As an Austrian myself, I wanna add 2 more things to that list: 6) don't think, you can have the complete Vienna experience in just 2 days. I have seen too many tourists arriving at Vienna, stay there one night and then move on. Vienna has a lot to offer, make sure, you stay at least a few days. (Bonus: you also have the opportunity to eat a lot of different typically Austrian dishes) 7) don't spend the whole time in Vienna. Generally speaking, Vienna is nice, but you should go out and see the countryside of Austria or other cities. Salzburg, Hallstatt and the Wachau are the most famous ones (and also the most crouded ones). But there are plenty of other options, you can take: - Graz, which is 2,5 hours away with the train + you can enjoy the oldest mountain-train-line in the world (Semmeringbahn, which is a UNESCO world heritage site) - Linz, 1,25 hours away with the train, which has a completely different vindustrial vibe. Also a lot of WWII-history is here, especially with the concentration camp in Mauthausen. - hiking in the Alps. Just do it. This is the favourite hobby of a lot of Austrians, you're guaranteed to get some company. Just enjoy the nature. Just be aware, that you choose a tour according to your skill and condition. - visit the vine yards. A lot of good vine is made here in Austria and you can visit those in the proximity of Vienna. If you book a guided tour, you almost certainly also get a vine tasting - and many many more things
Thanks Mark for the video and also thanks to Mike! I am going in March and will definately be experiencing Semmeringbahn after your comment/reading about it. I can't wait to explore Austria.
I agree Mike! I was in Austria in June this year and loved every second. I stayed a few days in Vienna (not nearly enough like you said) and spent time in Graz, Linz, and Salzburg - all great places.
It would be more efficient if everybody would block (that means stand on) also the left side. Experiments show that this is much faster and safer than if people walk on the left and stand on the right side, because most people are standing anyway and if they only use the right side this reduces the capacity of the escalator significantly and slows down everybody else. In addition walking on an escalator increases the risk of an accident drastically and even the unbalanced use of escalators is problematic in terms of maintainance. Unfortunately, it is difficult to teach people to change their learned wrong behavior.
@@florianmeier3186 Sounds good and you are probably right, but nah. Far too many people need to get somewhere quickly, and are a nuisance if they are standing behind you pouting, getting angry or worst.... begin to get hostile. So its best to stick to the right if you can't walk or are slow, and let those people who are mobile go by on the left and be gone. It is the same in many other cities, especially in NYC.
@@florianmeier3186 this only works under the assumption, that most people (like 80-90%) are standing. otherwise you get more throughput if you let people climb the stairs if they want to.
As a Viennese some more tips: don't stand on the left side of the escalators, don't stop right after exiting public transport - people will run you over if you do that and they will not apologize, don't take a Fiaker. Seriously, don't. The horses aren't treated very well, it's way too expensive and honestly the Viennese will make fun of you. Our souvenir shops have a lot of stuff, don't just get the "no kangaroos in Austria" shirt. Don't go to Starbucks. Don't line up for the Cafe Central, it's not worth standing there for two hours. Things move very very fast in Vienna so if you are a slow walker try to stay out of the way of people who need to be somewhere. Most shops are closed on Sundays, do your shopping on Saturday and/or plan your trip accordingly. If you come in winter enjoy the Christmas markets but don't go to the one on Rathaus Platz, it's enormous and way too expensive; if you come in summer visit the Donauinsel and maybe go swimming in the Neue Donau. And most importantly: Enjoy Vienna!
I can never get over the line-ups at Cafe Central, honestly, who would want to wait that long to get in when you are just there for a couple of days? Same goes for the Sacher. I go a few steps further and enjoy some coffee culture at the Palais Ferstel passage at Beaulieu. OK, it is supposed to be French, but the coffee is decidedly Viennese.
I agree except for the Rathausplatz.. it's beautiful to walk around, you don't actually have to buy stuff! Also I recommend going to Café Goldegg when you visit the Belvedere, it's very close and traditional and the staff speaks some little bit English
I visited Vienna in the summer and went to Cafe Central when it wasn't very crowded. We were able to sit outside and the service was top knotch! I don't know about the winter, but in the summer it's worth the experience.
From experience, most checks happen at Praterstern for some reason. I've been checked a fair amount while being an exchange student at WU for a semester.
@@neinzukorruption9321 Das darf ja wohl auch erwarten. Touristen wie ich schauen JEDES RUclips video zu einer Stadt bevor Sie da hin reisen. Mein Problem ist, dass ich, seit ich so handle, nimmer zum Reisen komme.
Vienna is my favourite city in Europe 😍 If you go during Christmas time, don't skip on the Christmas markets! And bring cash there because they don't accept cards at 90% of the places
Franz Kallmann Ja oida is ja ned meine Schuld wenn der Hawara sich ned erkundigt? Wenn ich in a fremdes Land reise erkundige ich mich auch wie was wann?
Also. Just go for a walk. having no agenda. just walking around enjoying the moment. And with the "Austrians are unpolite" Argument. they are not. They are just not lying to be your best friend. they will tell you honestly what they think. so if you block the left side of the undergrounds escalators (you are supposed to stay on the right and walk at the left) or if you stay in front of the trains doors so people can't properly exit. viennese people will tell you off.
and do not disregard this if you are Russian - I was out with a Russian friend who prided himself at how much he can drink. "Bah, humbug, I am Russian!" His wife had to carry him home!
True! I am 82. Always busy with classical music. But never was in Wien. Now I got the chance to make a short trip there. A short time that leaves everlasting memories...
I'm stuck having to move there for family reasons. Id have rather lived my entire life without going there. Everything I learn about it just sounds pathetic.
I've heard of two Americans, who came to Scandinavia and complained about the lack of mountains and snow (They were going skiing and had heard Scandinavia was a great place to go skiing.). The problem was that they choose the cheapest flight ... Which took them to Denmark ... The flattest and least-snow-in-winter-country in ALL Scandinavia! ^^
He described ideal service in Vienna. Finding such service is rare, actually. Most of it sucks and it's not just because I don't understand how it works -- I've lived here for 25 years. That being said, with the increase in young people opening places (and foreigners), the service is getting better. Also, don't think I'm just some bitter fool. I actually have come to like the surly, incompetent, and barely-trying Vienna service style. But I would never call the vast majority of it "good".
One very important thing: don't rush around the city trying to check off all the sites - you will just end up stressed and miss what Vienna is actually all about. Take a walk through the inner city, let your mind wander off, and just enjoy the vibe - that's the most beautiful thing about Vienna for me. Just being in the city makes me happy when I can put the stress aside for a minute :)
Talking about bad service: Around 1900 authors slept in hotels and because they couldn't afford the heating in hotels during the day (it was extra), they sat in the coffee house the entire day and worked there - it was food, coffee, heat, coffee houses have always had all newspapers and international ones as well, they even got their mail sent to the coffee house. Imagine having a US-waiter while sitting 12 hours in this place, annoying huh? Yeah that's why waiters don't talk to you that much :b
Servers are quite friendly and their cafes are very good. enjoy seeing they have a hour glass to measure your tea. I was given an hour glass with 2-minute , 3-minute and 5-minute and I was amazed and asked what the hour glass is for. The waitress told me that it is to measure how strong you like your tea. Stayed there total around 1 week and enjoyed it every day. and did not have a chance to Mozart concert of equiem. And it is on my list for next visit. The art history museum is quite impressive , classic collections, I was kicked out when the museum is closed. And took a day to Saltzburg, and lake area, view is fantastic. Vienna was capital of a powerful empire and center of power. Deserves respect.
Bad service in Austria? Ich war ehrlich gesagt schockiert wie ich in anderen Ländern von Kellnern behandelt wurde. Keiner hat mich gefragt, ob mir mein Essen geschmeckt hat oder ob ich noch ein Dessert etc. möchte. Außerdem kann man nirgends so gemütlich in Lokalen sitzen wie in Wien. In anderen Ländern hatte ich immer das Gefühl nach dem Essen rasch den Platz für neue Gäste frei machen zu müssen. Ich bin jetzt in Wien ja kein Tourist, aber ich kann mir nicht vorstellen das die Kellner zu den Touristen in Wien ungut sind.
Kann Dir da nur zustimmen. Ich versuche, mindestens ein Mal im Jahr nach Wien zu kommen, es ist (m)eine Traumstadt. Ich fand die Kellner dort immer sehr höflich und zuvorkommend (besonders verglichen mit Deutschland, woher ich komme; wir haben ohne Zweifel nette Kellnerinnen und Kellner, es gibt aber auch ganz schöne "Kratzbürsten" bei uns 😉)!
