A bit hidden in the district of Wieden (Vienna’s fourth district), between the well-known Kettenbrückengasse and the perhaps less-known Heumühlgasse, you will find a small house. At first sight it may not look like anything special, but if you pay attention you may wonder what the deal is with this small house surrounded by buildings…
October 31, 2019
Perhaps some of our readers entered a coffee house one day and they were impressed. Some days ago, we felt that way. But let us start from the beginning. We have told you many stories about k.k. or k. u k. businesses (Imperial and Royal suppliers) and while many of them were located in the…
September 26, 2019
There are many places to drink coffee in Vienna. Some have impressive interior designs and others are more spartan. Some of them are small and others are big and always crowded. Not all of them have great coffee and definitely not all of them feel like your own living room. Cafe Schönbergers combines important characteristics…
September 24, 2019
Perhaps many of our SV explorers are familiar with the Kettenbrückengasse metro station as this is the one that stops right next to the famous Naschmarkt. And most likely, many also know the Kettenbrückengasse that is one of the streets that marks the separation between the 4th and the 5th districts of Vienna. And if you understand…
April 21, 2019
Perhaps you are familiar with the name “Starhemberg“. This is an ancient noble family whose origins can be traced back to Upper Austria and apparently before they served the Habsburgs, they also served the Babenberger, which would mean that they have been around since the 12thcentury. One Starhemberg, Erasmus I, won favor with the Habsburgs…
April 19, 2019
Not long ago we showed you the Schutzengelbrunnen (Guardian Angel Fountain) in the fourth district of Vienna. Not far from it is a second fountain with a very similar name, Engelbrunnen (Engel meaning Angel in German). It consists of two round basins between which a compact columnar pedestal emerges. On it stands the figure of…
February 16, 2019
Guardian angels are a widespread phenomenon. Many different cultures throughout history have believed that individuals, groups, cities or entire countries are protected by spiritual beings. In Vienna this idea is manifested in the Guardian Angel Fountain. Its octagonal basin is crowned by a column on which a guardian angel shelters a small child. The water…
February 14, 2019
When rushing through the subway station Karlsplatz one cannot miss the 2006 Media installation Pi by Artist Ken Lum. At a total length of 130 metres, various statistical data is shown on a huge mirror, referred to as factoids, as Ken Lum calls the constant changing red numbers. Factoids can be both countable facts and trivialised information that is…
January 22, 2019
Summer time is construction, demolition, and refurbishment time. If you are in Vienna, you may have noticed that almost no stone remains unturned in summer, as it is the best time to do all the construction work that can’t be easily done in winter. Something very common at construction sites is a kind of fencing…
July 19, 2018
Some months ago, we told you the story of the Elisabethbrücke, which crossed the Vienna river connecting the city center with the district of Wieden (4th district). The bridge, removed by 1897, was decorated with eight sculptures, which now can be seen flanking the Rathausplatz. These are not the only sculptures that had to leave…
June 7, 2018