{"id":5304,"date":"2018-08-22T06:52:40","date_gmt":"2018-08-22T05:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=5304"},"modified":"2025-11-19T17:49:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T16:49:18","slug":"viennese-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/viennese-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"Authentic Viennese experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/hawelka_small.jpg\" alt=\"Coffee house sign\" class=\"wp-image-9401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/hawelka_small.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/hawelka_small-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>When in Vienna, do as the Viennese do. Sit glumly on a tram pondering the futility of existence? No&#8230;that was more of an early 1900s thing. Instead, try these genuine &#8220;experiences&#8221; that get to the heart of what the city is about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Top suggestions feature food, drink, music, more food&#8230;and food<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/concerts-opera-vienna-tickets-l206741\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Authentic\" rel=\"sponsored\">classical concert experience<\/a>* for your trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/what-can-you-do-in-a-day\/\">One-day itinerary for Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/visitorinfo\/introduction-to-vienna\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"30431\">Quick guide to Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/evening\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"71635\">What to do in the evening<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Genuine Vienna<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what counts as an authentic Viennese experience? Here are my suggestions for visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some you might recognise as typical tourist experiences, too. But often the two truly are the same. Enjoy these at any time of year&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drink a coffee<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/enjoyingacoffee.jpg\" alt=\"Coffee cup and hand\" class=\"wp-image-49177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/enjoyingacoffee.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/enjoyingacoffee-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(A beverage and lifestyle choice)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a reason UNESCO recognises the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/coffee-house-experience\/\">coffee culture<\/a> in Vienna as part of Austria&#8217;s intangible cultural heritage. The city bursts with coffee houses, and even a fast food chain like McDonalds has decent coffee &amp; cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more traditional ones offer a place of refuge&#8230;a place to philosophise, debate politics, gossip with neighbours, peruse the papers, read Goethe and Proust, or just put your feet up after a long morning sightseeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those establishments come in many varieties but the classic version has marbled tables, upholstered sofas, and a slightly dishevelled person in the corner working on their next novel (it might even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Mark-Brownlow\/e\/B076Y3X89F\/\">be me<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/cafehawelka.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Hawelka\" class=\"wp-image-46780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/cafehawelka.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/cafehawelka-300x202.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The entrance to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/cafe-hawelka\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"9388\">Caf\u00e9 Hawelka<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The particular joy of the coffee house experience is that you can (usually) sit for as long as you like after ordering and nobody will bother you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;re spoilt for choice as regards locations, but I&#8217;ve listed some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/coffee-houses\/\">recommended caf\u00e9s<\/a> for your consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vienna even has its own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/coffee-glossary\/\">types of coffee<\/a>. A <em>Wiener Melange<\/em> is, perhaps, the most unique to the city: it&#8217;s not dissimilar to a cappuccino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Visit a classical concert<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/musikvereinkarlskirche.jpg\" alt=\"Musikverein and Karlskirche\" class=\"wp-image-42835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/musikvereinkarlskirche.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/musikvereinkarlskirche-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/musikverein\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5593\">Musikverein<\/a> on the left: possibly the world&#8217;s greatest classical concert venue)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we continue with more food and drink, let&#8217;s go cultural with a visit to a concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vienna cannot escape its position as the capital of classical music. Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Mahler, Schubert, Strauss (I and II), Brahms, Bruckner, Leh\u00e1r, Schoenberg, and others all plied their trade here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That genre still thrives today in the many orchestras, music schools, concert halls, universities, and living rooms of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/peterskirche2023.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/peterskirche2023.jpg\" alt=\"View of Peterskirche from the Graben\" class=\"wp-image-64748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/peterskirche2023.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/peterskirche2023-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The baroque Peterskirche church in the centre hosts regular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/events\/classic-ensemble-review\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"61093\">evenings of light classical music<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not hard to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/classical-concert\/\">find a classical concert<\/a> to attend at one of Vienna&#8217;s many venues (which include the world-famous Musikverein and Konzerthaus).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a bit of luck or effort, you might even find yourself listening to music composed or first performed in the very same building, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/bosendorfer-saal\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"11115\">at the Mozarthaus<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re a little wary of the genre, consider one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/classical-concert\/#mozart-strauss-concerts\">shorter concerts<\/a> specifically designed to give visitors a gentle taste of classical music in historical surrounds. Their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/events\/classical-concert-dress-code\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"75082\">dress codes<\/a> are more flexible, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, my partner and I <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/events\/classic-ensemble-review\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"61093\">particularly enjoyed<\/a> the Classic Ensemble Vienna concert in the gorgeous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/peterskirche\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3039\">Peterskirche church<\/a>. We <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/events\/vivaldi-concert-karlskirche\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"74311\">loved<\/a> Orchestra 1756&#8217;s rendition of Vivaldi&#8217;s <em>The Four Seasons<\/em> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/karlskirche\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"22144\">Karlskirche church<\/a>. And I can recommend perhaps the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/wiener-klassik-ensemble\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"85663\">truest highlights concert<\/a> at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/haus-musik\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"16237\">Haus der Musik<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Let them (and you) eat cake<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/erdbeeroberstorte.jpg\" alt=\"Erdbeer Obers Torte\" class=\"wp-image-46300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/erdbeeroberstorte.