David ich bin aus kanada und wann ich war nach wien die einsige sachen mit die Kellner das ich habe nicht gefallt war das alles war so lang. ich habe immer gewartet ein stunden zum bezahlen wann ich mochte weg gehen... fur ein nordameriker das ist nicht toll und wir finden das nicht profezional (entschuldigung deutsch ist nicht meine muttersprache)
@@tinthings314 Um zu bezahlen muss man den Kellner explizit ansprechen: "Die Rechnung, bitte" oder "Zahlen, bitte". Oder wenn keiner kommt einfach zu dem Kellner hingehen. Wenn nach 10 Minuten noch nichts kommt, noch einmal den Kellner erinnern. Gut funktioniert auch eine Gestik mit der Hand Richtung Kellner: Rechte Hand ausstrecken und Daumen zwischen Mittel- und Zeigefinger hin- und herreiben - das ist das Zeichen für Zahlen.
Babadee Beetchee I've never been to Canada but i've been a few times in the States and what annoys me the most are the waiters and waitresses - the tipping culture, that ongoing friendly behavior like right now i'm smiling at you but i will spit on your pizza and that they are annoying as hell: coming around every other minute asking if everything's fine and if you want anything else or if you want to pay - like wtf chill down i just ate lemme cool down a bit. In Vienna the life is a bit more chill even if the ongoing americanization is a thing that is seeable and perceptible in every sector.
Jurjan Meskišvili the over the top friendliness is more in the USA. I find it annoying too. Canada can still learn many things from Europe but i feel like our service sector is excellent
As a viennese i have to say, great Video, great points, but the most omportant point in Vienna would be to know the do's and dont's in the U-Bahn. Don't stand on the left on an escalator. Don't stand in the way of the people who want to Exit the U-Bahn, let them Exit first, then you can enter. I have encounters like this on a daily Basis, Not only with tourists of course, and its a Real pain in the ass. The most annoying thing tourists can Do in vienna
Same experience from Prague. Italians are masters in this.. The metro door opens and they just start walking in, no matter the fact that people want to get off.. Pushing their way through... If not manners, it is just logical to let people out first? Because then there´s more space???
I noticed now at the U6 platforms, they painted the exit zones yellow with arrows, and where you should wait to enter on either side of the doors with blue footprints.
In my experience, the Viennese were the most gentle people I've met in my journeys. Everyone was overly polite, we even met a woman in the tram who helped us find our destination. I have nothing but respect for the Austrian people.
I just got back from Vienna on Thursday. Had a great time and think I avoided the mistakes you mentioned! I’ve been twice now and there is still so much i haven’t seen. Thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas markets and made a valiant effort to try all the flavours of Christmas punch. Didn’t manage it - maybe next time!
They do have wonderful Christmas markets. We were there for Christmas a few years ago and really loved it. I totally forgot to put Christmas market in vienna pictures in this one. Will need to make sure i do that for the next vienna video
Wolters World actually, for anyone reading planning a trip- allow yourself extra time to get through Vienna airport. The walk from the CAT train to terminal 1 is long & there are building works going on. I flew with Lauda (through Ryanair) they don’t have a bag drop off so you have to queue to check in a bag, (Ryanair usually have bag drop off but not available in Vienna. Other airlines may differ though) and there are 3 separate queues for boarding card check, passport check and security checks. So don’t be late!
Stopping and sit is the best advice! We have had limited time in some cities where we ran around like crazy fools. But when we did stop it was fantastic!
Thats right, because in vienna there is a thing called " Wiener Gemütlichkeit" take time and relax, sit, watch...the servers are often stressed because vienna is full of tourists they want everything fast and want to leave for visiting all the rest of the city but if they see you enjoy your time they can take a small breath also;-) Vienna needs more than 2 days to visit all the nice places- i should know, lived over 39 years here and i love vienna.
Public Transport is open, but I saw a lot of tourists not knowing how the ticket machines work. Most important is to bring some fun and not to be scared talking to people...we are funny folks. Not everyone understands english, but most Viennes are very helpful und will try anything to bring you forward. Even in the big hotels, like Sacher or Hilton Plaza....they help! unless they are stressed. Meanwhile even post Police Men and Women know a lot about Vienna and are always happy with tourists. Don´t be shy!
I love Vienna. I have traveled to Vienna twice and I loved and enjoyed every time I have been there. If another opportunity comes up, I will travel to Vienna again and gain and again
Awesome tips, you really absorbed the "Gemütlichkeit". 😁 so I may add to your list: be aware that nearly every shop is closed on Sundays. Many people where shocked when they first came to Vienna, even Supermarktes are closed on Sunday. Even though this sound inconvenient, the big plus is: there's literally nothing you have to hurry for or to on Sunday. Take a nice walk in the Prater or up the Kahlenberg, enjoy your 3 hour coffee with cake or spend a whole rainy afternoon at a museum. You'll see that's what most people do on Sunday's. Enjoy your stay!
Vienna offers much more than the Innercity, the Belvedere Palace, Prater Theme Park or Schönbrunn. There are even Beaches in Vienna at the Danube Island..did you know that ? You can swim, relax, eat and chill there. And don´t forget to take a small CruiseTour to Wachau.
1:00 woman noticing she’s being filmed and is not happy at all. People do not like having their photos taken or being randomly filmed in Germany/ Austria/ Switzerland.
Very nice tips, especially #2. It baffles me every time when I see tourists go into Starbucks. They are in a city world-famous for the coffe culture and they go into the fast food equivalent of a coffee house... Also don't forget that Vienna isn't just the center of town. The outskirts have some nice places too, especially if you want to see some nature. Not nature in the sense of cultivated parks (though you'll find those too), but nature allowed to grow mostly wild just a meter or two off the roads, which I imagine might be mundane for some people, but something very out of the ordinary for many others.
I am Austrian and was living in Vienna for 4 years. A year ago, I gave my U.S. friend the most in-depth Vienna tour, I could possibly pack into three days. When asking him about his favorite place, he answered without a doubt "Golden Times".😅
Thank you Wolter. I Live near Vienna and I recommand to visit the Monasterys nearby: Klosterneuburg northern and Heiligenkreuz southern of Vienna, both more than 900 years of history. Or to reach within an hour: the castles or Monasteries of Schloss Hof, Esterhazy, Forchtenstein, Dürnstein, Melk, Altenburg, Göttweig and so on ... One of our best things is even drinking water: it comes right from The alps.
One of the things I found really useful when I visited Vienna was getting the "Vienna Card" online and getting my transit attached to it. That way my transit, and pretty much all of the museums and sites I wanted to see were included for a fee that I calculated out to be worthwhile. Plus with the Vienna Card if there was a line up to a place I sometimes was able to skip the line.
Oh, try not to get burnt out in Vienna. There is lots to do within Innenstadt itself. Loved this city though! Wiener Schnitzel, Wurst, Doner, Sacher Torte. Brilliant. Ich liebe Wien!
I spent two days in Vienna two years ago, through transit, and liked, but was not "in love" with the city but knew I had not spent enough time there. Have since gone back for a seven day stay and LOVE the city. Big secret, dash into the Graben and Hofburg, get that out of the way unless you just love love love crowds and spend your time walking the parks to get from place to place as you can generally do in London, and then explore the neighborhoods, esp. Rathaus. Now I am in love with Vienna. Oh, yes, very true about the U-bahn ticket system.
Sooo helpful! Me and I family are going to Vienna this july to celebrate my mother’s 50th birthday! We can’t wait to enjoy the culture and sit down in a cafe and rekax!
1. Pay and validate tickets, they check them regularly and you may get fined. 2. The weekly ticket (Wochenkarte) is from Monday through Sunday (IT IS NOT A 7 DAY TICKET). 3. Sit down and enjoy the cafe culture in Vienna (it is the cafe capital of the world). 4. You cannot pay with a credit card in a lot of places in Vienna (it is important to have cash on you). 5. Vienna has A LOT of culture.
It's a pity that the most tourists hardly know are our wine taverns called "Heuriger" (look for Viennese Heurige). Winemakers who mostly have a big wine garden serve their own wine and you can also eat really very well there. The Heurigen are located in the outer districts of Vienna, for example 13th, 14th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, where all the wine gardens are. Although I live on the other side of Vienna, I like those in the 19th district most.
