23 things that are undeniably #onlyinvienna culture

The English speaking magazine. Making the most out of Vienna and life.

23 things that are undeniably #onlyinvienna culture

Below we’ve tried to list the #onlyinvienna quirks that make Vienna, Vienna.

 

1.Running into somebody you know, most places you go

Cuz’…ya’ know…Vienna’s so damn small and cute.

 

2. Tiny, compact dogs that fit in bags

Are we the only ones that feel like the dogs are shrinking in this city? And what’s with people bringing their dogs in a bag to a gallery exhibition opening?!

 

 

3. Hating on your Immobilien agent

Well, they do literally take thousands of Euros from you for literally handing over a key.

The exorbitant amounts of random fees, deposits and commission a renter has to pay when moving into an apartment in Vienna, paired with the (generally) below average customer service one gets, means that everybody feels they’re getting ripped off by Immobilien companies. And with the private market increasingly being cornered by big real estate companies, the situation is getting worse and there’s not much renters can do.

 

4. Street art that says ‘morgen mach ich blau…’ and ‘Puber’

We want to meet the graffiti artists doing both of these tags. Because – well, we’d ask the guy scrawling Puber over the city’s walls how the hell he gets around the city so much (is there a team of Pubers?! How the hell does he do it!?).

And the person writing ‘morgen mach ich blau…’ everywhere – we’d want to know if they’re living up to their claim.

 

5. Elegant people dressed up in suits and gowns standing at a Würstelstand smashing a sausage into their mouth, and drinking beer from a can

A common sight to see before and after every Staatsoper Opera performance at the neighbouring Bitzinger stand.

 

6. Sun = Donaukanal is flooded with people

It’s such a glorious moment.

 

7. Telling people you’d never want to live in the countryside towns like Mödling or Guntramsdorf…until you have a kid and start nesting

It’s practically the sign that you’re growing up when one of your friends move out to one of the towns on the outskirts of Vienna.

 

8. Everybody complains, they know they complain, and they’re kinda’ proud that they complain

It’s not rare to hear somebody proudly tell you in this city – ‘ I’m always complaining, but we’re in Vienna so it’s kind of expected that I complain. It’s one of the nice things about Vienna.’

And you’ll typically experience this sentiment said with a smile, but don’t be mistaken – the complainer telling you this isn’t joking. Complaining is as natural as laughing in Vienna. It’s part of the city’s identity. In Vienna, it’s obviously considered good to vent your concerns and worries out loud. If Vienna ever hosts the Olympics and they have to pull off that opening ceremony when the country showcases its cultural identity, it would definitely have to feature a typical Wiener ranting about what’s wrong with the world. the weather, and the random person that was talking too loud on the U-Bahn.

 

9. A 20–30 minute trip on public transport already feels like a 10 day trekking trip through the Himilayas

This is a first world problem that comes with having one of the most efficient transport systems in the world. The super connected public transport system in Vienna makes this city so compact that any trip over 30 minutes feels like its a journey that requires journaling to document the trip.

 

10. Moshpitting in the 13A bus at 5pm

If only everybody would join in when we started moshing 😉

 

11. Gentrification of districts happens at a Vienna-pace…aka. very slowly

This is one thing we love about this city – It changes at its own pace. It’s in no hurry.

 

12. Water pride aka. people talking about how awesome Vienna’s drinking water is

People loooove their high quality water in Wien.

 

13. The old world coffeehouse culture

Sitting for hours in a charming old coffeehouse, without being disturbed by anybody, is one of the sweetest things to do in Vienna.

 

14. The Sunday silence

There are actual enforceable laws that prohibit noise disturbance on Sundays. We’ve had the police turn up at our door because our neighbours complained about us vacuuming on a Sunday. True story.

 

15. The 4am Würstelstand Käsekrainer visit

There’s nothing sweeter after a night out than a stop at your local Würstelstand.

 

16. In almost every conversation you’ll hear the word HEAST!

Or Oida. One of these are always thrown in for extra emphasis.

 

17. In the work-life balance, life always wins

It always wins. The people of Vienna certainly know how to enjoy the good life.

 

18. Top quality wine can be drunk in Heuriger (wine taverns) for cheap

There’s nothing like the Heurige culture anywhere else in the world.

 

19. A morning Pfiff is socially acceptable

Why wait ’til midday when you have the miniature beer known as the Pfiff?! Think of it as an espresso… of beer.

 

20. People will tell you off for crossing on a red light

If you haven’t had it happened to you yet, you obviously haven’t lived here long enough. It’s a common occurrence that a random stranger on the street will tell you off for crossing the street on a red light. Here’s an exchange we had just last week when it most recently happened to us (translated from German):

Red light vigilante: ‘Hey! what the hell you doing crossing on a red light? Are you blind?

Us: ‘Ummm, sorry, but what the hell does it have to do with you?’

Red light vigilante: ‘Well, when you get hit by a car, I’ll have to pay for your hospital visit with my taxes’

Us: ‘But look – no injuries and we’re alive! And so your taxes are saved and there’s no need for you to worry’

Red light vigilante: (awkward silence) ‘But it could have happened du depperte! ‘

Us: ‘Do you need a hug?’

 

21. The FKK naked culture

In what other city can you get naked, on an island, in the middle of the city?! We love how you can just be walking on the Donauinsel one day, or in the Lobau national park, and have the odd naked person cross your path. Was that a…what the…penis…nipple…oh, my!

 

22. Drivers actually stop mid-street (even if it’s not a crossing) for pedestrians

This one makes us smile every time.

 

23. You share your table in cafe/ restaurant if it’s super busy

Table sharing is a delightful thing you’ll find common in Vienna. If there’s room at your table, and there’s a few extra chairs, don’t be surprised when in a bar or a cafe somebody asks you if they can join at the table. Don’t worry – generally it doesn’t require you socialising with the people, but it is how we’ve had some great random encounters.

 

 

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