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/erdbeeroberstorte-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(A strawberry cream slice of heaven)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re going for a coffee, consider adding a piece of cake to the order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cake is practically a staple food in Vienna, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/vienna-cakes\/\">range of glorious creations<\/a> available to ruin any good nutritional intentions. In my adopted family, cake at breakfast is a thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I arrived in Vienna as a cake agnostic, but no amount of good intentions prevented assimilation into the cult of the cream slice and couverture chocolate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-slug-ids=\"exp206741,exp238032\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_ConcTour\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Coffee houses should have an excellent selection. Many well-known ones, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/cafe-landtmann\/\">Landtmann<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/cafe-diglas\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"43560\">Diglas<\/a>, run their own in-house patisserie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, pop into a more cake-oriented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/konditorei\/\">Konditorei<\/a>. They serve cake, and you can also get coffee. The coffee house serves coffee, and you can also get cake. (That&#8217;s my best explanation of the difference.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Top of your cake list, of course, has to be the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/the-sachertorte\/\">Sachertorte<\/a>: the Viennese chocolate cake invented in the house of Prince Metternich in 1832.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">See an opera<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/staatsopernight.jpg\" alt=\"Staatsoper at night\" class=\"wp-image-41933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/staatsopernight.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/staatsopernight-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The 1869 Staatsoper)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Returning to the classical concert theme, consider an evening at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/staatsoper\/\">Staatsoper<\/a> (State Opera House). And all potentially for less than the cost of that coffee and cake discussed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vienna possesses a rich operatic history, helped by the fact that some of opera&#8217;s greatest composers have a strong connection to the city (cough, Mozart, cough).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The city has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/activities\/opera-in-vienna\/\">three opera houses<\/a>, but the Staatsoper is the biggie: a startling piece of imperial grandeur and unexpected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/mission-impossible-5-locations\/\">setting for Mission Impossible 5<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/volksoper2024b.jpg\" alt=\"Front view of the Volksoper\" class=\"wp-image-69891\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/volksoper2024b.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/volksoper2024b-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The Volksoper opera house)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Viennese opera aficionados wander the Staatsoper&#8217;s decorated halls, where the final aria sends them on their way in a blissful haze of musical culture. The venue enjoys global acclaim and is popular with locals and tourists alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All that might make you think tickets are impossible to get or are, at the least, very expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to an egalitarian tradition of opera going, you can see a production for the price of a cappuccino with some advance planning or get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/cheap-tickets\/\">tickets for under \u20ac20<\/a> on the day direct from the opera house. Here&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/what-to-wear\/\">what you should wear<\/a> if you do go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Visit a market<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/naschmarktfruit.jpg\" alt=\"Tropical fruit at a market\" class=\"wp-image-46515\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/naschmarktfruit.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/naschmarktfruit-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Fruit you may not always find in your average supermarket)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vienna is a special kind of melting pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to the days of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/habsburgs\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"12848\">empire<\/a> (and more recent immigration), many people here trace their ancestry back to various regions to the east, north, and south. Or west, in my particular case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You get a feel for that legacy at the local markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/shopping\/markets\/naschmarkt\/\">Naschmarkt<\/a>, for example: a huge open-air market full of boisterous stallholders selling everything from black tiger prawns to baklava.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Viennese shop, eat and drink at the Naschmarkt, since a variety of little restaurants and bars also make their home there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of my favourite family memories is taking the prams through the market; the shop owners used to rush over to offer my kids little tidbits of falafel and similar.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/altwienerchristkindlmarkt.jpg\" alt=\"Entrance to the Altwiener Christkindlmarkt\" class=\"wp-image-46026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/altwienerchristkindlmarkt.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/altwienerchristkindlmarkt-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/christmasmarkets\/freyung\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"215\">Christmas market on the Freyung<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re here during the Christmas season, a visit to the seasonal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/christmas-markets\/\">advent markets<\/a> may seem touristy, but it&#8217;s really not. These are the genuine article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Put it this way&#8230;if nobody visited the city, the markets would still appear for the domestic population: a 2025 report revealed that about 46% of Christmas market visitors are from Vienna itself with a further third from elsewhere in Austria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Viennese often meet friends and family around stands selling punch and Gl\u00fchwein. So you&#8217;re likely to hear the local dialect as much as English, Spanish or Chinese. Have a few <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/roastchestnuts\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"63\">roast chestnuts<\/a> while you&#8217;re there (another seasonal tradition).