6 (+6) reasons to love and spend time with Vienna's 6th district

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6 (+6) reasons to love and spend time with Vienna’s 6th district

The 6th district seems to have it all. Whisper into somebody’s ear in Vienna, ‘Let’s meet in the 6th’ and it will inspire shivers with its sexy factor. It’s where to go if you’re in need of a shot of shopping, and there’s plenty there for cafe junkies, bar hoppers, foodies and also those on the hunt for some culture experiences. Oh, the possibilities!

Here are 6 (+6) things you should check out in Vienna’s 6th district. Beware, you might fall in love with this district!

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1. Explore the endless spots along Gumpendorferstraße – Guide to Mariahilf

The Gumpendorfer Straße – it’s probably one of Vienna’s most unjustly underrated streets. For most people, it´s just that road next to Mariahilf. But if you dedicate some time to exploring it, you´ll realise what people are missing out on. So let´s take you on a small walk down it.

Starting off at Disco Volante at the top of Gumpendorfer Straße: at this pizzeria you can gobble up the real deal Napolitana Pizza, straight from their famous disco ball oven. Just up the road, you can fill your stomach with some spicy and delicious Thai dishes in the Thai Isaan Kitchen. A bit further down, you’ll find the cosy café, Brass Monkey, famous for it’s cupcakes and quality coffee.

Further down, where the downhill ride begins for all bikers on the street, is the aquarium, housed in an old war tower, the Haus des Meeres.

But wait, there’s still more! A few steps away you’ find the vintage store, Wolfmich, and the a huge craft beer selection stored at the Beer Lovers on your right. The bistro, Bio Deli on your left is great for a lunch spot, while the trendy Chinese hotpot restaurant/ cocktail bar, Mama Liu & Sons, is a one of the best food and drink experiences you’ll have in Vienna.

And nope, we´re still not finished. Down further are two coffeeshops from different eras, but equally worth checking out – Café Sperl, the legendary Viennese coffeehouse, and phil, the book store/ cafe. Oh, and neighbouring phil is the quirky cocktail bar, If Dogs Run Free. To top it off, you can have drink and catch a movie in the beloved Top Kino on your left.

This street really has it all. It´s like Mariahilfer Straße´s small hipster brother. You could actually live and only move along this street and not lack anything in life.

2. Spend some time in the (almost hidden) passage of Raimundhof – Guide to Mariahilf

This somewhat mediterranean, super charming passageway, the Raimundhof, is a true treasure. It can get kind of confusing trying to find it, but once you find it, it´s like a tiny village stuffed into a small alleyway.

Entering from Mariahilfer Straße, you´ll first pass a beautiful yard that´s leading to a narrow passageway, here you’ll find some really funky boutique stores, like a jewellery store and Superfood Deli – the go-to eatery for those looking to be super human by eating superfoods.

Venture in a bit deeper and you’ll find Graf & Gräfin, a little heaven of a store for stylish folk and a few little unique cafes. It also makes for a great and pretty shortcut when going between Gumperndorfer Strasse and Mariahilfer Strasse.

 

3. Make the most out of the shopping capital of Vienna, Mariahilfer Straße – Guide to Mariahilf

The Mariahilfer Straße is one of the longest streets of Vienna and the part that stretches into the 6th district is known for being the shopping capital of Vienna. Lined with a conga line of big name brand stores, both tourists and locals love to spend some time at this shopping hot spot, either by busily jumping from shop to shop, clogging up the streets by gawking through the windows, or sitting on one of the benches licking at ice cream.

This shopping street is also nice to visit on a Sunday, when there’s less people, the store’s are closed and it makes for a great strip to bike down.

Photos © Daniel Dutkowski (www.dutkowski.com)

4. Jump from cafe to cafe – Guide to Mariahilf

The 6th district’s got an awesome selection of traditional Viennese coffeehouse and a mix of young and hip cafes.

At Café Ritter on Mariahilfer Straße, you’ll be thrown back to the 19th century – it truly doesn’t get anymore traditional in terms of  Viennese coffeehouses. Café Kafka on Capistrangasse has got a Bohemian art vibe going on, with plenty of creative looking types hanging out there.

