Photo by oh_fluff!

Would you dare spend your Friday evening inside the church? For the third time in Austria, Christian factions are inviting the public to stay for a night of free exhibitions, shows, fairs, and concerts.

Lange Nacht der Kirchen, which takes places tonight, June 1, aims to lure the non-faithful back into the fold. This time, Salzburg, Graz, and Klagenfurt will join in the hoopla, opening their doors until midnight.

Currently, more than a quarter of the inhabitants without religion on their sleeves are living in Vienna. With Christianity slowly losing ground on the continent, religious groups would like attendees of the event to know more about their churches. Aside from the prominent Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern European Orthodox and the Anglican groups are also participating.

The purpose of the event is not necessarily to preach the Gospel, but to celebrate the beauty found in religion though arts and music. One of the highlights is the concert of Wiener Philharmoniker at the Hofburg Chapel that starts at 6 p.m. in the First District performing from Haydn to Beethoven.

Visit the website to know more about the event and to check out the whole program.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Photo by Gertud_K.

Heat. Sand. Volleyball.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, that’s in Vienna. On Friday, June 1, the lot of the Wiener Eislaufvereins in the Third District will transform into a trendy beach complete with sand, beach games, and parties mimicking the feeling of a vacation to the tropics. Because the Viennese love summer, the festivities will last until the end of September.

SandCity Vienna, occupying more than 6000 square meters (3.5 miles), consists of Sand Sculpture Park, Catering Zone, and Activity Zone. Visitors will revel in tons of fine brown sand, palm trees, and water areas, not to mentionbeach sports and (goody) 14 bars. But the real highlight is the sand sculptures exhibition created by several international carvers. The theme will be “Euro 2008: Europe as a guest in Austria,” in reference to the much anticipated European Football Championship 2008, which will be hosted by Austria and Switzerland.

Expect to see a mini-Pisa, an Acropolis, or even the Eiffel Tower made of sand. And just as important as European landmarks will be the sculptures of international football stars like Germany’s Michael Ballac.

The regular entrance fee is €7, and reduced price €4.50. The event will be located at Lothringerstraße 22 and opens from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Photo by Iceblinkbaby

We can’t imagine an inefficient Viennese transportation system. Not only do buses, trains, and trams arrive and depart more or less at the expected time, passengers can also map out their itinerary using suggested routes and means of transport via Wiener Linien online.

Recently, the government of Vienna announced that they will increase the prices of tickets along with the parking ticket charges, much to the anger of the opposing political parties and people on the street.

According to Verkehrsverbund Ost Region, the company that manages transportation in eastern and southern parts of Austria, increased ticket prices only make sense. For the last five years ticket prices have remained more or less stable, while vast investments in security and quality have been made. Case in point: last year the U1 metro line was extended five stations, to Leopoldau.

On June 1, the new tariffs will take effect. The price of a single journey purchased in advance will increase from €1.50 to €1.70. A complete list of fare hikes can be seen here.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Photo by Killerwurm.de

If Richard Linklater had filmed “Before Sunrise“—his tale of two strangers falling in love in a span of one day, with Vienna providing the setting—today, he could have found a much more enterprising First District that he did in the mid-1990s.

Spending a day on Vienna’s touristy museum-hopping path, we were enthralled with the sights and sounds of the Inner District, from Graben to the end of Kärtner Straße.

Graben’s landmark is the famous Pestsäule (plague column) built in the 17th century at the behest of Leopold I following the Great Plague of Vienna. Next to it are two fountains designed to contain fire. One of them is adorned with the sculptures of Saints Joseph and Leopold.

We found a young Asian pianist on the middle of the street performing from Beethoven’s Spring piano piece to Franz Lizst for tips. Moving on, we saw a crowd clustered in front of Stephansdom. We struggled to see a group of hunky men jumping and breakdancing to the delight of an awed audience. Before we entirely left Kärtner Straße, we realized that the warm weather might have been responsible for the plethora of performers.

You see, we spied yet more street performers. There were a couple of blind gypsies singing a capella, a group of old musicians playing Austrian folk music with their self-produced CD already on display, and young people’s orchestra who couldn’t stop the wind from blowing their notes. Finally, we spied a couple of two pantomimes pretending that they were on the run while Queen’s “I Want to Break Free” was playing.

These are, perhaps, the typical tourist traps, but we don’t wonder why they look good on screen.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Photo by wisemanben

Get ready for the Europa Konzert (Concert for Europe) on May 24, 2007. For the fourth time the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace will open up to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Valéry Gergiev, who is currently serving as the chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Everyone is invited and admission is free. Since its inception the concert has attracted thousands of visitors and millions of viewers worldwide. Famous stars on the classical scene like Lang Lang and Placido Domingo have also graced the event. This year the theme is one of welcoming Russia to Europe, and the program includes compositions from famous Russian composers like Tschaikowsky’s “The Nutcraker” and Stravinsky’s “Le Sacre du Printemps.”

We recommend arriving before 8 p.m., as many people will surely show up early to bask in the expected 25-Celsius weather. Bring your children (six and up) before 2 p.m. to take advantage of Thursday’s children’s free guided tour at the Tiergarten Schönbrunn. The tour meeting point is in front of the cashier windows of Schönbrunn’s Hietzing entrance.

