Culture
Children Uprooted: “Kindertransporte aus Wien”
November 12, 2021: The opening day for the Christkindlmarkt dawned mild and hazy. At a table by the window at Café Landtmann, my 4-ye...
Books
David Edmonds’ The Murder of Professor Schlick Recounts the Rise and Fall of the Vienna Circle...
In The Murder of Professor Schlick, author David Edmonds recreates the compelling history of Vienna’s contributions to scientific philosophy. The book will come out in paperback on March 29, 2022.
Cafés and Restaurants
Food News: January 2022
Recently Opened
Champa
Modern Vietnamese cuisine meets local ingredients at this hidden gem out in Atzgersdorf, with fresh and aromatic dishes ...
Cafés and Restaurants
The Flavor Fraternity
“If there’s anything indispensable in this kitchen, it’s butter”, insists a tracksuit-wearing Lucas Steindorfer, chef de cuisine of the celebrated ba...
Cafés and Restaurants
Farm to Fork
Katharina Schinner-Krendl of Heu und Gabel has a missionary’s zeal; when she rhapsodizes about the sourdough bread from the Waldviertel’s Kasses bake...
Books
Books – Angus Robertson Explores Diplomatic History in Vienna: The International Capital
To say that Angus Robertson knows Vienna well would be an understatement. Bilingual thanks to his German mother and Scottish father, he moved to Vien...
Features
The Frozen Few: Ice Swimming in Vienna
With past lockdowns boosting its popularity, ice swimming invigorates while extending the season on the shores of the Danube.
Books
Stefan Zweig, A Global Phenomenon
In this special exhibition, the Literaturmuseum explores how both Stefan Zweig and his stories travelled across the world.
Culture
5 Unique Austrian TV Shows to Discover During the Holidays
Whether you prefer the sleepy countryside or the sombre beauty of 19th century Vienna: here are five Austrian TV shows we recommend!
Art
Egon Schiele and the Cult of the Self
A sampling of the breakthrough artist Egon Schiele’s wrenching self-portraits and an eclectic selection of 12 others to follow.
Books
BOOKS: The Lessons of History in Snow Country
In Snow Country, a new novel by Sebastian Faulks, readers learn about love and consciousness in Austria’s interwar chaos.
City Life
5 European Christmas Traditions To Discover in Vienna
From sharing a royal cake to speaking with animals: Here are five European Christmas traditions to get you in the mood for holiday season!
Cafés and Restaurants
How To Celebrate Thanksgiving in Vienna (Despite Lockdown)
Just because you're a long way from home doesn't mean you can't enjoy Thanksgiving in Vienna - even during a lockdown.
City Life
5 Must-Try Christmas Markets in Vienna and Their COVID Rules
After a two-year hiatus, Christmas markets in Vienna are reopening this Friday with extensive new COVID-19 rules in place.
Health
Depression in Austria Nearly Doubled Since 2019, Says OECD Study
In the pandemic year of 2020, twice as many people reported symptoms of depression - in fact, more than one in five.
City Life
Guide to Shopping on Sundays in Vienna
While Austrian law requires most stores in Vienna to lock their doors on Sundays and holidays, there are a few exceptions allowed.
Cafés and Restaurants
The 4 Things You Need to Know About Austrian Martinigansl
From lore to feel to flavor, everything you need to know about Austria’s Martinigansl tradition, according to a Viennese “Wirtin.”
Health
Women and Poverty: Caritas Demands Living Wages and Support
1.22 million people were at risk of poverty in Austria. According to government figures, this was 13.9 percent of the population.
Bosnian in Vienna
Where to Find the Best Bosnian Pita in Vienna
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.
Bosnian in Vienna
Let’s Speak Bosnian! – Šprehati bosanski!
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.
Bosnian in Vienna
Nina Kusturica – Filming Migration Stories
Austro-Bosnian director Nina Kusturica has put the issues of displacement on film, while challenging the orthodoxies of entrenched power.
Books
The Struggle to Preserve & Promote the Bosnian Language
The Bosnian language is still not sufficiently recognized as an important mother-tongue in Austria. A linguist wants to change that.
Bosnian in Vienna
How RahatLook Makes Yugo-Chic Fashionable in Vienna
The Bosnian-Viennese second-hand label RahatLook fights against the fast fashion industry and makes it look cool.
Cafés and Restaurants
The Heuriger Tradition: Four of the Best
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.
Health
Criminal Law Discriminates Against HIV Patients, Experts Say
Austrian AIDS organisations have called for a de-stigmatisation of HIV-positive people in the criminal justice system.
City Life
What to Do on Austrian National Day
On Austrian National Day, October 26th, the country celebrates itself, its institutions and especially its place in the world.
Culture
3 Museums in Vienna You Can Go to for Free
Austria takes pride in its museums. While some only open their doors “gratis” on certain days, others even go so far as never charging.
Film
Metropole’s Ten Films to Watch at the Viennale 2021
Out of over 200 international films presented at Viennale 2021, Metropole has selected the top ten to share with you.
Art
Vienna Is On OnlyFans: Our Cultural Capital Gets Naked
The Vienna Tourism Board keeps having artworks censored on social media. The solution? Now, Vienna is on OnlyFans.
