City Life

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Out of style for decades, the hat is making a gradual comeback, aided by local manufacturers who kept the custom alive.

As travel restrictions eviscerate Vienna’s hospitality sector, the city’s tour guides show locals the oddities, hidden spots and secrets of the city they call home.

COVID-19 has brought Vienna’s nightlife to a screeching halt, with clubs unsure of when they can reopen - and how to survive until then.

Although few argue with the importance of mastering German, the system needs to change – children of immigrants in Austria rarely receive the support they need.

Red Vienna revolutionized urban living for the working class. Here’s how they did it.

In the 2020 summer of Covid-19, the famed Film Festival continues with cautionary measures for anxiety-free evenings of memorable performances and international cuisine.

Discover Metropole’s guide to Vienna's most delicious ice cream spots to cool off this summer!

A cooperation between the Kunsthaus and the urban design project Schimmverein Donaukanal hopes to persuade the public of the pleasures on their doorstep.

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.

Explore our curated selection of the hottest boutiques, eateries, and spots around town this season, hand-picked by the Metropole Team.

For the 250th anniversary of the great composer’s birth, Vienna has pulled out all the stops; join us in tracing his footsteps.

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

You’ve probably been to “Tschuschistan” and you didn’t even know it. There is no border and you don’t need a passport. But if you’ve eve...

At a Vienna Design Week-sponsored event earlier this year, panelists discussed “the direction in which toilet trends will flush us and how w...

Local government announces plans for climate-friendly construction hoping to curb the devastating effects of climate change.

Vienna is beautiful, no questions asked. But it is also unpredictable, leaving plenty of spots to visit for insiders to discover.

Some of the best players in the world to compete for $600,000 in prize money.

Luftschloss Cobenzl is a magnificent venue with an amazing view – but patience is mandatory.

Fifty years ago, construction started on Vienna’s subway network. The Wiener Linien celebrate the joyous occasion with perfumed wagons, a refurbished ...

From sports on its shores to a Hugo on the canal, the Danube is much more than Vienna’s Riviera.

As the natives flee town for their vacation, why not make the city your oyster?

A whistle blares unmistakably through the bushes and shrubs. The little train is ready to depart. “Einsteigen bitte!” (All aboard!) says an au...

Vienna’s pools are more than just a place to cool off, they are an arena for the city’s social life

Dedicated to the cuisine of imperial times, to Otto Wagner Schützenhaus is steeped in history. The legendary architect Otto Wagner shaped modern Vi...

The Austrian Football League has long been a European powerhouse, with little help needed from across the pond. Building a broad fan base for a non...

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in more places around the world than is any other national festival. Vienna is no exception! Whether or not you hai...

Austria’s Bundesgärten celebrate a century in bloom

Vienna may not be quite as hip as Berlin – though not from lack of trying, as anyone who’s been to Westbahnstraße in the 7th district can attest.

David Zoklits and André Spitzinger bring Southeast Asian flair to Josefstadt while paying homage to a German comedy legend. For a few years now, th...

Combining elegance and tradition with eclectic elements from world cuisine, Skopik & Lohn brings a casual, cosmopolitan vibe to fine dining. 

Vienna is a city that revels in its past. Over the centuries, the clatter of Fiaker plying their trade in the 1st district has never stopped and every...

In Yori authentic Korean cuisine takes the stage in Vienna as a veteran proudly looks on. One of my earliest memories as a child is making specia...

Puns intended: Spot the six cheesy puns in the article! Whether you are single or in a relationship, Valentine’s day can be stressful – unless you'...

Particularly during the holidays, it’s impossible to avoid the hustle and bustle of the 1st district – from Schottentor to Stubentor, you’re...

Channeling imperial indulgence, the riding dinners at Meissl & Schadn are all about good taste – in both senses.

The Mystery Makers challenge you to experience the KHM in a different light. Behind the ornate facade of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM), a...

The Anglo-Austrian couple of Oliver and Petra Lucas offers seasonal casual fine dining. “When Grace is open, I’m in the house,” said UK-born chef/o...

Honu Tiki Bowls serves fresh, healthy Hawaiian-inspired bowls with regional ingredients. Only open since June, Vienna’s first Hawaiian bistro, Honu...

Other winemakers may follow the méthode champenoise,  but the aristocrats of bubbly still define the market.  Procedures can be copied; the magic is m...

Vienna  is  a  city  full  of  stories,  secrets and  hidden  treasures.  Like an open-air museum,  the  city  is  full of  endless  attractions  one ...

The award-winning restaurant Taubenkobel lures you to its Vienna popup – and with good reason Despite its off-the-beaten-track location in Schützen...

Austria’s comedy scene gets some international flair as English language stand-up grows in Vienna Downstairs, the room is cozy but packed, the bare b...

Like the trams and trains produced by Siemens, manufacturing is still part of Vienna. Glowing sparks arc through the air as massive cranes transport ...

This month's Empire to Republic is about Ukraine. Check out the map with everything you need to now about the country.

Throughout the ages, Vienna has been shaped by many architectural styles. We selected some of the most influential ones and the monuments they h...

Lower Austria's Thermenradweg bike path is an impressionist dream just south of Vienna Waterways tell stories that have touched generations. Someti...

