Vienna is an expensive city, everyone was saying to me when they heard that I’m going there for a student exchange. Why would I listen to them, I thought quietly and was confident that my scholarship would be more than enough. It would last me at least two months in Maribor. Vienna definitely isn’t the cheapest city, but it’s a city that charms you while walking through the city centre and definitely deserves the title of the city with the highest quality of life.
U-Bahn and multiculturality
The first fact that I quickly learned in Vienna is that you will probably hear some other language than German, wherever you will be. Of course you will hear it in restaurants or shops, but it will be more rare when you’ll walk through the city or drive with its underground. Vienna is a multicultural city, where German isn’t a necessary language to get around, but you will earn a smile or two for trying to squeeze out this “Guten Tag” you’ve been practicing. If I already mentioned the underground or U-Bahn, let me tell you that this really is the fastest and the cheapest option to get around and see all the sights. You can buy a one-, two- or seven-day (and so on), which is really cheap for what you’re getting. With the ticket you can drive with U-Bahn or underground, a tram or with a bus. They all drive very regularly, the underground train comes every two to five minutes, which means that you almost never wait for a train. If you’re from a small city, where the buses leave every hour or two, this is a big deal. But you soon get used to that and the next time you will find yourself waiting for a train for five minutes and you want to complain, just remember your public transport at home.
Coffee in the morning, beer in the evening
Even though Vienna is a big city, there’s no rushing. Austrians will always take time for a cup of coffee and a pretzel in the morning or a beer (I recommend Gösser) in the evenings. Coffee shops are always full of people who watch people strolling by, drink coffee and read the newspaper. Unesco even included Viennese coffee culture in cultural heritage in 2011. Turks introduced coffee to Viennese. Austrians beat Turks in 1683 and they left bags of coffee beans behind and introduced them this drink. The popularity of coffee has only been growing and now you can find coffee houses in Vienna, that are up to 300 years old. One of the coffee houses with great history and tradition is Café Korb, which was visited by Franz Josef in 1904, when it was opened. Viennese coffee houses helped Sigmund Freud, Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt to its glory. Famous writers wrote their stories there, and Strauss, Mozart and Beethoven even played in coffee houses. Find a coffee house with history and tradition in Vienna, don’t just go to Starbucks with wi-fi. Sit in a coffee house and enjoy the culture. And at night, go to a pub. There’s a lot of true Austrian pubs but if you want some good music and atmosphere, go to an Irish pub (comfy sits and amazing atmosphere will wait for you at Golden Harp).
Huge summer residences
Of course you simply must visit at least one of the palaces in Vienna. Schönbrunn palace is a place, where you will see flocks of tourists, sighing at the beautiful architecture. The palace was only a summer residence of emperor family. It was built in 1642, but it was redesigned and renovated by Maria Theresa. Of course Schönbrunn is much more than just a building. It has an amazing park and the biggest gloriette in the world. And then there’s a zoo, which was founded in 1752 and is the biggest zoo in the world (you can even see pandas there, which is quite rare). The second palace that is accessible by public transport is Belvedere Palace, which was also a summer residence and is one of the most important baroque buildings in Austria. It consists of two buildings, the Upper and Lower Belvedere. The Upper Belvedere will spoil you with the biggest collection of Klimt paintings. You can also see masterpieces of Schiel and Kokoschka, but the entrance in this museum is enormous.
Schnitzel or Bratwurst, that is the question
Because you will probably get hungry while exploring all the attractions (worth a visit are also Rathaus, Museumsquartier, Stephansdom, parliament and Hofburg and you can see everything except Stephansdom on one stroll from the university to Hofburg), I will also give you some advice on that area. I mentioned at the beginning that Vienna isn’t cheap and it’s the same with food, but you can still get full for cheap. There’s a lot of possibilities for kebab or pizza slices, but if you want something more local, go get a bratwurst, käsekreiner (sausage with cheese and a piece of bread) or something similar. Or get a wienerschnitzel. Everyone recommends the giant “schnitzel” from Fieglmüller, but if you’re on a budget, try the schnitzel from Schnitzelwirt 52, where two can definitely get full from one portion (especially if you’re a woman). Or try a giant pretzel, which can be salty or sweet. Bon appétit!
To stay on a budget, book an accommodation at
Briggitenau Youth Hostel, which is a great starting point for visiting all the attractions and offers cosy and cheap rooms and even a breakfast for affordable prices. Vienna truly is an amazing city with lots of culture and everything else you could wish for.
