.


Materials from garbage and scrapyards are Diop's preferred materials. Photo: © Vienna Tourist Board/Paul Bauer

17ART & CULTURE


better.” That said, Diop’s and Boafo’s approaches could scarcely be any more different: Diop cre-ates his works on wood and he prefers materials that he finds in scrapyards and rubbish dumps. He has a particular interest in metal. “One of my favorite places is the scrapyard on Prager Strasse. For me, the objects I find there are a significantly more efficient artistic medium than paint.” The metallic shimmer in his oeuvre can be seen as a reference to Klimt’s lavish use of gold. “Klimt’s bling-bling fascinates me because he uses it to transport something very sacral. It gives gold meaning.” And Diop’s art is rooted in intellectual depth: “My main sources of inspiration include the books of Senegalese historian and leading proponent of Afrocentrism Cheikh Anta Diop, who started to use science to contest the margin-alization of Africa in the 1950s. For him, it was a question of elevating African self-perception.” While not actually related, they are kindred spirits

in terms of approach. It is hard to believe that the Franco-Senegalese only entered the world of fine arts a little more than three years ago. But at what point did the former footballer start to identify as an artist? Diop grins: “I always have. After all, football is art, too. Because in both cases it is a question of expressing myself. There’s something very playful about both.”

Expressive like Viennese Modernism: Diop's greatest influence is the work of Gustav Klimt.


Diop's works contain numerous obvious references to Gustav Klimt.



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Unique auditory experiences are the product of vision and precision. Handmade strings for stringed and plucked string instruments

from Thomastik-Infeld have been setting the tone for a long time. With the courage to innovate and a passion for music, the Viennese

family-owned company (est. 1919) has earned itself a place at the international top table.

(Text) Maria SCHALLER

The auditory world inhabited by Thomastik- Infeld begins where you wouldn’t necessarily ex-pect, behind the dark red door of a rather unas-suming building in Vienna’s residential fifth dis-trict. It is in these workshops at Diehlgasse 27 that the strings which have gone on to conquer the world from the Austrian capital are designed and produced. Each year, around 4.2 million strings are made here using precision technology. Every single one is inspected by hand before it leaves Diehlgasse. 97 percent of them are destined for export, to 85 countries. Today, the company has more than 400 official sales partners worldwide. Covering 22 product families, the range comprises strings for conventional stringed in-struments, as well as for guitars and global music instruments. But what’s the secret behind a success story that has been running for more than a century?

Everything Under One Roof Thomastik-Infeld’s handmade strings are ultra-modern, high-tech products. Insights from the worlds of physics, materials and corrosion science, machine tooling and precision engineering all play a role. Painstaking planning and precise execution are all in a day’s work for the 206 employees, whose expert hands and eagle eyes are an indispensable part of the process. It takes around two years to fully train new team members. 78 percent of the workers are female. “This proportion is a com-plete coincidence,” explains Zdenka Infeld, who has been at the helm of the family company since 2009, and has successfully kept her employees to-gether at a single location: “Given our commitment to quality, it is essential that our technicians, devel-opers and quality control experts all work in the same building.”

VIENNESE Strings for the

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Thomastik-Infeld’s success stems from a combination of modern technology and precise handcraftsmanship. The employees are genuine professionals and nothing is left to chance – as seen here in the production of cello strings.

Only the highest-quality materials are used.Photos: © H&H Business Fotografie | © Nik Pichler

23ART & CULTURE

The fact that this building is located in Vienna brings a number of advantages. The capital’s unique concert venues, where outstanding mu-sicians perform, are known all over the world. And in many cases, the very component that makes the best acoustics possible in the first place comes from Vienna. “Vienna plays an extraordinarily important role as a center of string making. It’s not a long way from those famous stages to our workshop,” explains Nina Haberlehner, Global Marketing & Creative Director at Thomastik-Infeld.

Recipe for SuccessThe company’s path to becoming the world mar-ket leader in violin string making is down to a pair of Viennese visionaries who founded the company in 1919, imbuing it with their innovative spirit and passion for music: Franz Thomastik, Doctor of Philosophy and a violin maker who loved creative experimentation with strings. And Otto Infeld, who, as an engineer and technical ex-pert, was the ideal partner. Creativity and cour-age, paired with precision and know-how, have been the foundations of the company philosophy from the outset. And part of its winning formula: since its foundation, the company has registered 80 national and international patents – more than any other string maker worldwide.

Thomastik-Infeld has been a driving force behind the development of high-quality strings for decades. Its efforts reached a crescendo in 1970 when the Dominant was presented, which has laid claim to the title of the most played and best-known string in the world ever since. Its syn-thetic composition delivers numerous advantag-es over the previous material of choice, natural gut. It is more resistant to atmospheric condi-tions and has a longer useful life. For more than 50 years, this string, released in a Dominant Pro version in 2021, has been beloved by musicians all over the world.

Listen and ImproveWhether it’s the Wiener Musikverein or the Sydney Opera House, New York’s Central Park or the Heavy Metal Festival in Wacken – Thomastik-Infeld has featured on the world’s streets and stages for years. Fitting instruments

with strings from Vienna sets the tone for excellence. Another milestone in the company’s history came in 2019 with the establishment of Stringtelligence®. Launched to mark its cente-nary, this repository of information gives musi-cians around the planet access to comprehensive expertise at the press of a button.

Close cooperation with soloists and orchestras is another enormously important aspect of the company’s work. International greats from a host of different genres are reg-ularly invited to make their own valuable contribution to product development and quality control. Personal feedback is invaluable – in spite of the enormous rise in technical expertise, no computer in the world can calculate sound quality. Musicians such as Odön Rácz, Snow Owl, Aleksey Igudesman, Hilary Hahn, George Benson, Robert deMaine and the Emerson Quartet are just some of the artists seen coming and going at Thomastik-Infeld over the years. After all, sound is everywhere at Diehlgasse 27 in Vienna’s fifth district, Margareten.

Photo: © Nik Pichler

THOMASTIK-INFELD GMBHDiehlgasse 271050 Vienna

www.thomastik-infeld.com www.stringtelligence.com www.dominantpro.com

Email: [email protected]: +43 1 54 51 262


There’s a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. Over the next few months and years, the capital of culture is set to welcome a wealth of new highlights when a bumper crop of exceptional museums open –

or reopen.

Return to Splendor

(Text)Maria SCHALLER

Heidi Horten Collection● 1st district, Hanuschgasse 3→ www.hortencollection.com

This new addition to the Vienna museumscape has been very eagerly awaited, and rightly so. An all-new museum, currently taking shape in the heart of Vienna, will provide a fitting home for the Heidi Horten Collection, one of Europe’s leading private collections. For the past 30 years, patron of the arts Heidi Goëss-Horten, one of just a handful of female museum founders worldwide, has been bringing together an impressive cross- section of art history from early modernism to the present day.

The masterpieces – including works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall and Gerhard Richter – deserve a spe-cial home. Extensive work was required to convert the Stöckl building – a venerable Palais in the old town dating back to 1862, nestled between the Vienna State Opera, Albertina and Burggarten. The interior of the building has been complete-ly gutted; the facade painstakingly restored and greened. In future, there will be 1,500m² of exhi-bition space spread across three levels, with prom-inence also given to contemporary art. The wait is scheduled to be over in spring 2022.

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Lower Belvedere● 3rd district, Rennweg 6→ www.belvedere.at

Prince Eugene’s former summer residence on Rennweg, a strik-ing example of Baroque pomp, will be opening its magnificent doors to visitors again in 2022, once renovation work to bring the building up to international museum standards is completed. Security and air-conditioning systems now reflect the state of the art and accessibility has also been improved. And a café area awaits visitors, too. The venue will reopen at the end of January with a real treat: a temporary exhibition that sheds light on Sigmund Freud’s influence on Salvador Dalí.

Villa Beer● 13th district, Wenzgasse 12→ www.villabeer.wien

A real modernist masterpiece that has been home to genera-tions of residents and once even hosted the headquarters of the British secret services: Villa Beer, a private residence built by Josef Frank and Oskar Wlach during the interwar period. Now, the four-story architectural gem in Hietzing is being converted into a museum house and opened up to the public by new owner

Lothar Trierenberg. At present, the focus is on fine-tuning the concept including renovation work and appointing the even-tual operator ahead of its sched-uled opening in 2024.

Hedy Lamarr Museum

The life and legacy of this Holly- wood star from Vienna will be-come the subject of a permanent exhibition. In 2021, American friends of the Jewish Museum Vienna acquired her estate – in-cluding photos, sketches, letters, documents and items of cloth-ing. Her son Anthony Loder handed over the objects with the request that they be put on show in Lamarr’s home city. Hedy Lamarr, born in Vienna in 1914 as Hedwig Kiesler, set Hollywood alight as a glamor-ous film star after emigrating to the USA, paving the way for the

advent of modern telecommunica-tions with her in-ventions almost as a sideline. The search for a fit-ting location for the new museum is ongoing.

Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky Center ● 5th district, Franzensgasse 16/40→ www.schuette-lihotzky.at

Another of Vienna’s leading ladies is set to be honored with her own museum: the architect Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky who is remembered as a pioneer of social housing, advocate of the women’s liberation movement, peace activist and resistance fighter against National Social-ism. She was opposed to being known “merely” as the inven-tor of the Frankfurt kitchen, the forerunner to the modern fitted kitchen. Schütte-Lihotzky’s last apartment in Franzensgasse, where she lived for three decades until her death in 2000, is being refurbished and reconstructed. The heritage-listed apartment is scheduled to open to visitors in March 2022.

Wien Museum Karlsplatz ● 4th district, Karlsplatz 8→ www.wienmuseumneu.at

Starting to show its age a little, the Wien Museum Karlsplatz will be back better than ever fol-lowing an extensive expansion and remodeling project. Since 1959, it has been documenting the history of the city from the early stone age to the present day. The refurb project is currently proceeding at full tilt. On its re-turn, the modern museum build-ing will have twice as much ex-hibition space for the expanded permanent exhibition as well as for accommodating events and education programs. There will also be a huge, freely accessible terrace with views of Karlsplatz to look forward to. Scheduled re-opening: end of 2023.

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(Text) Susanna BURGER

(Photos) Gregor HOFBAUER

Viennese Originals: these are the people that make Vienna, through their personalities, their actions and their way of life. We found two of these

Viennese Originals at the Konzerthaus. Not on, but behind the stage. In-house carpenters Wolfgang Becker and Franz Risavy.

Carpenter Twins at the Konzerthaus


Both men talk about their work away from the spotlight in glow-ing terms. And their occupation is a long way removed from a carpenter’s usual stock-in-trade. Wolfgang Becker has been in the job for 30 years and Franz Risavy for more than 20. Together they are the Konzerthaus Twins: “You can’t take a door off its hinges on your own. Or lift up the bench seats in the auditorium.”

450 Doors andThousands of Chairs

The Wiener Konzerthaus is the home of musical variety: sounds from the Middle Ages to the pres-ent day, in several magnificent auditoriums with prime acoustics and beautiful art nouveau architec-tural features. Obviously, things break from time to time. And fixing them is the overarching priority for the carpenters, who get to work repairing windows, doors and floors at 7am. Right up until rehearsals or recordings start, when it’s time to down tools.

Maintenance is another big job. The Wiener Konzerthaus has 640 rooms, and 450 doors have to be checked for compliance with fire safety standards every single year. A job for Becker & Risavy. And the seats also need to be looked after and reuphol-stered – the seating in the historic rooms are still the Thonet originals which were installed for the opening in 1913. While undeniably attractive and practical, they also have a key acoustical role to play. The chairs set the tone, one might say.

Ice PianoBecker and Risavy’s eyes light up when talk

turns to their creative projects. They also like to tinker with things during their downtime. For them, there’s no such word as “can’t”. A favorite anecdote relates to the contemporary music festival, Wien Modern. Wolfgang Becker launches into the “grip-ping tale of the ice piano”.

“The idea was to put a piano on stage to go with Georg Nussbaumer’s installation Eine Winterreise (A Winter Journey), cover it in ice, play it and listen to the sounds that emerge depending on how much ice there was. An interesting task for

us. It called for an understanding of structural engineering. There was 1,000 kg of ice on the piano.”

