Vienna from the back

This trip is part of a longer tour: It starts in May 2024 in Vienna/Austria, takes me to Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia, then to Jakarta/Indonesia, Karawang/Indonesia, Manila/Philippines, Tagbilaran/Philippines, back to Kuala Lumpur with a connecting flight to Miri/Malaysia, back to Kuala Lumpur and then to Abu Dhabi, where I finally return in June 2024 to Germany.

I take the ICE from Frankfurt to Vienna. I've arranged to meet a friend there. Vienna has been on my to-do list for a long time. I check in at the Hotel Ambasador, which strives to be friendly and is very central to the many and endless sights that this city has to offer. It's early May, the weather is cloudy, a mixture of sun and rain, matching the mood of the Viennese, who can certainly hold their own against the Berliners in terms of friendliness.

With the Vienna City Card you can use public transport. Some museums offer cheaper admission: viennacitycard.at

Stop staring! You lecher!

Vienna is home to just over 2 million people. The city has been voted the most livable city in the world several times. The Mercer study annually selects the most livable city in the world. Vienna has taken first place eight times in a row. But that also comes at a price: according to the index platform Numbeo, a family of four needs €3,154 without rent, €4,672 with rent in the city center and €4,247 in the outskirts.

The 10 most livable cities in 2023 are

1. Wien (Österreich)

2. Zürich (Schweiz)

3. Auckland (Neuseeland)

4. München (Deutschland)

5. Vancouver (Canada)

6. Düsseldorf (Deutschland)

7. Frankfurt am Main Deutschland)

8. Genf (Schweiz)

9. Kopenhagen (Dänemark)

10. Basel (Schweiz).

Vienna in three days

Vienna is a metropolis. A tourist magnet. As in many tourist destinations around the world, visitor numbers are exploding. Waiting times, high prices, stressed service staff are the result. Queuing. Vienna from behind. Therefore, if possible, travel outside of holiday periods.

Nuhr in Wien, a German cabaret artist

Dieter Nuhr, 2024 in the Marx Halle.

We visit Dieter Nuhr, or rather his performance in the Marx Halle, in Vienna's 3rd district. The event is sold out. Incidentally, the Marx Halle has nothing in common with Karl Marx, the German philosopher and social critic. The building was a historic cattle hall. Today it serves as an event venue with standing room for 8,000 people. We are allowed to sit, however.

Dieter Nuhr is one of those fearless cabaret artists who still say what he is thinking, even if it's true. Or something like that.

I have to hold my breath, however, when he states again in this venerable Vienna - was it a side note? - that Hitler was an Austrian, which is true.

When our school class (at that time) spent a school holiday in Austria, we (German) students were repeatedly told that we should have kept our Hitler.

The Austrians saw themselves as victims because, in their perception, there were no Nazis among them. But now, in 2024, the enlightened public takes it in its stride.

Otherwise, German politics, especially the coalition government of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, which is extremely unpopular with the Germans, will be getting their fair share of criticism this evening. And this despite the fact that, as Dieter Nuhr himself says, he was socialized as a Green. Everything is changing.

Bowel movement in the cafe

I go into one of the countless very expensive and yet crowded cafes and ask a guest if I can have the chair. The answer came promptly: "The toilet is outside!" In Austria, chair means excrement. How unappetizing. OK, I know that from Germany, but we say bowel movement there. So don't say chair if you mean a place to sit, but armchair. An armchair is called a fauteuil in Austria. So much for that.

Berühmt und teuer: das Hotelcafé Sacher.

Money, money, money, just for funny...

What you have to get used to is, I repeat, queuing. No matter what tourist attraction, you have to queue at the back. Of course, the trendy, expensive cafes are overcrowded. People are also queuing here to pay €7.20 for a café latte. And the tea is no cheaper. You then pay the same amount again for a piece of cake.

Now that's what I call decadent rip-offs. OK, you're also paying for the flair, the Viennese charm, which I've been looking for in vain with all the tourist rush. But believe me: a few streets away, in the side streets, the coffee is still expensive but cheaper than in the shops overcrowded with tourists. And the staff are a bit more relaxed.

My Highlights in no particular order

Das Café Mozart

My rating: ****

Albertinaplatz 2, 1010 Wien

Info: www.cafe-mozart.at

The British writer Graham Greene (* 2 October 1904 - +3 April 1991) drank his coffee here. Some scenes from the film "The Third Man" were shot here.

Der frühe Gast steht nicht an.

Tip: go for breakfast shortly after the café opens. Then you can get in without having to wait. But what a faux pas did I make? I reach the café shortly after it opens. It is busy but not full. No queue at the entrance. But I missed the sign with the following text: "We are here for you in a moment to find the best place for you! Please wait here!" I expected the worst as punishment: lashes, coffee from the hot plate, pillory in the Prater. The waiter tolerated my determined actions. In retrospect: I apologize and offer my humble thanks at this point.

The interior is overwhelmingly classic, just as you would imagine in a traditional coffee house in Vienna. But I imagined the cake counter to be more extensive, more pompous. It looks a bit like the bakery in the mall next door. The café is currently being renovated (as of summer 2024). This was also necessary because the upholstery is clearly showing its age.

After visiting the café you are already halfway to the Karlskirche.

Pure Baroque: the Karlskirche

My rating: ****

Infos: www.Karlskirche.eu

Here again, the rule is: get in line at the back.

The Karlskirche is a visual highlight. I recommend the paid climb to the 70 m high dome. The fun costs €9.50 for adults, €7.50 for groups of 6 or more and €5 for students (as of 2024). At least children up to 10 years old are free. The Lord gave, and the Lord takes away. From there you have an overview of the Karlsplatz, the park, the Musikverein, the Technical University and, of course, the city of Vienna.

Blick von der Karlskirche.

On the mezzanine floor you will find a small, manageable exhibition with information and a model of the building. You also have access to the organ, with a view of the nave. The treasury displays sacred exhibits and historical items of clothing belonging to the patron. Concerts are also held regularly in the church.

While we are talking about the countless churches in Vienna, the landmark of Vienna is the

St. Stephen's Cathedral on Stephanplatz

My raiting: *****

Stephansplatz, 1010 Wien

Öffnungszeiten 6 - 22 Uhr, current information opening hours and prices at

Info: www.stephanskirche.at

The all-inclusive ticket for €25 includes

• Entry to the cathedral

• Visit to the north and south towers

• Catacombs tour

• Cathedral Museum Vienna

• Access to the treasury of the Teutonic Order

Wer kein Ticket hat steht an.

The building, which was built in the 12th century in the Gothic-Romanesque style, is 136 metres high and is also Austria's tallest church. The Viennese affectionately call it Steffl. The crowds on Stephansplatz are a challenge for me. If you are a good walker, you can take the 343 steps to the church tower. The cathedral is the burial church of the Habsburgs, the Viennese archbishops and cardinals.

Viennese Fiaker

My rating: ****

Infos: www.fiakerzentrale.at

In front of the tourist hotspots you will find Fiaker, the Viennese horse-drawn carriages. The rides are relatively relaxed for a big city because the inner city of Vienna strictly regulates motor vehicle traffic. Various tours are offered. However, the fun is not cheap:

Depending on the route, you will pay between €40 and €140 for 20 minutes or more, and for special tours such as wedding trips, you can pay €400. If you were satisfied, you can give a 10% tip. Kiss the hand!

The companies justify the price by complying with legal regulations regarding driver training, carriage safety and horse care. Did you know that the cab horse is only allowed to work 18 days a month?

Sugar for the soul

Guest rating from over 600 reviews: *****

Infos: www.zuckerlwerkstatt.at

Herrengasse 6 - 8, 1010 Wien

It reminds me a little of Morelia in Mexico, where there is a shopping mall specifically for handmade sweets, almost art objects. Here in the shop you will find a wide range of sweets: handmade drops, lollipops, fruit jellies and candies, some of which are personalized and individually packaged.

There are also 1.5-hour guided tours in the summer months.

"For risk and

side effects

ask your

dentist."

The Hofburg

My rating: *****

1010 Wien, Österreich

Info: www.Hofburg.com

Sissi, the Eternal Empress, moved into the chambers of the Hofburg with her husband Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1854 when she was just 16 years old. How lucky he was back then. Today he would have to put up with being called a child molester on the Internet. And the political establishment would keep their distance from him. An army of male, female, and diverse social workers and therapists would work on her, Amalie Eugenie, Duchess of Bavaria. It is quite possible that the police would tell the Emperor to leave the area or that the youth welfare office would take Sissi into custody.

I think the political parties SPD, Die Grünen and Die Linke would have renamed the entire area if it were in Berlin.

The Hofburg, which dates back to the 13th century, was the residence of the Habsburgs in Vienna until 1918. Since 1946 it has been the official residence of the Austrian Federal President. It also houses of the National Gallery, the Federal Monuments Office and various museums.

From here you have an extremely wide range of tourist options. The following plan ideally illustrates this:

Treffen Sie Ihre ganz individuelle Entscheidung, was genau auf dem Programm steht. Sie können sowieso nicht alles besichtigen.

Mozart Monument: Rock me Amadeus

At position 9 on the map (see photo below) you will find the Mozart monument. It is a popular photo subject. You will need a little patience to be able to photograph the musical genius like this:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, * 27. Januar 1756 in Salzburg, + 05. Dezember 1791 in Wien.

After the premiere of Die Zauberflöte at the Freihaustheater in Vienna, Mozart fell ill and died 1791 in Vienna at the age of only 35.

Where do you want to go?

Crime Museum, Sissi Museum, Capuchin Crypt, Zoo, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna State Opera, Natural History Museum, National Library, Albertina, Hundertwasser House, Museum of Illusions, Prater...

For now, I've seen enough of this magnificent city. There's still so much more to discover. At another time.

Nervousness is rising in me. As always before a flight. Tomorrow I'm flying with Etihad via Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Fly with me...

Transfer to Vienna Airport: 50 €.