Vienna

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Vienna
"Wien ist anders
(Vienna is different)"
Country: Austria
Region: Europe
St. Stephen's Cathedral
More Information:
CS Group Wikipedia Wikitravel

Contents


Vienna is the capital of Austria and has a large and very active CouchSurfing community. As of April 2009 more than 9200 CouchSurfers lived in this city, which makes it the fifth biggest CS community in the world.
In 2006 the European CS Collective was held in the nearby city of Eisenstadt.




Getting there

Vienna lies right in the heart of Europe. It's very easy to get to the City from the neighbouring countries. Vienna can be reached by plane, train, bus, boat or even by car.

For more information see Getting to Vienna.


Getting around

Vienna has a very good public transport system with several underground lines, a big network of tram and bus lines as well as a good local railway service (called S-Bahn). There is also bike service called Citybike Wien. Those who prefer exploring on foot will find the city centre very compact and easy to get around in.

For more information have a look at Getting around in Vienna.

Orientation

Districts of Vienna
The Vienna CouchSurfing Map is a google map (work in progress),

with locations from going out to historical sights
that were added by couch surfers.

Free Maps ("Stadtplan") are available at the Tourist Information Centres. How to find the main tourist info.

Online Map on the official website of the City Government. www.wien.gv.at/stadtplan Map

Printable Map (city spy, often found in hostels) with pubs, bars, clubs, hostels and shops can be found here

Online Virtual Tour with 360 panoramas from Vienna linked to a Google map with local information.

Vienna's Public Transportation Website provides an interactive timetable where you type in your address or station/stop and your destination. You are then provided with information on what buses, trams, undergrounds, etc.. to catch and maps of where exactly to find them. Just click on Go where you see From Vienna to Vienna at the very top of the web page.

Vienna is structured in a fairly logical way.

The centre of Vienna/Wien is the First District (Innere Stadt, "Inner City"), encircled by the Ringstraße ("ring street" metro lines U2 and U4, tram lines 1 and 2), which has different names at different parts, like Schottenring or Parkring, but always ends with -ring. Most of the main tourist sights are in this area (e.g. St. Stephan's cathedral, the Opera, the Hofburg, the Parliament building, the Town Hall, the University and the Votiv church).

Important streets run out from the centre, numbers of houses increasing the further you get away from the centre. The Gürtel ("belt", metro line u6 and tram lines 6 and 18) is the main street that encircles the inner districts from 1st to 9th with the exception of the 2nd. Westbahnhof and Südbahnhof (main stations for long distance trains) are along the Gürtel. The Gürtel, like the Ring, has different names in different sections (e.g. Mariahilfer Gürtel, Lerchenfelder Gürtel). In all streets that run parallel to Gürtel and Ring, houses are numbered increasing clockwise.


Emergencies

Emergency phone numbers:

(can be called from every phone for free, don't use any prefix codes)
  • Fire brigade: 122
  • Police: 133
  • Emergency: 144
  • Ärztefunkdienst: 141 (weekdays from 7pm to 7am and weekends, you can speak to a doctor on the phone and they will come to your place if necessary)
  • Car rescue: 123


Doctors and Hospitals

Citicens of EU member states get free treatment at all public doctors and hopitals, they just need to provide their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is commonly called "e-card" in Austria.

Visitors from outside the European Union will be treated as well, but need to have a valid health insurance or pay their bill themselves.

The "Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder" (Hospital of the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God) treats also people without insurance for free. How to get there.


Foreign embassies and representations

List of all embassies and representations in Vienna.

Tips

Wireless Lan Hotspots.

  • Helge's list started off as a simple blog entry in 2004 but thanks to other people helping Helge add to it, has turned into a list of a very decent size. Every item includes address and website and/or a short description. Some cafes provide the possibility to plug in your laptop (recharge battery). Please let him know if you find any additional hotspots around Vienna :)
  • Here is another link to a list some restaurants and cafes that are wireless lan hotspots in Vienna. Bring your laptop, buy a coffee and surf for free.
  • Wifinder has a far longer list that has more information on the actual connection but does not provide clickable maps.


Supermarkets


Markets

Impressions from Naschmarkt
  • Naschmarkt (U4 Kettenbrückengasse). Do not miss Vienna's biggest market for food and vegetables. Open Mon - Fri 6am - 7.30pm, Sat 6am - 6pm, closed on Sun. Flea Market on saturdays, morning till noon.
  • Brunnenmarkt (in the street Brunnengasse, close to U6 stop Josefstädter Straße). A "real" turkish neighbourhood market, everything but touristy, good for a variety of cheap and "exotic" food, every day till late afternoon and early evening. Open Mon - Fri 6am - 7.30pm, Sat 6am-5pm, closed on Sun.
  • Organic Market Freyung 1st District, Freyung, U2 Schottentor. Open 9am-5pm first & third Fri & Sat in month. Buy exclusively organic products directly from the growers.


