Image by Diana Pereira

Quite unusual that the incinerator of the city can be a nice thing to look at, but in fact the incinerator building and tower are one of the city landmarks. When you first look at it you will probably think you are looking at an art gallery or a museum due to its colorful appearance but it is an operating incinerator and heating plant.

The building has a very funny outlook something like in between a building and a living sculpture with golden balls on every corner! It has some small windows encircled by bright colors. Irregularly you can see also some openings (kind of balconies) from where trees grow out of the building and the huge chimney tower which culminates with an enormous shiny golden ball. The explanation is that the architect and artist who designed the external facade was the famous painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The building reflects his concerns for life and his attempts for a waste-free society as well as for architecture in harmony with the nature.

It is located near the Danube channel (Donaukanal) and quite near the city centre. Just out of the Metro station Spittelau lines U4 and U6. You can also walk along the channel and do all way around the building, following one of the many bridges of this area. If you have interest in architecture you will also see the Zaha Hadid building about 100 meters away.

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Fernwärme | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Spittelauer Lände 45 | Danube Canal Area
24 hours daily (inside by appointment)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Sabrina Grohsebner

As the title implicates you’ll find several places within this spot, true to the maxim “Why be satisfied with just running a pub when you can have some many things at one time?”.

Pickwick’s is, above all, a real nice and relaxed Irish pub providing its guests with all kinds of beverages, snacks and music. What I personally love about the spot is that it really gives you a little bit of the feeling of being at home. Creating a great atmosphere, the place is furnished with some cosy armchairs, old fashioned sofas and big shelves filled with loads of books inviting you to stay a little bit longer and delve into English literature masterpieces.

And here’s the kicker: if you feel like exploring the place a little bit further, you should go and see the basement. Down there you’ll be amazed to see that Pickwick’s also houses Vienna’s biggest English video and DVD store, open way longer than all the other stores in town.

And just to make completely sure that guests are kept entertained, there are also weekly happenings such as Quiz Nights, Karaoke and similar..what more could you possibly wish for?

Pickwick’s offers you so many great and interesting things to spend your evenings with, and what’s best about it: every single one of them is worth a visit.

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Pickwick’s | Bars, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Beer € 3.00
Marc Aurel Straße 16 | Danube Canal Area | +4315330182
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 12:00 – 00:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Linda Nepicks

This little green oasis in the second district indeed offers a weird mixture. As you pass the old walls surrounding the pretty baroque park, you’ll soon notice one of the two so called “Flaktürme” – huge towering bunkers.

These towers were military defense towers in the 40′s and as they can’t be destroyed, they are still some bleak (but important) reminders of the second world war. Nowadays the park is used by joggers, couples, families and dog owners in need for a walk.

Everybody who wants to relax, do some exercise or get some fresh air, will be happy here. And this is already possible since 1775!! The garden is baroque, so there are plenty of cut bushes, trees and hedges which come along with carefully decorated flowerbeds. That’s the reason why there were times when it was neither for men or animals allowed to step on the lawn. But as you will notice: the need for green space and relaxation is stronger, so in summer time you see picnickers, hammocks strung up between the trees and football players.

There is even more to be found in the park: the boarding school of the famous Wiener Sängerknaben, the Porzellanmanufaktur, the art gallery Augarten Contemporary and also a nice cafe called Augarten Atelier. Check the Belvedere website for more info. 

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Augarten | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Obere Augartenstrasse | Danube Canal Area
06:30 – 17:30 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Linda Nepicks

…in Vienna. That’s what the owner says about his shop. And it’s quite true!

Of course it’s possible to buy fish in other places in Vienna. But where can you find those very special shrimps delivered from Buesum, northern Germany!?! Which come along with tasty, so called Broetchen, a non-Austrian German word for bread rolls?! Fish salad, wraps, matjes, all for take-away or to enjoy in the shop.

The shop itself is small but stylish: high ceilings, blue tiles on the floor, white and wooden interior. Get yourself one of the few bar stools, a typical Hamburg beer to bridge the time you have to wait for your great fish bread roll to be finished. On a Saturday morning you can ask for a hangover fish breakfast, to fight the impact of a sinful Friday night.

This is the place for visitors whose hearts beat in the northern tune, or who just like tasty fish… and a piece of Hamburg in Vienna, just like me.

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Wulfisch | Bars, Snacks | Fish bread roll € 3.50
Haidgasse 5 | Danube Canal Area | +4319461875
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 20:00, Sat 09:00 – 13:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Linda Nepicks

Hidden in a bit of a rough and unknown part of the second district, you can dive deep into the bohemian cuisine. Nordpol – a quite unusual restaurant with a quite unusual address (the small alley is called “at the north pole”). Let alone the unusual paintings and the interior: kitsch, trash, hokum – you may call it as you like, but it definitely is a cosy place.

The best thing you can do is to keep yourself on a diet for the day, to arrive with an empty belly and a hunger like that of a bohemian woodcutter! Why, you may ask?! Because goulash, meat loaf and dumplings the size of Texas are really not light fare. Nevertheless, it’s worth the fight. And not only the meat lover will be in heaven!

