Thank you!

Dear Readers!

With this post we just would love to say

THANK YOU - DANKESCHOEN!

This May was the first month we've registered 1000 interested readers on our Blog!


This blog is online since more than one year, with the extensive posting started in September only!

We will continue to find interesting bits, funny trivia and unimportant stories about Vienna and Austria.

It is in our interest to inform as much as we can to make your stay in Vienna memorable or to prepare you for a journey to the former Habsburg Dynasty.

And sometimes there may be posts just to share our happiness about the little things in life!
Whatever reason for your visit to our blog, we hope you'll leave enriched with information. 

Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others

Buddha

A Leberkas Semmerl please! Fast Food with Tradition!

Some months ago we did talk about the Wurstsemmel - one of the most traditional fast food in Vienna.
But there are several other mouthwatering, savoury and unique tasty delicacies.

Let's try the Leberkas.
Sometimes also Leberkäs or Leberkäse. In Bavaria you'll find people calling it Fleischkäse.
It's not original Viennese, but it is a Viennese traditional Fast-Food though.
 If you translate it word by word: "Leber" means liver and "kas" or "käs" or "käse" meaning cheese.
Ok then, but it has definitely nothing to do with liver and cheese.


This kind of sausage was invented around 1776, not in Austria but in Germany. The name probably derives from the old German: LAB for clotting and QUAS for feast.
But only probably, because there is another saying too:
KAS means in bavarian german some kind of bulky, compact material, in good old Viennese wording "Gatsch"
So, make your choice!

Anyway it makes sense, as the mix of minced pork and beef will be baken in the oven in a rectangular baking-tin.

There are various types: my favourite, whenever I ever eat it, is Käseleberkäs! This one indeed has cheese in it! Kind of confusing, innit?

How you eat it?
Where you get it?

I recommend to try it as a filling in a good crispy "Semmerl" and the best place to order it is at one of Vienna's typical "Wuerstelstand" which will lead me to my next posting, for sure!

 

Just a final warning:


1. eat it hot!
2. don't eat it in public transport as it has a strong smell!

And beware! The little snack has approx 650 calories!

A Freebie in town - Summer Night's Concert at Schoenbrunn Palace

Summer is here!

Morning temps around 21 Celcius, noon around 30 and very pleasant evening temps of 23.
That is Vienna end of May!


Don't miss the endless al-fresco bars, pubs and open-air-stages AND prepare for one of the most sought-after freebie-concert in Vienna:

Summer Night's Concert Schönbrunn 2011

Conductor: Valery Gergiev

Thursday, 2nd June 2011, 9pm

Schoenbrunn Palace Gardens, in front of Neptune's Fountain, 

1130 Vienna 

The unique baroque surroundings of Schoenbrunn Palace offer a great scenery for this excellent concert played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Like every year admission is absolutely free and the event will take place with good weather only.

There is an alternative date in case of rain, but it is not published yet. Let's hope the weather god will mean it well.

Also not published is the detailed "chartlist", but you can expect hits from Josef Strauss, Franz Liszt, Joseph Lanner, Johann Strauss, Richard Strauss, Jacques Offenbach or Maurice Ravel.

More than 30.000 guest are expected! 

Here some advices:

- arrive early to guarantee access to the more frontern areas

- wear kind of slippers as you'll walk on gravel paths and hi-heels will definitely be out of place

- consider to pack a rug or a folding chair, as the mass is not provided with seating and you may find a cosy place on the green

-  finally we suggest to take a picnic-hamper with you and some bottles of wine as food and refreshments are quite lousy

-  AND: use the U-Bahn U4 coming from centre of town, get in the first wagon and exit with the elevator at Schoenbrunn stop. You just have to walk 5 more minutes from there

ENJOY and maybe you'll catch a glimpse of me!

Casanova in Schloss Schoenbrunn - german only

This post will be a premiere as I will write in GERMANGLISH!

Fancy a visit and explore Schoenbrunn the different way? Liebe locals - wann waren Sie zuletzt in Schoenbrunn?

Well there is indeed a new form of wandering through the palace. 
BUT unfortunately for german speaking visitors only: 

Besucher werden nach Sperrstunde des Schlosses von zwei Hofdamen auf der Blauen Stiege in Empfang genommen und befinden sich innerhalb weniger Minuten im höfischen Geschehen. Das Zeitalter Maria Theresias, die Lebensformen bei Hofe, der Alltag und das Außergewöhnliche werden spürbar und sind hautnah zu entdecken. Die Akteure führen die Gäste im Laufe dieses Abends durch die schönsten Räumlichkeiten des Schlosses, die damit zum Bühnenbild werden. Geschichte wird dort erlebbar, wo sie tatsächlich stattgefunden hat. Seriös recherchiert – amüsant präsentiert. Sie erfahren über die Geheimsprache des Fächers, lernen traditionelle Tanzschritte oder erfahren den latest gossip des Hofes. Ohne bemerkenswerten technischen Aufwand, nachempfunden in Kostümen aus der Zeit und durch facettenreiches Spiel. Theater pur. 

After the official closing hours two actors will guide you through the most attractive rooms, entertaining you with the story of Casanova, a lady-in-waiting will conference with a bavarian visitor. It's a interactive theater you're in, so viewers will be part of the action. They will learn about the hidden language of using a fan, about court ceremonies and how to dance a proper court hop!

Visitors prepare for 2hrs standing - ja, liebe Gäste, sie wandern zwar durchs imperiale Schloss Schönbrunn, aber wählen sie gute Schuhe, denn otherwise werden sie ihre Füsse danach kaum mehr spüren.

Please indeed take good shoes, as otherwise your two sticks will hurt terribly after the grand tour!

At the very moment the premiere is going on. The pics I added here are taken at the pre-premier-show, the Uraufführung, the world premiere, however you wanna call it!


So, save the dates, hurry and book soon! Wenn Sie Schönbrunn einmal anders erleben wollen, sichern Sie sich Ihre Tickets! 35 Eurobucks per person! book here - This interactive theatre is presented in GERMAN ONLY! Sorry!

20., 23., 30. Mai 2011
6., 14., 21., 28. Juni 2011
22. und 31. August 2011
5., 12., 23., 29. September 2011
4., 11., 17., 24. Oktober 2011
3. und 8. November 2011

It's definitely an interesting experience, even though I do see room for improvement.
Maybe they should watch british actors, when active in heritage sites and do a little copy'n'paste !?

Fancy a Full Moon Boating at the Old Danube

Save these dates! If you are in Vienna that time, we have an ultimative night event for you! 

May 17th 

or

June 15th 

or

July 15th 

or

August 13th 

Do you fancy a romantic boat hire, gurgling water around you, 
full moon above you, a botte of prosecco next to you
ahhhh and maybe a pleasant 'n' appealing partner?


Then head out for the boat hire stands at the Old Danube. This map shows the hiring companies (extended opening hours on these days) and food locations.
Take the U-Bahn U1 and get out at stop Old Danube, only 4 stop from bluedanube apartments.


Now you just need some insect repellent and good weather!


And a romantic partner!

Schoenbrunn Castle is Vienna's Hampton Court Palace

Must-do in Vienna - Tourist attraction No 1 - and really worth a visit:
Schoenbrunn Castle is waiting for you. Soon an interesting event is coming up.
So prepare and have some insights!


Enjoy our slide show and ideally plan your visit to Schoenbrunn in the afternoon. Less people - better light!

Join our journey through the vineyards

Saturday was a brilliant day in Vienna! 

Deep blue sky with lots of sun.

The perfect day for the countryside!

Join us to the

Tour de Vin through the vineyards of the Kamptal

visiting vineyards & wineries

tasting Gruener Veltliner & Riesling,

exploring the cellars

and segway around!

A stunning event is coming up at Schoenbrunn Palace

Locals and German speaking people 

watch out!

