City Guide
Vienna experiences and activities: Click here for insidertips
Ask us anything you like, as we don’t believe in holding things back. On the contrary, we enjoy informing our guests of what’s on in Vienna, according to the principle of ‘sharing is caring’. Our recommendations can be very general or highly specialised, but they are always guaranteed to be drawn from the experience of a local. If we’ve piqued your interest, get in the mood for your Vienna adventure here.
Fitzcarraldo Bar: between speakeasy-style cosiness and Instagram paradise
Where to look first? Even if the enticing cocktail creations haven’t reached the marble table yet, your eyes will be otherwise engaged: the Fitzcarraldo Bar in Vienna’s seventh district is, just like its drinks, the height of visual indulgence.
Sammy Walfisch and Hendrik Genotte, who run the bar – which, by the way, was named after Sammy’s dog – have created a chic, floral establishment that is fun as soon as you walk through the door. Before you get to the bar, you come face to face with a drinks vending machine. Behind it, a speakeasy in a botanic design opens up – from the wallpaper to the real plants, which contribute to the chic yet cosy interior. Even the twelve signature cocktails, with their steam and fluffy foam clouds, take on a feisty life of their own.
Read more
Sechser: decadent and yet familial
Have you ever heard the term Mannerism? In a historical context, this refers to a transitional style between Renaissance and Baroque. This involves grotesque, contrived and unusual shapes.
Architectural firm Söhne & Partner designed the Sechser, a mixture of a bar and a club, in line with this concept and thereby created a whole new aesthetic. Two underground levels form two club zones: a bar with opulent floral ceiling and extravagant fabrics, and, on the floor below, the VIP room with a round bar and striking golden-viper marble countertop. The details are what make the club so unique – including a rose-quartz washbasin and a ceiling with 1,400 light points. And the drinks? Only the very finest, of course!
Read more
Barfly’s Club: American style, Caribbean flair
We aren’t exaggerating when we describe the selection of whiskies, rums and cocktails at Barfly’s Club in Vienna as inexhaustible.
The legendary bar, opened by Dominican Mariano ‘Mario’ Castillo in 1990 in American style in the back room of a hotel, initially offered 1,200 whisky and 500 rum varieties to sample. Rat Pack music accentuated the drinking experience, including songs by Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole. After a complete redesign in 2021, the bar now gleams with fresh, but still charming, splendour. The music remains unchanged, but the cocktail menu has been expanded to include popular classics. Further additions can also be seen in the whisky collection. These sophisticated tipples are available either by the glass or, for rare editions, by the bottle.
Read more
Motorikpark Wien: with health in mind
Increasing quality of life through activity: at the Motorikparks in the city’s municipal gardens, you have every opportunity.
At Motorikpark 22 in Donaustadt and Motorikpark 10 in Helmut-Zilk-Park in the Sonnwendviertel neighbourhood, 21,000 and 1,400 square metres of space respectively is available for endurance, coordination and dexterity training – for visitors of all ages. The extensive area includes 23 equipment stations with more than 100 innovative devices, in some cases designed specifically for the city. There is also a 600-metre running circuit. The activity park in the Sonnwendviertel has more than ten stations for endurance and strength exercises, but also obstacles that promote balance and dexterity. Both Motorikparks also feature a catering operation.
Read more
hiergeblieben: stay in Vienna; discover the world
A trip to Vienna where you discover the world? With tours by hiergeblieben, you may well be out and about in the Austrian capital, but you’re also hot on the trail of European travel destinations.
All of a sudden, you find yourself in Italy, Spain, France and Germany while in the city centre. Given that it would be a pity to ignore the beauty of Vienna, the tours also take you to places that may be unknown even to locals: hidden courtyards, picturesque alleyways, romantic squares – all brimming with surprising, whimsical and, occasionally, disturbing stories. Europe, Vienna or the countryside – these are your three options. Those who choose the countryside will find themselves in the quaint wine villages of Perchtoldsdorf or Klosterneuburg.
Read more
Café Gloriette: a slice of history with your coffee
€€€
Expectations are high when it comes to the atmosphere in a cafe located in the Schönbrunn gardens. And if it bears the propitious name ‘Gloriette’, the imagination well and truly runs riot – and is not disappointed.