Food & Drink
Insect Burger Patties Coming Soon to Austrian Supermarkets
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.
City Life
Austria to Introduce a National SMS Emergency System
In future, people in Austria will receive catastrophe warnings delivered to their cell phones via an SMS emergency system
Books
The Climbers – Local Author Keith Gray’s novel on The Times “Best Books”
Insightful and heartfelt, the book was honored for its success at capturing the struggles of growing up.
Culture
Theater Calling: From Turkey Onto Viennese Stages
Vienna’s theater scene is enriched by a multitude of actors, groups and playwrights who have roots in Turkey and a very diverse outlook.
General
Ski Jumper Gregor Schlierenzauer Ends Career
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.
Fall 2021
How To… Become an Austrian Sommelier
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...
Food & Drink
Top 7 Vegetarian Eateries in Vienna
Being a plant-based foodie is increasingly easy – and delicious.
Food & Drink
War and Peas
Seeking to seed a culinary revolution, Tolstoy’s all-vegan, healthy casual dining shows promise, but the menu needs work.
Books
Portrait of the Director as a Young Journalist
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.
Books
In ‘The Third Walpurgis Night’ Karl Kraus Dissects Nazi Discourse
A far-sighted study on the language of Nazism, the book by Austria’s great satirist is finally available in a full English translation.
Culture
At the Salzburger Festspiele, Hofmannsthal’s Falun Mine Crumbles, Brick by Brick
In spite of its dramatic staging, an early play by the librettist of Der Rosenkavalier struggles to connect.
City Life
Guide to Vienna’s Beaches and Swimming Pools
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.
Art
The Wonder Women of the Wiener Werkstätte
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.
Culture
Found in Translation
A host of independent publishers and translators are introducing some of Austria’s key literary voices to the Anglosphere.
Culture
The Climbers – Growing Tall
In local author Keith Gray’s latest novel, a group of small-town teenagers shed their childhoods as a tree sheds its leaves
Print Editions
Hannovermarkt – Brigittenau Bazaar
Boasting a large immigrant community since the mid-19th century, Hannovermarkt has thus far resisted gentrification.
Food & Drink
How to Make Fattet Al-Makdous/Eggplant Fatteh
'Fatteh' comes from the Arabic language meaning crumble or lay bread over something.
Food & Drink
Unverschwendet Turns “Unsellable” Produce into Prized Preserves
Cornelia and Andreas Diesenreiter prove that sustainability is delicious.
Food & Drink
How to Make Fattet Al-Makdous/Eggplant Fatteh
'Fatteh' comes from the Arabic language meaning crumble or lay bread over something.
Culture
Belongings and Belonging – Stoppard and de Waal Talk Vienna at the London Library
The Library’s annual “Lit Fest” hosted a provocative discussion about cultural Vienna, Jewish diaspora, memory and identity.
City Life
Learning German in a Multicultural Environment
Vienna’s 'Sprachencafés' teach through social interaction, knowing full well that the key to learning any language is speaking it.
Food & Drink
The Südsteiermark Is Austria’s Tuscany
Full of mini-mountains and Lilliput farmsteads, the Südsteiermark is Austria’s most unlikely wine growing region and well worth the trip.
Books
In “Motley Stones,” Adalbert Stifter Describes the Allure of Nature
The Austrian writer's enchanting short stories reveal his love of nature in elegantly simple prose
City Life
Capital Offense
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.
City Life
5 New Vienna Hot Spots to Track Down Post-Lockdown
From a giant whale at the MQ to a stairway to heaven in Stephansdom, several surprising attractions await those re-entering city life.
Bulgarian in Vienna
Bulgarian Spots in Vienna
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.
Lifestyle
In “The Fiume Crisis,” Dominique K. Reill Explains How a Citizens’ Uprising Establ...
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.
Fall 2020
The Newest Food and Drink Spots in Vienna This Spring
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.
Bulgarian in Vienna
How Wittgenstein Became Bulgarian
Vienna’s Wittgenstein house has become a focal point of Bulgarian culture and arts – and much more.
Food & Drink
Motto Brot Is Bringing the ‘Viennoiserie’ Back to Its Hometown
The bakery rides the crest of artisanal baking while reviving a delectable local tradition.
Bulgarian in Vienna
Bulgarian Cuisine ― 3 Must-Try Recipes
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!
Culture
Vienna’s Gartenbaukino Undergoes Extensive Renovation
Seeking to restore its 1960s allure, the iconic cinema is currently remodeling, partially financed by a cinephile crowdfunding campaign.
Features
LieblingsFisch – Shop Plump Trout and Bouillabaisse in the Leopoldstadt
Finding good fish to cook at home just got a lot easier. A new stand on the Karmelitermarkt is a good place to go.
Books
Anne Applebaum’s Twilight of Democracy Describes the Appeal of Authoritarianism
Anne Applebaum introduces us to the elites responsible for democratic backsliding in her new book, Twilight of Democracy.
Features
Nibelungenviertel | A Legend on Every Street
Rather than elaborate historicism, the buildings are in the lighter, more playful Jugendstil style.