That's because of the socialist city government. We have very cheap apartment rental prices, because 1/3 of the buildings is social housing. Nobody is left behind. Then we have very good and cheap public transportation. Its just 1€/day if you have the annual pass. We have so many programs, that help people in need to get through their life easier.
The study is based on a questionnaire answered by high - income expats. Vienna is a great place to live if money/costs don't matter to you. Has not a lot to do with the normal life.
I found what helped me out when I was in Vienna for a week in April was having a Facebook friend (who lives there) become my tour guide on his time off work. 👍🏼😉
Yeah, I made a mistake of not being ready for all the culture. I thought I was, I realized it was a capital of Holy roman empire, and Austro-Hungarian empire, but I wasn't *actually* ready for it. There's so much stuff my head was spinning, I spent 2 days there, I wish I waited for more vacation days and spent at least a week. Just walking around the city is breathtaking
I‘m Austrian myself but spend much time in the US as well: good points in this video especially on the service (normal friendly competence instead of over the top friendly incompetence)! One hint to add: once a year around spring there is a „long night of...“museums, churches, etc. For a few bucks (one ticket) you can enter all museums or churches - there is a separate day for both throughout the year- between 6pm and 1 or 2 am! In the video there is the banner on St.Stephens Cathedral visible for the last night in May 2019. By the way: best time to visit Vienna is spring or fall. Less tourists and pleasant weather. Summer time frequently brings 90+F temperatures but there are lots of beaches (yes, beaches on 20+km Danube island!) and public baths available. Time around Xmas and new year is beautiful too but very crowded in downtown and prepare for no snow. Last white Xmas was 9 years ago.
It also has a small petting zoo, a station where u can ride on a horse (while beeing escorted, for security), multiple restaurants and small carts with snacks and next to some of the restaurants there are parks/playgrounds for children. Theres also an aquarium, a reptile house, a "rainforest-house", multiple giant birdcages (u can go inside) and just before u enter the zoo there are houses with exotic plants and trees (next to the reptile house). And there is also a night-tour where they give u night-vision goggles to watch the nightlife. It's genius and if you visit the right time u can watch as the animls are being fed, the seals love the attention and have kind of a show going on. The red pandas are my personal favourite. u r welcome
Hah! I've been to Vienna already, which is why i watched this video 1. Didn't use public transportation. I was lucky enough that the apartment we rented was in the old town and we could have got everywhere on foot without problems 2. We had stops in cafes - people have to rest - and we ate our breafasts in the restaurants with tables outside. So I think I enjoyed that, yes. Generally eating Apfelstrudel was one of my goals to achieve there :) 3. We actually encountered a waiter who was very mean.... he didn't want to give us food we wanted to order because it was "too late" (it wasn't tbh), he felt offended when we asked him if he speaks English, he said he speaks 5 languages (but when we wanted to order, he pretended to be deaf or something else, and only then we asked him if he speaks English). He ignord like every second word said to him. Even though he wore a mask and I couldn't see his face, he did look angry and offensive. Even though it was one of the remarkable and well-known place in Vienna, he behaved very mean and unprofesionally, like angry kid forced by his parents to do something (I mean, something in his manners was very disturbing and making you feel unwell). And here I want to add that apart from him, everyone was very kind and made us feel very nice. I wanted to practice my German which is not so good and they were kind of people who patiently accepted my speaking mistakes, so I actually wasn't stressed when I switched to German. And I think it was a good practice 4. I don't remember if we did that mistake... maybe 5. As a great fan of history, I knew some places even before my mum told me we will go to Vienna! And when I found out that, I quickly did a research. We were there for just two full days, but they were great and I think I didn't waste them. I saw Belveder, Hofburg (including part with Habsburg crown and other treasures), Habsburgs' tombs under Kapuzinerkirche, we went on a concert (don't remember exactly where, but in an old and beautiful building) and some other places, not necessarily historical. We also had an evening walk there - amazing!!! I tried Sachertorte, Apfelstrudel, Wiener Snitzel - all I wanted to try in Vienna. And evena stew apparently called Viennese. And still, I had some time to listen to Austrian marches on my phone. Hopefully one day I will return to Vienna for a longer time, because it's outstanding and there's more to see. I remembered this tour as one of the greatest stays abroad in my life
I loved Austria. Best thing about the entire continent is Austria. Vienna is fabulous plus Austria has so much more to offer and some of the nicest people ever. Excellent food. CLEAN! Especially compared to other parts of Europe Austria is really clean .
Thanks for the video. I am actually from Vienna and live abroad now. People ask me all the time what to do when going there. I rather share your video from now on and tell them to do anything they want (because it’s all there) except those five things :)
Awesome places: Maria am Gestade (wonderful church), go into the catacombs (with mumies) of the church Michaelerkirche (you need a tour), if you like modern architecture visit the library of the WU Wien, take a look at the mosaic (which is a copy of Da Vincis last supper) in the Minoritenkirche, the "Prunksaal" of the national library is amazing too. Everything is free except the tour and the Prunksaal, but remember you can enter into every church for free and also if doors are open go into the courtyards in the first and second district.
Growing up I spent summers in Vienna. (My father worked at the UN.) Karlsplatz was one of my favorite places to hang out too. I think your points are spot on. I shall now spend my morning reminiscing about my time in vienna.
Loved Vienna! The palace was absolutely exquisite & worth every second we were there. Also, we loved the day trip we did to Dürnstein. Definitely want to return to see the Christmas markets.
Newly Vienniese, former Styrian (not Syrian, thank you very much) reporting in: thanks for pointing those out 😊 Also, some tourists don't take their time just enjoying whatever it is they're doing. They finish with one thing and want to immediately go do the next thing. Relax, calm down, take your time and just enjoy. If you hurry, there's so much you're gonna miss out on
I tried to learn German but it was so hard. I’m sorry I only speak English, but Vienna is beautiful, and Austrian culture is great! Going back thanksgiving
I‘m Viennese and this video is absolutely legit! I often have problem with advice travel bloggers give but that‘s right on point. Definitely gonna check out your other videos cause you‘re definitely knowledgeable :)
If you want a cheap scenic route, take tram D from Sonnwendviertel(or even Hauptbahnhof), change to U6 on Nußdorferstrasse, and then change from U6 to tram 6 on Gumpendorfer Straße. It's way cheaper than any scenic bus and you see most of the Vienna. If you have a daily or any other longer lasting ticket, you can just hop on and off anywhere, check out the area, and then continue the route.
I wrote these recommendation before on another youtube channel but I think some might find them useful: Scwarzenburg, Prükel, Diglas, Landtmann are all good in the 1st district. Demel has great cakes but not much space but is well worth visiting to look at the chocolates. Cafe Central is busy but the Cafe Klimt, which was the Griensteidl, is close by and used to be decent. For hearty food the brewery pubs are usually good such as 1516 (in the 1st) 7Stern Bräu (in the 7th) , Wieden Bräu, (in hte 4th) Salm Bräu (in the 3rd by Belvedere), Fischer Bräu (in the 9th, a little out of the way but can be combined with a trip to the hills). For Viennese cooking the big tourist trap restaurant of Figlmüller is worth it for the schnitzel. A not too busy place with atmosphere in the 1st district is Brezl Gwölb near Am Hof. If you like beer and studenty/travellers food I'd also recommend Kolar which has great beer and fladenbrot (kind of a wood fired pitta bread with fillings). If you're in the city for longer it's well worth heading to a heuriger above the city. I love getting public transport, hiking and then just coming across a place but if you want to be more organised head to Nusdorf, Grinzing or Neustift am Walde. There are some tourist traps but it's fun to explore. There are city heurigen too such as the Zwolf Apostelkeller in the 1st district or 10er Marie in the 16th. But really there are tonnes of place to explore particularly in the Spittelberg area (which has the best Christmas market). The Altes AKH campus of the university has a lot of decent affordable restaurants in it too in a main square that also has a Christmas market. Other cool places: Dots for Sushi on Mariahilferstrasse, Ramien in the 6th for noodles, or Indus in the 3rd for Indian food. But this is scratching the surface..
This is surreal. I"m watching you cuz we're going to Austria next month. Last month I was watching you cuz I needed a heads up about Memphis TN. Thanks dude, you really helped. - Lytha from Seattle now NRW Germany
As a Viennese myself, I´d like to add one tip: don´t mistake bad service for part of "the local charm" either. Sometimes bad service is just bad service, and you shouldn´t wait around in a place where you get ignored by the staff, or tip a rude waiter. However, as is pointed out in the video, you have to communicate to the waiter what you want here. The best way is to actively seek eye contact with them, give them a small sign of what you want from them (like a little wave with your wallet if you´d like to pay) and 99% of waiters WILL be with you as soon as possible.