Even as a vegetarian, as I am, you will love the home made gnocchi style dishes, the Russian blinis or the gorgeous desserts like pancakes and sweet plum dumplings. But be warned, this place is always crowded, so be early or you have to wait a long time to get a table (and at the north pole there is really nothing else close by).

Now in winter time this is just the right food to get warm!

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Nordpol | Restaurants (Bohemian/Austrian) | Goulash € 7.90
Nordpolstraße 3 | Danube Canal Area | +4313335854
Mon – Fri 17:00 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 00:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Linda Nepicks

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.

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Karmelitermarkt | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
Leopoldgasse | Danube Canal Area
Mon – Sat from 06:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Linda Nepicks

It’s simple, it’s true, it’s crystal clear: if you are a true admirer of good Austrian wine, there is hardly any other such extraordinary shop to buy wine than here! This is no place for posh wine shopping, there are no detached, presumed experts, but an owner who loves to sell great wine from just one region:

The Weinviertel (literally: wine district. a beautiful area north of Vienna, close to the Czech republic)

Prices are as favourable as if you buy the stuff straight from the winemaker at the vineyard!

Some nice, no-frills atmosphere with a funky outdoor area, an unusual indoor area for wine tasting and a great selection of wine from superb wine growers like Prechtl,Ebner-Ebenauer, Seher to name but a few. Not to forget the great liquor-range!

If you need to sober up a little: try some very tasty, simple food in the bar shabu next door round the corner (same owner) – or be tempted to stay a little longer in this urban wine bar. But be aware and smooth: this smoky, cosy bar with interior showing wear and tear, is really a place for regulars of that neighbourhood (like me). So you better not ask for french fries or spanish wine. But you may be surprised about the good beer and wine, some yum yum cheese bred, the nice music and the mixed crowd who tends to stay out late.

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Weinviertel Wienverteiler | Bars, Shopping, Snacks | Bottle of wine € 4.00
Glockengasse 6 | Danube Canal Area | +436505445939
Wed – Fri 15:00 – 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Giambattista Pace

Well Vienna has to offer a lot of architecture and usually people think of all the Imperial Palaces. It’s nice, it’s beautiful, but believe me if you live in an imperial city it gets boring.

Instead it’s very interesting what’s going on with Vienna’s modern architecture. They are currently constructing and extending the underground line U2. Around it they are creating completely new neighborhoods.

Such as the VIERTEL ZWEI: a completely new area, full of interesting modern architecture. It’s mainly an office area, with the seats of some big multinationals. The buildings are designed by different architects, and even though matching perfect. A large lake builds the center and holds together the different buildings. And yes, it’s allowed to put your feet into the water after a long walk, or in their case a long working day.

Everything is so new, that it actually seems fake. The green hills seem like pillows, and they grass is really soft (try it, even if though it’s not allowed!).

A beautiful fake world of modern architecture worth exploring!

How to arrive: U2: KRIEAU

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Viertel Zwei | Art & culture, Relaxing
Stella-Klein-Löw-Weg | Danube Canal Area
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Daniela Lettner

The first question which came up when we discovered the place was: Why do they call it the “beautiful pearl”? The answer we found on their website! Apparently the place was a former Chinese restaurant called like that, and when they discovered what great minimalist architecture was hidden in this place, they simply decided to keep the name.

The Restaurant the “Beautiful Pearl”, is a good choice for those who pay attention to where their food comes from! Organic meat and mainly Austrian products are served, though their mussels are another favorite. Dishes are inspired from all around the world and the Karmeliter Market around the corner.

The place is quite simple, minimalist, but always full. Food is served from 11:00 until 23:00 by the friendly and warm staff. Also coffee and drinks are of good quality. As the location is quite spacious you might find family gatherings and young children playing around.

During weekdays (from 12:00 – 18:00) they offer two lunch menus for €6,90.

A favorite dish of Daniela: Ratatouille of Beans and Pumpkins with pita bread. A favorite of Giamba: Yummy deep-fried Brie with tartar sauce and cranberries!

Guten Appetit!

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Schöne Perle | Restaurants (Austrian) | Main dish from € 6.00
Grosse Pfarrgasse | Danube Canal Area | +436642433593
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 00:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Giambattista Pace

Pizza Mari’ is a minimalist pizzeria, no kitsch on the walls, no Eros Ramazotti as background music, no Austrianised Italian dishes, just Pizza, the basic of the basics. If you are looking for a Pizza Fantasia or Pizza Hawaii you are definitely at the wrong place, there are Austrians, Arabs, Turks and many more selling this kind of Pizza on every corner, but not here!

They have plenty of space inside and if you are lucky you’ll find on a nice day even a free table outside. Watch out, as they pizza makers are Italians, they do ferragosto, which means they go to the beach in August, so no Pizza!

Best choice: a beer and a Pizza Margherita and you will be the happiest person… and please don’t order Cappuccino after dinner (as you wouldn’t be ordering cornflakes after dinner!)

Now repeat after me: “No more cappuccino after dinner, no more pizza Hawaii and please, for God’s sake, don’t ask for ketchup never ever!”

Buon appetito!

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Pizza Mari’ | Restaurants (Pizza) | Margherita € 6.80
Leopoldsg 23a | Danube Canal Area | +436766874994
Tue – Sat 12:00 -14:30 & 18:00 – 00:00, Sun & Holidays 17:00 – 23:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna