Lifestyle

Just because you're a long way from home doesn't mean you can't enjoy Thanksgiving in Vienna - even during a lockdown.

After a two-year hiatus, Christmas markets in Vienna are reopening this Friday with extensive new COVID-19 rules in place.

Despite a complete overhaul, an iconic cinema retains its soul.

In the pandemic year of 2020, twice as many people reported symptoms of depression - in fact, more than one in five.

While Austrian law requires most stores in Vienna to lock their doors on Sundays and holidays, there are a few exceptions allowed.

From lore to feel to flavor, everything you need to know about Austria’s Martinigansl tradition, according to a Viennese “Wirtin.”

1.22 million people were at risk of poverty in Austria. According to government figures, this was 13.9 percent of the population.

The savory smell of pita takes a lot of Bosnians back to their childhoods. The scent of this traditional food reminds us of better days, carefree memories, and pleasant meals with family and friends.

Derived from German “sprechen”, “šprehati” is colloquial Bosnian for speaking, one of many borrowed words that are now a vital part of the Bosnian language.

Austro-Bosnian director Nina Kusturica has put the issues of displacement on film, while challenging the orthodoxies of entrenched power.

The Bosnian language is still not sufficiently recognized as an important mother-tongue in Austria. A linguist wants to change that.

The Bosnian-Viennese second-hand label RahatLook fights against the fast fashion industry and makes it look cool.

Unique to Austria, traditional wine taverns serve each year’s new vintage with a simple buffet, amid the timeless pleasures of convivial conversation among friends. Many are excellent. Here are four of the best Heuriger in and around Vienna to try.

Austrian AIDS organisations have called for a de-stigmatisation of HIV-positive people in the criminal justice system.

On Austrian National Day, October 26th, the country celebrates itself, its institutions and especially its place in the world.

Austria takes pride in its museums. While some only open their doors “gratis” on certain days, others even go so far as never charging.

Out of over 200 international films presented at Viennale 2021, Metropole has selected the top ten to share with you.

The Vienna Tourism Board keeps having artworks censored on social media. The solution? Now, Vienna is on OnlyFans.

Insects provide a climate-friendly, high-protein alternative to meat – and producers are betting that ever more consumers will bite in response to the latest buzz.

In future, people in Austria will receive catastrophe warnings delivered to their cell phones via an SMS emergency system

Insightful and heartfelt, the book was honored for its success at capturing the struggles of growing up. 

Vienna’s theater scene is enriched by a multitude of actors, groups and playwrights who have roots in Turkey and a very diverse outlook.

53 times World Cup record winner Gregor Schlierenzauer is ending his ski jumping career, announced the the 31-year-old Tyrolean on his own online blog on Tuesday.

Becoming a self-taught wine writer is easily more fun than covering city hall or the sewer district.  Still, as my articles on local wines and v...

Being a plant-based foodie is increasingly easy – and delicious.

Seeking to seed a culinary revolution, Tolstoy’s all-vegan, healthy casual dining shows promise, but the menu needs work.

A collection of Billy Wilder’s work as a reporter in Vienna and Berlin reveals his early influences and the verve of the roaring ’20s.

A far-sighted study on the language of Nazism, the book by Austria’s great satirist is finally available in a full English translation.

In spite of its dramatic staging, an early play by the librettist of Der Rosenkavalier struggles to connect.

It will be a summer like no other. This year due to Corona, many Viennese will opt to spend a good part of their holiday in the city. Lucky for us, there are few better places for relaxing in the shade and swimming in pools or rivers than Vienna.

The MAK rolls out a long overdue red carpet for the women artists of the Wiener Werkstätte, shining a light on their contributions to its legacy.

A host of independent publishers and translators are introducing some of Austria’s key literary voices to the Anglosphere.

In local author Keith Gray’s latest novel, a group of small-town teenagers shed their childhoods as a tree sheds its leaves

Boasting a large immigrant community since the mid-19th century, Hannovermarkt has thus far resisted gentrification.