True. I also want to add, that it is sometimes worth to take not the first option at the most crowded spots, which are often significantly more expensive and not always better as if you walk some 100m towards the suburbs or into a small lane. Another hint: Around the "Ringstraße" der is a crazy sometimes narrow bicycle lane waving over the pavement. So watch out there for bicycles and scooters especially in the green marked areas near Heldenplatz, Opera and Rathaus also always watch out for Tramways. There are quite many Tramway tracks in Vienna, which makes it easy and comfortable to get around, but every year their are some severe accidents, when people run careless over the tracks. Finally, if you go from the airport to the city centre or vice versa by "Schnellbahn" train, it is more expensive as if you just go around in the city with single ride or daily/week ticket, because airport is outside Vienna zone 100. Quite often tickets are checked just before/after the airport station. If you rent an E-scooter or bicycle don't take another person on it for a ride or ride on the pavement (both is forbidden and fined). E-Scooter like bicycles can use cycle paths, pedestrian zones, only where the sign allows bicycles and only below 7km/h or if not existing have to go on the road. Also alcohol and jumping over red light is often checked by the police (same rules as for driving a car).
Thank you for this. My bf and I ended up at a restaurant and we were ignored for 10 minutes. We thought it was just a service thing but a girl sat down after us and got her table cleaned and her order taken in seconds without her waving the server down. We ended up leaving and going somewhere where we got our order taken a lot faster
I live here in Vienna (born here also), and i agree with everything he says. The thing with the bad service, i agree 50% . I been to places with really good service here. There is everything starting from really bad service, up to fabulous service. It depends also how much they have to do, and wheather you are in a crowded tourist spot where there is a lot of hassle or not. But normally its not that bad.
I LIVE HERE FOR 20 YEARS VIENNA IS BEAUTIFUL, AND YOUR RIGHT TAKE A MOMENT TO SIT AND HAVE A TEA AND CAKE RELAX AND WATCH THE PEOPLE, THE SAD THING IS THE AUSTRIANS ARE NOT SO FRIENDLY, BUT IF THERE IS AN AUSLANDER WORKING THERE THEIR MORE FRIENDLY, I THINK THIS IS WHY YOUR STARTING TO SEE MORE AUSLANDERS WORKING AROUND VIENNA, ENJOY IT!!!
I love vienna, I went there last year around Easter and it was such a nice atmosphere. I don't remember the service being bad, but I do remember I went to this lovely Korean restaurant called Yori in Vienna, it was amazing!
The waiters are extremely "special" in Vienna. It's almost a trademark. Be prepared that they have a very dry sense of humor. Don't be surprised that when you ask for a recommendation, you get the answer "there is a McDonald's around the corner" - all this with a completely serious face. I've seen a person complaining about a soup. The waiter came back with the chef who tried the soup and said: "This is the best soup I ever had in my life" (in this case, the soup was indeed very good, the guest was just used to eat soup with artificial additives).
Discoverd your channel 3 days ago and was disappointed that Vienna wasn't covered. Now that was a real surprise - only two days later here it is :D Very useful tips
very interesting to see it from a different perspective, since you are used to these things when you live in Austria :) glad you included Schloss Schönbrunn, since it is my favourite building in the country; and do not judge Austria based on Vienna, since people there can be very different from those living on the countryside or outside of Vienna in general
Why am I watching this? I live there🤷♀️
me too
Just moved in, and as a japanese guy, the people blocking the escalators are infuriating to see
Same
uwu!
me too
As an Austrian myself, I wanna add 2 more things to that list:
6) don't think, you can have the complete Vienna experience in just 2 days. I have seen too many tourists arriving at Vienna, stay there one night and then move on. Vienna has a lot to offer, make sure, you stay at least a few days. (Bonus: you also have the opportunity to eat a lot of different typically Austrian dishes)
7) don't spend the whole time in Vienna. Generally speaking, Vienna is nice, but you should go out and see the countryside of Austria or other cities. Salzburg, Hallstatt and the Wachau are the most famous ones (and also the most crouded ones). But there are plenty of other options, you can take:
- Graz, which is 2,5 hours away with the train + you can enjoy the oldest mountain-train-line in the world (Semmeringbahn, which is a UNESCO world heritage site)
- Linz, 1,25 hours away with the train, which has a completely different vindustrial vibe. Also a lot of WWII-history is here, especially with the concentration camp in Mauthausen.
- hiking in the Alps. Just do it. This is the favourite hobby of a lot of Austrians, you're guaranteed to get some company. Just enjoy the nature. Just be aware, that you choose a tour according to your skill and condition.
- visit the vine yards. A lot of good vine is made here in Austria and you can visit those in the proximity of Vienna. If you book a guided tour, you almost certainly also get a vine tasting
- and many many more things
Thanks Mark for the video and also thanks to Mike! I am going in March and will definately be experiencing Semmeringbahn after your comment/reading about it.
I can't wait to explore Austria.
Mike absolutely great response 👌
Graz is very nice. I really wanna go to Salzburg^^
I agree Mike! I was in Austria in June this year and loved every second. I stayed a few days in Vienna (not nearly enough like you said) and spent time in Graz, Linz, and Salzburg - all great places.
We spent only a few days there and we REALLY want to go back. It's one of our favorite cities.
also when using an escalator within the public transportation system, do not frigging block the left side! Please!
s gw d Second that. I am so annoyed by it.
It would be more efficient if everybody would block (that means stand on) also the left side. Experiments show that this is much faster and safer than if people walk on the left and stand on the right side, because most people are standing anyway and if they only use the right side this reduces the capacity of the escalator significantly and slows down everybody else. In addition walking on an escalator increases the risk of an accident drastically and even the unbalanced use of escalators is problematic in terms of maintainance. Unfortunately, it is difficult to teach people to change their learned wrong behavior.
@@florianmeier3186 oh common .. its a rule, the behavior is correct.
@@florianmeier3186 Sounds good and you are probably right, but nah. Far too many people need to get somewhere quickly, and are a nuisance if they are standing behind you pouting, getting angry or worst.... begin to get hostile. So its best to stick to the right if you can't walk or are slow, and let those people who are mobile go by on the left and be gone. It is the same in many other cities, especially in NYC.
@@florianmeier3186 this only works under the assumption, that most people (like 80-90%) are standing. otherwise you get more throughput if you let people climb the stairs if they want to.
As a Viennese some more tips: don't stand on the left side of the escalators, don't stop right after exiting public transport - people will run you over if you do that and they will not apologize, don't take a Fiaker. Seriously, don't. The horses aren't treated very well, it's way too expensive and honestly the Viennese will make fun of you. Our souvenir shops have a lot of stuff, don't just get the "no kangaroos in Austria" shirt. Don't go to Starbucks. Don't line up for the Cafe Central, it's not worth standing there for two hours. Things move very very fast in Vienna so if you are a slow walker try to stay out of the way of people who need to be somewhere. Most shops are closed on Sundays, do your shopping on Saturday and/or plan your trip accordingly. If you come in winter enjoy the Christmas markets but don't go to the one on Rathaus Platz, it's enormous and way too expensive; if you come in summer visit the Donauinsel and maybe go swimming in the Neue Donau.
And most importantly: Enjoy Vienna!
I can never get over the line-ups at Cafe Central, honestly, who would want to wait that long to get in when you are just there for a couple of days? Same goes for the Sacher. I go a few steps further and enjoy some coffee culture at the Palais Ferstel passage at Beaulieu. OK, it is supposed to be French, but the coffee is decidedly Viennese.
I agree except for the Rathausplatz.. it's beautiful to walk around, you don't actually have to buy stuff! Also I recommend going to Café Goldegg when you visit the Belvedere, it's very close and traditional and the staff speaks some little bit English
Marlene Pfeiffer there are much nicer cafes anyway, plus they are much more authentic. Central is kinda the tourist experience of viennese cafes.
Also don’t only go to well known parts of the city, if you just explore, there are a lot of hidden gems.
I visited Vienna in the summer and went to Cafe Central when it wasn't very crowded. We were able to sit outside and the service was top knotch! I don't know about the winter, but in the summer it's worth the experience.
you got more checked in the u-bahn in three weeks then me in the last 4 years
Joachim Beulmann totally agree 😂
From experience, most checks happen at Praterstern for some reason. I've been checked a fair amount while being an exchange student at WU for a semester.
