Must-see in Vienna: Spittelberg and the MuseumsQuartier

by Annie Scott on


If you’re looking for something to do in Vienna that’s off-the-beaten-path, I would suggest a visit to the historic Spittelberg area in the 7th district. Some define the entire 7th district as Spittelberg, but purists will tell you that it is actually just a collection of about six little cobbled streets, each more charming than the last. It’s just a quick skip-and-a-jump from the MuseumsQuartier, which I’ll tell you about, as well.

Spittelberg

Spittelberg was built from the 1700s to the early 1800s in an area belonging to a hospital. Over the years, the area became more and more run down, and by the 1960s, it had devolved into a red light district complete with drugs and prostitutes. The government made a move to tear it down, but suddenly, support for the area sprang up from groups all over Vienna. It was decided that Spittelberg should be restored and preserved. Now, it’s home to interesting boutiques and restaurants, art galleries and even a playground. Like with much of Vienna, Spittelberg is a mix of old and new.

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MuseumsQuartier

The MuseumsQuartier, or Museum Quarter, is a well-designed grouping of several museums outside the Baroque structure where Emperor Charles VI kept his horses. The standalone museums were begun in the 1990s and opened in 2001 to bring a younger, more diverse crowd to Vienna’s art scene. In the summer, the courtyard of the MuseumsQuartier is filled with benches for relaxing — and every year, the public votes on what color those benches will be. DJs or bands play, and people sit outside the Istanbul-infuenced Milo cafe with coffees and drinks, whether they’re visiting the museums or just enjoying the ambience. This is not a tourist trap; this is where you will find the actual cool Viennese people.

The museums of the MuseumsQuartier include the Leopold Museum, which is famous for its Schieles, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, among others. It is definitely worth a visit.

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board and Cool Capitals, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

The Alstadt Hotel – unassuming luxury

by Annie Scott on


The Alstadt Hotel is a charming Vienna residence where one feels instantly at home.

Located in historic Spittelberg (Vienna’s 7th district), the accommodations are a strange blend of home and hotel, in that they share a stairway, an elevator and several hallways with actual Vienna apartments. You can see from the photo at right that at first glance, you might not even notice that it’s a hotel, as the reception level and lobby are on the 2nd floor. How often does one walk through their fancy hotel and see people carrying their groceries? I found this juxtaposition welcoming and fun.

When I stayed at The Alstadt last month, I was lucky enough to be put in one of the Matteo Thun rooms. The Alstadt has 8 rooms and one suite created by this Italian design superstar. Mine, “The Leonie,” was decked in blacks, grays, silvers and rich red. Check out the gallery to see the Victorian wallpaper, see-through black tile bathroom and the image of a naked woman on the ceiling above the bed (surprisingly tasteful!).

%Gallery-88597%Breakfast at the Alstadt is a cozy, friendly affair. Guests all gather in the common spaces downstairs to partake in the buffet and free-flowing coffee, orange juice and champagne. The food was a quirky blend of savory and sweet, most of it very light, and eggs could be made to order. One thing I especially liked about the breakfast was that it encouraged guests to make use of the comfortable and welcoming lobby space on the reception level, which can be used all day as a sitting room — and might otherwise not be utilized properly, because you don’t have to pass it to get to your room. The reception level also includes a smoking room with a free internet-enabled computer, so travelers without laptops don’t have to completely disconnect.

If you’re looking for a cool place to stay in Vienna with a little luxury and a lot of character, I would highly recommend The Alstadt. They offer packages for art lovers and honeymooners, and rates start at 119 euros (approximately $161.51) per night.

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board and Cool Capitals, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

Hercules at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna

by Annie Scott on

The legend of Hercules is a favorite of many – including, apparently, the Habsburgs. The southern entrance of Hofburg Palace in Vienna (pictured from the inside) is flanked with a series of totally awesome statues known as “The Labors of Hercules” by Lorenzo Matielli.

There are many fables about Hercules, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena, and many of the tallest tales come from his Twelve Labors.

Hera, Zeus’ wife, was none too fond of her husband’s mortal mistress’ son. One of her attempts to ruin his life was to make him temporarily insane so that he killed his own wife and children. Naturally, he was devastated when he came back to his senses, and he prayed to Apollo for guidance. Apollo told him his punishment should be to serve Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae for twelve years. Eurystheus sent him on twelve quests, including battling a hydra, cerberus, The Cretan Bull and others, which he accomplished with the help of Hermes and Athena. Click here for more info on each of those quests.

The coolest story, if you ask me, is not a labor, but how he died: a tricksy centaur tried to rape Hercules’ wife Deianeira, and Hercules shot him with a poison arrow. The centaur, while dying, told Deianeira to keep a vial of his blood, stating that if she ever thought Hercules was being unfaithful, it would restore his love. As fate would have it, she did eventually think he was being unfaithful, so she smeared some of the blood on a shirt and sent it to him. The blood was poisoned (the same poison from the arrow which killed the centaur) and when Hercules donned the shirt, it caused him so much pain he made his friends burn him alive. Whoa.

Moral: never trust a centaur who says his blood is a love potion. Now, enjoy the muscular, manly, glorious sculptures from the Hofburg Palace.
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My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board and Cool Capitals, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

10 things you didn’t expect the Viennese to make out of marzipan

by Annie Scott on


I don’t like marzipan. Even before I developed a nut allergy (marzipan is made of sugar and almond meal), I thought it tasted rather bland. It’s not really sweet, not really nutty, and well, not really good, if you ask me.

All the same, if you make a bunch of random stuff out of marzipan for absolutely no discernible reason beyond the sheer joy of making marzipan porcupines and cheeseburgers (for example), you have my full attention.

Marzipan is a well-known art in Vienna, where you’re most likely to find a Marzipan Mozart (or Schubert, Wagner, whomever you’d most like to eat). The legendary Demel cafe has a Marzipan Museum, and the windows of many of the city’s fine confectioners are decked with large marzipan sculptural goodies which look so wrong, but so right to eat.

Marzipan probably originated in the Middle East or China (nobody’s sure), but Vienna seems to have it mastered. Check out these photos from City Confiserie — and careful, the last one is NSFW:
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My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board and Cool Capitals, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

Daily Pampering: Carriage rides in Vienna

by Annie Scott on


When you find yourself in Vienna, surrounded by palatial architecture and the echoes of history’s most brilliant classical musicians at every turn, a kind of nostalgia sets in. This is an excellent time to take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

When Cinderella’s fairy godmother came to visit, one of the most important things she did was turn a pumpkin into a horse-drawn carriage. In Vienna, horse-drawn carriages are called “fiacres” (or “fiakers“), named for Saint Fiacre, “patron saint of taxi drivers.” Yes, he’s also the patron saint of gardening, but Hotel de Saint Fiacre in Paris used to rent carriages, and the moniker ostensibly originated there.

The drivers of Vienna fiacres are usually part of family-run companies, so they are competitors and it’s a good idea to tip. You can haggle a price outside St Stephen’s Cathedral for a large or small tour of the city (that terminology will help) for as little as 20 euros. If you’re looking to make a special night fancier, though, opt for an enclosed carriage; the kind with doors and a little more privacy. The prices are usually about the same (unless you’re a professional barterer, in which case … good for you) — just ask your concierge how much it will cost and they can make arrangements for you.

From then on, you may refer to your concierge as “my fairy godmother,” but it may be frowned upon. Check your local hotels to ask if there are fiacre services in your area.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.