Quiet as a Mouse The pair love their place of work: “We don’t come here to pass the time of day. We put our heart and soul into it. In return, we’re treat-ed to moments that others can only dream of. When we come up from the workshop and the Wiener Symphoniker are playing live... You have to be very, very quiet. Quiet as a mouse for ten minutes. Hardly anyone else has that at work. And definitely not in a carpentry shop where the ra-

dio’s always on. Once a year, we check everything in the rooms – the chairs, for movement, cracks. When the organ is playing our woodworkers’ ear protection lets the muted sound through beauti-fully. It’s fantastic.”

Wolfgang Becker’s favorite spot in Vienna: Schönbrunn, the whole complex including the pal-ace, grounds and zoo. His other tips include Lainz Game Reserve and the Danube Island – green Vienna. And the delicious drinking water that comes fresh out of the taps. Franz Risavy adds the Belvedere as one of his personal Vienna high-lights, adding that “the city’s cultural side hits the spot”. And then there’s yet another liquid highlight: Viennese wine and the specialty Gemischter Satz in particular.

Wiener Konzerthaus Lothringerstrasse 20 1030 Vienna +43 1 242 002 www.konzerthaus.at

Two carpenters. Responsible for the 640 rooms

at the Wiener Konzerthaus.

Franz Risavy and Wolfgang Becker look after the historic Thonet seating from 1913. The emperor attended

the opening of the venue.

27ART & CULTURE

29

Celebrate: Architecture,

Fashion & Design Contemporary and classic fashion, the naked truth

and beautiful things inspired by the middle of the 20th century and given a unique voice through

exceptional design.

30

Ten Questions for Petar Petrov The fashion designer dresses international stars, making a statement with his

elegant aesthetic and bold cuts.

32

Provocative and Progressive A tribute to exiled Austrian fashion revolutionary Rudi Gernreich, who tore up

the fashion rulebook with his monokini.

38 Beauty and the Bigger Picture

Laura Karasinski is an art director, designer and creative dynamo whose work has been adding beauty to locations all over the city for ten years now. A portrait.

42 Back to the Future

An architectural journey back in time to the mid-century featuring Vienna’s wealth of 1950s and 1960s gems.

46 The Sound of Music

Vienna is the world capital of music. The city also leads the way on the international stage when

it comes to sound and design.

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Petar Petrovpetarpetrov.com

Available in Vienna from:Park, Mondscheingasse 20,1070 Vienna & Amicis Women,Tuchlauben 11, 1010 Vienna

Available internationally from stockists including: Bergdorf Goodman, Galeries Lafayette, Harrods

Vienna-based fashion designer Petar Petrov has taken the world’s luxury department stores by storm. Stars including Kristen Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow are among the big names won over by the elegant aesthetic and daring cuts that characterize his designs. The Ukrainian- Bulgarian fashionista is all about understatement, both on a personal level and in his work.

Ten Questions for Petar Petrov

➀ How did you get involved in fashion? I’ve always been interested in fashion. My mother is a dressmaker and she kindled my passion for the art form.

➁ What did you want to be originally? I always wanted to work in the creative in-dustries. In all honesty, I never wanted to do anything else. But becoming a fashion design-er was not the culmination of a specific plan that I had been following. It simply turned out that way, and I am happy that it is my career.

➂ What is it about Vienna that inspires your work? Vienna is beautiful and classical, but it also has a hidden wild side. It is people as well as – in an indirect way – my surroundings that inspire me.

➃ Do Viennese elements crop up in your designs? Not consciously. It is more about a feeling, a mood. Vienna is a very relaxed place to live, and to work, too. My work is highly emo-tional and reflects my surroundings and my lifestyle.

➄ Where is Vienna modern, in your eyes? Vienna is not modern, but that is what I love about Vienna.

➅ Who are your style icons? I am inspired by women with character, women who live their lives to the full. They do not have to be well known, but need to have good taste and style. Many of my female Viennese friends are interesting, inspirational women who keep showing that while fashion is something that they are not prepared to go without, there are other things in life that are important as far as happiness is concerned.

➆ Which famous Viennese personality would you like to dress? I have to disappoint you here, but I have no interest in famous people. We are already dressing the most compelling women, it’s just that they prefer not to be in the public eye.

➇ A personal insider tip for Vienna? It depends what interests the individual. Vienna is full of insider tips.

➈ Where can you relax best in Vienna? I like being at home, as well as at friends’ places.

What is the taste of Vienna for you?

Apple cake.

(Interview)Susanne KAPELLER

(Photo) Jork WEISMANN

31ARCHITECURE, FASHION & DESIGN

39WIENER MODE

Beauty and the Bigger Picture

Her style: omnipresent right now. Her mission: to bring beauty into our lives. Laura Karasinski is an art director, designer and creative dynamo. Her taste is in greater demand than ever. For ten years she has been coming up with design ideas and shaping spaces all over Vienna supported by her team at Atelier Karasinski. Guided by an unwavering eye for beauty and the bigger picture – from door handles to ceilings.

(Text)Karoline GASIENICA-BRYJAK

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ARCHITECURE, FASHION & DESIGN


In her early 20s, she founded the Atelier Karasinski design studio out of her apartment in the eighth district. Today, her new studio – complete with pastel pink kitchen, bright communal workspace and ochre brown meeting room – is just two streets away, also in a traditional old-style Viennese apart-ment building. Often, there is no reason for Laura Karasinski to set foot outside the district: her work is here. And so is her life. Over the past few years, the boundaries between the two have become in-creasingly blurred, the young artist tells us, mug

of decaf coffee – with oat milk – in hand. She doesn’t have a lot of free time as the scope of her operations is as diverse as the palette of colors and styles she works with. The 31-year-old Vienna-born designer with Polish roots says with conviction: “You can shape anything.” Her work proves this beyond a doubt: she adds her inimitable touch to everything from websites and logos to a company’s overall identity.

She loves to en-gage with Vienna and its

history. Especially when a new project comes up, she studies the backstory in impressive detail. In 2015, Motto, a restaurant in the fifth district, be-came one of Karasinski’s first major interior design projects. Nine months of research went into her preparations. It turned out that the restaurant had been through four makeovers in its 40-year histo-ry. The search was on for photos, guest books and even former employees who could shed more light on Motto’s past. Old aspects were reinterpreted and fed back into the composition, ensuring that previ-ous elements were brought into the present: such as the striking green velvet that once adorned the walls. Today, the benches are covered in the same material – in the same color.

Other projects followed, such as the Adlerhof, a complete redesign of a classic Viennese eatery ex-ecuted in collaboration with Gerd Zehetner from Archiguards architects (see pages 72-73), and two beauty concept stores: the Babetown nail studio with integrated shop and the Gepp brothers’ hair-dressing salon with coffeehouse and patisserie. The list goes on – lots of work that speaks for itself. With its very own aesthetic. Which comes as a surprise to Karasinski: “Lots of people say that they recognize our style. I ask myself: where?”

Eye for DetailElegant colors, expansive patterns and lots of vin-tage – all elements that Karasinski loves to work with. She always relies on her instincts to tell her

Motto Photo: © Atelier Karasinski

Office and meeting room at Atelier Karasinski Photo: © The Daily Dose

how to accentuate the fundamen-tal aesthetic of a space. A little like before, when people paid more at-tention to the aesthetics of utilitar-ian everyday objects. So it is hard-ly surprising to discover that she likes to incorporate centuries-old artisanal crafts. “Ideally, I work with manufactories directly. The handcraftsmanship techniques are passed down and perfected over generations. Quality that al-ways shines through,” she says and shows us a small hinge made by arts and crafts metal studio Kyral (est. 1910) exclusively for one of her projects. The vintage look is intentional and achieved through patination. Another perfectly thought-through detail.

The tried-and-tested quality standards have always made this city an attractive location for art-ists and creative artisans. “I would have loved to have experienced the Vienna of the previous turn of the century – a hotbed of creativity that was home to Alma Mahler, Gustav Klimt and Koloman Moser. Although it definitely wouldn’t have been easy for a woman then either. But the city continued to evolve. Today, I am very happy about the direction that life and work are taking here. Vienna is loosening up. And it is ready for change. It takes a little convinc-ing, but I am able to get a ‘yes’ out of even the most skeptical of Viennese clients for new projects,” she explains. As a woman she often has to prove her-self, but she remains true to her idea and vision, and successfully so. Her customers love her design con-cepts. Striking without being too overt, they always have a common goal: the beautiful bigger picture.

A Beautiful Future AheadKarasinski’s love for design and art blossomed at an early age. “Beautification” has always been a passion of hers. When she was in school, it took the form of sketches of her classmates and sometimes even tattoos. Today, she is adding a certain something to the city’s interiors. Most recently to the 178 rooms – or individually crafted “Buden” – at new modern hotel Superbude at Perspektivstrasse 8 in the sec-ond district. It is also the location of the smallest hotel in Vienna: Hotel Karasinski, a hotel within a

hotel, is just big enough for two. It is a suite ooz-ing old-style Viennese charm to turn any stay in the city into an unforgettable experience: a free-standing bathtub, stylish vintage furniture, a cozy bed and no end of surprises. Each month, Laura carefully curates new individual notes including snacks, books and personalized playlists. Bicycles are also available for guests to use during their stay. The idea is that anyone staying at Hotel Karasinski will feel at home. In familiar surroundings. Which is what Vienna is all about in her eyes. Reservations can either be made via the studio website or with Superbude Wien Prater directly.

That she is hard at work on her next project is clear enough, but it’s all still top secret at the moment. So it re-mains to be seen what 2022 has in store.

Hotel Karasinski Photos: © Atelier Karasinski

ADRESSES

Atelier Karasinski● Piaristengasse 17

1080 Vienna→ www.atelierkarasinski.com

Motto Wien● Schönbrunner Strasse 30

1050 Vienna→ www.motto.wien

Babetown● Piaristengasse 17

1080 Vienna→ www.babetown.at

Gepp● Babenbergerstrasse 7

1010 Vienna→ www.gepp.wien

Superbude Wien Prater● Perspektivstrasse 8

1020 Vienna→ www.superbude.com


Vienna’s architecture has provided some impres-sive designs whatever the era. But in recent years, the focus has increasingly turned to the mid-20th century, a period that reveals a great deal about the city. The 1950s and 1960s were an era of new beginnings. A whole new language emerged in architecture, too – one which now triggers a deluge of nostalgic feelings. The Viennese are en-amored with the buildings and interiors from this era. As shown in a new book on the subject that set graphic designer Tom Koch and photographer Stephan Doleschal sleuthing at the start of the first lockdown. Entitled “Mid-Century Vienna”, it was also made possible thanks to the support of the

city’s residents. As part of a crowdsourcing project they reached out to the people who call the capital home, inviting them to share their mid-century architectural gems. Their appeal yielded more than 600 responses. And the outcome was a fantastic collection that delves deep into the 20th century to shed light on a previously little-explored side to the city. Whether it’s a coffeehouse, cinema or church. Or rollercoaster, ice cream parlor or crypt for that matter: places steeped in an incredible ambience which have lost nothing of their modern edge await.

(Photos) Stephan DOLESCHAL

(Text) Johannes LUXNER

Vienna is historic through and through, but just like the city, the capital’s architectural trend line has always reflected the Zeitgeist: both in the past and in the modern day. An architecture-inspired journey back in time to the 1950s and 1960s turns up some remarkable finds from this seminal era of new beginnings.

Back to the FUTURE


43

Café Prückel is a true one-of-a-kind out of all the famous coffeehouses that line Vienna’s showpiece Ringstrasse. Although located on the ground floor of a magnificent fin-de-siècle building, the aesthetic inside is 1950s all the way. An interior design dream that radiates a lightness of touch. This classic coffeehouse was created by one of the best-known and most influential designers of his day, the Viennese architect Oswald Haerdtl.

● Café Prückel, Stubenring 24, 1010 Vienna

Nostalgic NightsEver dreamt of sleeping in a 1960s bubble? A reality at the Engel apartment in Vienna’s leafy suburb of Grinzing, otherwise famous for its Heuriger wine taverns and vineyards. The apartment was co-developed by a pair of Viennese designers: Otto Niedermoser and Carl Auböck. Stays at the unique maisonette can be reserved at www.midcentury-vienna.com.

