Austrian Christmas dinner – How Austrians cook at Christmas Eve

In Austria Christmas is the most important family celebration of the year. Usually the whole family gets together and celebrates Christmas under one roof. Normally some traditions are developed and kept during Christmas. Thereby Christmas dinner takes in a crucial role. Even if it differs from family to family there are some classic dishes which can be associated with Christmas. This year we would love to present you some of the most important ones. With our recipes you can easily try to cook them at home as well.

 

Stuffed Christmas goose with red cabbage

Christmas goose

One of Austria’s most famous Christmas dinner is definitely the Christmas goose. In fact this dish is a load of work and you need some experience to keep the meet juicy but if you serve it and everyone is cherry-picking the best pieces you know it was worth the effort. With our recipe we go for the traditional version served with stuffing and red cabbage. This is one of the most time consuming ways to cook your goose. If you have less time you can also serve convenience croquettes.

Stuffed Christmas goose

gooseFirstly you have to prepare the stuffing. Therefore you cut the onions into really small pieces und fry them in a pan. Add the parsley and stir shortly. Take the pan from the heat.

In the next step you cut in the chestnut and boil them in water until they are soft. Let them cool down and cut them into small pieces.

Cut the buns into small pieces and mix them with the onions, cream, eggs and egg yolks and season with salt and pepper. If the mixture is too soft you can add some white bread crumbs. If it is too hard just add some milk.

Heat up the oven to 220 °C. Cut off pinions, neck and big fat pads inside and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the goose with the mixture and sew the open end with a butcher’s string. If your goose is very greasily you should recess the goose with a fork. Fill your pan with water for 1 cm and add the goose with the chest facing the bottom. Roast the goose for 15 minutes.

Then you change the temperature slowly until it reaches 160 °C. Roast it for two hours. Sprinkle it from time to time with its own meat juice. After an hour you should turn the goose. If only clear juice spills out after recessing the goose it is well done.

Cut up the goose and keep the stuffing warm. Thicken the sauce with flour. Heat your oven to the maximum and roast the goose pieces until they are crispy. Serve it with the stuffing and the meat juice.

Red cabbage

redcabbageCut the red cabbage into half, remove the stalk and cut it with a vegetable shredder. Peel and stone the apples rub it with a vegetable shredder.

Mix cabbage, apples, vinegar, apple juice, wine and cowberry jam with cloves and bay leaves. If you have the time let it rest for the night.

Cut the onion into thin slices and fry it. Add sugar and wait until it gets brown. Add the mixture and steam it for 40 minutes.

Remove the cloves and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.

 

Christmas carp with potatoes and vegetable

Traditional carp in the oven

A comparably simple but delicious dish is the classic Christmas carp. The carp is a fresh water fish with very strong, white meat. Therefore it perfectly suits for roasting. Just a hint: it is not the original recipe but very yummy – serve some lemon risotto.

CarpCook the potatoes for 20 minutes with the peel until they are half done.

Wash the carp and remove the scurf. Baste with lemon juice and keep it cold.

Wash the vegetable and cut it into slices. Season the carp with salt and pepper and put the potatoes into the carp’s chest.

Put the fish into the pan and add butter. Add wine, vegetables and the remaining potatoes. Put a lid on the pan and cook it for 1 hour at 180 – 200 °C. Put the carp on a big plate and serve it with the potatoes and vegetable.

 

Bratwurst with sauerkraut and roasted potatoes

Roasted sausages with sauerkraut

Another Christmas classic for dinner is sausages with sauerkraut and potatoes. The bratwurst – fried sausage – has a long tradition in Austria and it is eaten with many different side dishes all year round. We decided to go for the balanced dish with roasted potatoes. You can also eat buns or salted potatoes instead. However sauerkraut is a must ;). You have to fry the sausages for a few minutes on medium heat until they turn brown.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut1Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage and it is served to a lot of dishes in Austria. Especially during the winter Sauerkraut was eaten a lot as it contains many vitamins and can be stored for a long time. However the fermenting process takes about 4 weeks. That’s why you can buy sauerkraut at every supermarket in Austria. But for perfect sauerkraut you should always refine the packaged one from the supermarket.

