On the Town

People walked slowly around the exhibition, looking at the images and sculptures and it was clear that some of the work was sparking conversation. The audience was eagerly awaiting the art opening of the Shelter Project at Soho Projektwerkstatt in Ottakring, Vienna.

All great cities are saturated with subcultures. And as Vienna – while timeless and enjoyable – can be a little mundane for young lads such as ourselves, we have launched an investigation, seeking out hidden pockets of the weird, unusual and outrageous, and at times dangerous. Session I: the Erotik Messe, at the Wiener Messegelände – sexual hedonism being right down our alley.

It’s 1930 and in Vienna, a huge experiment is going on, to build a more healthy, harmonious and attractive future. The world is curious, following every move, eager to see whether a city council can transform its citizens with better housing, education and leisure. But while Red Vienna is being born, there are dark clouds on the horizon…

For those of us who associate Chinese food in Vienna with the standard “Europeanized” fare of crispy-fried chicken doused in generic sweet and sour sauce, kraut-stuffed spring rolls and fried rice that looks like Risi-Pisi, Liounge offers an intriguing alternative. Located in the up and coming culinary mile that is Gumpendorferstrasse, this stylish restaurant is sure to win over the hearts and stomachs of foodies looking for a more authentic ethic dining experience.

You can hear him coming from far away, the clanking of heavy chains draped from his shoulders and rattling cowbells, bedecked in horns and sheepskins, face hidden behind a most appalling mask – the definition of a demon. He is, in essence, a character from a nightmare…

“So, are you ready for Krampus?” my friend Vel asked me the other day.

Krampus? So that’s who that was! This is the satanic figure who instills the fear of…, well, just about anything that happens to be “up there,” in the hearts of Austrian children every year on Dec. 5th.

The first Christmas market in Vienna was held in front of Stephansplatz in 1626 and the concept has since spread throughout the German-speaking world. The following is a list of some of the finest markets Vienna has to offer. Punsch, a hot drink made from liquor, sugar, and spices, can be found at countless stands throughout all 23 districts of the city, along with Glühwein, Maroni, and other savouries.

Ice Palace at MQ
Never a boring moment at the Museumsquartier, the holiday season here is no exception. A bit different from the Weihnachtsmarkt concept, the Weinachtsquartier exhibits the creations of designers and the sounds of electronic DJs, as well as an ice palace with ice sports such as curling and activities for children.

Walking down the tree-lined Ausstellungsstraße cutting through Vienna’s 2nd District, you might be too repulsed by the gaudiness of the neighboring Wurstelprater amusement park to think of fine dining. Multi-colored lights of the Giant Wheels and haunted houses flash high above the newly built Admiral Casino standing in all its kitschy glory at the beginning of the street – not to mention the giant pig that houses a Bankomat machine near the underground station a bit further down.

If there is one good thing about the coming of fall, besides perhaps the beautiful autumn foliage, the return of the scarf and the availability of fresh pumpkin cream soup, it is the Vienna International Film Festival, the Viennale 2009.

Since its inception in 1960, Austria’s international film festival has sought to be artistically independent, impartial to political and commercial interests; in the meantime it has earned the reputation of being one of the most egalitarian and democratic film festivals in Europe.

Even before I’m fully through the door, Helmut Bernthaler is telling me an involved story about how he had expected the harvest to come early, due to a hotter than average August. He now hopes to be picking this year’s growth in mid-September – which is just about perfect.