● Apartment Engel, Strassergasse 8-12, 1190 Vienna

Cinema ParadisoLooking for an all-original example of a 1950s cinema? Then it is time to head to the Filmcasino, a time capsule in a class of its own. Fitted in 1954, the original interiors remain in situ. A place for true cinema enthusiasts. The Filmcasino is an arthouse cinema with a focus on European film. But it is also a popular spot for all manner of shootings too – hardly surprising, given the truly exceptional interior.

● Filmcasino, Margaretenstrasse 78, 1050 Vienna

Hall for All The Wiener Stadthalle is one of the most important build-ings to come out of the mid-century era. Built between 1953 and 1958, it is a seminal venue that almost everyone in Vienna has been to at least once. From sporting events to pop and rock concerts, this multifaceted space covers the full entertainment spectrum. The blueprints for the Stadthalle came from the drawing board of Viennese architect Roland Rainer, who came up with a timeless classic that remains every bit as versatile to this day.

● Stadthalle, Roland-Rainer-Platz 1, 1150 Vienna

A Slice of Mid-Century Magic



The Capuchin Crypt is the final resting place for the members of the Habsburg-Lothringen dynasty. Since the 17th century, 12 emperors and 19 empresses have been laid to rest here. But what many people are not aware of is that the imperial crypt was extended between 1960 and 1962. Known as the Neue Gruft, this new space is a prime example of mid-century design. It was planned by Karl Schwanzer. The rough concrete walls were inspired by the layers of a grave.

● Kapuzinergruft, Neuer Markt, 1010 Vienna

Ups and DownsMid-century design has also left its mark on Vienna’s famous Prater amusement park. Lovingly referred to by locals as the Zwergerlbahn, this period roller coaster is one of the last three of its kind in the world. The special carriages that take visitors speeding around the track exude a charm all of their own with their sweeping lines.

● Zwergerlbahn, Wurstelprater, 1020 Vienna

Grandiose Guest Garden Occupying an exceptionally prominent position on Heldenplatz outside the Hof burg palace is the Volksgarten Pavillon, one of the best spots anywhere in the city center to stop off for refreshments in prime architectural sur-roundings. The chic pavilion and outdoor café – with its trademark integrated table lamps – are always a huge hit with lovers of the 1950s look. Great food, fine drinks and curated DJ sets await.

● Volksgarten Pavillon, Heldenplatz, 1010 Vienna

Stylish to the Grave

A 1950s gem in the middle of the popular seventh district that was rediscovered and lovingly restored in the 2000s: welcome to Espresso Burggasse, favorite haunt of a hip, young clientele. Espresso’s interior features the legendary Stadthallenstuhl chair which Roland Rainer created for the Stadthalle – another 1950s Viennese icon.

● Espresso Burggasse, Burggasse 57, 1070 Vienna

Out for an Espresso

45

Catholic? Psychedelic!

The striking formal language of the 1950s also found its way into some of the city’s places of worship. The best example is Neuerdberg Catholic parish church where the interior has an almost psychedelic vibe. This is due to the special construction of the stained-glass windows patent-ed by the Viennese sculptor Erwin Hauer. Hauer later emigrated to the USA, where he installed windows using the same system in numerous churches.

● Neuerdberg Catholic Church, Hagenmüllergasse 33, 1030 Vienna

Fancy an ice cream? Fans of fine design can savor precisely that at the Bortolotti ice cream parlor in Vienna’s third district where this beautiful neon ad continues to shine bright. A typical mid-century era relic that harks back to a time when the city was bathed in color from top to toe. And the ice cream tastes twice as good as a result.

● Eissalon Bortolotti, Baumgasse 1, 1030 Vienna

Monument to the Economic Miracle

No other Viennese hotel embodies the post-war Economic Miracle better than Hotel Prinz Eugen. The facade of this building close to the Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) is a timeless classic thanks to its pared-down design. Tip: a visit to the hotel bar. Unchanged since the 1950s, it instantly evokes deep associations with days long gone.

● Hotel Prinz Eugen, Wiedner Gürtel 14, 1040 Vienna

Frozen in Design

BOOK TIP:Tom Koch & Stephan Doleschal: Mid-Century Vienna, Falter Verlag, 240 pages, EUR 29.90. Texts in German and English.



(Text)Susanne KAPELLER

The Sound of Music

Vienna is a city of music. Nowhere else does music have this kind of cachet. And as far as technical playback devices are concerned, Vienna

really does set the tone. The Austrian capital leads the way on the international stage when it comes to speaker, headphone and record player sound and design. Whenever music is at play, Vienna is always

synonymous with premium quality.

WIENER MODE

Spherical and made from luxury Viennese Augarten porcelain – making them unique both in terms of design and sound. A clear expression of Augarten’s exemplary handcraftsmanship at its very best. The ball speakers are poured in a single mold, offering a clear, precise sound that is the apotheosis

of technical perfection. A beautiful product for the eyes and ears courtesy of Viennese manufacturer mo°sound.

→ www.mo-sound.com

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Augarten Ball Speakers from mo°sound


Another reference to mo°sound’s take on Viennese craftsmanship. A concrete speaker case is covered with Viennese wickerwork of the type normally found in the classic Thonet chairs in the city’s

coffeehouses. mo°sound’s Bluetooth speaker is a real eyecatcher for any living room. The rattan basketweave provides an attractive counterpoint to the concrete body.

→ www.mo-sound.com

b.ton Concrete Bluetooth Speaker from mo°sound

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WIENER MODE

Although still young, this company can draw on a wealth of experience as it was set up by former employees of a long-standing Viennese manufacturer. Austrian Audio is a byword for highly

advanced headphones and microphones. Made in Vienna, they are in great demand from aficionados worldwide. The headphones deliver crystal-clear, lossless sound, wrapped up in

an innovative design.

→ www.austrian.audio

Headphones from Austrian Audio

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Viennese designer Thomas Feichtner came up with the unusual aesthetic for Graz-based Poet Audio’s Pandoretta speaker. The wireless Bluetooth device provides near-360° sound distribution for an

outstanding listener experience, wherever they are in relation to the speaker. Here, the sound is mono rather than stereo. Produced in Austria, and available with an oak or walnut stand, Pandoretta is a

genuine design highlight.

→ www.poetsoundsystems.com

Pandoretta Speaker from Poet Audio

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In 1991, just as CDs were asserting themselves as the format of choice and vinyl had been read the last rites, Hans Lichtenegger put his faith in analog record players and founded Pro-Ject. His bold

plan paid off. Based just outside Vienna, the company is now the world market leader in hi-fi turntables. State-of-the-art technologies with a range of features cater to every specification, from

entry level models to luxury pieces such as the high-end Xtension 10 in walnut (pictured).

→ www.project-audio.com

Turntablefrom Pro-Ject

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Celebrate: City Life

Trash talk, street life and the place where trendsters and market traders rub shoulders. Yppenplatz and

Parliament have a special place in the Viennese lexicon.

54

Ten Questions for Denise Frost The environment management technician on

foul smells and fresh air.

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Trendsters and Traders A whistle-stop tour of the bustling

Yppenplatz and Brunnenmarkt.

62 Politics in the Center

Vienna has always been at the heart of international politics. The newly refurbished Parliament building will reopen in 2022.

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CITY LIFE

Municipal Department 48 Waste Management, Street Cleaning and Fleet www.wien.gv.at/umwelt/ma48/

In Vienna, people talk about garbage – and MA 48, the Municipal Department responsible for waste management, street cleaning and the cleaning vehicle fleet – with pride. A job with MA 48 is a prestigious affair. 27-year-old envi-ronmental management technician Denise Frost talks about foul smells and fresh air, boxing, Kaiserschmarren and Falco.

Ten Questions forDenise Frost

➀ Your career path...? After my apprenticeship as an office ad-ministrator I moved to the Austrian Federal Chancellery. Then I went into hospitality and the hotel industry – working as a re-ceptionist and a barkeeper. And I also had a brief stint in the world of marketing. And now: Municipal Department 48.

➁ What do you like most about your job? I either work as a street sweeper or I’m out with the refuse crew. But I have to say that what I enjoy most is manhandling the really big bins out on the rounds.

➂ What really turns your stomach? The smell was really bad to begin with. Collecting organic waste in the summer really is something. But now I’m used to it.

➃ Your favorite activities outside of work? I go to boxing workouts regularly – it’s a good release after work.

➄ What’s your take on the Viennese? I find the typical Viennese dialect and sense of humor fantastic. But then the constant dissatisfaction annoys me – the endless whingeing. (Laughs.) Especially when they are stuck behind one of our trucks!

➅ Which places in Vienna impress you the most? The first district is the nicest, with all the sights and the multicultural crowd. Reumannplatz is my least favorite. (Stops to reconsider.) Although the ice cream from Tichy does taste really good. The Prater can feel a bit spooky late at night.

➆ Vienna with all the senses – the taste of Vienna for you? My favorite Viennese dish is Kaiserschmarren.

➇ The sound of Vienna for you? I always liked Falco. For me, he’s part of Vienna.

➈ The smell of Vienna for you? The smell of cotton candy in the Prater or the deposits left on the streets by the horses that pull the Fiaker carriages sum up the contrasts in the city.

And the sound of Vienna for you? Vienna never sleeps. There’s always some form of sound somewhere, wherever you are.

(Interview)Susanna BURGER

(Photo) Die48er

55

(Photos)Paul BAUER


Trendsters and TRADERS

(Illustration)Francesco CICCOLELLA

The area around Yppenplatz in the 16th district is one of the most colorful parts of the city. And Brunnenmarkt is its beating heart.

We take a closer look.



I’m sitting in a café on Yppenplatz. All around me I can hear the hum of voices speaking numer-ous languages. Market traders are loudly touting their wares at Brunnenmarkt across the square. Skateboards rattle across the asphalt. The scent of exotic spices from the market is carried over to me on the breeze. If I had to guess, I would say I was somewhere on the Mediterranean. But no, I am in the heart of Vienna. In the 16th district, Ottakring, to be precise. In one of the liveliest and most colorful parts of the city, which has sprung up around Brunnenmarkt over the past few years. With more than 170 stands, Brunnenmarkt is the city’s largest street market. At one end is a large open square lined with numerous cafés, bars and restaurants – Yppenplatz.

Like a BazaarFresh fruits and vegetables are piled high at Brunnenmarkt, and the prices are set with weekly shops in mind. Stalls selling exotic spices from

all over the world are interspersed with traders offering a seemingly endless selection of cheeses and halal meats. Some are given over to clothing, while others serve kebabs, Pide, and Börek with the odd complimentary glass of tea thrown in for good measure.

Brunnenmarkt has a distinctly Turkish fla-vor. And the same goes for the stores which line the street that the market is on. The names of the supermarkets, bakeries, jewellers, textile and carpet shops say it all. And Vienna’s best-known Turkish restaurant can also be found here: Kent’s Levantine specialties and its huge courtyard are a draw for older card-playing Turkish gentlemen and young scenesters alike. But it’s not just Turkish beer Efes on the menu here; Ottakringer from the brewery just up the road is also available. The very definition of local color. And if you should be unlucky enough to get boxed in by other cars, then half of the bar will soon be out on the street to help you out of a tight spot. Again, thanks to everyone who helped!

From All Over the World

But Brunnenmarkt is not just Turkish. From the Syrian kiosk on the corner to the African butcher and the Viennese Café Messner, everyone’s represent-ed here. The market becomes in-creasingly specialized the closer we get to Yppenplatz, with delis now starting to dominate.

On Yppenplatz proper, the market consists of bricks-and-mortar pavilions, most of which contain cafés, bars and restaurants. It is the first pavil-ion that catches my eye – home to Wirr am Brunnenmarkt. It also happens to be the only place on the market with a rooftop ter-race, so demand for tables is cor-respondingly high. Next door is the Staud’s pavilion where shop-pers can pick up jars of the tradi-tional Viennese manufacturer’s unique jams, preserves and pick-led vegetables.

59CITY LIFE

I stroll past Mani, which spe-cializes in contemporary inter-pretations of Middle Eastern dishes, and young Viennese eat-ery Völlerei. In the middle of Yppenplatz, the walls are covered in brightly colored graffiti, which is definitely worth a look. During summer, residents of the build-ings overlooking the square come to sit on the benches in search of a cool spot where they can relax in the shade of its mature trees. With the unmistakable sound of the basketballs pinging around in one of the fenced-in courts in the background.