Firstly cut onion and bacon into small pieces. Fry it with some oil and garlic in a pan and add sugar. Add the beef broth, juniper berries, bay leaves and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Wash the sauerkraut, put it in the pan and simmer it for an hour.

Roasted potatoes

Roasted potatoesCook potatoes with the peel. Shortly before they are done you take them out, peel it and cut into 5mm thick rings.

Finally cut the onion and heat up with some garlic in the pan. Add the potatoes and roast it until the potatoes turn brown and crispy.

Season it with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cumin.

 

 

 

 

Last but not least we wish you happy cooking and Merry Christmas from Austria!

 

Beer Week in Vienna

Beer Week in VIenna – only until Saturday!

It’s not the Beer Week organizers only goal to bring all the big breweries of the country together. They have a special focus of bringing a whole collection of beers from all around the country together. The event is thereby focused on the heritage of Anton Dreher, the inventor of the lager beer. At different locations one can participate in workshops, presentations, talks and of course tastings. So visitors can learn about beer, brewing and the multifaceted beer offer in Austria. We are especially looking forward to all the small exhibitors, creative breweries and medium sized family run breweries which love to convey their understanding of beer, ignoring mass production and commerce.Austria is famous for its long beer traditions and has kept them until today. Every year Austrians drink 104 litres of beer on average and therefore have the third highest beer consume per capita in Europe. But in Austria beer is more than just a drink. You drink it, if you celebrate, after a long day at the office, complimentary to a great meal, you use it for cooking and even as a household remedy you can find beer in every household in Austria. The history of Austrian beer dates back for a long time. Already 1229 the country’s first brewery was founded in Upper Austria. In the 19th century Vienna experienced its beer bloom. More and more breweries were founded and the selection of beer seemed endless. Today many things changed and Vienna’s big breweries either disappeared or left Vienna. In the meantime the big breweries of the country are now scattered all around the country. However for the organizers of the Beer Week this was no reason to invite them all to Vienna, the beer capital of the past. During a week long assignation of Austria’s beer brands the visitors can really enjoy a lot of different beer flavours.

Countless sorts of beer at the Bierfest

If you can’t get enough of the beer week and beer we can also recommend you the Craft Beer Festival. Of course they scheduled their events simultaneously and during this weekend both events take place. From 20th to 21st you will get a golden yellow surprise at the Anker-Expedithalle. Hand made beers and unique tastes are in the focus. More than 70 breweries from 12 countries present their creations and let you recognize how diversified the beer industry really is. Beers from Ireland, Hungary, Belgium and the United States but also from Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic are on display and ready to be tasted by the thirsty crowd.

This weekend is characterized by the Beer Week. Therefore there is only one destination for every beer lover this weekend – Vienna!

 

Hiking at the Wilhelminenberg

Ottakring cemetery

Latest when leafs change colour and morning fog creates a mystical atmosphere you know it – autumn starts and the hot summer days are over. At the same time the sun tries once more to retrieve summer times during the warmer day times in the afternoon. Latest when the sun goes down and Vienna is wrapped in a cool evening air you definitely know its autumn. Exactly during this time of the year we experience the need to spend the last warm hours in nature. That’s the time when you can see families collecting coloured leafs and chestnuts. Others work out or undertake a hike through the nature. If you decide for a city trip then this can get tricky. On the one hand you want to visit all the sights but on the other hand you do not want to experience the last warm days surrounded by concrete. For our guest the Palace Hostel Vienna offers a perfect balance between the two too different looking activities. Situated on the Wilhelminenberg you can combine both activities during a hike through the area. Along the city path 4a it is possible for you to get to know the green Ottakring in addition to the Brunnenmarkt and its trendy corners.