'Fatteh' comes from the Arabic language meaning crumble or lay bread over something.

Cornelia and Andreas Diesenreiter prove that sustainability is delicious. 

Where to go on a lazy Sunday

'Fatteh' comes from the Arabic language meaning crumble or lay bread over something.

The Library’s annual “Lit Fest” hosted a provocative discussion about cultural Vienna, Jewish diaspora, memory and identity.

Vienna’s 'Sprachencafés' teach through social interaction, knowing full well that the key to learning any language is speaking it.

Full of mini-mountains and Lilliput farmsteads, the Südsteiermark is Austria’s most unlikely wine growing region and well worth the trip.

The Austrian writer's enchanting short stories reveal his love of nature in elegantly simple prose

When it comes to the supposed inferiority of Austria’s provinces, the Viennese don’t mince words – but being a provincial in the big city also has its advantages.

From a giant whale at the MQ to a stairway to heaven in Stephansdom, several surprising attractions await those re-entering city life.

But if you plan to cook Bulgarian dishes at home, you will definitely need a good Bulgarian shop to buy some typical products: On Pilgramgasse you will find a Bulgarian shop.

While the Great Powers wrestled over the fate of the Adriatic city-state of Fiume, its residents had their own sense of who they were, argues historian Dominique K. Reill.

With the pandemic forcing Vienna’s eateries to shut down for months, many of the city’s gourmets and gourmands have been compelled to start cooking themselves – a delectable hobby many are unwilling to give up even now that the long lockdown is (hopefully) over. Here are Metropole’s favorite purveyors of quality produce, along with some tips for improving your home cooking game, from books to ceramics to DIY kits that make cooking easy.

Vienna’s Wittgenstein house has become a focal point of Bulgarian culture and arts – and much more.

The bakery rides the crest of artisanal baking while reviving a delectable local tradition.

They say geography is destiny – the defining coastlines of cultures and languages. But when you get right down to it, what really matters is the food!

Seeking to restore its 1960s allure, the iconic cinema is currently remodeling, partially financed by a cinephile crowdfunding campaign.

Finding good fish to cook at home just got a lot easier. A new stand on the Karmelitermarkt is a good place to go.

Anne Applebaum introduces us to the elites responsible for democratic backsliding in her new book, Twilight of Democracy.

Rather than elaborate historicism, the buildings are in the lighter, more playful Jugendstil style.

Mozart’s Pamina is world famous, but the soprano who first breathed her to life has been forgotten.

In the wine ratings game, the big names often get the big scores, while smaller growers suspect the system is rigged. Whom can you trust?

Austria is a cultural powerhouse and more than willing to invest public funds in the arts. But where does all the money go?

Best known as the author of a children’s classic and (possibly) a pornographic novel, Felix Salten has never been given his due in his hometown – until now, that is

A blockbuster exhibition celebrates the Fluxus artist’s 100th birthday, but offers only a fragmented view on his grand vision.

In The Murder of Professor Schlick, author David Edmonds recreates the compelling history of Vienna’s contributions to scientific philosophy.

The Kaffeemuseum presents the city’s long-standing love affair with caffeine through tours, courses and countless artifacts from yesteryear.

Whether as a painter, musician or tireless advocate for peace and freedom, the remarkable multitalent left his mark on postwar Austrian culture.

Rising costs and real estate speculators have been a real threat to Viennese wine, but a gang of six have been pushing back.

In which Tree Number 1001 leaves the Café Eiles for the Justizpalast.

From 'Butterbretzn' to 'Fischbrötchen' - Here are the spots serving traditional German cuisine in the city.

When I make the case for 'Mett' to my Austrian friends, I’m usually met with raised eyebrows and disgruntled faces. While they seem to question my mental health, I promise 'Mett' is worth a try. Thus, I ventured fourth on a quest for 'Mett' in Vienna.

Wilde Ehe marries chill savoir-faire with thoughtful quality – just don’t ask about the name.

