Coffee shops & walking in Vienna
My name is Ingeborg and I have been working at the Austria Classic Hotel Vienna since 1988. I have been the manager of the hotel since 1996 and I still really enjoy being here. When you are allowed to work with people, every day is exciting! Today I'll take you for a walk from the Meidlinger Markt to the hotel.
Market in Meidling
A few years ago I read about a pastry shop on Meidlinger Markt on Facebook. The name Hüftgold (translates as “gold on your hips”) immediately attracted me magically and of course, I had to go there. It is probably the smallest pastry shop in Vienna and I was immediately impressed. Mark and his team conjure up wonderful delicacies away from the "mainstream". There are pieces of cakes and tarts (in Vienna we also call them “Mehlspeise” (translates as “flour food”)) that you don't otherwise get in Vienna and many other hand-made delicacies. In the past there was only the small pastry shop with a few seats. Then it was expanded and you can now have a cozy breakfast at Cafe Ignaz & Rosalia, eat cake there, drink coffee and watch the market goings-on.
Naschmarkt & Flea market
Since I really enjoy going for a walk and want to work off the calories from Hüftgold, I've gotten into the habit of walking back from Meidling to my home district, Leopoldstadt. That takes about 1.5 hours (without further coffee, ice cream and cake breaks) and you can see so much of our beautiful city. I always find my way so that I arrive at the famous Naschmarkt. On Saturday there is the flea market and the hustle and bustle there is fascinating. You can buy practically anything there, from antiques to individual socks.
At the end of the flea market, the Naschmarkt begins. Many Viennese say that the Naschmarkt is degenerating more and more into a “food mile”, I don't see it that way. You can still find fruit, vegetables, falafel, olives, cheese, dried fruit, spices, meat, fish, beautiful parsley and much more there. The market traders feed the visitors with small samples and of course the famous “Viennese Schmäh” (special sense of humor that we have in Vienna) should not be missing. Of course, the sellers are even happier when you buy something too. In the front part, many restaurants with international cuisine have settled in the side area. Whether you like to eat sushi or Wiener Schnitzel, you will find it. The restaurant operators work very well together and if you can't get goulash in the restaurant, it is simply fetched from the neighbors and served.
Passage Karlsplatz & Coffee shops
Right at the Vienna Secession I go down to the passage at Karlsplatz. There you can always see how many Wiener Schnitzel have been consumed and how many lovers there are in Vienna. Then I take the staircase at the Opera and have already reached Kärntner Strasse. If I'm not in a hurry, I go to the Cafe Sluka on Kärntner Strasse 13. My tip: take a look at the mirror octagon room and you will be amazed. During the expansion, this gem was discovered in the course of dismantling the false ceiling! Of course, there is also delicious coffee and numerous pastries here. And a small “Punschkrapferl” or a “Pariser Spitz” will definitely still fit in your stomach! ;-)
Regardless of whether you go to the Café Sacher, the Café Sperl, the Café Central or the Café Landtmann, the coffee shops in Vienna are not exactly cheap. A Viennese Melange (similar to the Italian cappuccino) can cost over 5 euros. The pie and cake pieces are mostly true works of art and therefore have their price. But when you're in Vienna, you can treat yourself to that too.
St. Stephan´s Cathedral & Schwedenplatz & Praterstrasse
After the cafe, continue on Kärntner Straße to St. Stephen's Cathedral. I like to visit the “Steffl”, as we Viennese call St. Stephen's Cathedral. Away from the busy Stephansplatz, it is an oasis of calm. Sometimes I take the lift up and enjoy the view over Vienna. Sporty people can of course also conquer the 343 steps of the south tower.
Continue on Rotenturmstraße, then over the Fleischmarkt to Schwedenplatz. In summer I sometimes treat myself to an ice cream at Schwedenplatz, that I eat on the way back. From Schwedenplatz you simply cross the Schwedenbrücke and you have reached Praterstrasse. I particularly like this corner of my district, right at the beginning of Praterstrasse. There are numerous restaurants such as the Ramasuri, the Mochi and the Ansari. There are old trees on the square that make the heat of summer bearable and in the evening you can end the day with good food and hip drinks.
I hope you liked to join me on my walk. Please enjoy our city, its sights, Viennese cuisine and the one or the other pastry & coffee.
Kind regards
Ingeborg