 

 

 

 

Kuffner observatory

We start our hike at the Palace Hostel Vienna und start at the beginning on a path through the surrounding vineyards. We roam through the vineyards of the Leitner winemaker and meanwhile enjoy the view on Vienna. Via the Paulinensteig we walk towards the Ottakringer cemetery. The cemetery with its gravestones covered by moss, its special crypts and its countless memorials is worth seeing all year round and during a walk through the areal you divine the long history of Vienna’s oldest cemetery. We leave the cemetery via the exit at the Johann Staud Straße and walk a view steps to the Kuffner observatory. Built by the end of the 19th century it soon was considered as one of the most important observatory of its time. Many famous astronomers spent their time in Ottakring and the Kuffner observatory. Today the observatory still has its old tools installed. Today the observatory can be visited and the entry is free but the organisation is happy if you leave a small donation there. After a short visit we walk up the Wilhelminenberg towards the fire station. But we decided to do not take the direct path but to pass by the extraordinary church at the Steinhofgründe. Built by Otto Wagner as a Jugendstil church it is situated within a big park called Steinhofgründe. We pass the church and hike through the big park before we arrive at the fire station. Back at the station we follow the road until we reach the Palace Hostel Vienna again. After such a hike we deserved a snack. We decided to visit the restaurant Villa Aurora. There we whiled away the evening with Austrian dishes and great views.

Jewish Vienna – a split of past and present

 

Only few metropolises in Europe can offer you such a long and extensive Jewish history like Vienna. Until the German annexation of Austria in 1938 more than 140.000 Jews lived in Vienna. While many Jews had to fled because of racist reasons in the following years Vienna still stayed connected to its Jewish culture. After the difficult reprocessing of the historical events the Jewish life was again integrated into Vienna’s daily life. Unfortunately the Jewish community – nowadays with 7.000 members – could never reach its size again. Even if the community stayed small it was totally integrated into Vienna and in 2012 the first Eruv was built in the city. This new awareness – combined with interesting relict of past days – make the Jewish Vienna a visitor’s hotspot every year. Today one can easily spent a whole day in Vienna to getting to know the Jewish Vienna. This was reason enough for us to get to know the Jewish history of Vienna and give you an insight.

 

Jewish Museum and Museum am Judenplatz

Get to know Viennese Jewish history at Museum am Judenplatz

Get to know Viennese Jewish history at Museum am Judenplatz

To understand better the Jewish Vienna and its historical background before and after the Third Reich we decided to start our day with a visit of the Jewish Museum and the Museum am Judenplatz. After costly renovations the museum was reopened in October 2011. Today visitors can experience the Jewish history at two sites within Vienna’s city centre. At the Jewish Museum near the Café Hawelka the exhibition called “Our City!” dedicates itself to the modern history of Jewish Vienna after 1945. Otherwise at the Museum am Judenplatz the Jewish history before 1938 is broached. The museum tries to give its visitors an understanding of the rise of Vienna as one of the main Jewish metropolis in Vienna and the Jewish every day life from medieval times to the time just before the annexation. Furthermore both museums offer interesting subjects and nearly endless historical contents which are displayed within special exhibitions. For us the Museum am Judenplatz was especially interesting. Especially the integration of ruins of an old synagogue within the museum combined with the historical information of the medieval rising of the Jewish community and the vandalism after 1938 gave an interesting point of view on the topic. The memorial of Rachel Whiteread in front of the museum brings a special atmosphere to the spot and lets visitors not forget the frightful acts which had taken place not so long ago.

Where: Jewish Museum, Dorotheergasse, 1010 Vienna – Museum am Judenplatz, Judenplatz, 1010 Vienna

When: Jewish Museum: Sun – Fri: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. – Museum am Judenplatz: Sun – Thu: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m., Fri: 10.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.

Admission: Adults: € 10,-; Students: € 5,–; admission to both museum within 4 days

How to get there: Both museums are located close to the metro station Stephansplatz. You can reach it from Palace Hostel Vienna directly with the U3 from Ottakring. From Hostel Wien Hütteldorf you can reach Stephansplatz with the U4 and U1.

