Image by Sabrina Grohsebner

Once you’ve entered the place you’ll be diving quickly into that lively and yet cosy hustle and bustle inside the place. Waiters suit up and tend to behave, just like in old times, a little bit snotty – not forgetting about spicing up that attitude with a hint of authentic “Wiener Schmäh” (Viennese Charm). So don’t be shy about talking to them when they’re not too busy .

For more than a 100 years now (!) Café Museum has been a part of Vienna’s Coffeehouse Culture. Local creative souls such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele or Otto Wagner came in here all through the years, so this Café distinguishes itself with a certain Viennese authenticity.

Café Museum is located nearby cultural hot spots such as the Vienna Secession and the Albertina, so, also the name is suggesting that, visiting the place goes along great with a museum visit.

There are comfy, red sofa-booths (offering a great opportunity to bounce up and down just like a child, by the way) right next to the window, so you can easily spend one rainy afternoon drinking tea, watching the busy city life passing by and indulge your sweet tooth with one of those many mouth-watering cakes.

Almost forgot about mentioning my favourite detail! If you’re visiting don’t miss looking up at the ceiling. There are some huge Christmas bauble-alike lamps hanging down, and I for my part love them!

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Café Museum | Art & culture, Coffee & tea | Piece of Cake € 4.00
Operngasse 7 | Inner districts | +43124100620
08:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Sabrina Grohsebner

Situated near the very core of Vienna’s inner city this cinema is easy to find and offers makes it easy to round up your visit with a leisurely evening walk through Burggarten, which is right next to it.

Burgkino has been enchanting me from the very beginning with its decent, authentic and a little bit old fashioned in- and exterior. The big red letters above the entry promoting tonight’s shows, the small theatre café and those real cosy armchairs inside the auditorium make it feel very special watching a movie there.

All movies are shown in their original version, sometimes including English subtitles, and even on Sundays ticket prices stay fair. There’s always one of their “special performances” such as an independent documentary or a rather unknown road-movie. And let’s not forget about its participation in movie festivals!

And here’s the cherry on the cake! Burgkino regularly shows “The Third Man” which is, as you’ll read in your travel guide in case you have one, one of the few popular movies being filmed completely in and..well…partly under Vienna. A real authentic Vienna experience, you see?

But just as a warning, after watching don’t bother getting the movie’s catchy soundtrack out of your mind for the rest of your visit, you won’t succeed.

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Burgkino | Art & culture, Cinemas | Ticket from € 5.00
Opernring 19 | Inner districts | +4315878406
16:00 – 22:55 daily (showtimes)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Cristian Bortes

Vienna is the city of music. Once you are in Vienna a visit to the State Opera is mandatory!

When the State Opera (Staatsoper) was built, it was severely criticized by the people due to its simplicity for the mid-nineteenth century, it was said it was an ugly building to represent the so dignified art. Nowadays the Vienna State Opera is one of the symbols of the city and is one of the best addresses in the world where you can enjoy an opera or a ballet from great names such as Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and others… performances are daily (except for the summer break).

The building is fabulous and the main room is simply unique. It is magical to watch a performance there. If you are traveling on a low budget it is no more an excuse to not go to the opera. The Vienna state Opera offers the possibility of buying tickets at a very low price (between 3 and 6 Euros) for the performance at a side entrance of the building. These are called “Stehplatz” and are sold about 2 hours before the beginning of the performance. Basically you get a ticket to attend the act standing. It’s a good deal as long as you don’t mind standing the whole time!

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Opera | Art & culture
Opernring 2 | Inner districts
Daily – depending on show

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Diana Pereira

Kandisky is an unusual kind of place suitable for bohemians, romantic and mystic people. It’s a small cozy artistic coffee place located in one of the very beautiful passages in the heart of the 8th district not far from the Museums Quartier. The waiter is a special character that will be happy to have a chat with you and tell you stories about Vienna or have a discussion about your home country. Don’t be in a hurry, because the service can be a little slow.

This place is connected with the art gallery besides it. You can expect a very relaxed and quiet atmosphere, nice homemade cakes, a large selection of good teas served with honey in colorful mugs and homemade soups and toasts. As well as an amazing choice of jams that you get in proper large jam jars. Breakfast is served all day long!

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Café Kandinsky | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks
Lerchenfelderstrasse 13 | Inner districts | +4319694001
Tue – Fri 09:00 – 19:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 16:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by WUK Vienna (by: Diana Pereira)

The WUK is an alternative space for culture and workshops, one of the biggest in Europe in the leftish/arty style. There you’ll find a cafe, restaurant, art rooms, concerts, workshops, even bike repairs, and more than anything a meeting point for everyone!

This space is in a former locomotive factory from the 19th century. It has a strong character and it is quite a unique place. Depending on the activities and on the weather, these can be organized in or outdoors, giving use to the wonderful courtyard. The outdoor space is fantastic. In the summer you can drink your coffee outside on the terrace or even have a full meal. Moreover there is wireless internet in the courtyard. The artistic atmosphere is very present with graffiti and paintings on some walls.

The list of events and activities organized there is quite extensive so the best way to be up to date is to check their website!

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WUK | Art & culture, Bars, Music
Währinger Straße 59 | Inner districts
08:00 – 02:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Diana Pereira

Due to the rich historical and contemporary architecture in Vienna a stopover in the Architecture center can be a good option to learn more about it. The Architekturzentrum Wien (Vienna Architecture Centre) is a center for architecture and building culture which includes an exhibition hall, a library and a cafe.

