Traveling Tramps: Just for fun: A visit to Vienna

Until about last year, we considered Vienna as being boring. We have visited a couple of times, first during studies (to study roman statues in the museums), then for research for a soccer book (European Championships 2008) and last year, for the first time, for fun. Thanks to a colleague, who lives in Vienna and is an expert in cultural and culinary aspects of his city, it's become a pleasure now.

Well, he "settled down" in the meantime, married and has a little baby boy, moved to a larger apartment in the suburbs and is renting out his old city apartment with his office in a typical Vienna residential neighborhood, close to Schubert's birth home and the famous Strudlhofstiege made famous by author Heimito von Doderer. He invited us over to stay there and since we were able to get cheap train tickets, too, we went for it. Unfortunately, he wasn't in Vienna at the time of our visit, but on a business trip, but, fortunately, he gave us good instructions for visits to "Heurige" – wine tastings.

The main wine region in Vienna is to the Northwest, on the slopes of Kahlenberg and Nussberg, usually with gorgeous views towards the city. Nussdorf, Grinzing, Sievering are some of the best-known, most important wine villages, but you'll have to be careful since there are big differences: There are some real big, touristy "Heurige", open all year round and rather a restaurant than an original "Buschenschank". These are usually operated by and often in a winery, serving only their own produce (as long as it lasts) and simple (cold) meals.

For the first time, we visited Nussdorf, where large areas are covered by vineyards. Some vintners, especially smaller family operations, arrange "pop-up heurige", just setting up a couple of chairs and tables and umbrellas on specific summer weekends to serve wine/snacks out of a shed or container in the vineyards. Focus is on the wines – from last year's production, which in Vienna is mostly white wines such as Weissburgunder, Riesling or Chardonnay.

We took the streetcar to its final stop in Nussdorf and hiked up the wine terraces for about 15 minutes, steep and hot. Our friend had given us description of the way to a vineyard. Without him we wouldn't have known about it, since they only publish their "open house" on the internet and send out emails to subscribers of their newsletter. It was well worth the sweat! "Windischbauer" is a rather small family operation, just offering their wines a couple of weekends a year directly in their vineyards. No fancy winery, store or tasting room.

The winemaker and owner himself was sitting outside, coolers underneith the table, and serving his two flagship wines: Weißburgunder and Riesling. A handful of tables and benches were set up, shaded by umbrellas. We guessed that a maximum of 30 people at the same time would fit in. Since we had made reservations we got the probably most romantic table with the best view of Vienna (see pics). Not too many "foreigners" came up to visit. Of course, we tried the wine and had a mediterranean inspired deli platter with sausages and cheeses, olives and chutneys and a bread basket to soak up the wine. All was prepared nicely by the winemaker's wife and daughter.

We chose the wrong order, that's for sure, but, also the two other "Heurige" which we visited afterwards, were worth the hike, too. Wieninger was a little larger, more of a permanent structure (open on summer weekends) with more tables and a broader spectrum of food and wines. View was still very good here, but much less romantic in total. Mayer, the third winery we stopped by, was more for the younger crowds, with deckchairs, a lot of food/drink offerings and a modern Austria-Pop band playing. We shouldn't have ended with the Heurige (the simplest and cheapest wine being served), but, since Peter is a good navigator, we found our way back to Grinzing, to the streetcar stop ...

Stephansdom (cathedral) contrasting to modern Haas Haus – Pestsaeule

With the exception of wine tasting we did quite a bit of sightseeing, passing by all the main sights, from Hofburg, Staatsoper to Schloss Schönbrunn, Stephansdom and Museumsquartier, Hofreitschule, Albertina and MAC, a great design & art museum, Donauinsel und UNO City (see pics). On the City Hall Square there was the annual summer festival with openair cinema and concerts (all for free!) going on and we enjoyed an Austrian singer-songwriter's concert. Also, Ottakringer Brewery had a brew festival with a different guest brewery each week going on and we tasted some beer and boar sausage one evening. Enjoyed the Naschmarkt (see pic), which is getting more of a deli than a farmers' market, and bought our favorite vinegar at Gegenbauer, and even more we liked the Brunnenmarkt (a real farmers' market, the largest in Vienna!). We ate in typical Vienna Beisln (restaurants serving traditional dishes for cheap) and walked the neighborhoods and had a lot of fun.