Same here.
@@NorwegianKicks Yes, and the times you don't have a ticket. Usually happens then. xD
i don't think i've ever gotten checked on public transportation. and i've been living there for 17,5 years
vollkommen unerwartet sind 99% der Kommentare von Wienern, die die Liste bis in die Unendlichkeit erweitern 😂
Hahahahaha Lol
und wir erwarten, dass die gesamtliste dann ordentlich studiert und alles eingehalten wird.
@@neinzukorruption9321 Das darf ja wohl auch erwarten. Touristen wie ich schauen JEDES RUclips video zu einer Stadt bevor Sie da hin reisen. Mein Problem ist, dass ich, seit ich so handle, nimmer zum Reisen komme.
"Unerwartet" 😉
Vienna is my favourite city in Europe 😍 If you go during Christmas time, don't skip on the Christmas markets! And bring cash there because they don't accept cards at 90% of the places
so true. cash for that gluehwein :)
Get a Schilcherglühwein! It's so good 🥰
So you are the guys that always block the rathausplatz
@@adamisdracora2091 ahahahah 😁 well, not always but been there done that 🙈
The Punsch in Vienna is the best Thing ever
As an Austrian I also have to say, that you should stay on the right side of the automatic stairs, otherwise some Austrian will hit you
deswegen werden die wiener von den touristen immer als unfreundlich bezeichnet weil das checkt keiner wenn dich deswegen wer anpöbelt ;-)
Shouldn't that how its always should be? Lol in the uk most of are standing in the right side and left side is for walking.
tja... rechts stehen - links gehen xd
Franz Kallmann Ja oida is ja ned meine Schuld wenn der Hawara sich ned erkundigt? Wenn ich in a fremdes Land reise erkundige ich mich auch wie was wann?
@@jurjanmeskisvili7897 Nit in Tirol. Mia stian af boadn seitn.
Also. Just go for a walk. having no agenda. just walking around enjoying the moment. And with the "Austrians are unpolite" Argument. they are not. They are just not lying to be your best friend. they will tell you honestly what they think. so if you block the left side of the undergrounds escalators (you are supposed to stay on the right and walk at the left) or if you stay in front of the trains doors so people can't properly exit. viennese people will tell you off.
Rule No: 6 Don´t underestimate mulled wine. 500 meter distance to your hotel could be to long. On all fours.
lol
and do not disregard this if you are Russian - I was out with a Russian friend who prided himself at how much he can drink. "Bah, humbug, I am Russian!" His wife had to carry him home!
The biggest mistake would be to have never gone to Vienna in your life. Been there twice. Loved it both times.
I live in vienna lol
@@tobiasbonisch8028 Lucky boy. But I hear it's very expensive 🙁
True! I am 82. Always busy with classical music. But never was in Wien. Now I got the chance to make a short trip there. A short time that leaves everlasting memories...
I'm stuck having to move there for family reasons. Id have rather lived my entire life without going there. Everything I learn about it just sounds pathetic.
Mistakes when visiting Vienna: "Hey, where's the gondolas?"
😊
Hahaha!
I've heard of two Americans, who came to Scandinavia and complained about the lack of mountains and snow (They were going skiing and had heard Scandinavia was a great place to go skiing.). The problem was that they choose the cheapest flight ... Which took them to Denmark ... The flattest and least-snow-in-winter-country in ALL Scandinavia! ^^
Wait, Vienna isn't known for gondolas. You're thinking of the Venetian Casino in Vegas.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venedig_in_Wien
There used to be gondolas :)
Big mistake when visiting Vienna,Austria :
“Where are the kangaroos?”
Australia 😂
If you ask that you probably will end at the zoo. 😄
Schönbrunn. They are at Schönbrunn Animal Park. Sometimes they go for a walk and escape. ;-)
lol
In Austrian souvenir shops you can literally find souvenirs that say "We got no kangaroos in austria"
Your explanation of 'bad' service sounds perfect to me. Over the top in your face service like the US is intrusive and annoying.
that is what i was trying to explain. Professional and knowledgeable.
@ Word.
I don´t like over the top friendly service. It puts me off. Guess same culture here (Prague).
He described ideal service in Vienna. Finding such service is rare, actually. Most of it sucks and it's not just because I don't understand how it works -- I've lived here for 25 years. That being said, with the increase in young people opening places (and foreigners), the service is getting better. Also, don't think I'm just some bitter fool. I actually have come to like the surly, incompetent, and barely-trying Vienna service style. But I would never call the vast majority of it "good".
Same!
One very important thing: don't rush around the city trying to check off all the sites - you will just end up stressed and miss what Vienna is actually all about. Take a walk through the inner city, let your mind wander off, and just enjoy the vibe - that's the most beautiful thing about Vienna for me. Just being in the city makes me happy when I can put the stress aside for a minute :)
Talking about bad service: Around 1900 authors slept in hotels and because they couldn't afford the heating in hotels during the day (it was extra), they sat in the coffee house the entire day and worked there - it was food, coffee, heat, coffee houses have always had all newspapers and international ones as well, they even got their mail sent to the coffee house. Imagine having a US-waiter while sitting 12 hours in this place, annoying huh? Yeah that's why waiters don't talk to you that much :b
So many authors?
@@Bzcenci812 he meant the 19th century ;)
@@elisabeth9934 Without a comma you understand there were around 1900 authors living in hotels.
@@Bzcenci812 ah ok 😅
@@Bzcenci812 can you give me a source I'd like to read up on that 📚
Been to Vienna several times and always enjoyed it... specially sitting in a café😄
it's the best isn't it :)
@@woltersworld i live in vienna
Glad you enjoyed it :)
Having lived in Vienna, I may add: Always greet the people you come across, shopkeeper, waiters, taxi driver and every one.
I absolutely loved Vienna. It is my favourite city in Europe, it is clean, great transportation and fantastic culture. We are going back next year ♥️
Servers are quite friendly and their cafes are very good. enjoy seeing they have a hour glass to measure your tea. I was given an hour glass with 2-minute , 3-minute and 5-minute and I was amazed and asked what the hour glass is for. The waitress told me that it is to measure how strong you like your tea. Stayed there total around 1 week and enjoyed it every day. and did not have a chance to Mozart concert of equiem. And it is on my list for next visit. The art history museum is quite impressive , classic collections, I was kicked out when the museum is closed. And took a day to Saltzburg, and lake area, view is fantastic. Vienna was capital of a powerful empire and center of power. Deserves respect.
Die Gedanken sind frei, aber nicht die Toiletten ...
Ich hab lieber eine saubere öffentliche Toilette für die ich zahlen muss, als eine unbeaufsichtigte......
Dafür bleiben einem unangenehme Treffen und (in dem meisten Fällen) Gerüche erspart. An den Bahnhöfen kriegt man außerdem einen Gutschein.
WJZAV Ja das stimmt ... aber wenn man kein Geld hat ...
Geld stinkt nicht
das haben sie leider nur deswegen eingeführt weil sonst 10 junckies am tag sich einen schuss am scheisshaus setzen
Bad service in Austria? Ich war ehrlich gesagt schockiert wie ich in anderen Ländern von Kellnern behandelt wurde. Keiner hat mich gefragt, ob mir mein Essen geschmeckt hat oder ob ich noch ein Dessert etc. möchte. Außerdem kann man nirgends so gemütlich in Lokalen sitzen wie in Wien. In anderen Ländern hatte ich immer das Gefühl nach dem Essen rasch den Platz für neue Gäste frei machen zu müssen. Ich bin jetzt in Wien ja kein Tourist, aber ich kann mir nicht vorstellen das die Kellner zu den Touristen in Wien ungut sind.
Kann Dir da nur zustimmen. Ich versuche, mindestens ein Mal im Jahr nach Wien zu kommen, es ist (m)eine Traumstadt. Ich fand die Kellner dort immer sehr höflich und zuvorkommend (besonders verglichen mit Deutschland, woher ich komme; wir haben ohne Zweifel nette Kellnerinnen und Kellner, es gibt aber auch ganz schöne "Kratzbürsten" bei uns 😉)!