 

Synagogue at the Stadttempel

The only synagogue which remained after 1945

The only synagogue which remained after 1945

The only remaining synagogue after 1945 was the synagogue at the Stadttempel. Its special location within apartment houses made it resistant against the vandalism of the Nazis. The synagogue was build by the famous Viennese architect Josef Kornhäusel in 1825/26 as a classical Biedermeier work. It was in combination with the memorial for the victims of the Shoa opened to the public in 2002. The synagogue can only be visited within a guided group. The tours start every Monday to Thursday at 11.30 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.

Where: Stadttempel, Seitenstettengasse 4, 1010 Vienna

When: only as a guided tour – tours: Mon – Thu: 11.30 a.m. & 2.00 p.m.

Admission: tour price: € 5,–

How to get there: The Stadttempel is situated within an apartment district close to the metro station Schwedenplatz. From Palace Hostel Vienna you can reach the metro station with the U3 and U1. From Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf you can take the U4 and U1.

 

Sigmund Freud Museum

Sigmund Freud Museum in Vienna

Sigmund Freud Museum in Vienna

One of the most famous Jewish characters of the city is beyond doubt Sigmund Freud. The founder of the psychoanalysis and one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century moved with his family to Vienna when he was four years and spent nearly his whole life in here. Only one year before he died and only a few months after the German annexation Freud fled to London. We wanted to learn more about this exceptionally gifted person and therefore we set out for his former apartment at the Berggasse 19. The museum is located in the former apartment of Freud where he spent most of his lifetime and where nearly all of his work was written. Furthermore a psychoanalytic research centre with more than 35.000 subjects is connected to the museum. You unfortunately cannot find the famous couch on which Freud’s patients took place. When Freud fled to Vienna he was able to take a bigger part of his furniture with him. That’s why you have to visit the Freud museum in London when you want to see his couch.

Where: Berggasse 19, 1090 Vienna

When: daily from 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.

Admission: Adults: € 9,– – Students: € 6,50,–

How to get there: From Palace Hostel Vienna you can reach the Sigmund Freud museum by taking U3 and U2 to Schottentor. From Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf it’s the best way to take U4 to Schottenring.

 

Memorial Museum

Mystical aura at the Memorial Museum

Mystical aura at the Memorial Museum

Our final stop during our tour through Jewish Vienna was a visit to the Memorial Museum. You can only visit the museum on appointment but it offers you an interesting and also sad insight into the life of the Jewish community during the years 1938/39. After the November progrom the British government loosen the visa regulations for Jewish under 18 to guarantee a secure emigration from Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia. As a result the Kindertransports were organised. Without their parents, only one suitcase and few memories more than 10.000 children set out for a better life in Great Britain. Spread on 24 trains the children left their families and friends back with the friable feeling of possibly never seeing them again to start a new and better life for them in Great Britain. In spite of the plan of bringing the children back to their families after the war many of them never left their host families in Great Britain as they were parentless after the war. At the museum you can find countless exhibits, suitcases and utensils which children took with them and much more combined with aplenty of background knowledge.

Where: Radetzkystraße 5, 1030 Vienna

When: Mon – Fri, on appointment

How to get there: Take the U3 from Palace Hostel Vienna and the U4 from Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf nonstop to Wien Mitte.

Donauauen National Park

Vienna – the city of music – is mainly famous for its cultural heritage, magnificent buildings and imperialistic charm. But not far from Vienna you can discover more than you can expect at the beginning. Just one hour from Vienna you can find Austria’s biggest floodplain forest along the Danube. You can easily reach it by taking your own car or the bus to the visitor’s centre. During hikes and boat rides through the floodplain forest you can expect recreation for the city and interesting facts. We found out two great tours for you. They suit every backpacker’s budget and offer you a great diversion in a fascinating surrounding.

 

Boat trip from Vienna

Scenery within the National Park

Scenery within the National Park

The easiest way to get there is by taking a boat trip from the Danube channel. Directly from Vienna you can cruise along the Danube into the national park. As soon as you reach the national park you can explore the beautiful meadowy countryside Thereby you hike on tiny paths through dense branches for one hour. During this one hour hike you will learn a lot about the flora and fauna of the national park. Afterwards you get on the boat again to head back to Vienna.