Café Jelinek on Otto-Bauer-Gasse has got the true Viennese coffeehouse charm where you can spend some lazy idle hours (and finally get on with writing that book of yours that you’ve always wanted to write). Café Sperl on Gumpendorfer Straße is one of those coffeehouses that has inspired many creatives in the past, with a mix of writers, painters, architects and composers that were once amongst the crowd. Nowadays it’s filled with tourists and locals that love the old world charm of it.

If you’re on the hunt for a hip and trendy cafe, Mariahilf’s got plenty to offer, too. Grab a coffee at Liebling in Schadekgasse, or at Brass Monkey. Or, if you’re specifically looking for a vegan option,  hit up ausnahmsweise on Hofmühlgasse.

Oh, and the weekend brunch at Cafe Mill is legendary.

5. Take in the Haus des Meeres – Guide to Mariahilf

The Haus des Meeres is an aquarium that is home to over 10,000 aquatic beings. And it’s housed inside a Flak Tower in Eszterhazy Park, which is one of six towers in Vienna that were used as air-raid shelters, with mounted anti-aircraft guns and fire control systems on top, during WWII. On top of the almost 50-metre tall building, there’s the Café ocean sky, where visitors to the aquarium can enjoy a grand view over Vienna.

Vienna Wustelstand Luster

© Photo courtesy of Tanzcafe Jenseits

6. Do a bar & club tour – Guide to Mariahilf

There are too many good places in Mariahilf to have a drink and a little dance. We tried to narrow it down to only a few recommendations, but the list is still 14 bars long – it’s just too painful to leave any of them out.

So let´s start off with Elektro Gönner, the electrician’s workshop turned bar just off of Mariahilfer Straße. It’s a super small bar/club with a raft of DJs hitting the decks every week. Then there’s the great hidden Tanzcafe Jenseits, which is a very unique bar with a sassy, red velvet vibe playing awesome music (Jazz, Swing and the like). Luster is one of the newer additions to the district, and one handsome looking cocktail bar. Oh, and we can’t leave out the legendary haunt known as Cafe Einhorn – it’s bohemian and great for a late night drink.

Titanic, the Futuregarden and the Hearts Club are clubs that pull good looking crowds, but be sure to check out their Facebook pages for events before turning up there.

And the old school Beisl turned young hip crowd’s hang out, Cafe Monic, is definitely worth a visit due to its strong character factor. There’s also a short strip running alongside the ‘Haus des Meeres park’ with a couple of bars like Schadek (Schadekgasse 12) that people like catching the evening sun at after work.

Intimate bar favourites that fill up from Thursday until Saturday are Tonstube and Mon Ami. Oh, and some veterans on the scene worth checking out include the Bar-Cafe Nachtasyl and the Stehbeisl (which is exactly what it claims to be – a beisl where you stand and drink).

We should also mention Top Kino. This cinema is also well known as a drinking hang out.

7. Get a new old look at one of the vintage stores – Guide to Mariahilf

You´ll find plenty of hidden stores here in the 6th that even we haven´t even discovered yet. But here are some of the ones we can recommend to y´all.

Wolfmich, for example, is a great vintage store with clothes ranging in all prices and styles. Either treat yourself with some rare Versace-like gear, or with some clothes of brands you’ve never heard of.

We´ve also heard only good things about Fräulein Kleidsam, which is also located on Gumpendorfer Straße.

The recently opened, Vintage Fabrik, at the lower end of Mariahilfer Straße is also a huge store with a very cool selection of (yep, you guessed it) vintage clothes.

Of course, the veteran of the second-hand wear scene, Polyklamott, deserves a mention – did you know they specialise in sunglasses?

Moving onto vintage furniture, there´s the one and only store, Vintagerie – a little pricey, but full of unique pieces from all eras.

