A Typical Taste
- Wiener Schnitzel – a thin veal escalope, breaded and fried. Usually served with potato salad.
- Fritattensuppe – a hearty clear meat broth, with thinly cut strips of pancake.
- Kaesekrainer – a red Bratwurst with dabs of cheese inside, eaten with bread and mustard.
- Gulasch – of Hungarian heritage but nonetheless a local favorite available in many variations.
- Tafelspitz – tender beef, boiled and sliced, served with delicious sauce and garnishes.
- Wiener Backhendl – wonderfully tasty fried chicken that goes down well with a local cold beer.
- Germknodel – a fruit-filled yeast dumpling, topped with poppy seeds and served with vanilla sauce.
- Apfelstrudel – an apple pastry delight best served hot with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.
- Kaiserschmarm – “Emperors Trifle”, fluffy pancake pieces, dusted with sugar, eaten with compote.
Useful German Phrases for Travelers
Vienna Inernational Airport
- Located southeast of the city center and accessible via City Airport Train within 16 minutes from the City Air Terminal located near St Stephan’s Cathedral on Landstrasse. the round trip fare is 16.- Euro. Taxis are relatively speedy and of good value, but the traffic can be chaotic and slow.
Vienna – Public Transport
Vienna Tram
- The best way to discover this beautiful city is on foot, but considering the distance one needs to cover to see all of the sights, public transport by U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus and tram (Strassenbahn) are highly recommended and comfortable alternatives to blisters.
The ideal value-for-money ticket for Vienna visitors is the Vienna Card, which allows for 72 hours or 3 days of unlimited travel on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, and buses, for 12.- Euro. The 24-hour Vienna Card costs 5 Euro. Tickets are available at U-Bahn and train stations and most tobacconists and must be punched in the blue validating machines before the journey begins. A more independent way of getting from A to B is by taxi, though a bit more expensive they are the more direct alternative unless of course, it’s rush hour. Seeing the city by guided bike tour is a real treat, weather permitting, and the many cafes invite for a break after a hard day’s biking and sightseeing..
The most nostalgic way to see the sights is by “Fiaker” or “Lohnkutsche”, horse-drawn carriages available throughout the city. Prices vary from 40 Euro for a 20-minute tour, to 65 Euro for a 40-minute tour. Highly recommended!
Vienna is the town you ought to know. Of every town, you have certain expectations and images. Some associate with Vienna the waltz, delicious pastries, new-wine taverns, the Boy’s Choir, or the majestic Lipizzan stallions. For some, Vienna constitutes the metropolis of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy that became a republic only by coincidence, and again others regard it as a junction between Eastern and Western Europe whose political and economic importance becomes evident every day. Whatever your expectations are, Vienna is waiting to be discovered. It is a town that demands a lot of its visitors if they intend to get a true impression. Because, like life there today, the spirit evolved from past epochs, and the people themselves, so the beauties of the city contribute to our understanding and appreciation of it.
Day Trips
VIENNA’S POSITION AT THE CROSSROADS OF EUROPE AS THE BASTION LEADING TO THE EAST, BROUGHT PROSPERITY AND CONSTANTLY PUT ITS INHABITANTS AT RISK OF INVASION. THE UNDULATING COUNTRYSIDE AROUND VIENNA STRETCHES INTO SLOVAKIA, HUNGARY, AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC, AND AWAITS VISITORS WITH AGE-OLD MONASTERIES, CULINARY DELIGHTS INFLUENCED BY ITS NEIGHBOURS, BREATHTAKING CASTLES AND PRETTY TOWNS THAT HAVE MAINTAINED THEIR HEARTY CHARACTER. ON YOUR TRAVELS TRY OUT A “BUSCHENSCHANKE” – A LOCAL TAVERN SERVING FOOD AND DRINK.