At the end of the eighteenth century, Empress Maria Theresa had the park complex at Schönbrunn developed; the Gloriette was the showpiece of the palace gardens, a ‘temple of glory’. Visiting monarchs and Emperor Franz Joseph I, who would breakfast here, delighted in the magnificent space with panoramic terrace. Following its renovation in the 1990s, the cafe opened in all its original splendour and is now one of the most impressive coffee houses in Austria. People dine here from morning to nightfall.
Read more
Tokyo Boom: kawaii!
Tokyo Boom not only serves up vegan Japanese cuisine, but also a colourful establishment – and all at a whole new level! ‘Kawaii’ means cute in Japanese.
Outside, the fencing – separating the seating area from the street – the logo and the blackboards provide a little taster of the brightly coloured interior. But the biggest surprise comes when you step inside Tokyo Boom: the tables, chairs, walls and floor are painted in rainbow colours and adorned with lots of cute details. And the food is worthy of just as much attention as the design: rice balls, miso soup, bowls and udon noodle dishes feature on the menu alongside vegan protein shakes and seasonal dishes. The desserts like mochi ice cream, dango and strawberry–matcha pudding are especially tasty!
Read more
Café Habakuk: anything is possible; nothing is compulsory
Habakuk (Habakkuk in English) is the name of an Old Testament prophet. Habakuk is also a term to describe things that have little use.
In Vienna, people also associate the term Habakuk with something else entirely: Café Habakuk, a trendy establishment in which to spend a completely relaxed evening. Anything is possible; nothing is compulsory – you can therefore order a coffee, but also a beer or a long drink. There is a range of delicious toast options, but it’s absolutely fine to bring your own food. The music is also something of a medley, as diverse as the guests. The casual atmosphere is perfectly in keeping with the exceptional interior: the coffee house style blends with a bar feel and familial pub ambiance – the result evokes a sense of home from home.
Read more
Calienna: think higher; feel deeper
Despite containing so much, Calienna can be summed up beautifully with a single definition: a ‘creative concept’. And this means that Calienna is a mantra, an attitude and a lifestyle.
The spellbinding premises house a shop, a cafe, a gallery and a creative studio. With this concept, the team hopes to encourage people to recover their innate connection with nature and to incorporate it consciously into their everyday lives in this hectic world. You will find out which items and behaviours make this possible on Neubaugasse. Calienna provides plants, great books, art, products produced with plenty of attention to detail, and a place for good conversation – and, of course, plenty of scope for inspiration.
Read more
Calienna: think higher; feel deeper
Despite containing so much, Calienna can be summed up beautifully with a single definition: a ‘creative concept’. And this means that Calienna is a mantra, an attitude and a lifestyle.
The spellbinding premises house a shop, a cafe, a gallery and a creative studio. With this concept, the team hopes to encourage people to recover their innate connection with nature and to incorporate it consciously into their everyday lives in this hectic world. You will find out which items and behaviours make this possible on Neubaugasse. Calienna provides plants, great books, art, products produced with plenty of attention to detail, and a place for good conversation – and, of course, plenty of scope for inspiration.
Read more
Motorikpark Wien: with health in mind
Increasing quality of life through activity: at the Motorikparks in the city’s municipal gardens, you have every opportunity.
At Motorikpark 22 in Donaustadt and Motorikpark 10 in Helmut-Zilk-Park in the Sonnwendviertel neighbourhood, 21,000 and 1,400 square metres of space respectively is available for endurance, coordination and dexterity training – for visitors of all ages. The extensive area includes 23 equipment stations with more than 100 innovative devices, in some cases designed specifically for the city. There is also a 600-metre running circuit. The activity park in the Sonnwendviertel has more than ten stations for endurance and strength exercises, but also obstacles that promote balance and dexterity. Both Motorikparks also feature a catering operation.
Read more
hiergeblieben: stay in Vienna; discover the world
A trip to Vienna where you discover the world? With tours by hiergeblieben, you may well be out and about in the Austrian capital, but you’re also hot on the trail of European travel destinations.
All of a sudden, you find yourself in Italy, Spain, France and Germany while in the city centre. Given that it would be a pity to ignore the beauty of Vienna, the tours also take you to places that may be unknown even to locals: hidden courtyards, picturesque alleyways, romantic squares – all brimming with surprising, whimsical and, occasionally, disturbing stories. Europe, Vienna or the countryside – these are your three options. Those who choose the countryside will find themselves in the quaint wine villages of Perchtoldsdorf or Klosterneuburg.
Read more