8. Experience the best of the Naschmarkt – Guide to Mariahilf

MON–SAT: different opening times
SUN: closed (some restaurants are open)

Vienna’s largest market, the Naschmarkt, is straddling the 4th and 6th district of Vienna. Before you brave the gauntlet of this market, check out our tips, tricks and highlights of how you can experience the best of the Naschmarkt. Besides being a market, the Naschmarkt should also be on your radar when it comes to having breakfast, lunch or even dinner, especially in the warmer months with the many Schanigarten (al fresco gardens) attached to the restaurants.

Oh, and you should definitely wander and rummage through the piles of stuff at the weekend flea market taking place on Saturdays. There’s plenty of obscure and ridiculous things you can find there!

 

Burger at Cavallo

9. Travel the world with your tastebuds at the 6th’s many restaurants – Guide to Mariahilf

In Mariahilf, you can literally eat your way around the globe. We doubt that your belly would allow that, but you can give it a shot! Or spread out the timing of your visits and pace yourself. Anyway, you should definitely get some wining and dining down in the 6th district. Here are some restaurant aka. reasons why:

Superfood Deli is catering to your superfood bowl needs at their spot in the (almost) hidden Raimundhof.

Nam Nam on Webgasse is serving Indian cuisine in a Berlin/London-inspired, modern atmosphere, or if you like the more traditional-looking Indian restaurants, Rani is the bomb!

At the hidden Thai gem in the body of an old Beisl, Aroi Thai Stumpergasse, you’ll find some very tasty spicy food.

The restaurant serving up dishes out of Nepal, Yak und Yeti is an exotic favourite amongst those who know it. Or if you’d like to hop over to Japan, the two Kuishimbo locations are the best you’ll get in this city if you’re oodles for noodles.

Cavallo on Kaunitzgasse is bringing a shisha lounge and casual dining together, serving Instagram-worthy black burger, among other dishes.

Get gourmet Napolitana pizza at Disco Volante, or try a Hot Pot at Mama Liu & Sons on Gumpendorfer Straße.

Meanwhile, Otto Bauer has a creative crowd behind it doing creative things with food.

10. Get your daily dose of culture – Guide to Mariahilf

From opera, musicals and special theatre performances to indie movies and interesting (aka. weird) museums, the 6th district has a crazy amount fo culture to be consumed.

On the stage of Theater an der Wien on Linke Wienzeile, they’re predominantly performing operas. The Raimund Theater on Wallgasse is a go-to place for all the musical lovers out there.

At TAG – Theater an der Gumpendorfer on Gumpendorfer Straße, they’re taking classic plays and reinventing them to fit today’s culture and audience. In addition, they’re hosting various fun events such as the Improv theatre, Sport vor Ort, event series and their diary readings.

The Top Kino on Rahlgasse is not your typical cinema. It screens a diverse range of indie films and also has a bar attached to it that attracts a diverse young, artsy crowd.

Or rather, if you’re up for checking out weird museums, take a look at the Folter Museum (that is, the Torture Museum) next to the Haus des Meeres at Fritz-Grünbaum-Platz.

11. The beautiful staircase that is Fillgraderstiege – Guide to Mariahilf

Have a look at this beautiful set of stairs. Just look at it – It´s cool right? Like, out of some RomCom movie, kind of cool. But it´s more than that. Actually no, it´s just cool, but it´s just the perfect spot for all the people who like to buy their own alcohol in the store and make the streets their own bar. And Viennese rappers also love to add some shots of themselves chilling at Fillgraderstiege in their music videos.

If you’re wondering what architectural style it is (as we know you were) it’s Art Nouveau. Actually, it was voted as one of the most beautiful staircases in Europe by a bunch of European art professors. Look at us trying to impress you with our Wikipedia knowledge.

12. Check out the colour & events of the LGBTQ+ space, Türkis Rosa Lila Villa – Guide to Mariahilf

They’ve dubbed themselves as ‘Vienna’s first Trans* Lesbian and Gay House.’ We don’t know about that, but what we know for sure is that it’s a cool queer community center for LGBTQ+ people in Vienna. The goings on amidst this strikingly pink building includes a mix of offering consulting and counselling for those identifying as LGBTQ+ and are struggling, events, a restaurant, plus people also live there as part of a residential project. This community project aims to help people fight the equality fight for LGBTQ+ community and is a place where people feel like they belong.

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