Want to leave the hustle and the bustle of the city? Then why not go to heaven?! Just a short car or underground/bus ride from downtown will take you to forests, vinyards and green meadows on the slopes of the hills, the city lying below your feet. If you come by public transport, after switching from underground station Heiligenstadt to the bus, you should stop at the impressive Karl Marx Hof, which was built in the 20′s. The longest connected building of the world is a “Gemeindebau”, some kind of government housing – a very typical and special thing in Vienna. Once you have arrived at the top of the hill, you will notice the octagon-shaped building. That’s the cafe “Am Himmel”. Either you take a rest and a hot or cold drink before a walk – or you reward yourself with a piece of cake after some exercise. The cafe itself is a very nice place with its huge windows from top to bottom and they do good cakes and warm dishes. In winter its great to warm yourself up in the cafe, as it can be icy and windy up there. Details about this spot (Show on map).jpg)
Image by Linda Nepicks
Am Himmel | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Restaurants (intern.) | Melange € 2.80
Höhenstrasse/Himmelstrasse, 1190 | Outer districts | +4314065938
Thu – Fri 12:00 – 22:00, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 22:00
Coffee & tea – All our local tips
Our favorite Vienna local coffee shops, coffee houses, tea rooms. This is where our Vienna locals get their cafffeine and their high tea… Vienna insider tips: always up-to-date!
Tip: Download our When I first came along this square, I really was surprised. Somehow I did not expect such a cosy and neat little square in a big city like Vienna. Servitenplatz resembles the centre of a small Austrian village. So what do you need for such a square? An old church, some benches, huge trees which give shade, a café, a pub, nice stores in the surrounding streets and local people who enjoy it- both old and young. This is what you get here! And that’s why I like this spot. There is the Servite church from 1677, there is a coffeeshop without a name (where you get homemade ice in summer!), there is a pub besides a hairdresser, and there are these nice simple benches where you can watch couples, the old folk chatting or children playing football. In winter time it’s quiet here, but in summer it’s pretty much the center of that quarter. I think every time of the year it’s worth a visit. The sad history of the Servitengasse, leading to the square, is quite touching. Decades ago it used to be a street where many Jews were living (half of the population of the ninth district in 1938 were Jews, like Sigmund Freud who lived pretty much around the corner), but with the Nazi regime they had to leave their flats and homes. A little memorial with all symbolic keys shows the names of the displaced persons. Some sad history for a neat little square. Details about this spot (Show on map).jpg)
Image by Linda Nepicks
Servitenplatz | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Shopping | Free
Servitengasse | Inner districts
24 hours daily
In search for fresh vegetables, slow instead of fast food and a colourful market amidst nice old buildings? Then this is the right place to visit! In comparison to the famous Naschmarkt (check the Naschmarkt article), the Karmelitermarkt is much smaller and has a less exotic variety of fruits and vegetables, but here you will find the local people of the second district go shopping. Especially on a sunny Saturday it’s very lively and after or before getting your bags filled, why not enjoy a coffee or a decent meal. Some of the small market stalls consist of just one or two rooms which function now as a restaurant or café like Marktachterl or like Madiani, a great place for Georgian food. On a Saturday morning you can find a lot of food and herbs from organic farms of the nearby region on the Karmelitermarket but the earlier you come the better – though the official opening times are till afternoon. In the surrounding streets there are even more food stores or snack bars like Wulfisch or nice small shops like Kabine. The history of this very old market and the district itself is quite interesting: apart from the Nazi-time the Karmeliterquarter had always been a multi-ethnic place with a huge jewish community. Nowadays you find shops for kosher food beside Turkish or Serbian stores and Georgian restaurants. Details about this spot (Show on map).jpg)
Image by Linda Nepicks
Karmelitermarkt | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
Leopoldgasse | Danube Canal Area
Mon – Sat from 06:00
A place to chat, for people from different countries. A colourful street market with fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese. A long alley with plenty of stalls with cheap clothes, shoes and fabrics. A stuffed alley with loads of groceries, turkish restaurants, shops, bakeries etc. An alley ending in a big market square, used both by bohemian society and local residents. A market with a shop for the best jam in the world (apart from home-made one) called Staud’s. A market square with cafe’s, restaurants and bars or just benches to sit and relax. Check it out, I think it’s a very different part from Vienna, which most tourists will not see (who just know the Naschmarkt). And worth to see! Not to forget that fruits and veggies are way cheaper than on any other market in Vienna… Details about this spot (Show on map).jpg)
Image by Linda Nepicks
Brunnenmarkt Yppenplatz | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants
Yppenplatz | Inner districts
Mon – Sat til 18:00
This café has nothing in common with the famous Kaffeehäuser of the Ringstrasse, which bedazzles you with grandeur. But this small café has everything that a connoisseur of Viennese coffee tradition needs: a beautiful old room with a traditional interior, neither radio nor music, many newspapers for free which you are welcome to read for hours and last but not least all the different coffees, cakes and sweet and warm dishes which are known since the emperor’s days. It must have been ages since the last renovation, if there ever was one. But this fact makes the place very charming and special. You see the old tapestry, lots of black&white pictures of regular guests (like more or less famous actors), green velvet sofas and chairs – and an old peculiar furnace by which the whole café is heated in winter times. This is not a very touristy place, so be gentle, be a smooth part and enjoy. Details about this spot (Show on map).jpg)
Image by Linda Nepicks
Café Jelinek | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Cake € 3.00
Otto Bauer-Gasse 5 | Inner districts | +4315974113
09:00 – 21:00 daily
