9 essential things to pack for an authentic Viennese picnic - Vienna Würstelstand

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9 essential things to pack for an authentic Viennese picnic

Actually, you can pack what you like, really, but here are 9 things you would have in your picnic basket for a Viennese picnic:

 

Mannerschnitten

When those sugar cravings come, you don’t want to be unprepared (people go a bit wild in green spaces and start climbing trees and doing other caveman shit), so be sure to pack the Mannerschnitten. They’re also work as a good way of bribing the the kids to sit quietly for a few moments. If you don’t have any kids, they also work as a good trade offering when you want that kid’s frisbee.

 

Bocce

The Viennese are big on extreme sports such as Bocce. Ahhhh, there’s nothing like a fine game of bocce to get a picnic pumping…

 

Homemade Liptauer or Eieraufstrich

What can we say, the Austrian’s are big on Aufstrich (spreads). It is believed some are known to smear it all over their naked body as an ancient Austrian pre-sex mating ritual (we may, or may not have made this up). They love it that much. At every party, you’ll most probably see the slightly spicy and cheesy orange spread Liptauer, and the yellow egg-y Eieraufstrich smeard on some small squares of plain white sandwich bread. The picnicker that brings a tupperware full of a homemade Liptauer is gareunteed to be the most popular kid at the party – high fives all round.

 

Semmeln

Make sure your Semmeln are fresh – crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Nobody likes a hard rock day old Semmeln. These beloved bad-boy rolls are to the Austrians like the baguettes are to the French – on every table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And it’s not only the hypnotising swirl on the top that they love, but the actual, very Austrian word – Semmeln.

 

Frisbee

The parks of Vienna are full of frisbee fanatics during summer. It’s so damn popular, that playing frisbee by yourself is a social norm’ in Austria. The thrill of  watching it spin when you let the flat disc spin from your wristy throw, and the anticipation of the catch – pure fun.

Tip: when frisbee time is put on hold when you sit down to eat, flip the frisbee upside down and use it as a plate!

 

Austrian Bergkäse

Straight from the green, grassy, cow-filled alps comes the Austrian cheese, Bergkäse (mountain cheese). And it always proves to be a all-time favourite choice of cheese at picnics. It also covers all matters of smelly feet.

 

Cans of beer

Lying back with a beer nestled into the green grass next to you – one of the greatest Austrian pleasures in life.

 

Soletti

Once you start, you won’t be able to stop nibbling at these salty sticks. There’s always one friend that brings Soletti sticks to a group picnic and everybody knows that they’ve picked them up last minute on the way to the picnic because everybody was supposed to bring something. It’s ussually the one that really hasn’t got their life together and eats frozen pizza in front of their laptop which they have trouble balancing on their lap when trying to cut it. And this friend is loved in the same ways as the soletti sticks.

 

Dark bread

Get the healthiest, darkest bread on the bakery shelf and it will prove a hit at any Vienna picnic.

 

Slack line equipment

Nothing like good times with a slackline. Walking and balancing along a flat cable tied tightly between two trees is a common thing to be doing at a Vienna picnic. If somebody is especially talented at it, they tend to attract a lot of attention as they repeatedely get on, fall off and start again. If you’re a beginner and you are looking to roll around in the grass with somebody at the picnic later on, ask them if they want to try and they can hold onto your shoulder while they do it. It’s a great pickup strategy.

 

Frankfurter

Ain’t no picnic like a Frankfurter picnic! Don’t forget the ketchup!

 

Cheep wine and soda water

Take one plastic cup, pour in water, pour in cheap wine…and repeat.

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