David ich bin aus kanada und wann ich war nach wien die einsige sachen mit die Kellner das ich habe nicht gefallt war das alles war so lang. ich habe immer gewartet ein stunden zum bezahlen wann ich mochte weg gehen... fur ein nordameriker das ist nicht toll und wir finden das nicht profezional (entschuldigung deutsch ist nicht meine muttersprache)
@@tinthings314 Um zu bezahlen muss man den Kellner explizit ansprechen: "Die Rechnung, bitte" oder "Zahlen, bitte". Oder wenn keiner kommt einfach zu dem Kellner hingehen. Wenn nach 10 Minuten noch nichts kommt, noch einmal den Kellner erinnern.
Gut funktioniert auch eine Gestik mit der Hand Richtung Kellner: Rechte Hand ausstrecken und Daumen zwischen Mittel- und Zeigefinger hin- und herreiben - das ist das Zeichen für Zahlen.
Babadee Beetchee I've never been to Canada but i've been a few times in the States and what annoys me the most are the waiters and waitresses - the tipping culture, that ongoing friendly behavior like right now i'm smiling at you but i will spit on your pizza and that they are annoying as hell: coming around every other minute asking if everything's fine and if you want anything else or if you want to pay - like wtf chill down i just ate lemme cool down a bit.
In Vienna the life is a bit more chill even if the ongoing americanization is a thing that is seeable and perceptible in every sector.
Jurjan Meskišvili the over the top friendliness is more in the USA. I find it annoying too. Canada can still learn many things from Europe but i feel like our service sector is excellent
As a viennese i have to say, great Video, great points, but the most omportant point in Vienna would be to know the do's and dont's in the U-Bahn. Don't stand on the left on an escalator. Don't stand in the way of the people who want to Exit the U-Bahn, let them Exit first, then you can enter. I have encounters like this on a daily Basis, Not only with tourists of course, and its a Real pain in the ass. The most annoying thing tourists can Do in vienna
Same experience from Prague. Italians are masters in this.. The metro door opens and they just start walking in, no matter the fact that people want to get off.. Pushing their way through...
If not manners, it is just logical to let people out first? Because then there´s more space???
I noticed now at the U6 platforms, they painted the exit zones yellow with arrows, and where you should wait to enter on either side of the doors with blue footprints.
@@OttoRappTheMystic crazy that you evrn have to Do this for people for them to Start thinking just logically
Age Aderra Aber bei weitem net nur die Touristen.
C. C. I. Aysegül und Fatme können das auch ganz gut
Take an one hour walk on the Nussberg in Vienna's 19., district. The view over the city is priceless!
In my experience, the Viennese were the most gentle people I've met in my journeys. Everyone was overly polite, we even met a woman in the tram who helped us find our destination. I have nothing but respect for the Austrian people.
I am Austrian and live in the states for 40 Years, your video is spot on!
A hot chocolate, apple strudel & just watching the Vienna World go by. Heaven !!!
I just got back from Vienna on Thursday. Had a great time and think I avoided the mistakes you mentioned! I’ve been twice now and there is still so much i haven’t seen. Thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas markets and made a valiant effort to try all the flavours of Christmas punch. Didn’t manage it - maybe next time!
They do have wonderful Christmas markets. We were there for Christmas a few years ago and really loved it. I totally forgot to put Christmas market in vienna pictures in this one. Will need to make sure i do that for the next vienna video
Wolters World actually, for anyone reading planning a trip- allow yourself extra time to get through Vienna airport. The walk from the CAT train to terminal 1 is long & there are building works going on. I flew with Lauda (through Ryanair) they don’t have a bag drop off so you have to queue to check in a bag, (Ryanair usually have bag drop off but not available in Vienna. Other airlines may differ though) and there are 3 separate queues for boarding card check, passport check and security checks. So don’t be late!
I lived there as a kid for over a year. Great place!
Stopping and sit is the best advice! We have had limited time in some cities where we ran around like crazy fools. But when we did stop it was fantastic!
Totally relate, sometimes less is more!
Thats right, because in vienna there is a thing called " Wiener Gemütlichkeit" take time and relax, sit, watch...the servers are often stressed because vienna is full of tourists they want everything fast and want to leave for visiting all the rest of the city but if they see you enjoy your time they can take a small breath also;-) Vienna needs more than 2 days to visit all the nice places- i should know, lived over 39 years here and i love vienna.
My main reason for going to Vienna is The Spanish Riding School. Number ONE on my bucket list.
This city is simply incredible. So much great architecture. It is almost overwhelming how many great buildings there are.
Public Transport is open, but I saw a lot of tourists not knowing how the ticket machines work. Most important is to bring some fun and not to be scared talking to people...we are funny folks. Not everyone understands english, but most Viennes are very helpful und will try anything to bring you forward. Even in the big hotels, like Sacher or Hilton Plaza....they help! unless they are stressed. Meanwhile even post Police Men and Women know a lot about Vienna and are always happy with tourists. Don´t be shy!
I love Vienna. I have traveled to Vienna twice and I loved and enjoyed every time I have been there. If another opportunity comes up, I will travel to Vienna again and gain and again
Thanks for your charming video and the priceless comment section. Hello from a Canadian with Austrian (mostly Viennese) roots 😊
Awesome tips, you really absorbed the "Gemütlichkeit". 😁 so I may add to your list: be aware that nearly every shop is closed on Sundays. Many people where shocked when they first came to Vienna, even Supermarktes are closed on Sunday. Even though this sound inconvenient, the big plus is: there's literally nothing you have to hurry for or to on Sunday. Take a nice walk in the Prater or up the Kahlenberg, enjoy your 3 hour coffee with cake or spend a whole rainy afternoon at a museum. You'll see that's what most people do on Sunday's. Enjoy your stay!
Vienna offers much more than the Innercity, the Belvedere Palace, Prater Theme Park or Schönbrunn. There are even Beaches in Vienna at the Danube Island..did you know that ? You can swim, relax, eat and chill there. And don´t forget to take a small CruiseTour to Wachau.
1:00 woman noticing she’s being filmed and is not happy at all. People do not like having their photos taken or being randomly filmed in Germany/ Austria/ Switzerland.
They should go an live in North Korea then
I know, but how about Liechtensteiners? I believe they did that too
Recently returned from Vienna. The service was great everywhere we went, polite, pleasant and efficient. Lovely city. One of my favourites.
Very nice tips, especially #2. It baffles me every time when I see tourists go into Starbucks.
They are in a city world-famous for the coffe culture and they go into the fast food equivalent of a coffee house...
Also don't forget that Vienna isn't just the center of town. The outskirts have some nice places too, especially if you want to see some nature. Not nature in the sense of cultivated parks (though you'll find those too), but nature allowed to grow mostly wild just a meter or two off the roads, which I imagine might be mundane for some people, but something very out of the ordinary for many others.
I’m from Austria and this is actually good advice.
I am Austrian and was living in Vienna for 4 years.
A year ago, I gave my U.S. friend the most in-depth Vienna tour, I could possibly pack into three days. When asking him about his favorite place, he answered without a doubt "Golden Times".😅
😂 Saustark
Maro yeah great destination
My parents moved to Vienna a couple years ago and I'm finally getting a chance to visit this December!
Thank you Wolter. I Live near Vienna and I recommand to visit the Monasterys nearby: Klosterneuburg northern and Heiligenkreuz southern of Vienna, both more than 900 years of history. Or to reach within an hour: the castles or Monasteries of Schloss Hof, Esterhazy, Forchtenstein, Dürnstein, Melk, Altenburg, Göttweig and so on ... One of our best things is even drinking water: it comes right from The alps.
Spot on on the tap water. Simply amazing. Ice cold and delicious.
One of the things I found really useful when I visited Vienna was getting the "Vienna Card" online and getting my transit attached to it. That way my transit, and pretty much all of the museums and sites I wanted to see were included for a fee that I calculated out to be worthwhile. Plus with the Vienna Card if there was a line up to a place I sometimes was able to skip the line.
Oh, try not to get burnt out in Vienna. There is lots to do within Innenstadt itself. Loved this city though! Wiener Schnitzel, Wurst, Doner, Sacher Torte. Brilliant. Ich liebe Wien!
I spent two days in Vienna two years ago, through transit, and liked, but was not "in love" with the city but knew I had not spent enough time there. Have since gone back for a seven day stay and LOVE the city. Big secret, dash into the Graben and Hofburg, get that out of the way unless you just love love love crowds and spend your time walking the parks to get from place to place as you can generally do in London, and then explore the neighborhoods, esp. Rathaus. Now I am in love with Vienna. Oh, yes, very true about the U-bahn ticket system.