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eat a Wiener Schnitzel<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wienerschnitzel.jpg\" alt=\"Wiener Schnitzel\" class=\"wp-image-45967\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wienerschnitzel.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wienerschnitzel-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Note the slice of lemon doing admirable work as the side salad)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hmmm&#8230;more food. (The Viennese do like their grub.) Though vegetarians should look away and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/vegetarian\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"24745\">look here<\/a>, instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve written about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/wiener-schnitzel\/\">Schnitzel<\/a> elsewhere. But to cut a long story short, what you get is a fried escalope, traditionally made from veal, but now mostly from pork (and, increasingly, poultry).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some restaurants, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/figlmuller\/\">Figlm\u00fcller<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.plachutta-oper.at\/en\">Plachutta<\/a>, have Wiener Schnitzel at the very center of their existence, but you&#8217;ll find one on almost any Viennese restaurant menu (even those serving non-Austrian cuisine). This makes the dish ideal for comparing prices between establishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"responsive\" data-content-type=\"venue\" data-content-ids=\"205283,205280\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_FandD\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The true Wiener Schnitzel comes in quantities large enough to feed a football team, with a small serving of potato salad to make you feel better about yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, yes, locals eat this meal in vast quantities, too. The Schnitzel is as much part of the Viennese soul as waltzes, cake, and the ability to remain pessimistic in the face of any good news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take a tram ride<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/newviennesetram.jpg\" alt=\"New Viennese tram\" class=\"wp-image-48978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/newviennesetram.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/newviennesetram-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The latest tram generation)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not quite the opulence of the opera or the frisson of gastronomic pleasure provided by a Sachertorte, but&#8230;a tram is a tram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/public\/\">Public transport<\/a> here runs smoothly and efficiently, and the trams take you just about everywhere in Vienna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, board the tram line &#8220;2&#8221; at Schwedenplatz in the direction of Dornbach and it takes you around past the Stadtpark, the Oper (opera house), and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/ring\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1546\">other parts<\/a> of the Ring boulevard hosting many of Vienna&#8217;s famous buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eat an ice cream<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/zanoniicecream.jpg\" alt=\"Ice cream parlour sign with a historical building behind it\" class=\"wp-image-74137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/zanoniicecream.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/zanoniicecream-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The popular Zanoni parlour in the centre)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OK, I said these were experiences you could enjoy all year round. So what&#8217;s the deal with ice cream?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, Vienna has a number of popular ice cream parlours. Many are Italian-run and shut up shop for winter. However, some do stay open for all but a few weeks in the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, and when I say &#8220;ice cream&#8221;, I mean proper stuff: genuinely creamy in a variety of rich flavours you can mix and match to your heart&#8217;s delight (but perhaps not your cardiologist&#8217;s).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most famous parlour near the centre (and open for a longer portion of the year) is probably Zanoni on Rotenturmstra\u00dfe, the road leading northeast from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/stefansdom\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"294\">Stephansdom cathedral<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eat a sausage<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/amhofkaesekrainer.jpg\" alt=\"K\u00e4sekrainer at Am Hof Easter market\" class=\"wp-image-41450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/amhofkaesekrainer.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/amhofkaesekrainer-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The K\u00e4sekrainer and my favourite sausage until I turned vegetarian)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, the crowing culinary Vienna experience. The Everest of gastronomic achievement. The streamlined cholesterol delivery packet that is the Wurst&#8230;the sausage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a night out, locals collect around the &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/sausages\/\">W\u00fcrstelstand<\/a>&#8221; to eat a sausage with bread and mustard (or ketchup) and set the world to rights. Like coffee houses, the W\u00fcrstelstand also enjoys UNESCO&#8217;s approval as part of Austria&#8217;s intangible cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stands are everywhere, but particularly common at transport nodes, such as outside subway stations.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/wurstelstand.jpg\" alt=\"A Viennese W\u00fcrstelstand\" class=\"wp-image-41447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/wurstelstand.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/wurstelstand-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(A sausage stand outside Karlsplatz station and near the State Opera House)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Warning: don&#8217;t take your sausage on a bus, tram or train: it&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/visitorinfo\/how-to-behave\/\">frowned on<\/a> and the subway has a food ban on its trains, anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sausages themselves come in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/sausages\/\">variety of forms<\/a>, but &#8211; if you can handle the fat levels &#8211; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/kasekrainer\/\">K\u00e4sekrainer<\/a> is a bit of a local secret and the thing I miss most about giving up meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there you have it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All that now remains for a true Viennese experience is to express dismay at Prussian foreign policy and complain about the Hungarians&#8217; wish for more autonomy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When in Vienna, do as the Viennese do. Sit glumly on a tram pondering the futility of existence? No&#8230;that was more of an early 1900s thing. Instead, try these genuine &#8220;experiences&#8221; that get to the heart of what the city is about. Genuine Vienna So, what counts as an authentic Viennese experience? Here are my [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9401,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5304","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5304"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87206,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5304\/revisions\/87206"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}