Culture
Who Was Anna Gottlieb?
Mozart’s Pamina is world famous, but the soprano who first breathed her to life has been forgotten.
Print Editions
All You Need to Know About Wine Ratings
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?
Culture
Funding Austrian Culture
Austria is a cultural powerhouse and more than willing to invest public funds in the arts. But where does all the money go?
Culture
An Insight into ‘Bambi’ Author Felix Salten and the Discovery of Viennese Modernism
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
Art
Joseph Beuys – Social Sculpture at Belvedere 21
A blockbuster exhibition celebrates the Fluxus artist’s 100th birthday, but offers only a fragmented view on his grand vision.
Culture
The Kaffeemuseum – a Time Capsule of Vienna’s Coffeehouse Culture
The Kaffeemuseum presents the city’s long-standing love affair with caffeine through tours, courses and countless artifacts from yesteryear.
Culture
In Memoriam – Arik Brauer, the Last Austrian Emperor of Fantastic Realism
Whether as a painter, musician or tireless advocate for peace and freedom, the remarkable multitalent left his mark on postwar Austrian culture.
Print Editions
How Wienwein Is Revitalizing Vienna’s Wine Scene
Rising costs and real estate speculators have been a real threat to Viennese wine, but a gang of six have been pushing back.
City Life
Preservation and the Platanus x acerifolia
In which Tree Number 1001 leaves the Café Eiles for the Justizpalast.
Cafés and Restaurants
The Best German Restaurants in Vienna
From 'Butterbretzn' to 'Fischbrötchen' - Here are the spots serving traditional German cuisine in the city.
Cafés and Restaurants
Where to Buy German ‘Mett’ in Vienna
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.
Food & Drink
Wilde Ehe Offers an Eclectic Dining Experience in Vienna’s 18th District
Wilde Ehe marries chill savoir-faire with thoughtful quality – just don’t ask about the name.
City Life
Vienna’s Floral Extravaganza – a Selection of Fine Florists and Plant Shops
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”!
City Life
Franziskanerviertel | Historic Downtown Treasures
The streets have stayed essentially untouched since the Middle Ages – narrow and winding with many a hidden courtyard branching off in unexpected places.
Food & Drink
Mochi Ramen Bar Serves to Vienna’s Foodies
Hip and relaxed, the Mochi Ramen Bar is a great hangout – but the secret’s in the soup
City Life
How Vienna’s Secessionists Left Their Mark on the Coffeehouse
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.
Books
Katja Perat’s ‘The Masochist’ Depicts Life in Fin de Siècle Vienna
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."
Cafés and Restaurants
6 Serbian Dishes you Must-Try in Vienna
Appetizers
Duvan čvarci (tobacco pork cracklings) Typical Serbian Dish from the West, these pork cracklings are special for two reasons: They cont...
Books
Sylvia Petter’s All the Beautiful Liars Details the Hunt for Answers in Postwar Vienna
In Sylvia Petter’s debut novel All the Beautiful Liars, Katrina Klain arrives in Vienna in search of the lost pieces of her life.
City Life
The Ongoing Battle to Uphold Coffeehouse Cultural Heritage in Vienna
Vienna’s coffeehouses are a cherished pillar of the city’s cultural life – but that may not be enough to keep them alive.
Film
5 Movies and Series to Stream in Austria This Spring
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.
Mental Health
Coping Methods from the Metropole Community
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...
Food & Drink
Alma Gastrothèque Serves to Vienna’s Vegetarian Gourmets
Alma Gastrothèque serves soulful vegetables and natural wines with esprit.
Cafés and Restaurants
Traditional Serbian Cuisine at Thalia Grill in Ottakring
You lose track of time at the family-run restaurant, in the 16th district, famous for its excellent food, authentic decor and positive vibes.
Mental Health
LGBTQ+ Support Groups in Vienna
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...
Mental Health
Mental Health Support for Under-18s
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...
Mental Health
Mental Health and Domestic Violence Services for Women
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...
General
The Vienna-Based Fashion Label Published By Is Going Global
A young Austrian label is taking the world by storm, writing a metropolitan success story for the ages.
City Life
5 Austrian Christmas Traditions Add Charm to the Holiday Season
From 'Advent' to 'Stille Nacht,' here are the most important customs that Austrians practice during the holidays.
Culture
Protected: Happy Birthday, Ludwig van Beethoven!
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.
Health
Axon Neuroscience to Launch the First Independent COVID-19 Vaccine
Independent biotech firm Axon Neuroscience – in neighboring Slovakia – is developing a vaccine for COVID-19 with a uniquely targeted approach.
Print Editions
Smile and Stay Safe With the Zero Face Mask, Made in Vienna
Designed in Austria and produced in Germany, this ingenious face mask brings back non-verbal communication in times of corona.
City Life
5 Places to Go for a Walk During Lockdown
Walls closing in? These places offer blessed respite and relaxation.
Books
Anna Goldenberg’s “Belonging to Vienna” – a Touching Family Memoir
Close-knit ties triumph over
trauma in Anna Goldenberg’s moving family memoir of torture, exile and ultimate homecoming.