While spring is still only a yearning, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And in Vienna florists and plant shops in every neighborhood are ready to help you “Say it with flowers”!

The streets have stayed essentially untouched since the Middle Ages – narrow and winding with many a hidden courtyard branching off in unexpected places.

Hip and relaxed, the Mochi Ramen Bar is a great hangout – but the secret’s in the soup

Between 1890 and 1920, Vienna was a world leader in design. An unlikely mix of imperial decree and cultural revolution drove the Wiener Ästhetik and left its mark on the city even today.

Set in the gloaming of the Habsburg Empire, Katja Perat’s ardent debut novel is a fictional coming-of-age memoir from the daughter of the world’s first “masochist."

Appetizers Duvan čvarci (tobacco pork cracklings) Typical Serbian Dish from the West, these pork cracklings are special for two reasons: They cont...

In Sylvia Petter’s debut novel All the Beautiful Liars, Katrina Klain arrives in Vienna in search of the lost pieces of her life.

Vienna’s coffeehouses are a cherished pillar of the city’s cultural life – but that may not be enough to keep them alive.

Thanks to successive lockdowns and closed cinemas, streaming has become an even bigger part of our pandemic lives, and while many productions grinded to a halt last year, this spring’s lineup features an iconic superhero indulging in ’80s nostalgia, a Victorian sci-fi extravaganza, a comedy icon revisiting one of his most beloved characters, an animated Bollywood melodrama and a madcap Spanish road saga.

You were asked how you're coping with mental health through the pandemic and lockdown to provide insights to the rest of the community. Here's what w...

Alma Gastrothèque serves soulful vegetables and natural wines with esprit.

You lose track of time at the family-run restaurant, in the 16th district, famous for its excellent food, authentic decor and positive vibes.

It is important to know you are not alone. The following are a list of groups, organizations, regular meetings and communities that support LGBTI+ in...

Each of us thrives on our social relationships, knowing our family is safe and healthy and having a routine and productive life. COVID-19 upended eac...

Each of us thrives on our social relationships, knowing our family is safe and healthy and having a routine and productive life. COVID-19 upended eac...

A young Austrian label is taking the world by storm, writing a metropolitan success story for the ages.

From 'Advent' to 'Stille Nacht,' here are the most important customs that Austrians practice during the holidays.

This year we celebrate Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday. This brand-new video series takes you on a musical pilgrimage through Beethoven’s Vienna.

Independent biotech firm Axon Neuroscience – in neighboring Slovakia – is developing a vaccine for COVID-19 with a uniquely targeted approach.

Designed in Austria and produced in Germany, this ingenious face mask brings back non-verbal communication in times of corona.

Walls closing in? These places offer blessed respite and relaxation.

Close-knit ties triumph over trauma in Anna Goldenberg’s moving family memoir of torture, exile and ultimate homecoming.

Biodynamic winemaking offers a holistic, more natural approach for a post-pandemic world.

So nice to meet you! You must come over for dinner so we can eat and drink properly, and start our friendship off on the right foot.

The bestseller by a society caterer and celebrity chef in interwar Vienna was aryanized, her name erased from history. Now, a century later, her granddaughter reveals her story.

Martyn Rady’s new history of the Habsburgs argues that their empire was undone by the very things that once made it mighty.

An independent fantasy western made in Austria, Wienerland has international festivals buzzing.

It was a night of grief and terror. But in their unique way, the Viennese showed heroism, resilience and wit.

The award-winning chef’s new restaurant in the Kamptal is refined, yet unpretentious.

After delays and controversy, Albertina Modern opens with an extensive review of Austrian art from 1945-1980.

“The Light that Failed: A Reckoning” by IWM fellow Ivan Krastev and NYU professor Stephen Holmes explains what went wrong with Western liberalism.

Austria’s premier film festival enters the pandemic age with extra screens and a great selection of world cinema.

Here are the Viennese food spots that make the Hungarian community feel at home.