Lower Austria's Thermenregion is home to several signature varieties, as remarkable as they are rare. In a wine world dominated by a limited numb...

The brothers Wrenkh build on family and history. Practically growing up in the kitchen of their parents’ pioneering vegetarian restaurant in the 198...

In a crowded brunch landscape, Turnhalle im brick5 offers exceptional organic fare in a relaxed environment. When the doors to Turnhalle im brick5 o...

Whether you want to chill like a hipster or enjoy the green, there’s a place for you.

Housing in Vienna is relatively affordable, but figuring out what rent you actually ought to pay is surprisingly complicated. Property in Vienna ...

For nearly a century, Vienna’s Gemeindebauten have gotten municipal housing projects right. Picture the clusters of typical multistoried apartmen...

Follow big and little sister on a break-in! The destination: Artist Hannes Mlenik’s Arch in the Vienna Prater Ateliers. Once inside, the sisters con...

Despite urbanization, Viennese wildlife is thriving Vienna may be best known for its grand imperial architecture and cosmopolitan center, but i...

I’m not in Ireland; I’m still in Austria, at a stop on Vienna’s annual citywide, city-sponsored walking tour called Routes. But for a moment before...

After winning a lengthy lawsuit, the city is finally revamping the infamous Copa Cagrana Vienna’s relationship with the Danube is an ongoing love...

by Anastasia Gromontova & Binu Starnegg The lure of suburbia, with its promise of the tranquility of country life within city limits, is a strong...

Vienna Kaffeehauskultur shifts to third-wave coffee shops There is so much more to coffee than just caffeine,” Philip Feyer sighed while we enjoyed ...

Studying in Vienna? Put That Student ID to Good Use! With this many student deals and discounts available in Vienna, it’s perhaps no surprise tha...

Vienna's Hauptbahnhof has spawned a whole new neighborhood. Even in a metropolis as staunchly traditional as Vienna, change is the only constant....

A love letter to the Straßenbahn, Vienna’s Transport Museum offers insight into commuter habits. Vienna has an ongoing love affair with its Straßen...

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in more places around the world than is any other national festival. Vienna is no exception! Whether or not you hai...

The Akademie der bildenden Künste has helped turn generations of students from all over the world into masters of the visual arts. Behind the h...

For all the rolling Prater meadows and vineyards in the Vienna Woods, green space in the city center is in short supply – were it not for the St...

Vienna’s many indoor swimming pools are the ideal place to stay fit during the winter.

With countless books and manuscripts collected over centuries, Vienna has a lot to offer bookworms. There can be magic in a library: illuminate...

I moved to Vienna from warm, sunny Italy for many different reasons, but the most charming by far is ball season. There are few things as magical...

For this issue, we chose two shops that will give your home some nostalgic air, and if you haven’t settled yet, there’s a new place called Oliver ...

In the ornate Palais Todesco, right across from the Vienna State Opera, Gerstner hosts a Viennese Sunday brunch that will wow visitors and locals alik...

Ominously named after the mysterious navigational hazard that allegedly claims countless vessels in the Caribbean, Vienna’s Bermudadreieck (Bermud...

Leonard Bernstein’s nephew explores the icon’s love for the city of Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler and how it helped him overcome Austria’s Na...

This year, the dance floor can be yours. With these tips, you’ll have all the moves to wow the ball season crowd.

Many of us mark the date on our calendar every year, thinking: It is again time to taste delicious Argentinian steaks; buy natural South African Prote...

This year’s Vienna Art Week motto will focus on the relationships between art and technology in locations all over Vienna Like every year, most o...

We took five minutes with Wiener Schmucktage co-creator Christina Werner to discuss the six-day event which celebrates and promotes Austrian and inter...

On a warm Sunday morning in Alt-Hietzing, an elderly lady pushes her walker along the old wooden parquet terrace of Café Dommayer, a coffeehouse...

This November, we look into baubles and embellishments, from precious gems to contemporary textile and metal hybrids ANNA INS...

With National Day barely over, it’s already time for the next two Austrian holidays On November 1st, Austrians celebrate Allerheiligen (All Saint...

The city's seizable ex-Yugoslavian community looks to the past for unity and identity In Central Europe, the truth is often hidden behind a joke....

This Thursday, October 26, Austria celebrates its 62nd year of independence and the birth of the Second Republic. Though it’s an official bank holiday...

TEDx On The Edge will feature talks on solving pressing global issues and stories of living on the edge. They have invited a variety of speakers from ...

A recent study shows how much space $1,500 per month will get you in the world’s best cities In a recent study, the online renting platform Rent ...

Vienna’s famed forest brings the pleasures of the wild within reach “Blimey!” exclaimed Iain, a seasoned hill runner fr...

Not without my pets! Vienna offers pet lovers everything a furry, scaled, or feathered companion needs The one-eyed Persian cat...

The Stuwerviertel is an anomaly, both more and less than meets the eye: Wedged in between the Prater, Mexikoplatz and Ausstellungsstrasse, it’s quiet,...

This October, try to guess Karl Lagerfeld’s age, get you mind blown at the Museum of Illusions, or channel you inner art collector at Lumas Gallery ...

Windobona offers indoor skydiving as a first step into the great blue yonder I’ve never been an adrenaline junkie, preferring to leave extreme ...