Holiday Feeling on YppenplatzA colorful blend of cafés and eateries lines the opposite side of the square: Gasthaus Müller, Café C.I., Cay (short for: Café am Yppenplatz), Café Frida and Dolce Lago line up shoulder to shoulder. Sometimes it is not entirely clear where one ends and the next begins. But it’s not really an issue as everyone gets on very well here. Opposite, in the middle of the square, is Café An-Do and Pizzeria Sofi. Yppenplatz is definitely hip, as a look at the clientele soon confirms.

A good tip for fans of Italian food is Restaurant Wetter, right at the other end of the square where Raetus Wetter cooks Ligurian dishes that are rarely found north of the Alps. While the menu is always in Italian, the staff are more than happy to help out with a translation.

Creative SceneNumerous creative outlets have also set up shop between the various culinary ports of call on and around Yppenplatz. Examples include a screen-printing studio, a bicycle workshop and the Brunnenpassage – this social art space in the former market hall hosts over 400 events every year, from theater and dance to music, exhibitions and film screenings. A special tip is Mano Design, Hedwig Rotter’s porcelain workshop on Grundsteingasse, where she produces beautiful items ranging from tableware to lamps. Often featuring Viennese designs, they make very special souvenirs of the city.

Something’s BrewingAs I am already in Ottakring, I decide to take a detour to the Ottakringer Brauerei, the brewery that makes the beer of the same name – the unof-ficial tipple of the city’s beer drinkers. The closer I get, the more intense the aroma gets. On brewing days, a mixture of the sweet scent of malt and pun-gent yeast hangs over the entire neighborhood. Which is something that anyone planning on mov-ing here should bear in mind. Sometimes, this aroma mixes with the smell of cacao from the nearby Manner chocolate wafer factory in the neighboring 17th district. From time to time, the two Viennese manufacturing stalwarts join forces and produce beer with a unique cacao note. Definitely one to try! Anyone interested in taking a look behind the scenes at the Ottakringer brewery can join one of the tours. And if craft beer is more to their taste, then there’s the Ottakringer Brauwerk, where the tours include samples of the creative brewery’s products.

After my trip to the brewery, I make my way back to Yppenplatz for a coffee. Whenever I’m longing for the feeling of a pulsating, lively major city, Brunnenmarkt and Yppenplatz are my go-to places. The area is a perfect example of how diversity, tradition and contemporary living can be brought together.


Café C.I.● Yppenplatz/Payergasse 14→ www.ci.or.at

Café C.I. was one of the first bars to open on Yppenplatz and quickly established itself as a meeting place for people from all over the world.

Cay ● Yppenplatz/Payergasse 12→ www.cay-yppenplatz.at

Short for Café am Yppenplatz. This attractive coffeehouse also has good food on the menu.

Café Frida ● Yppenplatz/Payergasse 12→ www.cafefrida.at

A feast for the eyes, too. Named for Frida Kahlo, who also provides the inspiration for the odd Mexican dish or two.

Dolce Lago● Yppenplatz/Payergasse 10→ www.dolcelago.at

Café, cocktail bar and Italian restaurant rolled into one.

Café An-Do● Brunnenmarkt, Marktstand 169→ www.cafeando.at

Sister restaurant of Do-An on Naschmarkt, Café An-Do is located right in the middle of Yppenplatz.

Pizzeria Sofi● Brunnenmarkt, Marktstand 161→ www.pizzasofi.at

Great pizzas, some with pretty out-there toppings.

Restaurant Wetter● Yppenplatz/Payergasse 13

Focus on Ligurian cuisine. The industrial design is a far cry from the standard Italian restaurant aesthetic.

Food & DrinkRestaurant Kent● Brunnengasse 67→ www.kentrestaurant.at

One of the best-known Turkish restaurants in Vienna, with plenty of tables in the picturesque courtyard.

Wirr am Brunnenmarkt● Brunnenmarkt, Marktstand 157

The only place on the square with a rooftop terrace – feat. cool music and views of the market below.

Mani● Yppenplatz, Marktstand 153-155→ www.mani-wien.at

A modern take on Middle Eastern cuisine.

Völlerei● Brunnengasse 69

A modern eatery with old wood pan-elling and classic Austrian dishes with an innovative touch.

Gasthaus Müller● Yppenplatz 2→ www.gasthaus-müller.com

Typical down-to-earth Viennese Gasthaus with the food to match.

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ShoppingBrunnenmarkt● Brunnengasse/Yppenplatz

With more than 170 stands running between Thaliastrasse and Ottakringer Strasse, it is the largest street market in Vienna.

SightsBrunnenpassage ArtSocialSpace● Yppenplatz/Brunnengasse 71→ www.brunnenpassage.at

An open art space inspired by diversity in the former market hall.

Ottakringer Brauerei● Ottakringer Platz 1→ www.ottakringer.at

The famous Viennese brewery offers tours which conclude with a tasting session.

Staud’s Pavillon● Schellhammergasse,

Marktstand 156→ www.stauds.com

This traditional Viennese manufacturer sells around 220 varieties of its Ottakring-made sweet and savoury delicacies here.

Mano Design● Grundsteingasse 36/1-3 → www.manodesign.at

Beautiful porcelain from Hedwig Rotter’s studio, many featuring attractive Vienna designs.


(Text) Maria SCHALLER

Vienna as a political hub: the city has an illustrious tradition as a center of municipal, national and even global political decision making.

So it is worth taking a closer look at its political centers.

A new highlight for Vienna – the Parliament building promises to be an even bigger draw once it reopens after extensive refurbishments thanks to the addition of a spectacular new terrace.

Photo: © Parlamentsdirektion / Jabornegg&Pálffy_AXIS / ZOOM VP

Politics IN THE CENTER

From the Congress of Vienna (1814/1815) and the signing of the Austrian State Treaty (1955) to mod-ern-day summits such as the nuclear talks with Iran (2015 and 2021) – the city is a place where national and international dialog has always played a pio-neering role.

As the provincial and national capital, the city has a very special status. From the imperial Hofburg palace complex, which contains the offices of the President, to the numerous ministries – his-tory is shaped in Vienna. And Vienna is also firm-ly established as an international city. More than 40 multinational organizations, primarily the United Nations (which selected the Austrian capital as one of its four headquarters) and numerous other international heavyweights (including OPEC and the OSCE), are based here. The centerpiece is the Vienna International Center (VIC), which opened in the 22nd district in 1979. Almost 19,000 em-ployees of the various international organizations located at the VIC help define the multicultural flavor that makes Vienna so unique.

Parliament: Fresh Views and InsightsOne striking aspect of Vienna’s political centers is that they tend to be located in extraordinary – and opulent – buildings. One of which is set to draw even more admiring gazes than ever when it reopens: the Parliament building on the Ringstrasse boulevard.

Built by star architect of his day Theophil Hansen and inspired by a Greek temple, it is currently closed for a full refurb after more than 130 years of service. Completion is scheduled for fall 2022. The building where the members of the Austrian National and Federal Councils usually discuss the orders of the day is now a giant building site where a major project will iron out various issues and elevate the parliament to the technological state of the art. Here, the focus is on making the reno-vations as sustainable as possible, which involves optimizing processes, getting the best out of the spaces available and increasing energy efficiency.

Going forward, the Parliament building will be open to everyone: a new visitor center (admission free) will offer an insight into the in-ner workings of government. And, in future, this grand old building will be scaling new heights, too. Currently under construction on the roof, a 400m² terrace will open up spectacular new views of the city center below. Open seven days a week, visitors can either take a seat at the new restaurant or simply enjoy the panorama.

City Hall: A Meeting Point for Everyone

Politics, and much more besides, is also on the agenda next door. Vienna City Hall (Rathaus), the capital’s administrative center, is the Parliament building’s immediate neighbor. As both a munici-pality and a federal province, Vienna has a unique position. And it is City Hall that serves as an HQ and meeting place for Vienna’s representatives. Built in the late 19th century, this magnificent Neo-Gothic edifice on the Ringstrasse is where the city’s polit-ical destiny is shaped. Inside and out, it provides an impressive backdrop for all kinds of events. Balls, Vienna Christ- mas World, Vienna Ice World, the Film Festival and countless others make City Hall and the square outside (Rathausplatz) one of the capital’s most pop-ular places to meet. For politicians, visitors and residents alike!

Vienna City Hall – political center, landmark and meeting place all rolled into one. Photo: © Gregor Hof bauer

VIENNA INTER- NATIONAL CENTREWagramer Strasse 51220 Viennawww.unvienna.org

PARLIAMENTDr.-Karl-Renner-Ring 31010 Viennawww.parlament.gv.atScheduled reopening:fall 2022

CITY HALL (RATHAUS)Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 11010 Viennawww.wien.gv.at/english

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Celebrate: Food & Drink

Fresh pastries, snails and sweet works of art add a depth of color to our garden party.

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Ten Questions for Julia Kilarski The master confectioner runs café-patisserie

Crème de la Crème in Vienna.

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Harvest Fresh from the City Modern farmers and food producers in Vienna serve up

all kinds of surprises including escargots, oyster mushrooms, exotic citrus fruits and a host of other delicacies.

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Join the Garden Party Many of the capital’s hospitality providers are bringing

the outside in, ensuring that the summer lasts forever with their living ceilings and walls.

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Café-Patisserie Crème de la CrèmeLange Gasse 761080 Viennacremedelacreme.atTue–Fri 09:00–18:00Sat, Sun & public hols. 10:00–17:00

Julia Kilarski works in a pretty sweet place. After studying law, she trained as a master con-fectioner before going on to open the utterly charming café-patisserie Crème de la Crème. From the interior to the sweet works of art on sale, everything here is a feast for the eyes. So much so, that it almost feels wrong to eat her creations. Almost.

Ten Questions for Julia Kilarski

➀ You are a law graduate. What was more difficult, studying law or your master confectioner exam? As I’ve always found studying easy, I would say that the practical part of the master con-fectioner exam was the biggest challenge for me. I firmly believe that people deserve far more recognition for their vocational qualifications.

➁ What did you want to be growing up? I already had a mind of my own as a child and wanted to be my own boss.

➂ What is your favorite sweet dish from the canon of Viennese cuisine? Apricot-filled dumplings, Marillenknödel. They remind me of my childhood and combine the tastes that I love best: crunchy, sweet, slightly salty and very sour.

➃ Your favorite spot in Vienna? I love the Art History and Natural History Museums, especially at night when they are beautifully illuminated.

➄ What is the smell of Vienna for you? A big city that sometimes feels like a village. And lots of clarified butter, there’s nothing better.

➅ What can only be found in Vienna? Grumpiness with a certain charm.

➆ Where would we find you privately? Usually at one of my favorite haunts (Crème de la Crème, Skopik & Lohn, Café Kandl, Brösl and Calienna). At the moment, often at Schönbrunn Zoo or the House of the Sea with the children, or the Schönbrunner- bad open-air pool or the Prater amusement park. By night at the Konzerthaus or the State Opera, if I have time.

➇ What was your biggest baking disaster? There have been a few, it’s all part of it. But one major mess-up was when on the first day our guests mixed up the sugar for their coffee with the salt because the containers were confusing.

➈ Which famous Viennese personality would you like to go out for a meal with? The writer Wolf Haas or the rapper RAF Camora.

What do you show visitors to Vienna? Kleines Café, Wirtshaus Zur Herknerin, the Giant Ferris Wheel and the State Opera House.

(Interview)Susanne KAPELLER

FOOD & DRINK 67

(Photo) Mike RABENSTEINER

Vienna is a big city through and through, a world capital. So it can be surprising to learn that the city has more than its fair share of

farmers, who are very much at home with the out-of-the-ordinary. Traditional local staples are now cultivated side by side with specialties

such as Viennese escargots or oyster mushrooms grown on old coffee grounds. Vienna is always good for a surprise or two. We visit modern

farmers and creative food producers.