Opening Hours

ATTENTION: Shops are closed on Saturday after 6pm and the whole day on Sundays and public holidays due to Austria's strong catholic history and employee protection laws.

Supermarkets are usually open between 7.00 or 8.00 in the morning and 7.00 or 8.00 in the evening on weekdays, 6.00 pm on Saturdays. Other shops open between 9.00 and 10.00 and are also open till 7 or 8 pm on weekdays, 6 pm on Saturdays. Check their respective websites for more detailed information.

list of public holidays 2009 + 2010 (=days when shops are closed)

Where to go shopping on Sunday/public holidays/late in the evening?

  • Airport: "Billa" supermarket at the arrival hall, open from 6.30am - 10pm on Sundays and public holidays
  • AKH: Vienna´s main hospital, "Spar" supermarket in the entrance hall, open from 7am to 7pm on Sundays and public holidays, get there with underground U6 or tram 42
  • Praterstern Wien Nord: Underground- and train station, "Billa" supermarket, open from 6am to 9pm on Sundays and public holidays, get there with underground U1, tram 5, 21, O, Schnellbahn (innercity railway) S1, S2, S3, S7, S15
  • Westbahnhof: Train station, small "Okay" supermarket, open from 5.30am to 23.00pm on Sundays and public holidays, get there with underground U6, U3, tram 5, 6, 9, 52, 58 or by train. Prices are a bit higher than in regular supermarkets.
  • Südbahnhof: Train station, small "Okay" supermarket,open from 5.30am to 11pm on Sundays and public holidays, get there with bus 13A, 69A, trams O, D, 18 or Schnellbahn (innercity railway) S1, S2, S3, S15
  • Museumsquartier: Underground station (U2), small "Mini Markt" supermarket, open Monday till Friday from 8am to 10pm, Saturday from 10am to 10pm and Sunday from 12am to 10pm. Prices are a bit higher than in regular supermarket and selection is very limited, but good for buying Drinks

Check this website for more options on where to go shopping on Sundays and public holidays.

Cafes & Restaurants

Check eating out in Vienna for information on cafes and restaurants.

Going out

Stadtbahnbögen
Flex
GÜRTEL AREA.

A variety of pubs, bars and clubs of all styles have opened in the last few years in the midst of the Red Light District. Situated in the arches of line u6 (Stadtbahnbögen) there are many nice places to go out between the u6 stops Thaliastraße and Lerchenfelder Straße (Gürtelbräu, Loop, Chelsea, Mezzanin, Rhiz, Cafe Concerto) and U6 Währinger Straße and Alser Straße (soho).

CLUBS.

  • Flex (U2/4 Schottenring) is situated next to the Danube canal. It is the main alternative club in Vienna. Sit outside, enjoy a drink and the smell of weed in the air till dawn breaks or dance through the night inside. Although capitalism has overtaken flex philosophy and it is now forbidden to consume drinks you have brought yourself in the outside area (you may get controlled by security) its still worth a visit. (beer €2,90, admission to inside the club, week days €3-6, weekends €10-15, from 3am normally free).
  • Fluc (U1 and S-Bahn Praterstern, tram 5) is the new cool alternative place to hang out. The upper level is built of containers and has a dance floor (free entrance) and the bar, down in what used to be a passage under the street is the big dance floor (fluc wanne) with a great view of Vienna's giant Ferris wheel (beer € 3,20, admission fluc wanne € 5-7, free from 3am or sometimes all night).

There is a thread in the Vienna group that lists a good number of bars. Sorry, not much time, so I added just the link... to be continued. --Tomvienna 09:13, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

Check Lonely Planet's tips for entertainment and nightlife in Vienna.