The small library is the dream of every person interested in architecture. The focus is on the architecture of the 20th and 21st centuries. It has very up to date content comprising of books, magazines and journals as well as exhibition catalogs, organized in several categories for monographs, architecture guides, history and theory. You can easily find all what you want through a computer database. The library/ public reading room is located in a beautiful historical octagon room filled with books until the ceiling. The entrance is open to public and is free of charge with an access just a little behind the main entrance of the AZW.

The centre also organizes regular walking tours through Vienna on Sundays (sorry just in German), covering various architectural themes. You need to book ahead and look at the website for dates and prices.

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Architekturzentrum Wien | Art & culture | Free
Museumsplatz 1 | Inner districts
Mon, Wed & Fri 10:00 – 17:30, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Sabrina Grohsebner

Last week I got introduced to the work of avant-garde musician John Cage, not being aware of the fact that there’s really potential for me to become an experimental music’s addict. How I happened to make this experience? I’ll tell you.

Just recently I got to meet somebody that is studying classic piano, so being asked if there was any concert or other possibility to listen to his music he kindly invited my friends and me to join one of his ‘Klassenabende’. And so should you.

The principle is simple: Groups of music students get to present their artistic and creative progress in public, on a regular basis. As, mostly, there are not too many people watching these shows, you’re welcome to enjoy their appearance in one of those many beautiful chambers of Vienna’s Music University.

Besides from Piano, Clarinet, Viola and Organ Klassenabende there’s a great variety of acoustic matinees, vocals soirees and music brunches (calorie- and greaseless, of course) being communicated over their website. And as Music University is situated right next to Belvedere you’re likely to have a great view from the show room as well.

Classic or contemporary music and Viennese architecture, a perfect combination. And the best thing about it: It doesn’t cost anything.

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MDW | Art & culture, Music | Free
Rennweg 8 (Entry) | Inner districts | +43171155
Check website for showtimes

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Sabrina Grohsebner

I just stumbled upon this place, not being aware of the possibility to find yet another cool shop in this area. Vienna taught me a lesson again, I should have known better.

If you ever are on the search for a record, a long-forgotten LP, a colourful gramophone or if you’re just in the mood for rummaging around in – as the name says- Old and New music treasures you should definitely pay this place a visit.

I have to admit, when I entered the shop I was quite overwhelmed by the loads of colours, discs and quirky stuff standing and hanging around all over the place. Or to say it with the words of my friend: “I’m not sure whether I should call this place dusty or cool”. There is a lot to explore actually! Besides evergreens, classic music and current hits, you’ll enjoy getting to know some special contains such as Viennese Lieder, Cabaret, Old Austrian student songs and a lot more..

And once you think you’re overseeing the place slowly one of the friendly shop owners may guide you to one of the two fully record-packed rooms that are hidden in the back of the shop…so make sure you’re not loosing track of time while exploring!

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Alt und Neu | Art & culture, Music | LP’s from € 4
Windmühlgasse 10 | Inner districts | +4315862133
Mon – Fri 13:00 – 18:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 12:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Linda Nepicks

A spot of the superlatives: 60.000 m² (!) for art, architecture, design, dance, theatre, fashion, restaurants, café’s and space for relaxation. It’s a world in a world and if you are into art, it’s not difficult to spend a whole day in this impressive area.

A combination of old buildings (once the royal stables from the 18th century) and gorgeous modern architecture – like the MUMOK museum – sheltering a huge square.

In summer time you can enjoy the colored “Enzos”, huge kind of plastic sofas for hanging around. They former Enzis used to change their color every year, the result of an annual Internet-Voting. Many events take place here, like the famous Wiener Festwochen. It’s getting cold: so check out “Winter im MQ” and be surprised!

My favourite spots in this area are definitely the MUMOK, here you find great exhibitions of modern art, the book store Walther König and the “Kantine” in Quartier 21. And maybe you wanna check out the store “Musiktank” – the first On Demand Music Store for any kind of Austrian music.

By the way, if you are younger than 19 or a student under 27 there is free entrance for example in MUMOK. There are combination tickets if you want to visit more than one museum. The website is worth checking out, they provide all information – in seven languages! You see, it’s not a hidden spot, but one place a lot of Viennese love to go to, just like the tourists.

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Museumsquartier | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Shopping, Theaters
Museumsplatz 1-5 | Inner districts | +4315235881
Daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna

Image by Linda Nepicks

The Mozart lovers, who know the true story, the very neighbors in the third district and the gloomy city tourists may know about this spot. But even some of my Viennese friends have never seen or heard about this attraction.

Vienna is known as a place for morbid melancholy, so what else should be more than suitable as to visit a very small and hidden Biedermeier cemetery which was a burial site for about 90 years until 1874.

St. Marx Cemetery is the place where once poor Mozart was thrown into a mass grave as there was no money for to pay a proper funeral. But you are not here to visit the vanished mass graves of former times but this neat and peaceful park-like place, with small paths, trees and shrubbery.

The cemetery has amazing weather-beaten tombstones, sculptures fallen to bits and pieces, epigrams worn off by the ravages of time.

If you can read German you will realize that on such a bourgeois cemetery it was a very important thing to show the profession of the deceased on the tombstone – a brewer, a landlord, a cigarette shop owner, etc..

This is a beautiful, quiet spot for a stroll (though the setting with a highway overpass very close is a bit weird), especially in snowy winter times. In autumn all trees turn gold and red, and in April and May the lilacs blossom.

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St. Marx Cemetery | Art & culture, Relaxing
Leberstrasse 6 | Inner districts | +43140008042
Nov – Apr 07:00 till dawn, May – Sep 07:00 – 18:00, Apr & Oct 07:00 – 17:00,Jun – Aug 07:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Vienna