Keep posted!

Very, very soon the secret is unveiled

and you'll be happy to know it first hand!

HERE!

To The Beach ...... again

Hermann's Strandbar
Friday after-worx in the centre of the capital!
That's how we love to end a busy office week

To The Beach

Wanna go to the beach?

No problem in Vienna!

3 beaches are  already opened! Yes, you've read correctly: we do have beaches in the city of Vienna! And what a kind of beaches too!


Telaviv Beach

This groovy beach brings a slice of seaside cheer to the capital this summer and comes with excellent international food, great drinks and the best music ever with live gigs and DJ's you don't want to miss!

Hermanns Strandbar


The second beach at The Danube Canal proves that you don't need to fork out on travel to a far flung land to enjoy a slice of seasonal fun. Destined to attract people of all ages, this place offers great food 'n' drinks and the perfect place to relax in between shopping, work or sightseeing.

Sand In the City

Sunglasses at the ready! The place where you normally skate along wrapped in thick jackets and shivering all the time has transformed into a single sand landscape.
So if you're out for the feel of sand under your feet, pop in and enjoy music and food!

You'll love them! Go there, when the weather is fine, stick your feet in the sand and indulge with good bits 'n' bites and excellent drinks.


Enjoy the beach feeling during day or even at night, when the first mediterranean evenings make their way into Vienna and you start hearing the chirping noise.

Yummy Time - Meet the Jamie Olivers and Gordon Ramsays of Austria

Hungy?

Greedy for food?

Fancy some local delicious dishes?

No need to wait, no need to visit a posh restaurant!

Just visit Vienna's Stadtpark

on Friday, Saturday or Sunday,

6th to 8th May

and meet 'n' greet Austrians top chefs!

Free of charge!

At the stunning Gourmet Festival or Food Festival, to put it more international, you can experience Austrian cooking expertice.

We do have an equivalent to the internationally beloved Gordon Ramsay with it's famous F-Word: the Austrian TV chefs Alex and Andi are loved because of their slang and wit during cooking.

Jamie Oliver, though, famous for being the Naked Chef, is difficult to be compared.

In general Austrian chefs are too earnest, so serious, not a lot of them take it as easy as Jamie. But that's our culture. Unfortunately Austria does not live the british rule: The importance of not being earnest!

But Austrian Chefs do deliver excellent quality, nonetheless or perhaps precisely because of it. Think of Wolfgang Puck in Los Angeles!

Enjoy the chef's passion for food and pop into Stadtpark!

Meet Reinhard Gerer, Wini Brugger, Toni Mörwald and Christian Domschitz, to name just a few!

And do come hungry as a hunter! Eat as much you can. Rest on the green.
Done!

Just for fun: compare Gordon cooking Chicken Tikka Masala with Alex & Andi cooking a soup 

Vienna's High Quality Water

Vienna is well-known for its outstanding water quality.
Our water is of alpine origin coming directly from the springs of the mountains into the taps of Vienna.

The two Viennese spring water pipelines bring the water from highly protected source areas in the alps directly to Vienna, without any mechanical assistance and travelling altogether around 330 km. As the origin of the water in the Alps is far far away from civilisation, it is of excellent quality and ready for drinking from the tap.

Already the Romans recognized the opportunity of supplying Vienna with first class water from the surrounding sources, and built the first water pipelines for Vienna.
In 1873 the first of the two spring water pipelines was established, and as a sign of the water wealth the high jet fountain at the Schwarzenberg Palace in the centre of Vienna was built.

The opening of the second pipeline followed in 1910.

The water travels the way from the source to the tap in around 16 hours. Today 97% of all water consumed in Vienna is coming from the two spring water pipelines. Within Vienna the water is distributed via a pipeline network with a total lenght of over 3,300km. Viennas daily consumption averages at approx. 400,000 cubic metres water.

Go to the tap and enjoy our excellent water - what a wonderful liquid treasure we have!