HARVEST FRESH from the City


Andreas Gugumuck is in his element in his role as a snail breeder. Photo: © www.gugumuck.at/Karin Nussbaumer


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Vienna’s agriculture sector is as varied as its museum scene. Who would have thought that there are around 650 agricultural businesses in the capital? The majority of the city’s farmers produce vegetables. In fact, Vienna is the nation’s cucumber capital. Six out of ten Austrian cucumbers are grown in the city. And then there is the winegrowing in-dustry, which is another major player in Vienna. In total, 14 percent of the land in the capital is given over to agriculture. Pretty impressive for a major international city. These days, locally sourced pro-duce and short transport chains are the be all and end all in agriculture – and Vienna is no different.

Farm to TableThe producers include a number of creative spirits who have spotted and successfully established them-selves in various niches. One of them is snail breed-er Andreas Gugumuck. He transformed his family’s 400-year-old smallholding in Vienna’s southern out-skirts into a snail farm. Initially, his idea of setting up his own farm to breathe new life into traditional Viennese escargot breeding raised a few eyebrows. But thanks to a lot of grit and determination, he

was able to talk numerous restaurants in the city into putting dishes featuring Viennese escargots back on their menus. Gugumuck is more than happy to give visitors an entertaining tour

of his farm punctuated with numerous snail-based anecdotes. His free-range mollusks get all the nu-trition they need from organic plants and herbs. For years, there has been a bistro on site where top chefs cook up multi-course, snail-inspired menus on selected dates. And it’s not just the snails that come from the farm, but the fruits and vegetables too. Here, farm to table is more than just an empty promise. Sustainability runs through every aspect of Andreas Gugumuck’s work.

Snails as a Future Food“Vienna has a long history of snail breeding dating back to the Middle Ages. There was even a dedicat-ed escargot market behind the Peterskirche church,” Gugumuck tells us. Rumored to have aphrodisiac properties, escargots farmed in the capital were also dubbed “Viennese oysters.” Today, snails are increas-

ingly prized as a meat alternative thanks to their high protein content. Gugumuck sees a vision of the farm of the future for his snail breeding enterprise.

Mushrooms in Coffee GroundsFully in line with the principles of sustainability, Hut & Stiel operates a highly unusual agricultural set-up in its cellar. It takes quite some imagina-tion to come up with the idea of growing oyster mushrooms on discarded coffee grounds. But in Vienna, city of coffeehouses, it’s actually not that far-fetched. Grounds are in bountiful supply, with around 100 tons available each day.

Not all of it ends up with Hut & Stiel founders Florian Hofer and Manuel Bornbaum. But a good

A menu consisting of several courses of snail-based dishes is the order of the day at the Gugumuck farm bistro.

Photo: © www.gugumuck.at

Gugumuck farmIncl. farm store, garden bar, bistro and toursRosiwalgasse 441100 Viennagugumuck.com

FOOD & DRINK

Hut & StielIncl. farm store and toursNaufahrtweg 14a1220 Viennawww.hutundstiel.at

800 kg does, and that would otherwise get thrown out. “We’ve been growing mushrooms on coffee grounds since 2014 – a resource which is in vir-tually endless supply in a big city like Vienna. But rather than allowing this precious resource to go to waste, the grounds get picked up from the capital’s coffeehouses, restaurants, industrial kitchens and offices,” we learn. Mushroom spores and a few other materials are added to the coffee grounds before the mix is transferred to perforated bags ready for the oyster mushrooms to grow.

A short time after they are harvested, the mushrooms are delivered to restaurants (such as Wrenkh or Sperling im Augarten), deli stores and markets. This ensures that the city always has ample supplies of fresh mushrooms – without the lengthy supply chains. And if the latest crop outstrips demand, the oyster mushrooms are used in long-life products such as pesto, spreads, pasta sauces and goulash. The entrepreneurs at Hut & Stiel don’t work exclusively under cover of darkness, though. Their tours provide a fascinating insight into the day-to-day workings of the business – as well as a chance to sample the wares afterwards. The compa-ny’s days as a student start-up are long gone!

City of GardenersBitter oranges, kumquats, Buddha’s hand and Kaiserzitrone lemons are just part of the profu-sion of citrus fruits that make up the Schönbrunn Palace citrus collection. Hard to believe, but Schönbrunn is also used for food growing, too.

Lord and master of this bitter realm is gardener and specialist citrus breeder Heimo Karner. Around a hundred va-rieties – including 30 historic examples from the days of the empire – are grown at the Schönbrunn Orangery. In summer, some of the plants are moved out into the open in the Crown Prince Garden, where visitors can admire them. And anyone interested in tasting these rare fruits has the chance to do precisely that at one of the city’s top restaurants. Heinz Reitbauer from Michelin-starred restau-

rant Steirereck is among the lucky few to source ingredients from the Schönbrunn citrus collection, which he puts to fine use in particularly exclusive desserts. Candied or dried, pickled or simply used to provide a shot of flavor – the weird and won-derful citrus fruits inspire plenty of experimentation at Steirereck.

Cheesy StoryWhy not just make my own cheese, thought Johannes Lingenhel when he created his city-center epicurean oasis in a beautiful 200-year-

old building complete with cheese dairy, delicatessen and restaurant. At his courses in the show cheese dairy featuring authen-tic old stone horse troughs, Lingenhel tells anecdotes with fellow cheesemaker Robert Paget. They are literally up to their arms

Oyster mushrooms grow on coffee grounds in the Hut & Stiel basement. Photo: © Raffaela Schumer

Buddha’s Hand is a rare example from the Schönbrunn citrus collection. Photo: © Austrian Federal Gardens

Exotic fruits are on the dessert menu at gourmet restaurant Steirereck: citrus fruits from Schönbrunn with cacao and young coconut. Photo: © Steirereck

Citrus collection at the Austrian Federal GardensIn summer, parts of the collection are open to visitors in the Crown Prince Garden. The Orangery shows off some of its rarest varieties at the annual Citrus Days festival.

Schönbrunn Palace 1130 Viennawww.zitrustage.atwww.schoenbrunn.at

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in lukewarm cheese curd, the aroma of fresh whey in their noses. They continu-ally knead the curd, which will later be served as Vienna’s freshest buffalo mozzarella, pulling the

cheese to stretch it. Both men have a lot of fun doing their work. Depending on the variety, the delicacies from the cheese dairy are served either direct from the dairy or after being left to mature: favorites include homemade goat milk brie, ricotta, and buffalo mozzarella and camembert. All of which comes from the cheese dairy next door.

In a Pickle!Fruits and vegetables are often too small, too big or simply in too great supply for supermar-kets to sell. And end up getting thrown away as a result. But now siblings Cornelia and Andreas Diesenreiter have made it their mission to save this unwanted produce.

After all, letting it go to waste would be, well, a waste. They founded their company

Unverschwendet and got to work transforming surplus fruits and vegetables into jams, syrups, chutneys, pickles, sauces and much more besides. All by hand in the same small unit where they are sold on Schwendermarkt in the 15th district. The products are also availa-ble online and from se-lected delis. A great little sustainability project.

At Lingenhel the cheese comes directly from the restaurant’s very own cheese dairy. Photo: © Christof Wagner

Unverschwendet uses leftover fruits and vegetables, stopp-ing them from going to waste.

Photo: © Unverschwendet

LingenhelDeli, restaurant,cheese dairy and cheesemaking coursesLandstrasser Haupt-strasse 741030 Viennawww.lingenhel.com

UnverschwendetSchwendermarktStand 181150 Viennawww.unverschwendet.at

FOOD & DRINK


Outdoor cafés are part of life in Vienna. Sitting outside surrounded by greenery adds a relaxing note to any café, bar or restaurant visit. And now, many of the

capital’s old and new hospitality providers are bringing the outside in, ensuring that the summer lasts forever with their living ceilings and walls.

Join the Garden Party


Chez Bernard● Mariahilfer Strasse 71a, 1060 ViennaEntrance at Schadekgasse 20→ www.chezbernard.at

There’s something special growing on the seventh floor of the new Hotel Motto. Chez Bernard, restaurant and bar, is a sight to behold – also for non-hotel guests. Here the cocktails and fine food go down beautifully in leafy surroundings. Ferns, philodendrons and begonias of all shapes and sizes grow from the ceiling and between the seating elements. The roof terrace, where the views of Vienna will be just as inspirational as the green interior, is set to follow in spring 2022.Photo: © Oliver Jiszda

Adlerhof● Burggasse 51, 1070 Vienna→ www.adlerhof.wien

A new lease on life for the Adlerhof. Quite literally, as the old Adlerhof has been com-pletely redesigned, and the only element of the classic Viennese eatery to survive is its name. Even so, a number of beautiful elements have been given a breath of fresh air by the Atelier Karasinski design studio. The spiral staircase that has been brought up from the cellar now provides a plant-laden focal point in the winter garden. And the fine food on offer makes quite an impression, too. Photo: © Vienna Tourist Board/Julius Hirtzberger

Hansen ● Wipplingerstrasse 34, 1010 Vienna→ www.hansen.co.at

Hansen is located in the basement of the former stock exchange on the Ringstrasse. This red brick building is impossible to miss, and the same applies for the verdant displays inside. The space is shared by the restaurant and horticultural specialist Lederleitner – Vienna’s go-to address for plants, pots and sources of inspiration for interior and exterior garden design. A wall of plants creates a natural green barrier between the shop and the restaurant so that diners can focus fully on the culinary experience: Italian-inspired, featuring local-ly sourced ingredients. Regularly adapted, the menu is laden with seasonal highlights. Photo: © Katharina Schiffl

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Palmenhaus● Burggarten 1, 1010 Vienna→ www.palmenhaus.at

The Palm House, the last major orangery to be built by the Habsburgs, was exclusively reserved for members of the imperial family from its inauguration in 1902 until the fall of the monarchy. Since 1998, the former greenhouse with its 15-m glass dome has housed a brasserie, providing respite from the cold in winter and echoes of a holiday in the rainforest. Breakfast is every bit as popular as evening cocktails, and the treats from the in-house patisserie taste even better against the backdrop of the Burggarten. Photo: © Gregor Lechner

Calienna● Neubaugasse 68, 1070 Vienna→ www.calienna.com

At Calienna on Neubaugasse, where coffee and exotic plants have gone hand in hand since 2020, the beverages and greenery share the stage with creative outlets. Here, there is a little bit of everything, from plants for sale to freshly-brewed Mexican coffee courtesy of Viennese roastery Süssmund, as well as a shop and creative studio. The operators are all about convert-ing spaces into creative design concepts using plant arrangements – creating places of growth and wellbeing.Photo: © Vienna Tourist Board/Julius Hirtzberger

Hannelore● Dorotheergasse 6/8, 1010 Vienna→ hannelore.business.site

Cocktails and electronic sounds have helped Hannelore quickly find its feet as the city’s newest cocktail club. Lots of green plants and velvety-soft upholstered furnishings infuse this venue at Dorotheergasse 6, which has a distinctly living room-like atmosphere. Although the large tree in the middle of the bar isn’t there for shade, it really adds the missing piece of the green puzzle. Over 24 varieties of gin can be sampled here. The bright orange cocktail called Rabbithole Daiquiri is said to touch the soul. Come and see for yourself.Photo: © Bardh Sokoli

Ponykarussell● Prater 86a, 1020 ViennaEntrance at Karl-Kolarik-Weg 1 → www.ponykarussell.at

This striking former pony carousel dating back to 1887 was a star attraction for children at the Prater amusement park for many years. But the ponies are long gone. Even so, things are now taking a fresh turn at the old carousel, which has been successfully rolled out in a new half-jungle, half-carousel format. The patterned wallpaper depicts exotic plants and animals, while the centrally located Molzer organ provides a hint of bygone days at the Prater. Breakfast is a big highlight on the menu, with vegan options also available. Photo: © Katharina Schiffl

FOOD & DRINK

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Celebrate: Urban Idyll

Hikes and the city, divas at the zoo and a highly-cultured rose growing tradition.

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Ten Questions for Michaela Rathbauer The experienced Wiener Hofburggärten gardener shares

some insights into our green city with us.

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A Day at the Zoo We take a glimpse behind the scenes at Schönbrunn Zoo

with zookeeper Gerlinde Hillebrand.

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Viennese Wanderings While Vienna doesn’t have glaciers and fleet-footed chamois,

it still has more than its fair share of hiking trails. A look at its wonderful city walks.