Starting point: Danube channel Vienna, near Salztorbrücke

How to get there: From Palace Hostel take the U3 from Ottakring to Stephansplatz and from there take U1 to Schwedenplatz – From Hostel Hütteldorf you can take the U4 directly to Schwedenplatz.

Price: € 11,-

 

Exploring trip through the meadowy countryside

Boat trip in the National Park

Boat trip in the National Park

If you have your own car or you would like to explore Austria with the Bus you can reach the national park’s headquarter individually. Therefore you have to get to the U2 station Aspernstraße. From there you take bus 391 directly to Orth an der Donau. At the schlossOrth you can find the visitors centre and the museum of the national park. There you can choose from array of excursions. We opt for a rubber boat trip along the Danube and its branches. During this trip you firstly explore the meadowy countryside by foot and by boat. After the exhausting paddling you can relax during the return journey along the main branch of the Danube. Thereby you drift along the forests and buckle on lonely beaches – a perfect possibility to enjoy the scenery of the national park.

Starting point: Visitors centre schlossOrth at Orth an der Donau

How to get there: From Palace Hostel take U3 and U2 to Aspernstraße from there you take Bus 391 to Orth. From Hostel Hütteldorf you take U4 and U2 to Aspernstraße and from there you take Bus 391 to Orth

Price: € 27,- (students: € 19,-)

Eurovision Song Contest – first appearances

The Finish punk band PKN

On Monday the first bands came together at the Wiener Stadthalle and started to practice for the ESC. The delegations of Belgium, Armenia, Moldova, Greece, Estonia, Finland and Netherlands were the first one who could enter the spectacular stage. Meanwhile the interviews were the most interesting part of the event. While Eduard Romanyuta from Moldova was brightly speaking of a childhood dream coming true Loic Nottet from Belgium seemed a bit nervous or even shy. Also Trijntje Oosterhuis from the Netherlands was speaking of a childhood dream coming true. However she really set the cat among the pigeons with her dress giving a real deep insight. After being asked if she would be nervous because of the fact that her country was last year ranked as second behind Austria she easily answered that an artist should never feel scared about any situation however she is aware of her responsibility. With the Estonian duo Elina Born and Stig Rästa as well as the Finnish punk band PKN two favourites could also practice. Especially the only 85 seconds appearance of PKN was kept in mind. During the interview with the band consisting of musicians with mental impairments the interpreter had to struggle a bit sometime.

An outstanding Monday @ Cafe Leopold

In the evening the first Eurovision night took place at the Cafe Leopold. Especially fans really enjoy those events as it is one of the few moments where they can find artists within the crowd. Also that time. The Armenian delegation was one of the first guests. A bit later fans had also the possibility to meet the artist form Montenegro, Azerbaijan and San Marino. While the ESC expert Marco Scheuder mixed ESC classics with modern beats the main act and Viennese DJ duo Möwe took care and changed an average Monday into a weekend Saturday.

But this week a lot more will come. The whole week you can find many great events and jam sessions within Vienna’s calendar. Today the artists of Slovenia, Albania, the Czech Republic and Georgia take part in a jam session at the Albertina. And on Friday you can enjoy the delegations of Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark at the Nordic Night at the Chaya Fuera.

Vienna’s hottest summer bars

Finally the cold months of the year are gone and spring is awaiting us with longer and warmer days. At the same time most of us experience their first summer feelings and we can’t wait to spend the first long nights under a starry sky with cocktails, summer music and a deck chair on the beach. And therefore you don’t even have to travel to the sea. Vienna with its beach and summer bars offers you exactly what you are looking for. For everyone who hasn’t taken notice of them yet we want to give some information on the hottest summer bars of the city. Whether you are searching for a modern Austrian bar or you are searching for some Mediterranean feeling your search will definitely end at the Danube Canal ;)

 

Strandbar Herrmann

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Relaxing atmosphere at the Herrmann Strandbar

The most famous beach bar in Vienna lies directly at the end of the Danube Canal. Directly situated at the Danube the Strandbar Hermann offers you everything you expect of a classic beach bar. Whether you like to enjoy in a deck chair with some friends or you relax in one of the hammocks this beach bar is the right choice. Thanks to a vide variety of cocktails and a daily changing menu it is easily possible to try something new even if you are not a newbie. The in-house beach with its great views over historical and new buildings completes the chilled atmosphere.

 

The Badeschiff

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You cannot miss it – the Badeschiff

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Urban Camping at the Badeschiff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a stone’s throw away from the Strandbar Hermann you can find the Badeschiff. If you stroll along the Danube Canal you won’t miss the Badeschiff. Just beside the Schwedenplatz the Badeschiff lies calm on the Danube. The Badeschiff offers you countless possibilities – so you can relax, enjoy or even sleep on board. The pool at the end of the boat is definitely the highlight of the bar. After some relaxation on the deck you can easily enjoy some swimming or you can relax in the pool while overlooking Vienna. The in-house “Craft Kammer” offers its guests more than 25 crafts from Austria, Belgium, England, the USA and many other countries. As an Urban tavern the Badeschiff regales its guests with delicious dishes from the oven. You can for example enjoy roasted pork or different strudels. If you are even too tired to leave you can also sleep at the Badeshiff at the end of the day. On the sun deck of the boat you can relax within the Urban Garden and there you can also find Urban Camping.

 

Sand in the City

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Sand in the City promises beach feeling in the city

You can find Vienna’s biggest sandbox directly behind the Ringstraße within the 3rd district. More based on the concept of a food court you can find countless seats in the centre surrounded by many bars and different providers at the beach club. You may have seen this concept before in Asia. With this concept on thing is certain – you will definitely find something you like. The choices range from a beer bar, Shisha and Mexican Bars, to the Freiwild @ the beach. Themed as “Streetfood of the world with the cool sprit of Austria” the star rated gourmet restaurant offers its guest a private pop up tent with a private outdoor area and comfortable interior. Beside the culinary offer the Sand in the City also offers you the possibility to use one of the two available beach volleyball sites. You just have to reserve a site online at www.beachvolleywien.at and then you can enjoy the sites from 5.00 to 11.00 pm including floodlight.

 

Tel Aviv Beach

Tel Aviv Beach, Tel Aviv Vienna, tel aviv neni, tel aviv danube canal

Chilled atmosphere…

...and delecious food at the Tel Aviv

…and delecious food at the Tel Aviv

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you think of beach, party and great atmosphere you also have to think of Tel Aviv. The Israeli city at the Mediterranean Sea is by now known as a party destination well beyond the Orient. At the Tel Aviv Beach they try to convey this feeling of easiness, summer and Israeli hospitality to the Viennese Danube Canal. Owned by the celebrity chef Haya Mocho the Tel Aviv Beach belongs, as some other restaurants in Vienna, Zurich and Berlin, to Neni. Therefore you can look forward to delicious Isreali and Oriental cuisine, tasty Cocktails and great music at the Tel Aviv Beach. With a bit of luck Haya Molcho maybe cooks herself behind the grill and prepares some authentic Oriental dish for you.

Eurovision Song Contest – Construction work started!

On Tuesday it started – the Eurovision Song Contest has finally reached Vienna. On Tuesday the first trolleys arrived in Vienna to bring the first parts of the stage to the event site. During the next weeks more and more stuff will be brought to the Stadthalle and within the next weeks the team will obstruct more than 3.500 tons of material.Beside of the anticipation also the security checks are massive these days. All material which will be fixed at the ceiling has to be checked by an X-ray apparatus and all the materials which will be placed on the floor get checked by bomb-sniffing dogs. When it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest nothing is left to chance.

 

Constrction work started!

Constrction work started!

Unfortunately all the fans still cannot attend the constructions works up close. So everyone who is curious about the massive “building bridges” stage has still to wait. Should you ever forget how many more days it takes until the event, we can only recommend you to take a look at the official countdown directly in front of the city hall.