Gay Vienna (adding in progress)

  • Rainbow - Gay&Lesbian event calendar
  • Gayboy - Another gay&lesbian event calendar

Girls only

  • FZ-BAR - FRAUENZENTRUM BAR Währingerstraße 59/6 Entry Prechtlgasse, 1090 Vienna, U6 Währingerstraße/ 5, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, Thursday - Saturday 7 to 12 pm
  • FRAUENCAFÉ WIEN Lange Gasse 11, 1080 Vienna, 13A, 2, 5, open only after announcement

Boys only

  • FELIXX Gumpendorferstraße 5, 1060 Vienna
  • WHY NOT Tiefer Graben 22, 1010 Vienna

Mixed

  • ROSA LILA VILLA Wienzeile 102, 1060 Vienna, U4 Pilgramgasse, 12A, 13A, 14A
  • MAREA ALTA - BEIM COIFFEUR Gumpendorferstraße 28, 1060 Vienna, U6 Kettenbrückengasse, Monday - Thursday 7pm-2am, Friday - Saturday and days before holidays 7pm-4am
  • CAFÉ BERG Bergasse 8, 1090 Vienna, daily 10 am - 01 am

Gay Parties in clubs, bars and other places

  • DRAMA @ Ottakringer Brauerei, Ottakringerstraße 91, 1160 Vienna, Entry from Feßtgasse
Occurs every first friday of the month for queer people and their friends.
  • MEAT MARKET @ Badeschiff Donaukanallände between Schwedenplatz und Urania, 1010 Wien, U1/U4 Schwedenplatz, 1, 2, 21, N or @ Pratersauna Waldsteingartenstraße 135, 1020 Vienna, U2
For queer people and their friends.
  • H.A.P.P.Y. @ Wuk Währingerstraße 59, 1090 Vienna, U6 Währingerstraße/ 5, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42
  • HOMO @ Club Massiv Untere Weissgerberstrasse 37, 1030 Vienna, U3 Rochusgasse
  • HOMORENTIAL @ Wuk Währingerstraße 59, 1090 Vienna, U6 Währingerstraße/ 5, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42
Weekly evening with lounge atmosphere to hang out, have drinks, meet old friends, make new ones and also dancing. Hosted from different gay clubs - free entry.
  • QUOTE
  • RHINOPLASTY @ Otto-Wagner-Pavillon, Karlsplatz, 1040 Vienna U1/U2/U4
For Girls, Boys and their friends. Eurotrash and 90ies all night long.


Check out Queer Vienna group on Couchsurfing for dates.

Gay Events

Meetings

There is a monthly meeting (called "Stammtisch") on the 8th of every month in 2008, the 9th of every month in 2009, etc. There is also at least the plan to do a free hugs campaign on a fairly regular basis and there are quite regular mobile clubbing, freeze, no pants, silly walks and other events that are usually posted on the CS Vienna Group.

The CS Vienna Group is extremely active and there is some spontaneous gathering of some sort quite often, in 'active periods' pretty much every day. Those are usually not planned more than a day in advance. If nothing seems to be planned, join the group and post that you're in town and want to meet people. It's very likely to work!

Also, there is a calender of CS events and other events that CSers are planning to attend. As no one is maintaining it at the moment it has very limited information. It was not intended to cover all that's going on in the community, but was intended to provide an overview of most of the stuff that's planned in advance. If you would like to maintain the calendar please write here or post in the CS Vienna Group. Thank you :)


Last minute emergency couches

We all know there are times when it's too late to send regular couch requests, be it because you can't reach your host, or because you had to change plans, or whatever. So if you are still looking for a Couch, write a post to this group. Please be aware, that also for this Group you should have a completely filled out profile, otherwise it will also be hard to find a Couch via this Group.

Hostels in Vienna

If you can not find a host,check this list of Hostels in Vienna.

Housing/Rentals/Shared Flats

If you want to stay a bit longer in Vienna - search for your room/flat in our CS flat hunting subgroup. You will also find a list of flat hunting websites there.

There are various tips and information on things like prices, contracts, rental terms, required documents, etc. for people who want to relocate to Vienna on the virtual vienna website. The information there also includes various flat search links. If you have decided to come and live in Vienna the living guide on the virtual Vienna website will give you well researched information on various aspects starting from how to set up a bank acount and getting car insurance to where to eat out, study programs and emergency numbers.


Trivia

Perception of the City

Vienna has been described as quiet, boring, conservative place with grumpy people by some, and this perception is understandable if you are in a weird mood and miss out on meeting the good people ;-), but at the same time Vienna is a place full of culture, sophisticated as well as alternative, it's full of life if you look in the right places, it's the city of cosiness if you want it to be, it's full of young people with visions and old people with stories to tell. It's beautiful for sure, but also raw. It's definitely rather a "slow" city, a place with steadiness, which is probably one of the reasons why so many people get stuck here for longer than they thought when travelling through, to take a rest from the road. But that doesn't mean this place is not exciting. Like with any place, it all depends on the people you know, the mood you are in, and at which particular point you entered the chain of events. You'll have to find out for yourself.


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