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Volksgarten, Burgring1010 Viennawww.bundesgaerten.atApr 1–Oct 31:06:00–22:00Nov 1–Mar 31:07:00–17:30

It’s something that amateur gardeners the world over dream of: a rose garden like the one in Vienna’s Volksgarten, where around 400 vari-eties of roses blossom each summer. Michaela Rathbauer, experienced gardener with the Wiener Hofburggärten, shares some insights with us about our green city.

Ten Questions for Michaela Rathbauer

➀ What is your favorite variety of rose and why? That’s a difficult choice to make. Mainzer Fastnacht has the best scent, while for me Papageno has the prettiest color, and Sharifa Asma the most beautiful petals.

➁ What exactly are the Hofburggärten? The Hofburggärten comprise the four heritage-listed former Habsburg gardens: the Burggarten, Volksgarten, Heldenplatz and Maria-Theresien-Platz.

➂ When is the best time to go and admire the roses in the rose garden? The first bloom takes place between mid-May and the end of June. Everything comes into flower at once.

➃ Who are or were the best known rose sponsors? Gusti Wolf, Leopold Hawelka, Michael Heltau, Johannes and Nicole Heesters – take your pick.

➄ Do roses have a special significance for Vienna? The rose garden is very well known, many visitors only come to the Volksgarten to see it. But the roses did not appear until 1863, when the old city walls were razed to the ground. Back then, there was lilac and hortensia beds rather than roses.

➅ How modern are the horticultural methods that are applied in Vienna’s parks? Gardening is still hands-on work: pruning and overwintering roses, weeding and so on. But watering is automated, which saves us a lot of time.

➆ What role do gardens and historic ones in particular – have to play in a modern big city? Historic gardens tell the story of Vienna. Strolling through the parks helps you picture the days of the empire.

➇ What insider tips can you share with us about Vienna’s parks and gardens? Wherever possible, don’t just follow the crowd. Get on the side paths and discover those tucked-away spots.

➈ How can I look after my roses at home? Caring for roses is not at all complicated: fertilize them, deadhead fading flowers and keep an eye out for diseases. Organic pest control also helps.

If Vienna was a rose, which one would it be? That’s an easy one: it would be Stadt Wien, a dark red variety with a long stem.

(Interview)Karoline

GASIENICA-BRYJAK

(Photo) Paul BAUER

URBAN IDYLL 77

Vienna, Intl. had the honor of accompanying zookeeper Gerlinde Hillebrand for a day as she went about her work at Schönbrunn Zoo, giving us an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the oldest zoo in the world.

(Text) Robert SEYDEL

(Photos) Paul BAUER

A Day at the Zoo

Stanislaus, Viktor and Sam stare at us with sleepy eyes. The three Bennett’s kangaroo joeys at Schönbrunn Zoo are not used to this kind of com-motion during their morning feeding session. It is shortly before eight in the morning on a warm August day. Senior keeper Gerlinde Hillebrand has already been on duty tending to her young charg-es for half an hour. We have the honor of look-ing over her shoulder as she does her rounds. She knows “her” animals very well: “Stanislaus is sen-sitive and easily spooked. Sam, though, is the most trusting,” she reveals. Hillebrand and her seven col-leagues are responsible for taking care of the day-to-day needs of the kangaroos, koalas, giant pandas,

giraffes, ground and southern hornbills, dwarf mongooses, rats, red pandas, frilled-neck lizards and blue-tongued skinks.

Her place of work is the world’s oldest zoo still in operation today (founded in 1752 by Emperor Franz I Stephan, husband of Maria Theresa). It is also one of the most modern. Schönbrunn has been named Europe’s Best Zoo five times. And with good reason: in the 1990s, the historic, cramped cages were replaced with spacious, modern habitats tai-lored to each species. The area where once lions lived out a sorry existence is now a viewing area for visitors – who numbered an impressive 2.3 million per year before COVID.

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Gerlinde Hillebrand feeds the Bennett’s kangaroos.

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“We inspire people.” Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck took up the reins at the zoo on January 1, 2020, putting him in charge of 8,500 animals from 700 species, as well as a team of around 260 employees, 90 of whom, like Hillebrand, work as zookeepers. In an interview, he reveals how important zoos are: “Science-led zoological gardens are enormously important in today’s society. In an increasingly urbanized world, people are coming into contact with nature less and less often. In big cities, a zoo could easily be the only place where people can expe-rience nature. Today more than ever, I see this as the core task that falls to zoological gardens. We inspire people with our animals and that helps to spark their interest in nature and conservation. Of course, I love to watch nature documentaries, but it makes a huge difference if I have the op-portunity to experience the animals live with all the senses.”

“The koalas are our divas.” With Gerlinde Hillebrand at our side, we’re now with the kangaroos’ next-door neighbors: the koalas. There are three of them living at the zoo at

the moment: a male called Wirri Wirri, a female called Bunji and their daughter Millaa Millaa. “The koalas are our divas,” says Hillebrand with a smile. But not just due to the airs and graces they like to put on (and rarely get to display, given that they sleep for up to 18 hours a day), but be-cause they have very specific hygiene and dietary requirements. Koalas only eat eucalyptus. Which in their case is sourced from Belgium, England and Switzerland – as well as from Vienna’s 11th district: “They particularly love the locally sourced variety because it is still so fresh when it reaches them.” And we can see that: we can-not remember ever seeing such sprightly koalas as the two females when the trained biolo- gist brings eucalyptus to their enclosure. And afterwards it’s digestion and nap time. Wirri Wirri has to wait a little while longer before he gets his portion. He is being weighed on a branch affixed to a set of scales. So that he keeps still. “9.1 kilograms. The ideal weight,” says the Upper Austria-born keeper with satisfaction.

While we are still with the koalas, Hille-brand’s colleague Lea Hagler is busy preparing


The frilled-neck lizards are fed crickets.

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something to eat for the zoo’s other picky eaters: this time it’s bamboo, for giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan. Their highly specialized diet means that they barely eat anything else. The bamboo comes from the south of France – and also Burgenland here in Austria. “Between April and October around 300 kg come from Burgenland to Vienna each week, where it’s stored at 8° Celsius,” Hagler explains. Bears like these get through around 30 kilos of the stuff each day. And because bamboo is just as difficult to digest as eucalyptus, there’s a lot of sleeping in the panda enclosure, too.

Mr. Pomeroy, Escape Artist Extraordinaire

By contrast, Mr. Pomeroy, who lives a few meters farther on, is much quicker on his feet. This strange southern hornbill shares his living space with the giraffes. But sometimes it seems like he tires of their company, regularly slipping out of the giraffe park before pacing around the zoo and proudly showing visitors all the insects he has caught before gobbling them up. Afterwards, he makes his way home all on his own. Giraffes Obi and Fleur are currently tucking into some tasty maple leaves courtesy of Magdalena Höllerer. The two animals and their keeper are separated by a fence. Hillebrand tells us: “We are extremely cautious in our interactions with animals that could be potentially danger-ous to us. There are strict guidelines in place.” If a giraffe does lash out with a kick, then it’s best to keep a safe distance.

In fact, no one cuddles the animals here, contrary to popular belief. Although they live in Schönbrunn, all of the animals are wild. Being a zookeeper is not an easy job: “50 percent of our work is cleaning the enclosures. And in the case of the larger animals, which produce a corresponding-ly high amount of dung, it can be backbreaking,” Hillebrand adds.

“I’m not squeamish.”It’s clearly not a job for the faint-hearted. The 45-year-old, who wrote her diploma on parasites and her dissertation on cockroaches, admits: “I’m not squeamish. Which is a good thing because we also have to kill animals such as mice – which other people think are cute – for our hornbills. And insects like crickets that are a favorite of the

frilled-neck lizards and blue-tongued skins aren’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea.”

The zoo workers’ job also involves keeping the animals occupied so that they don’t get bored. Enrichment is the name of the game. It involves things like putting food in hard-to-reach places or setting up a ball pool for the red pandas. The zoo also has an educational remit. “This means that we are always there to provide an explanation if a visi-tor has a question. It’s part of the job, it’s enjoyable and it helps get people interested in protecting en-dangered species.”

And how does she cope when an animal dies at the zoo? – “It’s definitely very emotional. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t. But it is also important, because if I end up so desensitized that the death of an animal no longer affects me, then I’m in the wrong job.” She concludes: “We have been looking after many of the animals for years. So it’s only natural that we develop a bond.”

“Schönbrunn is unique.”We have reached the red pandas. They are a lot smaller than their black-and-white relatives and prefer to spend their time high above ground in

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The toilet of the red pandas must be cleaned every day.

the treetops. Today, they aren’t interested in bam-boo, so the zookeeper cleans their “toilet” (a hol-lowed out log) instead and we make our way to-wards Zazu. A name that is probably familiar to many people from The Lion King: Zazu is one of the funny red-billed hornbills that are desperately trying to keep Simba safe from his uncle Scar and the gormless hyenas. Normally, Zazu swoops down greedily to feast on the mealworms that Hillebrand leaves out for him. But today, just like the red pandas, he gives us the cold shoulder and heads for the hills. “That’s just what wild animals are like. They don’t always do what we might expect. Which is perfectly natural.”

Our day with Hillebrand is gradually draw-ing to a close. We want to know how she responds to critics who are anti-zoo and bemoan the lack of space in the enclosures: “My job is to make sure that the animals are well looked after. Many people think that the most important thing is to ensure the animals have as much space as possible. But if I give the monkeys a gigantic enclosure with-out any trees, then they’re not going to like that. Structure and variety are important. And we make sure they have that.”

And are there any zoos in the world that are similar? – “Schönbrunn is definitely unique, bringing together Baroque architecture and

contemporary animal care. You won’t find anything like it anywhere else. And to ensure that we continue to move with the times, it’s essential that we participate in scientific studies and implement the findings. It is an ongoing process – and one which is always in the animals’ best interests.”

And that includes building new facilities, as Hering-Hagenbeck reveals: “One of the major projects that I have taken on is the new aquarium. There are also plans to create a new elephant park on an additional piece of land to the south of the zoo. The latest attraction to open was a signifi-cantly larger enclosure for the Barbary sheep and Barbary apes, which we inaugurated in fall 2021.”

A walk through the oldest working zoo in the world soon reveals that the animals – includ-ing Stanislaus, Victor, Sam and friends – feel very much at home here.

Schönbrunn Zoo offers numerous experiences, including feeding the giraffes, a behind-the-scenes look at the koalas’ lives and a face-to-face encounter with the Indian rhinos. For more information visit www.zoovienna.at


While feeding the giraffes, a fence separates M

agdalena Höllerer from

the animals.

Zookeeper Lea Hagler brings fresh bamboo for the giant pandas.


Hiking does not have to be arduous. And that definitely applies in Vienna, where there is not a mountain peak, glacier or fleet-footed chamois in sight. In spite of that, or maybe precisely for that reason, I love Vienna’s leisurely hiking trails. They are accessible, beautiful and very easy to get to – a bit like the city itself. It’s time for a city hike.

Viennese WANDERINGS


(Photos)Julius HIRTZBERGER

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It is late summer in Vienna, the weekend has finally landed and it’s a sunny Saturday morning – a time to sleep in a bit but still fit in some kind of leisure activity. At this point it’s still not clear what. I ar-range to meet my friend Teresa near Schottenring. To start with, as one does in Vienna, we go and grab a coffee while we talk over the options: we’re after something down tempo as we just want to relax. But we want to be outside as fall is just around the corner. Ah, yes, wherever we’re going has to be reachable by public transportation. We go through all the options: museum, market, shopping and so on just don’t cut it for us today. And then it sud-denly comes to us – we see the 31 tram go past, look at each other and say in unison: “Let’s go hik-ing!”. At this point most people will be thinking: what, hiking? But you need all sorts of equipment! And what does that have to do with trams anyway? Besides, it is already noon. There’s not enough time to go on a hike! Not so. In Vienna there is.

The Journey is the DestinationLuckily, going for a hike in Vienna does not require anything much in the way of equipment or plan-ning. Even so, selecting a suitable route in advance and putting on some comfortable shoes definitely won’t hurt. In our case: sneakers, and we’re good to go. We’ve already settled on the hiking trail, too. The number 31 tram – which inspired the idea in the first place – will take us from Schottenring to Stammersdorf in the 21st district and Stadtwander- weg (City Hiking Trail) number 5. It takes us 36 minutes to get there.

