Vienna Off the Beaten Path Tips by mel_bee

Wander around the maze of streets of Vienna's central First District (Erste Bezirk), I have lived here for nearly 8 years but I am still discovering new things - In Sterngasse near Schwedednplatz, I found this cannonball (see picture) which had been fired many centuries before. Walk through any passage way and you will find yourself in all sorts of interesting places. In Blutgasse look into the courtyards and you will see typical old Viennese pawlatsche balconies running round the houses. They are often covered in the most beautiful flowers in the summertime. At the end of this street you will see Mozart's apartment if the courtyard is open you can take a quick look inside. Wander round the tiny streets off of Judenplatz and discover the Watch Museum and some great hidden bars and restaurants some even without names.Walk along the site of the old city walls near Schwedenplatz, go to the Fleischmarkt to look at the Griechenbeisl and have a peek at Lieber Augustin who is set in the floor in the entrance to the restaurant. Go to Kleeblattgasse where there is a great bar Kolar which serves beer and warm breads with different toppings. Near Rotenturmstrasse wander down Sonnenfelsgasse or Backerstrasse where you come out at a beautiful church. Just put the map into your pocket and see where you end up after all the Centre of Vienna is too small to get too lost! Enjoy!

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If you want a good view of Vienna and don?t want to go up the Donauturm in the Donaupark, then Kahlenberg (just about Vienna's highest natural point) is the place to come. Take the 38a bus from U4 Heligenstadt (make sure you get on the right one as not all of them go further than Grinzing or Wagenwiese) and stay on right till the end. You will travel through the pleasant village of Grinzing, then out into the countryside. The road curves around the tree covered hills stopping at pretty Cobenzl before finishing in a massive empty carpark at top of Kahlenberg. There is a white church (St. Joseph?s) and if you continue past and then to the left of it you eventually come to an area from where you can see the Danube, Vienna and on a very clear day the distant Schneeberg mountain. To the right again, there is also a restaurant and caf? where you can get good views and icecream if you go on the terrace in the summer. From the top footpaths lead to the Stefaniewarte tower and to various great country walks through the vineyards to Heuriger or down to Nussdorf or Grinzing. You can also take the 38a to Leopoldsberg (check the front of the bus, this only goes in Summer and not very frequently) through a trip through more hill into Lower Austria. There?s not much to do at Leopoldsberg except look at St. Leopolds church (he is the patron saint of the province of Lower Austria) or go on walks in the woods. Don?t turn down the chance to get up Kahlenberg in the winter, it can get pretty cold here but I have fond memories of a shared bottle of champagne and caviar in the snow!

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The Lainzer Tiergarten is in the suburbs.
What is it?: Great place to get away from the city, a nature park on the outskirts of Vienna with lots of green grass and no huge buildings. Play area for kids.
What to do there: walk/enjoy the sunshine take the 1.5 kilometer route to the Hermes Villa for a leisurely stroll or there are longer routes for joggers/very healthy people, walk through the tree area where all the types of trees are signposted, look at the deer, wild boar, feed the ducks and massive carp, visit the Hermes Villa museum and of course stop at the cafý for a coffee or icecream.
When to go: Not when the Japanese Emperor is visiting as I did one weekend or you will find too many policemen keeping an eye on your tourist activities! Best time is in the summer to enjoy the flower filled meadows and sunshine! It closes around dusk check with the visitors'centre at the entrance for details.
How to get there: Take the 62 tram from the Opera, Meidling Schnellbahn or Hetzendorf Schnellbahn to the stop where it connects with the 60a. Take the 60a to the end(every 20 mins in summer,every 30 in winter)
For more details paste this link:
www.wien.gv.at/wald/lainz_tg/ltgbz.htm

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Nice place for a daytrip out. Take the Badnerbahn white and blue tram from opposite the opera.

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The UN is located to the north of Vienna at the U1 stop Vienna International Centre. You can go on guided tours of the facility at 11 am and 2pm. See the Visitor's Centre at Gate 1 (entrance near the underground) for more details and souvenirs.

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www.haus-des-meeres.at
The Haus des Meeres (House of the Sea) is the place to see a variety of fish, sealife and reptiles. There is also a tropical house built on the side with monkeys and birds. It is located in the Flakturm (huge concrete tower) in the Esterhazypark close to Mariahilferstrasse and is open daily from 10-18. To get there take 13A ,14A or 57a buses or the U3. Entrance fees: adults 8.5 kids 4 student discount.
You can stroke snakes on Wednesdays at 14:00 and watch shark and piranhas being fed on Mondays and Sundays at 15:00. Watch the reptiles being fed on Sundays at 10

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For some pictures of the flowers see my travelogue

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