Vienna Accommodation & Cheap Lodging

Vienna fires our imagination with sweeping waltzes and balls at the Opera beautiful buildings, the Spanish Riding School and traditional cafes. But as well as all this history and tradition, Vienna also has a very different side - its young, trendy and creative side. In the Freihausvierteil, creativity thrives and young designers and artists exhibit and sell their work.

Vienna is a metropolis that never forces itself upon you. There is an elegant feel about the place. Vienna succeeds in uniting its historical heritage with the spirit of the new age. It is no exaggeration to say that Vienna has something for everyone. In the Museum district's cultural complex, they have integrated the large art museums with trendy young boutiques, clubs and bars with DJs. Not far from the Stephansplatz (St Stephen's Square, the heart of Vienna) you will find fashionable areas with the smartest shops, cafes and delicatessens. In the Neubau and Freihausvierteil there are bars, shops and studios pulsating with creative zest. The oldest and most central areas of the city lie within what is called the "Ring", the Ringstrasse, Vienna's main street laid out where the city walls used to stand. A trip round the Ring on tram numbers 1 or 2 is a smart way to get a quick overview and to see many of Vienna's sights. The city is divided up into 23 districts, Bezirk, identified by a number in front of addresses. The most central districts are 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Stefansdom (st Stephen's Cathedral) A fine Gothic cathedral in the centre of Vienna with a decorated spire that rises 137 metres. There is a wonderful view from the platform 343 steps up.

Sigmund Freud Museum The founder of psychoanalysis lived and worked here for nearly half a century (1891-1938). The museum shows Freud's collection of antiques and other personal belongings. The furniture is original.

KunstHausWien In this colourful and unusual house there is a permanent exhibition of the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928 - 2002). There is also a changing exhibition of contemporary artists, plus a café/restaurant and shop.

Spanish Riding School For more than 400 years, this has been the home of classic horsemanship. Everyone, not just horse lovers, will be enthralled to see riders on the white Lippizaner horses performing pirouettes and other precisely controlled movements to music, in perfect teamwork.

Schönbrunn Palace The summer residence of the Imperial Family in baroque style, is among Vienna's finest sights, and is on the Unesco World Heritage list. Besides the palace, there is a park and the world's oldest zoo (open all year).

MQ - MuseumsQuartier Wien This is one of the worlds ten largest cultural complexes, housed in the former Imperial Stables. As well as several art museums, there are designer boutiques and trendy restaurants.

Vienna Restaurants. A popular starter is soup, for example Leberknödelsuppe (bouillon with dumplings), or Frittatensuppe (bouillon with noodles). Other traditional dishes are the famous Wienerschnitzel (veal cutlet coated with egg and breadcrumbs, eaten with a slice of lemon) and Tafelspitz (beef with spinach and horseradish). To finish, a slice of pie, gateau or apfelstrudel. For traditional fare, visit a Beisl.

Vienna Bars & Nightlife. Musical Vienna doesn't just mean Mozart and other classical music – there are also clubs with DJs and rock bands. One of the entertainment districts is what is called the Bermuda Triangle around Schwedenplatz and the Ruprechtskirche. Gürtel is another area popular at night. Previously a down-at-heel red light district, it is now full of trendy clubs, restaurants and bars.

Vienna Cafes. For the Viennese, the café is a second home. With their coffee they like a slice of gateau, though many places also serve food.

Vienna Stores and shopping streets
The longest and best known shopping street is Mariahilfer Strasse, situated between the city centre and the Westbahnhof (West Station). Here are the large cheap chain stores with shoes, clothes and jewellery. Don't forget the side streets, such as Neubaugasse. Here you'll find young playful fashions, plenty of comical T-shirts, handbags, gadgets and things from the 60s and Manga or Hello Kitty style. Other well known shopping streets are Kärntner Strasse, Graben and Kohlmarkt. These are, as well as several other inner city streets, traffic-free pedestrian precincts. In the MQ museum complex there are several small intriguing boutiques with clothes and accessories from young designers. If you prefer exclusive shopping, the fashion houses – the likes of Chanel, Gucci, Cartier, Louis Vuitton – are sometimes cheek by jowl. In district 1 you'll find Armani at Kohlmarkt 3, Gucci and Chanel at Kohlmarkt 5. Vienna is the home city of the world famous designer Helmut Lang, and not surprisingly he has his own shop with fashions for both men and women (Seilergasse 6. District 1). The Freihaus district between Operngasse to Heumühlgasse has been compared to the Latin Quarter in Paris or New York's Greenwich Village. As a general rule, the main street in every Bezirk (district) has many shops. Remember to take cash, because not all shops accept cards.