Schloss Schönbrunn, which used to be the Habsburgs’ summer residence, is located in the 13th District.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Photo by denkrahm

Naschmarkt is a popular market place in Vienna. You can purchase almost everything at the Naschmarkt, from fresh fish and shrimps to Asian soy sauce to Italian cheeses and uncooked ham. Despite and because of the sheer variety—and in no small part as a result of the hoards of tourists streaming through—you can’t help feeling ripped off at the Naschmarkt. Case in point: We’ve seen furniture for sale at prices that exceed those at first-class antique galleries in the First District.

Make no mistake about it, the Naschmarkt is a must-see for natives and tourists alike. It is alive, it breathes, and it reeks of marvelous scents and colors.

May brings a bunch of (cheaper, we hope) alternatives to the Naschmarkt.

On May 11, 2007, from 9 a.m. until noon, Vienna’s lost and found department hopes to find sellers who will take home several things—from clothes to books—that their owners have forgotten somewhere and then never fetched from the Zentrale Fundservice, at Bastiengasse 36-38.

Fernwärme Wien, Vienna’s energy company, holds a secondhand extravaganza at their compound, May 12, 9 a.m. through 5 p.m., at Spittelauer Lände 45.

The leading Austrian old-fashioned children’s store Spielzeugschachtel, which specializes in wooden and hand-crafted toys, holds a two-day flea market on May 25 and 26, at Rauhensteingasse 5.

Our advice: Be wise and enjoy.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Photo courtesy of Vienna’s Künstlerhaus

In a manner of speaking, that is.

Of course, we are talking about the famous terracotta figures of warriors and horses of the First Chinese Emperor Qin, the controversial ruler who was responsible for the unification of China. The reproductions of more than 150 lifesize statues and 1,000 soldiers in battle formation has been touring around Germany for the last five years. Now, to the delight of many, the pack has come to Austria.

The ground floor of the Vienna Künstlerhaus in the First District paves the way for the replicas, which consist of infantrymen, generals, officers, and archers, plus eight horses from the original figures. The “Terrakotta Armee” exhibit kicked off this past Sunday and will run until August 26, 2007.

The two-millennia-old statues on which the replicas are based are considered to be the Eighth Wonder of the World by UNESCO. In order to make the exhibit more interesting, it also features mannequins of Chinese women wearing then-fashionable dresses. Expect lots of satin and velvet.

The entrance fee is €12, with reductions available for seniors, students, and children. Kids under 6 enter for free. The Künstlerhaus is located at Karlsplatz 5. It is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and is closed on Mondays. Telephone: +43-01 587- 9663.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Photo by Dan65

How do the Viennese celebrate Labor Day, May 1st? Tens of thousands attend the Socialists’ annual May Day march where Michael Häupl (Vienna’s Socialist governor and mayor) and Alfred Gusenbauer (Austria’s Chancellor) will hold forth. Others will make short excursions to the Prater or other parks. Many others will stay at home or spend their free time in restaurants and pubs.

For good ol’ May Day debauchery we recommend Flanagans, an Irish pub owned and staffed by Irish nationals. Opened in December 1996, the pub’s interiors are made of the dismantled parts of a public house in the village of Churchtown in County Cork. Interiors were transported to Vienna and reassembled. It would seem that no city is immune to the charm of an Irish pub.

Flanagans serves Irish beer and international brands to the soundtrack of televised sporting events. Lunch specials, served Monday through Friday, cost €6.50. Special kids’ meals run €5.50.

Flanagans Irish Pub is located at Schwarzenberg Strasse 1-3. Telephone: +43 (0)1 513 7378. The pub is open Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Photo by infraredhorsebite

A sibling love affair, a taxidermic incident with the family dog (whose name, of all things, is Sorrow), and a dancing bear. Need we say more? These plot details are just the tip of the iceberg in John Irving’s novel, The Hotel New Hampshire.

The story follows a family from New England as they open their Hotel New Hampshire and endure various travesties. They take the show on the road, moving to Vienna to run a Gasthaus for an old family friend, Freud, a former European refugee who, along with his traveling companion—the dancing bear—originally brought the parents together. Intrigued yet? You haven’t even reached Vienna.

We don’t want to spoil the plot, so we’ll just say that once you arrive in Vienna you can look forward to a hotel floor of prostitutes and a plot by radicals to blow up the Vienna State Opera. It’s a wild ride, and we are willing to bet you won’t want to put it down.

Because Vienna is a fairly placid place, a novel like this one provides an enjoyable and counterintuitive take on the Austrian capital.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Photo by rena5

The inhabitants of Vienna appear to find the charms of Asia irresistible. The imported healthy lifestyle (yoga, Ayurveda, tai chi) and tasty food are key elements of Vienna’s love affair with Asia. No wonder Asian-styled restaurants keep on multiplying in the city.

Vienna’s hip and trendy urbanites prefer Japanese cuisine with its sushi and tempura over other Asian cuisines, and consequently sushi restaurants tend to be a luxury.

Hanil, on the Rechte Wienzeile of the Fourth District is thankfully removed from the pack. It is the best place for sushi in Vienna. While other Japanese restaurants in Vienna charge more than €20 for a full Japanese meal, Hanil only charges €12.90 for an all-you-can-eat option.

Advice: Try to be there before the “rush hour” or call the staff to make a reservation. Both the seriously committed and the curious flood the restaurant after 5 p.m., even on Sundays.

Hanil is located at Rechte Wienzeile 7 1040. Telephone: +43 (0)1 585 3590. Fax: +43 (0)1 585 3890. Hanil is open daily from 11:30 a.m. until 11 p.m., except on Sundays, when it’s open from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.

Popularity: 6% [?]