In all, there are 12 hiking trails in and around Vienna with an average length of ten kilometers. There are 14 routes to choose from, each with its own highlights. They cut through urban yet rural terrain, through the Vienna Woods, the vineyards and up the landmark hills that frame the city’s out-skirts. It has to be said that while a welcome side effect, the exercise is not the main reason why the Viennese hit the trails. Well, not in our case, anyway! We want to enjoy the route. Have a bit of a walk, a nice chat and stop off at a Heuriger wine tavern – life doesn’t get much nicer than this. For purely pragmatic reasons, we plumped for Stadtwanderweg number 5. And we’ve reached our destination – the an-nouncement on the tram confirms: “Stammersdorf. Last stop. Please leave the tram. Goodbye.”

The Calm Before the SturmAnd there we are in no time at all: the city behind us, we’re out in the countryside. We can feel the village-like vibe of Stammersdorf imme-diately. But we are still in Vienna, in the district of Floridsdorf. The Stadtwanderweg signposts help us to stay on the right track, leading us through the bucolic streets out into the vineyards. Stammersdorfer Kellergasse and Krottenhofgasse are the oldest cellar lanes in Vienna and a real inside tip – even the Viennese aren’t necessarily familiar with the Heuriger wine taverns and the hiking trail out here. There’s a lot to see in the surround-ing area. Anyone looking to take it all in should definitely schedule more than the recommended three to four hours. Today, the glorious weather has brought everyone out in droves, meaning that lots of people cross our path: families with children, senior citizens in groups out Nordic walking, and young people, too. We meander along the route at a moderate pace, enjoying the gently rolling hills and the views of the whole city. Every now and again, Vienna’s skyline emerges from between the vineyards: Vienna International Centre and the Danube Tower, the DC Tower, the gasometers, as well as Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s waste incineration plant at Spittelau are all clearly vis-ible at various points. As we walk past, we see a stamping station on the little square outside

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Gasthaus Magdalenenhof where walkers can pick up irrefutable proof that they have completed the route from start to finish. Stamp cards can be printed out at home. Very analog, but still pretty cool. We decide that we are going to get our-selves a stamp card in time for our next outing.

Our tummies now rumbling, we look forward

to a culinary pitstop. In September and October there is one specialty that we definitely won’t be missing out on: Sturm! A lightly fermented alco-holic drink made from red or white grapes, the precursor to wine. Add a charcuterie platter and

it’s the perfect walk in Vienna. Before dusk sets in, we head back. We have a one to two-hour walk ahead of us and Mother Nature has a treat in store: the bats are starting to stir and flit past over our heads. We had been hoping to see some ground squirrels too, but it takes a bit of luck to spot these shy creatures,

which are related to groundhogs. And with fall ap-proaching, they are probably getting ready to hi-bernate. Time flies by, and we are soon back at the terminus of the number 31, ready for the journey back to the first district. Over the Danube by tram and homeward bound. In Vienna there’s enough time for everything.

ADRESS: ● Stadtwanderweg 5 – Bisamberg

Terminus of the number 31 tram Stammersdorf, 1210 Vienna

THE MOST POPULAR STADTWANDERWEG HIKING ROUTES

Stadtwanderweg 1:From the last stop of the D tram in Nussdorf, this trail winds its way through the vine-yards to the landmark Kahlenberg hill.

Stadtwanderweg 2: This hiking route starts in the well-heeled suburb of, Sievering. It takes in Hermannskogel, which at 543m is Vienna’s highest point.

Stadtwanderweg 9:City Hiking Trail number 9 extends from Vienna’s leafy Prater park all the way to Freudenau.

Stadtwanderweg 11:The “urban social housing route” is the shortest of the trails and takes in the legacy of Red Vienna.

Drinking Sturm goes with the fall wine and hiking season like soda in a white wine spritzer.

Still there are a few things to bear in mind: 1. Never clink glasses!2. Don’t say “Prost” (cheers) but “Mahlzeit” (bon appetit) instead.3. Do not drink too much at once!

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InsiderAlone in Vienna, with only ivie and a red card for

company that shows the way back to the events that had to take time out last year.

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Ten Questions for ivie The Vienna Tourist Board’s free city guide app

shows off its skills and depth of knowledge.

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A Day with Adia in Vienna Our cover star Adia shows the best places and locations to watch the world

go by – where boredom never even enters the picture.

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Vienna Online and Visitor Services Useful addresses for your trip to Vienna.

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Vienna City Card The top advantage card for Vienna.

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Top Events in 2022 Events that no one will want to miss.

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ivie.vienna.infoFree to download on iOS and Android, available in German and English

Vienna can also be an experience on a smart-phone. As ivie, the free city guide app from the Vienna Tourist Board clearly shows us. Highly entertaining, ivie is always there to accompany and support visitors to the city. We want to find out what ivie’s made of and reveal some of what’s in store for visitors – and residents, too.

Ten Questions for ivie

➀ How would you describe yourself, ivie? I am a Vienna aficionado, curious, refreshing, an avid story-teller and mad about the quirky things in life. And I love Vienna.

➁ Why do visitors to the city need to have you on their smartphone? Because I want to surprise and inspire them, while showing them sights from a completely different angle.

➂ How many sights, museums and other key places of interest in Vienna do you know? Right now, I offer detailed descriptions on around 150 of them, and I’m adding more all the time. From the classics such as Schönbrunn and the Ringstrasse, to offbeat museums, glorious parks and bustling markets in all 23 of Vienna’s districts.

➃ Is there anything that locals can learn from you? I have hundreds of bizarre facts up my sleeve, as well as a trove of what might at first glance look like useless information. How about a taster? It would take you almost four years to spend a night in every single one of the rooms at Schönbrunn Palace.

➄ What is your secret tip?

A trip to Kutschkermarkt in the 18th district. Although small, this market takes some beating.

➅ What features do you offer? My Walks & Guides section contains city walks with different focuses, including a Beethoven Audio Walk, a Ringstrasse Walk and a Guide to Viennese Modernism. Anyone who wants more can turn on my ivie’s Tips feature to access an additional layer of information that comes to the sur-face when they are in the vicinity of one of my featured places or sights.

➆ Do you have any other “hidden” extras? For unlimited travel and lots of other perks, users can buy the Vienna City Card, our official visitor card, from me.

➇ When is the ideal time for visitors to

Vienna to download you? Before travelling. The Favorites feature lets them curate their own list of personal high-lights, while numerous videos and great pic-tures really bring the planning process to life.

➈ Can you help me find bars and restaurants? Of course! I’ve got the lowdown on hundreds of hospitality providers.

What is your favorite spot in Vienna? I’d have to say that the views of the city from the Giant Ferris Wheel, the Danube Tower or the Gloriette touch me at the bottom of my heart.

(Interview)Helga GERBL

(Photo) Paul BAUER

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Freihausviertel – The Breakfast Club

The nearby Freihaus quarter is home to the creative crowd. A whistle-stop tour of this flourishing – and fascinating – part of the city is all about exploring hip boutiques, contemporary galleries and a good mix of new and well-established bars and restaurants. At The Breakfast Club, Adia treats herself to a good break-fast – and there’s a lot of options to choose from, as you might expect. Great sounds from the owner’s record collection provide the soundtrack.

THE BREAKFAST CLUB Schleifmühlgasse 12-14, 1040 Vienna www.thebreakfastclub.at

A Day with Adia in Vienna

(Photos)Julius HIRTZBERGER

(Text)Helga GERBL

Originally from New York, Adia Trischler has been 100% “Viennese by choice” for more than a decade. We tag along as she treats herself to “A Day on Her Own” in Vienna, taking in the places that she loves best – where she never feels even a hint of boredom, and where she sets her own pace. Strolling, browsing, enjoying culture and shopping – and just watching the world go by: there’s a bit of everything.

Naschmarkt Flea Market

For Adia, a perfect Saturday starts with a trip to the flea market at the end of Naschmarkt. It’s a real institution and an Eldorado for anyone who loves flea markets, collecting antiques, bargain hunting or simply picking out original keepsakes. The flea market is also a paradise for people who just love to immerse themselves in the moment and indulge in a spot of people watching. For many people – visitors and locals alike – it’s a must for a Saturday morning.

NASCHMARKT FLEA MARKET Kettenbrückengasse, 1060 Vienna Saturday 06:30-14:00

To find out more about Adia go to www.adiatrischler.com

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Belvedere –Palace Gardens and Botanical

GardensThe Belvedere is a magnificent Baroque residence, and home to one of the most valuable art collec-tions in Austria – star exhibits include master-pieces by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka. The Baroque formal gardens are among the most beautiful in the world and the views of the city from the Upper Belvedere are sensational. A stroll through the University of Vienna Botanical Gardens next door, home to thousands of indigenous and exotic plant species, lawns and mature trees, sees Adia quickly forget that she is in the center of a world capital.

BELVEDERE PALACE GARDENS Upper Belvedere Prinz-Eugen-Strasse 27, 1030 Vienna www.belvedere.at

UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA BOTANICAL GARDENS Mechelgasse 2/Prätoriusgasse 1030 Vienna www.botanik.univie.ac.at

BrotfabrikWith the U1 subway line not far away from Vienna’s Main Station (Haupt- bahnhof), it’s definitely worth a detour to Brotfabrik, which up until the turn of the millennium was a fully functioning industrial bakery. Today, everything revolves around contemporary art in this building in Vienna’s 10th district, Favoriten. Studios, renowned galleries and showrooms as well as small shops, bars and restaurants have sprung up in the culture zone radiating out from the two striking courtyards of this monumental brick edifice. There’s a lot to discover – and not just for art lovers.

BROTFABRIK WIEN Absberggasse 271100 Vienna www.brotfabrik.wien

Metro Kinokulturhaus How about a trip to the cinema to bring the day to the perfect conclusion? The Metro Kinokulturhaus never fails to leave an impression with its charm and grace. The centerpiece is a historic, heritage-listed auditorium dating back to 1893, which was converted into a theater around two decades after it opened. With its wood panelling and red interior, it really is one of the most beautiful cinemas anywhere in the world. The perfect finale.

METRO KINOKULTURHAUS Johannesgasse 4, 1010 Vienna www.metrokino.at

Check out “A Day on Your Own” – the latest episode of VIENNA/NOW with Adia.

TIP: Two more new episodes from the VIENNA/NOW series featuring Adia are now available at youtube.com/Vienna: “A Day With a Friend” and “A Day With the Family”.

Belvedere 21The new, modern neighborhood sur-rounding Vienna’s new Main Station is also home to Belvedere 21, an off-shoot of the Belvedere. Originally created as the Austrian pavilion for the 1958 World Expo, the Belvedere 21 is now one of the coolest museums in the city. And a masterpiece of Austrian architecture – also in terms of sustainability: the building was designed by the Austrian architect Karl Schwanzer in such a way that it could easily be dismantled and reassembled afterwards. The Belvedere 21 is a plat-form for contemporary art and one of Adia’s favorite spots in the city.

BELVEDERE 21 Arsenalstrasse 1, 1030 Vienna www.belvedere.at


(Text)

Helga GERBL

VIENNA ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

Your travel guide in 12 languages (incl. hotel reservations) → vienna.info

Your travel guide in Chinese→ weiyena.info

ivie – Your personal Vienna guide → ivie.vienna.info

Vienna newsletter registration → vienna.info/newsletter

Vienna City Card – the official city card → viennacitycard.at

All events just a click away → events.vienna.info

Info for the LGBT community → LGBT.vienna.info

All the latest COVID-19 info for travelling and your stay in the city → vienna.info/covid-19

Vienna onlineB2B-SERVICES

The website for tourism industry partners and media representatives → b2b.vienna.info

Vienna Convention BureauEverything you need to know about Vienna as a meeting destination → vienna.convention.at

Vienna Experts Club and Vienna Experts Club International Training opportunities for people working in the Vienna and international tourism industry → experts.vienna.info

Picture database → photo.vienna.info

Footage database →footage.vienna.info

2025 Visitor Economy Strategy → shaping.vienna.info

VIENNA ON SOCIAL MEDIA

→ facebook.com/ViennaTouristBoard → facebook.com/LGBTVienna → instagram.com/viennatouristboard → youtube.com/Vienna → pinterest.com/viennatouristboard → #ViennaNow → twitter.com/ViennaInfoB2B → linkedin.com/company/

vienna-convention-bureau → weibo.com/welcometovienna→ WeChat ID: VisitVienna

Vienna Tourist Board visitor services

Vienna Hotels & Info Information and hotel booking service Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00 +43 1 24 555 → [email protected] → Chat at vienna.info

Tourist Info ViennaInformation, free city maps and brochures, Vienna City Card sales at all Tourist Information officesCorner of Albertinaplatz and Maysedergasse 1010 Vienna – 10:00-18:00 daily*

Tourist Info Vienna International Airport In the arrivals hall – 09:00-17:30 daily*

* Subject to change at short notice.Check time.wien.info for current opening hours.