Hold up - you've been teaching at my Uni??? When?!? I've been a fan for so long how did I miss this????Would love to attend one of your lectures!
I teach an intensive summer course. Look for social media marketing for next semester. It should be in the system.
@@woltersworld Super cool! I'll make sure to look!
Thank you for your nice advertisement to visit my beautiful Wien !
Yes, Vienna is my favourite city! Friendly, beautiful, save, clean and wonderful!!!!!
Friendly 😂😂
right “friendly” lmaoo
Sooo helpful! Me and I family are going to Vienna this july to celebrate my mother’s 50th birthday! We can’t wait to enjoy the culture and sit down in a cafe and rekax!
I absolutely feel in love with Vienna
1. Pay and validate tickets, they check them regularly and you may get fined.
2. The weekly ticket (Wochenkarte) is from Monday through Sunday (IT IS NOT A 7 DAY TICKET).
3. Sit down and enjoy the cafe culture in Vienna (it is the cafe capital of the world).
4. You cannot pay with a credit card in a lot of places in Vienna (it is important to have cash on you).
5. Vienna has A LOT of culture.
Don't talk too loud at resturants, they don't like that.
It's a pity that the most tourists hardly know are our wine taverns called "Heuriger" (look for Viennese Heurige). Winemakers who mostly have a big wine garden serve their own wine and you can also eat really very well there. The Heurigen are located in the outer districts of Vienna, for example 13th, 14th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, where all the wine gardens are. Although I live on the other side of Vienna, I like those in the 19th district most.
It is not without reason that Vienna is the most livable city in the world.
That's because of the socialist city government.
We have very cheap apartment rental prices, because 1/3 of the buildings is social housing. Nobody is left behind. Then we have very good and cheap public transportation. Its just 1€/day if you have the annual pass. We have so many programs, that help people in need to get through their life easier.
@@markusberger6496 so true
The study is based on a questionnaire answered by high - income expats. Vienna is a great place to live if money/costs don't matter to you.
Has not a lot to do with the normal life.
Geh bitte
The only downside is that it's full of austrians.
I found what helped me out when I was in Vienna for a week in April was having a Facebook friend (who lives there) become my tour guide on his time off work. 👍🏼😉
Yeah, I made a mistake of not being ready for all the culture. I thought I was, I realized it was a capital of Holy roman empire, and Austro-Hungarian empire, but I wasn't *actually* ready for it. There's so much stuff my head was spinning, I spent 2 days there, I wish I waited for more vacation days and spent at least a week. Just walking around the city is breathtaking
That makes me want to live there even more
I‘m Austrian myself but spend much time in the US as well: good points in this video especially on the service (normal friendly competence instead of over the top friendly incompetence)!
One hint to add: once a year around spring there is a „long night of...“museums, churches, etc. For a few bucks (one ticket) you can enter all museums or churches - there is a separate day for both throughout the year- between 6pm and 1 or 2 am! In the video there is the banner on St.Stephens Cathedral visible for the last night in May 2019.
By the way: best time to visit Vienna is spring or fall. Less tourists and pleasant weather. Summer time frequently brings 90+F temperatures but there are lots of beaches (yes, beaches on 20+km Danube island!) and public baths available. Time around Xmas and new year is beautiful too but very crowded in downtown and prepare for no snow. Last white Xmas was 9 years ago.
Alina Evita Or in normal people measurements: around 32 degrees Celsius
Who said service is bad in Austria!!!??? Because we let you sit and don't chase you out? Weird argumentation...
I live in Vienna and I love everything about this video. I never thought about someone talking about Vienna that good haha
Coffee and dessert! I had to take my family to Cafe Central every day. Amazing architecture, history, desserts, and coffee. This is Vienna!
The Americans used the café central to play basketball after WWII. can you believe that?
F ST never bumped into that one. We found cafe central by accident and loved the atmosphere. I will return and seek out this one.
Thank you for promoting our town in such a positive way!!! best regards from Vienna, Armin
"Schönbrunn, there is also a zoo in the back..." (The oldest zoo in the world btw) :D
It also has a small petting zoo, a station where u can ride on a horse (while beeing escorted, for security), multiple restaurants and small carts with snacks and next to some of the restaurants there are parks/playgrounds for children. Theres also an aquarium, a reptile house, a "rainforest-house", multiple giant birdcages (u can go inside) and just before u enter the zoo there are houses with exotic plants and trees (next to the reptile house). And there is also a night-tour where they give u night-vision goggles to watch the nightlife. It's genius and if you visit the right time u can watch as the animls are being fed, the seals love the attention and have kind of a show going on. The red pandas are my personal favourite. u r welcome
Thanks! I just toured Vienna today. I'm glad to report that I didn't make any of the 5 mistakes. A beautiful place to visit.
Hah! I've been to Vienna already, which is why i watched this video
1. Didn't use public transportation. I was lucky enough that the apartment we rented was in the old town and we could have got everywhere on foot without problems
2. We had stops in cafes - people have to rest - and we ate our breafasts in the restaurants with tables outside. So I think I enjoyed that, yes. Generally eating Apfelstrudel was one of my goals to achieve there :)
3. We actually encountered a waiter who was very mean.... he didn't want to give us food we wanted to order because it was "too late" (it wasn't tbh), he felt offended when we asked him if he speaks English, he said he speaks 5 languages (but when we wanted to order, he pretended to be deaf or something else, and only then we asked him if he speaks English). He ignord like every second word said to him. Even though he wore a mask and I couldn't see his face, he did look angry and offensive. Even though it was one of the remarkable and well-known place in Vienna, he behaved very mean and unprofesionally, like angry kid forced by his parents to do something (I mean, something in his manners was very disturbing and making you feel unwell).
And here I want to add that apart from him, everyone was very kind and made us feel very nice. I wanted to practice my German which is not so good and they were kind of people who patiently accepted my speaking mistakes, so I actually wasn't stressed when I switched to German. And I think it was a good practice
4. I don't remember if we did that mistake... maybe
5. As a great fan of history, I knew some places even before my mum told me we will go to Vienna! And when I found out that, I quickly did a research. We were there for just two full days, but they were great and I think I didn't waste them. I saw Belveder, Hofburg (including part with Habsburg crown and other treasures), Habsburgs' tombs under Kapuzinerkirche, we went on a concert (don't remember exactly where, but in an old and beautiful building) and some other places, not necessarily historical. We also had an evening walk there - amazing!!! I tried Sachertorte, Apfelstrudel, Wiener Snitzel - all I wanted to try in Vienna. And evena stew apparently called Viennese. And still, I had some time to listen to Austrian marches on my phone. Hopefully one day I will return to Vienna for a longer time, because it's outstanding and there's more to see. I remembered this tour as one of the greatest stays abroad in my life
I loved Austria. Best thing about the entire continent is Austria. Vienna is fabulous plus Austria has so much more to offer and some of the nicest people ever. Excellent food. CLEAN! Especially compared to other parts of Europe Austria is really clean .
Good morning, how are you doing today
I wish you are a beautiful and peaceful day ahead
Have a positive start today as well
Thanks for the video. I am actually from Vienna and live abroad now. People ask me all the time what to do when going there. I rather share your video from now on and tell them to do anything they want (because it’s all there) except those five things :)
I am from Vienna and i love the videos from Mark Wolters.
yes, bringing time with you and slow down is important
Awesome places: Maria am Gestade (wonderful church), go into the catacombs (with mumies) of the church Michaelerkirche (you need a tour), if you like modern architecture visit the library of the WU Wien, take a look at the mosaic (which is a copy of Da Vincis last supper) in the Minoritenkirche, the "Prunksaal" of the national library is amazing too. Everything is free except the tour and the Prunksaal, but remember you can enter into every church for free and also if doors are open go into the courtyards in the first and second district.
Growing up I spent summers in Vienna. (My father worked at the UN.)
Karlsplatz was one of my favorite places to hang out too.
I think your points are spot on.
I shall now spend my morning reminiscing about my time in vienna.
Loved Vienna! The palace was absolutely exquisite & worth every second we were there. Also, we loved the day trip we did to Dürnstein. Definitely want to return to see the Christmas markets.
Sooooo right about the attitude to take to service! And so true about not talking loud in restaurants.