Easter in Vienna

Every year during Easter Vienna awakes from its hibernation. The cold time of the year draws to a close and the foggy streets change to colourful streets dominated by Easter eggs and flower arrangements. Nevertheless not only the streets get more colourful also the people enjoy warmer and longer days and the city’s hustle and bustle is getting more and more. Especially during this time of the year you enjoy strolling through markets, having a sunbath during a walk or breaking the walk with a delicious Easter delicacy. Especially during this time of the year Vienna is a great trip for all visitors. Because on the one hand you can experience the Austrian culture, enjoy the warmer spring days and on the other hand you won’t find as many tourists as during the high season. Plain talking: cheap fares, short queues and a lot culture combined with vernally weather. For this reason we want to provide you with information on the best Easter markets and places within Vienna.

 

Easter market at the Schönbrunn Palace

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Easter time @ Schönbrunn Palace

The most famous Easter market in the city is only a few minutes away from Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf because the Easter market at the Schönbrunn Palace is like the Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf located at the U4. For our guests at the Palace Hostel Vienna the Easter market is easily accessible by combining a little walk with a ride in the U4. It takes you less than 30 minutes to the Schönbrunn Palace. Directly in front of imperial surroundings you can snatch some souvenirs, taste Austrian specialities or enjoy the great weather in one of the many sitting facilities available at the market. The huge park of the palace is the perfect place for a spring walk or an after-dinner walk and combined with the Schönbrunn Zoo it is a perfect spring day for the whole family. In more than 60 cottages the vendors sell great handcrafts. Whether you search for traditional Easter handcrafts made from wood and felt or you would like to snatch some classy Easter arrangements the 60 stalls offer you a diverse and qualitative product range. The Easter factory has a great offer especially for families. There kids can create Easter arrangements and Marzipan Easter bunnies and take them with them. But the real highlight for all the kids is the annually search for Easter nests on Holy Saturday. All kids have the possibility to take part of a huge search of Easter nests within the palace area. Great gifts and surprises await the finders.

 

Old Viennese Easter Market at the Freyung

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Easter eggs @ Freyung

A real institution within the city centre of Vienna is the Old Viennese Easter Market at the Freyung. Situated within the city hall and St. Stephan’s Cathedral the 47 stalls offer you a great variety of products. Many cultural events at the market stage and Europe’s biggest egg mountain attract every year many visitors. For the small guests a bunny stable was built and a puppet theatre guarantees a varied programme. Especially the great location in the historic centre of Vienna and the amazing framework programme make the Old Viennese Easter Market interesting for both tourists and natives. As the city centre isn’t that big you can leave the metro at different stations to get to the market. If you arrive from Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf you should take the U4 to Karlsplatz and interchange to U1. After one station you can leave the train at Stephansplatz. From there it is only a few minutes walk to the market. If you arrive from Palace Hostel Vienna you can take the U3 directly to Herrengasse. The market is only a stone threw away from the station.

 

Easter festival at the Prater

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Meet Easter bunnies at the Wiener Prater

For the fifth time the Easter festival takes part at the Prater on Easter Sunday. During that day Easter bunny and other colourful personalities await you at the amusement park. According to the motto “The Easter bunny is going on” a great and varied programme for young and old is planed. Great live music and the Punch and Judy show are also part of a great programme. A magnificent magician show and a spring parade are the highlights of the day. If you want to take part at this great festival you have to jump on a train on the 5 April. Whether you are at Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf or Palace Hostel Vienna take the U4 or U3 interchange with the U1 and leave at Praterstern. The festival is only 30 minutes away from our hostels!

 

 

Ringstraße anniversary

This year the Viennese Ringstraße celebrates its 150 years existence. We take this opportunity to inform you a bit about the Ringstraße itself and to give you an overview on upcoming exhibitions which are focused on the Ringstraße and its history. The 5.2 kilometer boulevard is one of the most important sights of Vienna and is seen as a great starting point for the discovery of the city centre. Due to this we would like to present you some of the great sight along a great street

 

