Vienna Pop Festival 2011

It is less than a month to go before one of the many music festivals in Vienna is opening its doors - the 'Vienna Popfest'. The open air festival is running from 5th to 8th May, and as at many of these events in Vienna, the entry is free. Although the festival features popular music, the venue is a classic one - the lake stage in front of the baroque St.Charles church in the centre of Vienna. You might be wondering why it is called lake stage - well, other Austrian festivals like Bregenz or Moerbisch have their lake stages too, and as there is quite a big pond in front of the church... 

The festival is going to host numerous Austrian artists like rapper Skero, the new vocal sensation Lylit, or political singer songwriter Gustav. There will be around 40 acts, and the final program can be found here from 14th April.

Directions from bluedanube apartments - easy as usual. U1/U2/U4 station Karlsplatz, and a short 5 minute walk from there will take you right into the heart of Austrian popular music.

What do William & Kate have to do with Austrian candies?

What do Will 'n' Kate have to do with Austrian PEZ candies?

until 17th April you can bid on this couple on ebay - hurray!



The story of PEZ started in Austria nearly a century ago.

In 1927 the PEZ candy was invented by Eduard Haas III. It was originally developed as "luxury confectionary for an elegant world" - with valuable peppermint aroma. The product primarily addressed adult consumers at this time. PEZ was a refreshing candy and a cigarette substitute for smokers, and the candies were sold in small tins.

Sometime in the 40ies Eduard Haas III had the idea of creating a PEZ dispenser. Thus in 1949 the PEZ box was first invented: A small plastic candy dispenser shaped like a cigarette lighter.

In the 1950s the dispenser became a best-seller in the United States, with Japan following in the 1970s.

Eduard Haas III quickly realized the potential of his product for children; the company began developing fruit-flavoured varieties and the cartoon heads were put on top of the PEZ dispensers, starting with the popular Disney characters Mickey and Donald.

Since then PEZ dispensers have become highly sought-after collector’s items and PEZ has built a strong standing as a cult brand.

PEZ nowadays is available in over 80 countries, the brand’s key markets are Europe, the United States and Japan. The Group manufactures 80 million dispensers and 4.6 billion PEZ candies every year.

Discover Belvedere's hidden gem - The Botanic Garden - Video

While you may know Belvedere Palace as a stunning historic attraction there is this other, very different kind of attraction. This Garden does not really belong to the grounds of Belveders but  is bordering it.

The garden was founded 1754 by Maria Theresia as a "Hortus Medicus“ (a garden for Herbs and medical plants) and has been belonging to the University of Vienna for many years .

While we do not have the mild climate to have gardens like in the UK, the Vienna Botanic Garden has about 10,000 species, all of them a real interesting mix.

Join in, explore and wander through this garden with us: Botanic Garden (5min Video)

It's the first spring day this year!

Fu Hu, our little Panda, in Schoenbrunn Zoo

The Fu Hu Diary is worth looking at, but even more his clumsy and giggly moves in his home at Schoenbrunn Zoo.

Did you know, that this is the oldest zoo of the world?

1569 the former Katterburg was bought by emperor Maximillian II including a vast hunting area.
73 years later, well let's say one generation later, Schoenbrunn was born on these grounds.
And again one generation later, 1752, a big celebration takes place in the menagerie of Schoenbrunn Palace.
The 31st of July 1752 is the birthday of the Schoenbrunn Zoo.
 
It's a must, when visiting Vienna and as the sun's out again, you`'ll definitely enjoy a stroll around this history filled park.

Enjoy, relax and just feel happy watching this wonderful animal kingdom!

Vienna Prater – 2011 opening

Another season for Vienna Prater has started this week. The hibernation period is over, new attractions have been added and existing ones modernized. As usual, the entry is free and most attractions are open from 10 am until after midnight.

It might be a bit too cool these days, but it is good to know that the probably nicest beergarden in Vienna is open again as well after a thorough makeover. The traditional Schweizerhaus is a must for everyone who likes great beer and rich food. And now it is even easier to get there – the Schweizerhaus got its own railway station. Well, not on the Vienna underground network, but on the lovely narrow-gauge track of the Liliputbahn. For those who travel green, the Vienna Prater is offering a new charging point for electric cars and bikes.

And don’t forget, Madame Tussauds is opening soon – April 1^st is the date of wax! 65 wax figures will be awaiting you, the entry fee is reasonable - EUR 18.50 for adults and EUR 14.50 for children.

Let’s go there and have fun!

Directions for visitors staying at bluedanube apartments: it’s right on your doorstep, a 5 minutes walk will do.

More information can be found on these websites: Vienna Prater and Madame Tussauds Vienna
and if you are looking for any detail planning, watch out for this: http://www.praterservice.at/assets/content/prater-folder-plan.pdf