Give us feedback on your stay in Vienna for a chance to win a prize. → survey.vienna.info/visitors

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VIENNA CITY CARD The Official City Card

Discover the city in all its rich variety and enjoy maximum flexibility while saving time and money – it couldn’t be easier with the Vienna City Card. Thanks to the capital’s outstanding, fully integrated transportation network and numerous discounts, holders have the key to the city in the palm of their hand, ready to make the most of the Vienna experience from the moment they arrive.

THE VIENNA CITY CARD IS AVAILABLE FROM EUR 17

● Online at www.viennacitycard.at ● In ivie, the free city guide app from the

Vienna Tourist Board (iOS or Android) ● At the tourist information offices at

the airport and in the city center. ● From numerous hotels and travel agents ● At Wiener Linien ticket desks and machines

Tip: Upload the digital Vienna City Card in the ivie city guide app and get the best out of both digital com-panions: set up personal highlights in Vienna to claim discounts with your Vienna City Card.

To find out more about the Vienna City Card go to → www.viennacitycard.at

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THE VIENNA CITY CARD HAS IT ALL

● Want to discover the city using public transportation? The Vienna City Card is just the ticket. Cards valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours permit free rides, and travel for one child aged 14 or under or one dog per Vienna City Card is also included.

● Whatever’s on the itinerary, there are around 200 at-tractive discounts and concessions which can be used for up to a maximum of seven days after the ticket is validated: whether it’s a trip to a museum or a sight-seeing expedition, leisure activities or adventures with the family, shopping or a pitstop at a coffeehouse, as well as at participating theaters, restaurants and con-cert venues.

● New: accommodation is cheaper with the Vienna City Card too, with partner hotels offering 20 percent off the advertised daily rate.

TOUR and TRANSFER packages can also be added to the Vienna City Card.

○ The TOUR version of the Vienna City Card is the ideal choice for anyone looking to explore the city on their own as well as with a tour guide. It includes a 24-hour Hop-On Hop-Off bus ticket and a guided city walk. One child aged 15 or under can join the 24-hour Hop-On Hop-Off tour free of charge.

○ Visitors looking for complete freedom from the moment they leave the airport should go for the Vienna City Card TRANSFER edition: it includes multiple trips to and from Vienna International Airport on the public trans-portation network over a seven-day period. Options in-clude the OBB Rail jet (first class), the S7 rapid transit line and Vienna Airport Lines buses; and the City Airport Train (CAT) is set to return in spring 2022. Highly attractive for families: two children aged 14 or under travel free. When returning home use of the City Check-in facility at the Wien Mitte CAT Terminal is included for many flights.


TOP-EVENTS IN 2022

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2022 VIENNESE BALL SEASON

The Viennese Ball Season reaches its peak in January and February as the city celebrates its version of carnival – Fasching. Traditional balls and countless events for different professions fill the city’s dancefloors, where revelers dance to the beat of the waltz or the latest disco anthems.

Vienna Coffeehouse Owners’ BallWiener Hofburg ● Feb 18, 2022 → www.kaffeesiederball.com

Rainbow BallParkhotel Schönbrunn ● Jan 29, 2022→ www.regenbogenball.at

For an overview of balls in Vienna go to: events.vienna.info

New Year’s Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the Golden Hall at the Musikverein.Conductor: Daniel Barenboim ● Jan 1, 2022→ www.wienerphilharmoniker.at

Dalí – Freud at the Lower BelvedereThe Lower Belvedere is marking its return after a hiatus for extensive reno- vations with a new exhibition, Dalí – Freud. An Obsession.● Jan 28–May 29, 2022→ www.belvedere.at

There are numerous events back on the billing in 2022 – from the New Year’s Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic to Vienna Pride, as well as blockbuster

exhibitions and idyllic Christmas markets.

Vienna Ice WorldDreaming of a winter fairytale? Against the backdrop of Vienna City Hall, skaters can glide around to their heart’s content on a unique icy land-scape that includes four ice rinks as well as a trail that criss-crosses the enchantingly decorated Rathauspark. The spectacular two-tier Sky Rink ice terrace takes skating to a whole new level. Skate hire available. ● Jan 19–Mar 6, 2022→ www.wienereistraum.com

Edvard Munch at the AlbertinaStarting on February 18, 2022, the Albertina’s new main spring exhibition is dedicated to Edvard Munch and the artists he inspired. Edvard Munch. In Dialogue will feature around 60 masterpieces by the artist himself, alongside twentieth-century greats such as Andy Warhol and Georg Baselitz. ● Feb 18–Jun 19, 2022→ www.albertina.at

Photography festival@ FOTO WIENThe outstanding work of photogra-phers since the invention of the medium and the key role played by photography in perceptions of land-scapes is in the viewfinder of the Foto Wien photography festival. ● Mar 9–27, 2022→ www.fotowien.at

(Text)Andrea ORTMAYER




Photo: © Vienna Tourist Board/Peter Rigaud

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EASTER MARKETS

Traditional Easter decorations and beautifully painted eggs, culinary treats and a full music program set the tone at Vienna’s Easter markets.

Schönbrunn Palace Easter Market ● Apr 2–19, 2022

Old Viennese Easter Market at Freyung● Apr 1–18, 2022

Summer Night Concert SchönbrunnAgainst the stunning Baroque back-drop of Schönbrunn Palace, the Vienna Philharmonic serves up classical music at its finest – free of charge.● Jun 16, 2022→ www.sommernachtskonzert.at

Music Film Festival on RathausplatzJuly and August features a special treat for music film fans. The Music Film Festival screens top opera, ballets, clas-sical music, jazz and pop concerts. Fine food also awaits at the various open-air concession stands.● July and August 2022→ www.filmfestival-rathausplatz.at

Vienna City MarathonA red-letter day for thousands of runners from all over the world. The course takes in some of Vienna’s best-loved sights, including the Giant Ferris Wheel, Schönbrunn Palace and the Hofburg.● Apr 24, 2022→ www.vienna-marathon.com

Vienna FestivalIn May and June, the Vienna Festival sets the stage for new opera, theater, performance, dance and music productions and premieres.● May 13–Jun 18, 2022→ www.festwochen.at

SPARK Art Fair ViennaFor the second time, this innovative art fair will be offering experienced collectors the opportunity to explore the full spectrum of contemporary art under one roof.● Mar 24–27, 2022→ www.spark-artfair.com

Ai Weiwei at the Albertina modernThe Albertina modern is hosting Ai Weiwei’s first comprehensive museum exhibition in Vienna. In Search of Humanity takes an in-depth look at the humanity and responsibility to art manifested in his work. ● Mar 16–Jun 26, 2022→ www.albertina.at

IBA_Vienna: International Building ExhibitionThe latest trends in architecture and society related to New Social Housing are mapped out – and brought to life – at this international building exhibi-tion, transforming the resulting pieces into the stars of the show.From June 2022, the majority of the projects will be showcased at the final presentation.● Jun 23–Nov 18, 2022→ www.iba-wien.at

Photo: © Julius Silver

ART AND DESIGN IN FALL

Each fall, Vienna serves up a bumper crop of art events. Fall in the capital of culture takes in a host of exciting spaces and features a compelling selection of local and international art and design..

Open HouseTours of countless buildings throughout the city which are normally out of bounds give fans of first-rate architecture no end of exclusive insights. ● September 2022→ www.openhouse-wien.at

viennacontemporaryA magnet for art collectors, curators, gallery owners, art experts and devotees from all over the world.● Sept 22–25, 2022→ www.viennacontemporary.at

Parallel ViennaAn art fair with a twist. Hosted in out-of-the-ordinary empty buildings. ● September 2022→ www.parallelvienna.com

curated byGallery festival with international guest curators.● September/October 2022→ www.curatedby.at

Vienna Design WeekInternational design festival. ● End of September/start of October 2022.→ www.viennadesignweek.at

Long Night of MuseumsOver 100 museums and galleries in Vienna will be opening their doors to stay-awake art lovers from six in the evening until one in the morning. ● Start of October 2022:→ https://langenacht.orf.at/

Vienna Art WeekFancy a peek behind the curtain of the Vienna art scene? Exhibitions, panel discussions, tours, studio open houses and parties through-out the city.● November 2022→ www.viennaartweek.at

Vienna Pride and Rainbow ParadeIn 2022, the legendary Rainbow Parade will march on the capital’s showpiece Ringstrasse boulevard for the 26th time. The parade marks the culmination of Vienna Pride, a two-week event which sees the rainbow flag flying high all over the city.● Jun 1–12, 2022● Rainbow Parade on Jun 11, 2022→ www.viennapride.at→ www.regenbogenparade.at


Vienna New Year’s Eve TrailOn December 31, Vienna city center is transformed into a giant party scene. From 2pm until 2am the New Year’s Eve trail in the old town, on Rathausplatz and at the Prater keeps the entertain-ment coming. Numerous stopping-off points offer culinary specialties where the sounds of waltz, rock, pop and live DJs add up to an unforgettable experience.● Dec 31, 2022→ www.wienersilvesterpfad.at

New Year’s events including concerts, theaters, balls, galas and banquets are listed at→ events.vienna.info

CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN VIENNA IN 2022

Some of the city’s most attractive squares are transformed into en-chanting Christmas markets between mid-November and Christmas. The aromas of freshly baked cookies, steaming punch and roasted almonds hang in the air. Festive lights twinkle above the old town and shopping streets, spreading Christmas cheer throughout the city.

Vienna Christmas World on Rathausplatz→ www.wienerweihnachtstraum.at

Old Viennese Christmas Market at Freyung→ www.altwiener-markt.at

Christmas Market at Spittelberg→ www.spittelberg.at

Christmas Market Schloss Schönbrunn→ www.weihnachtsmarkt.co.at

More Christmas markets: → events.vienna.info

The Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (Art History Museum)is mounting a pair of high-caliber exhibitions in fall:

Artistic Rivalry. Cellini, Rubens, Goya● Sep 20, 2022–Jan 8, 2023

Reflections of Habsburg Imperial Taste. Masterpieces from the Al Thani Collection● Oct 18, 2022–Jan 29, 2023

→ www.khm.at


Publication detailsPUBLISHED BY

Vienna Tourist BoardInvalidenstrase 6, 1030 Vienna

→ vienna.info

EDITOR IN CHIEFRobert Seydel

TEXTS in alphabetical order

Susanna BurgerKaroline Gasienica-Bryjak

Helga Gerbl Susanne Kapeller Johannes LuxnerAndrea Ortmayer

Maria SchallerRobert Seydel

TRANSLATIONRob Perry, Fox Coffey KG

EDITORRenate Hofbauer

PHOTO RESEARCHElisabeth Freundlinger

PHOTO PRODUCTIONTeresa Schuckert

PRODUCTIONHermann Höger, Irmgard Steiner

ART DIRECTION AND LAYOUTJung von Matt DONAU

BRAND MANAGEMENTPatrick Hilz

ILLUSTRATIONSFrancesco Ciccolella

PRINTED BYFerdinand Berger & Söhne GmbH,

Horn

201920021

Printed in accordance with the

Austrian Ecolabel UZ 24 guidelines for environmentally compatible printed materials, UW No. 686.

No liability accepted for errors or omissions. Content subject to

change without notice.Copy deadline: December 2021


Please note that the events listed are subject to change or cancelation due to COVID-19. Please check the organizer’s website in good time beforehand!

A...kademie der bildenden Künste WienKunstsammlungen

reopening.akbild.ac.at

EN

Vienna Mozart Concerts at the Musikverein, Golden Hall. The Original since 1986

www.mozart.wien

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