The history of the Ringstraße

Ringstraße, parliament, Hostel Vienna, Vienna

Ringstraße at the beginning of the 20 century

With the famous words „It is my will” Emperor Franz Joseph I. commissioned the demolition of the old city walls and creation of an impressive boulevard in the city centre of Vienna in 1857. In the following summer of 1858 85 projects had been submitted and the demolition was started. From the beginning on the Ringstraße was planned as a boulevard which should combine space for private transport, public transport and recreation areas. This plan was kept until today and nowadays the Viennese population can find five vast park areas which offer a huge recreation area within the city centre. Seven years after the beginning of the construction work the Ringstraße was festively inducted by Emperor Franz Joseph himself and his wife Elisabeth of Austria. Even if you could not find to many building by this time at the boulevard the boulevard was opened and the convoy moved via the new boulevard to the Prater. The final construction work was done by 1913. At this time the last representative building, the Ministery of War, was opened. Today you can countless magnificent buildings, hotels, restaurants and many sights along the boulevard. Whether you are looking for a typical Viennese coffee house, a luxury hotel or a classic Viennese dinner – the Ringstraße offers you culture, history and present at one place.

 

Anniversary exhibitions

Secession, Vienna, Ringstraße, Naschmarkt, Hostel Vienna

The Secession – too modern for the Ringstraße

Many museums in Vienna are focused on the anniversary of the Ringstraße this year. Especially this year you will have the chance to get to know as much as possible about the Ringstraße. Thereby the topics are totally different and there is something interesting for everyone. The Jewish museum for example shows the Jewish life at the Ringstraße and the role of the Jews as builders and patrons. The Secession in contrast takes a look on its own building history. The museum was originally planned at the Ringstraße but intense protests smashed those plans and the “too modern” museum was moved to the Naschmarkt where you can find it until today.

 

 

Jewish Museum

The ring – a Jewish boulevard

Dorothergasse 11, 1010 Wien

www.jmw.at

Secession

Too modern for the first row

Friedrichstraße 12, 1010 Wien

www.secession.at

Sightseeing at the Ringstraße

Opera, Ringstraße, night, Hostel Vienna, Vienna

The opera @ night

For many tourists a ride in the Vienna Ring Tram is an important part of their Viennese bucket list. Similar as the famous hop-on hop-off buses you can enjoy a ride along the Ringstraße and an informative audio guide gives you information on sights and buildings along the way. If you search for a cheaper version you can also take the public tram routes 1 and 2. With only one change you can drive round the city centre. You have to miss out the audio guide on this tour but if you have a smartphone you can use our Audio guide which will give you also great information on the sights at the Ringstraße. If you decide to take a look at the sights along the Ringstraße you probably won’t stop wonder. From the Hostel Hütteldorf you can get nonstop via the U4 to Karlsplatz. There the famous Charles Church from the 18th century is waiting to be visited by you. Famous for its distinctive columns at the main entrance it is inspired by Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. Also at the metro station Karlsplatz situated you can find the Opera really close to Charles Church. Every year it is scene of countless high quality performances and the Vienna Opera Ball. If you follow the Ringstraße clockwise you will pass by the Hofburg Palace, seat of the Austrian president and formerly emperors, within a few minutes. On the opposite side of the Ringstraße you can find the Museums of Natural and Cultural History. In a row the Ringstraße leads you to city hall and passes by the Burgtheater, Austria’s most important theatre, and the parliament. The 113 metre tall city hall is one of Vienna’s most distinctive sights and offers great events at its forecourt. Experience the life ball, the Christmas market or one of the many festivals.

lifeball, city hall, vienna, hostel vienna

Lifeball @ the city hall

All of our Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) fans can find the countdown for the event also at the forecourt of the city hall. Passing by the University of Vienna and the old stock market you then reach the Danube channel. If you need a break then we recommend you to have some ice cream at the Schwedenplatz. Especially famous with locals and tourists is the Eis Greissler. A small ice cream shop half way between the Schwedenplatz and Stephansplatz. After the break you can tackle the rest of the boulevard. Following the Danube channel you pass by the police headquarter and the Museum of Applied Arts. Especially between the Museum of Applied Arts and the Opera you can find many coffee houses, restaurants and famous hotels. There you can bring your day to a perfect end by experiencing Viennese coffee house culture and lifestyle.