Newly Vienniese, former Styrian (not Syrian, thank you very much) reporting in: thanks for pointing those out 😊 Also, some tourists don't take their time just enjoying whatever it is they're doing. They finish with one thing and want to immediately go do the next thing. Relax, calm down, take your time and just enjoy. If you hurry, there's so much you're gonna miss out on
I don’t know why I am watching this, my family lives there and I go there SUPER often
I tried to learn German but it was so hard. I’m sorry I only speak English, but Vienna is beautiful, and Austrian culture is great! Going back thanksgiving
Beautiful! Vienna is back on my list. Thanks
I‘m Viennese and this video is absolutely legit! I often have problem with advice travel bloggers give but that‘s right on point.
Definitely gonna check out your other videos cause you‘re definitely knowledgeable :)
Thanks for clarifying
If you want a cheap scenic route, take tram D from Sonnwendviertel(or even Hauptbahnhof), change to U6 on Nußdorferstrasse, and then change from U6 to tram 6 on Gumpendorfer Straße. It's way cheaper than any scenic bus and you see most of the Vienna.
If you have a daily or any other longer lasting ticket, you can just hop on and off anywhere, check out the area, and then continue the route.
I wrote these recommendation before on another youtube channel but I think some might find them useful:
Scwarzenburg, Prükel, Diglas, Landtmann are all good in the 1st district. Demel has great cakes but not much space but is well worth visiting to look at the chocolates. Cafe Central is busy but the Cafe Klimt, which was the Griensteidl, is close by and used to be decent.
For hearty food the brewery pubs are usually good such as 1516 (in the 1st) 7Stern Bräu (in the 7th) , Wieden Bräu, (in hte 4th) Salm Bräu (in the 3rd by Belvedere), Fischer Bräu (in the 9th, a little out of the way but can be combined with a trip to the hills). For Viennese cooking the big tourist trap restaurant of Figlmüller is worth it for the schnitzel. A not too busy place with atmosphere in the 1st district is Brezl Gwölb near Am Hof.
If you like beer and studenty/travellers food I'd also recommend Kolar which has great beer and fladenbrot (kind of a wood fired pitta bread with fillings). If you're in the city for longer it's well worth heading to a heuriger above the city.
I love getting public transport, hiking and then just coming across a place but if you want to be more organised head to Nusdorf, Grinzing or Neustift am Walde. There are some tourist traps but it's fun to explore. There are city heurigen too such as the Zwolf Apostelkeller in the 1st district or 10er Marie in the 16th. But really there are tonnes of place to explore particularly in the Spittelberg area (which has the best Christmas market).
The Altes AKH campus of the university has a lot of decent affordable restaurants in it too in a main square that also has a Christmas market. Other cool places: Dots for Sushi on Mariahilferstrasse, Ramien in the 6th for noodles, or Indus in the 3rd for Indian food. But this is scratching the surface..
This is surreal. I"m watching you cuz we're going to Austria next month. Last month I was watching you cuz I needed a heads up about Memphis TN. Thanks dude, you really helped. - Lytha from Seattle now NRW Germany
As a Viennese myself, I´d like to add one tip: don´t mistake bad service for part of "the local charm" either. Sometimes bad service is just bad service, and you shouldn´t wait around in a place where you get ignored by the staff, or tip a rude waiter.
However, as is pointed out in the video, you have to communicate to the waiter what you want here. The best way is to actively seek eye contact with them, give them a small sign of what you want from them (like a little wave with your wallet if you´d like to pay) and 99% of waiters WILL be with you as soon as possible.
True. I also want to add, that it is sometimes worth to take not the first option at the most crowded spots, which are often significantly more expensive and not always better as if you walk some 100m towards the suburbs or into a small lane. Another hint: Around the "Ringstraße" der is a crazy sometimes narrow bicycle lane waving over the pavement. So watch out there for bicycles and scooters especially in the green marked areas near Heldenplatz, Opera and Rathaus also always watch out for Tramways. There are quite many Tramway tracks in Vienna, which makes it easy and comfortable to get around, but every year their are some severe accidents, when people run careless over the tracks. Finally, if you go from the airport to the city centre or vice versa by "Schnellbahn" train, it is more expensive as if you just go around in the city with single ride or daily/week ticket, because airport is outside Vienna zone 100. Quite often tickets are checked just before/after the airport station. If you rent an E-scooter or bicycle don't take another person on it for a ride or ride on the pavement (both is forbidden and fined). E-Scooter like bicycles can use cycle paths, pedestrian zones, only where the sign allows bicycles and only below 7km/h or if not existing have to go on the road. Also alcohol and jumping over red light is often checked by the police (same rules as for driving a car).
Thanks for the tip
Thank you for this. My bf and I ended up at a restaurant and we were ignored for 10 minutes. We thought it was just a service thing but a girl sat down after us and got her table cleaned and her order taken in seconds without her waving the server down. We ended up leaving and going somewhere where we got our order taken a lot faster
6:03 fun fact. The Tierpark Schönbrunn is the oldest zoo in the world.
I live here in Vienna (born here also), and i agree with everything he says. The thing with the bad service, i agree 50% . I been to places with really good service here. There is everything starting from really bad service, up to fabulous service. It depends also how much they have to do, and wheather you are in a crowded tourist spot where there is a lot of hassle or not. But normally its not that bad.
From Chicago. Finally at Vienna! Started watching ages ago!!
"dont make the mistake of talking really loud at the restaurant n stuff, cause they dont like that here." YEAH YOU GOT THAT RIGHT WE HATE IT
Been yelled at more than once myself for that very infraction :-)
@@workaccount1478 thats good to hear. Usually people are way to polite to say anything. Almost like in japan. Almost :D
I LIVE HERE FOR 20 YEARS VIENNA IS BEAUTIFUL, AND YOUR RIGHT TAKE A MOMENT TO SIT AND HAVE A TEA AND CAKE RELAX AND WATCH THE PEOPLE, THE SAD THING IS THE AUSTRIANS ARE NOT SO FRIENDLY, BUT IF THERE IS AN AUSLANDER WORKING THERE THEIR MORE FRIENDLY, I THINK THIS IS WHY YOUR STARTING TO SEE MORE AUSLANDERS WORKING AROUND VIENNA, ENJOY IT!!!
So true. I discovered the coffee shop culture there and loved it.
I remember having Apfelstrudel mit Schlagobers on the ringstraße 👌
i moved to vienna exactly 20 years ago and the town still surprises me every day. and i still didn't get used to thus "coffee-house culture" lol
I love vienna, I went there last year around Easter and it was such a nice atmosphere. I don't remember the service being bad, but I do remember I went to this lovely Korean restaurant called Yori in Vienna, it was amazing!
You have been in a world famous place for food and went to a foreign restaurant?
I do that too, just to break up the monotony of ethnocentric cuisine when I’m on a long vacation.
Peter Fehringer Sie ist hierher gekommen um Sachen zu essen die sie auch daheim hätte futtern können...
Good morning, how are you doing today
I wish you are a beautiful and peaceful day ahead
Have a positive start today as well
The waiters are extremely "special" in Vienna. It's almost a trademark. Be prepared that they have a very dry sense of humor. Don't be surprised that when you ask for a recommendation, you get the answer "there is a McDonald's around the corner" - all this with a completely serious face. I've seen a person complaining about a soup. The waiter came back with the chef who tried the soup and said: "This is the best soup I ever had in my life" (in this case, the soup was indeed very good, the guest was just used to eat soup with artificial additives).
I was in Vienna a month ago .. it’s very beautiful .. next time I’ll visit Salzburg . Oh I paid for the train .. the one week ticket..
Salzburg is really worth it. Glad you had a good time in Vienna
Gute Arbeit Wolter. Ich gehe seit 2016 jede jahr. Es ist sehr schön und in mein Herz ist auch besondere.
It’s always important to remind yourself you are in a different culture!:)
insidelaurensbrain totally, I always try to blend in with culture 👌
zoo Schönbrunn is the oldest zoo in the world guys! :)
Visite Schloss Schönbrunn, buuuuut nooooot the poooor animals at Zoo Schönbrunn!
@@leonaiss9749 I think zoo schönbrunn has won multiple arwards for being the most animal friendly zoo in the world
Discoverd your channel 3 days ago and was disappointed that Vienna wasn't covered. Now that was a real surprise - only two days later here it is :D Very useful tips
Cafes are incredible in Vienna ☕
Coming here next week with my friend for 5 days, so hyped
very interesting to see it from a different perspective, since you are used to these things when you live in Austria :) glad you included Schloss Schönbrunn, since it is my favourite building in the country; and do not judge Austria based on Vienna, since people there can be very different from those living on the countryside or outside of Vienna in general