Some time ago, in our Alain Delon Magazine, we brought you a guide on how to enjoy Vienna during Christmas . We love Vienna's unique Advent atmosphere, but this beautiful city has something to offer during every season.
Vienna is visited by millions of tourists every year, willing to spend dozens of hours on planes just to get a taste of the Austrian capital for a few days. Paradoxically, it is often somewhat cursed by our own people because of its proximity. Why should we spend our hard-earned money and go on vacation to a city that is just over fifty kilometers from our borders?
Take advantage of its proximity and immerse yourself in beautiful Vienna, even if just for a weekend. For those who have already taken a few day trips to the capital, here is a short guide on how to get to know Vienna a little differently... Like a local.
Gmoa Keller
If you fancy something more traditional, just behind the Vienna Konzerthaus you’ll find the Gmoa Keller inn. It has been welcoming locals to come here every day for a glass of wine and great Austrian food since 1858. The menu changes regularly with each season, so Gmoa Keller will always surprise you with something new.
Porgy & Bess Jazz Club
Porgy & Bess is a legend not only in the Austrian jazz community. Tucked away in the alleys of the first district, this small club regularly hosts world-class jazz stars like Jane Monheit and Herbie Hancock. It's a great alternative to the classical music that has made Vienna famous.
If you need to add another dose of art to your day, don't miss the Museum of Modern Art MUMOK in the Museumsquartier, where you will find more than ten thousand works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, and Roy Lichtenstein.
Your trip to alternative Vienna wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Hundertwasserhaus, this absurd expressionist representation of an apartment building. Irregular floors, trees growing from inside the house, and a roof covered in soil are just a few of the details that make this monument worth traveling to the Landstrasse district for.
At the end of a sunny day, there's nothing more ideal than heading to the ancient butterfly house. Where else but in Vienna can you find the Schmetterlinghaus in the historic city center? And if you've had enough of walking, you can relax in the adjacent Burggarten, a green oasis among the historic buildings.
Stay: The Daniel
Although it is tempting to spend a few nights in Sisi-style hotels in Vienna, Vienna today is also home to modern buildings with their own, albeit young, history. The Daniel, a hotel with a sailboat on the roof, a piece of Hauptbanhof is the complete opposite of traditional Viennese life with its 116 rooms. It also has a bakery that fills the entire building with the aroma of its morning produce. The charmingly minimalist rooms hide hammocks and offer stunning views of the Belvedere. But if you feel like something completely out of the ordinary, book a night in a parked retro caravan in the middle of the hotel garden.
Go for dinner:
Styria It's rare to get the chance to dine in a restaurant that has two Michelin stars on its door. Moreover, Steirereck is a perfect interpretation of traditional Austrian cuisine in the twenty-first century. Chef Heinz Reitbauer brilliantly works with local ingredients, so typical of Austria, and brings them to the table exactly as you would expect from the ninth best restaurant in the world. Be sure to choose the tasting menu, which, despite the higher price, is worth every euro.
Go for a drink:
Loos American Bar Going to Vienna and not visiting the American Bar is like going to Rome and not seeing the Pope. Designed by one of the most important architects of the first half of the twentieth century, Adolf Loos, in 1908, the American Bar is one of the jewels of the Viennese bar scene. Nowhere does a traditional Martini or Whiskey Sour taste as exceptional as here.
What to do all weekend:
After a morning coffee in one of the many fantastic Viennese cafes (Balthasar Kaffee and Bar, Kafemik or POC – People on Caffene are particularly worth it) head to the Naschmarkt, a market where all the cultures of Vienna mix. Fresh vegetables, fish from local ponds and exotic spices like in Marrakech, a walk through the market is like a fairy tale from a magical world. For culture, head immediately next to the Nachmarkt to the Art Nouveau building, which hides much more than just Klimt's most famous gems.
