|
|
 Vienna,
Austria
Venue for Austria
v England, Friendly, Friday 16 November 2007
A Brief Insight -
Dominated by the River Danube and classical
music, for many centuries Vienna was head of a
multi-nation empire, and still today it remains an unofficial centre and
magnet for large parts of Europe.
As the only European Union capital with a United Nations headquarters,
Vienna is “the place” for international relations. Owing to its position in
the heart of mainland Europe, Vienna has always been a target for
conquerors. The Celts were here, the Romans (albeit half-heartedly as the
winters were reputedly too cold for Caesar's liking), the Babenbergs laid
the foundations and the Hapsburgs made it the centre of their vast empire
for centuries.
In 1815 the Vienna Congress took place and a paper, "The European Order for
the Coming Decades" was top of the agenda with Vienna deemed the place best
suited for the world to meet. At this time, with a population of two million
it was the fourth largest city in the world, with an administration which
respected the individual nations' idiosyncrasies. This continued stance
proved costly as the end of World War I left Austria a small and destitute
republic. Thereafter the weekend Hitler enjoyed his greatest electoral
victory in the Reichstag was the day the Austrians themselves invented
Austro-fascism. In 1938, it became the first victim of Nazi expansion,
greeting the Führer with delirious enthusiasm. And after the war, for a
decade, Vienna was divided, like Berlin, into French, American, British and
Soviet sectors.
The only key to regeneration was Vienna's pivotal location and with the Cold
War, Vienna became the western world's chilly eastern extremity, but for
those on the other side it was the only chink in the Iron Curtain. It
regained its identity when the allies left in 1955, and with its Republic
reinstated it proclaimed itself to be “neutral”.
With Russia’s Mikael Gorbachev's 'perestroika' and the raising of the Iron
Curtain, Vienna was no longer the backend of the western world and reverted
to its geographically designated position at the hub of the European
convergence, from having been the light at the end of the tunnel for many of
the former Eastern Bloc countries. Today it has a population of around 1.5
million.
Entry
Requirements
-
No Visa for UK Passport Holders.
Getting There and Around
- When we compiled this page you could travel for £118. Cheaper fares from the low fares airlines such as Ryanair, SkyEurope and Air Berlin were snapped up on the day
the fixture was announced.
There’s plenty of transport from the Vienna
Airport including an Airport Bus costing not much more than €9 and taking 16 minutes, by Vienna
Airport Bus Lines costing €6 and taking 20 minutes or by the regional Subway
system taking around 30 minutes. For more information
Go To
Vienna Airport.
Buses:
These all run on virtually emission free LPG and most are in service
round the clock. To get on a tram or bus with no ticket at all can prove
both expensive and exasperating as there are no conductors, only
baffling machines that require the exact change, plus inspectors who
invariably make spot checks just on the one time you thought you bunk
the journey.
Trams - Vienna's extensive tram
network has more than 30 routes. Trams are generally an efficient way of
getting around with trams on most routes departing every five to ten
minutes. Trams run underground in some parts of the city centre.
Taxis:
rarely cruise the streets and are best summoned by phone or from a rank.
Phone numbers for some Vienna Taxi firms, and a guide on using taxis can be accessed
here.
Underground - Vienna has a good
underground and S Bahn (above ground regional railway) system. The
underground's five U-Bahn lines are the easiest way to get around the
city, with frequent trains running from around 5am till just after
midnight. Trains generally run every five minutes during peak periods
and every seven to eight minutes off-peak.
Travel Passes - There are various
cheap-rate travelcards that can be purchased at rail and subway station
ticket offices (Wiener Linien), along with a special Vienna Card
allowing unlimited use of all lines for 24 hours costing €7 or 72 hours
€14. Single tickets (Fahrscheine) are best purchased at news kiosks and
ticket offices, where they are cheaper than on board.
The system - Tickets not already
validated (e.g., presold tickets, Streifenkarten and Zeitkarten) must be
punched in a blue ticket-cancelling machine (Entwerter) upon boarding a
Strassenbahn or Autobus, or before reaching an U-Bahn or on a
local-train platform. One-time-use tickets bought from a machine on
board a Strassenbahn or Autobus, or from an Automat in an U-Bahn
station, do not require punching as they are already time-stamped. For a
guide on how the transportation system works
click here.
For
an online map of the underground, Trams and buses
click here.
If you are travelling from / to Vienna by train, plan your journey with
Austrian Railways.
Going all the way by Train  for Eurostar through fares and Rail
Passes.
For
trains from / to Vienna from further a field and for rail timetables throughout
Europe.
Car Hire - A full UK driving licence is required. As in the
UK, seat belts should be worn front and rear. Austria has strict drink
driving laws, only allowing 0.25 milligrams of alcohol per litre of blood.
Speed limits are rigorously enforced and Radar traps are frequent, with
heavy on-the-spot fines issued.
If you rent a car outside
of Austria, you must purchase a 'Vinietta' at the border. This sticker is
also sold at most petrol stations near the borders with Slovakia and
Hungary. It costs around €8 but if you're caught on the road or parked
without one, you’ll be fined.
For those planning on driving to Poland, check before signing the rental
agreement that you can take the vehicle into Poland, as this is prohibited
by some firms die to the high incidence of car crime.
Need a Car ?,
book here
Suncars
Expedia Search and Book Car Rental
Time
– One hour ahead of the UK.
Changing Money
£1 buys approximately €1.48
For today's rates use the
Currency Converter
Banking hours are typically 0800 - 1230
and 1330 - 1500 Mon.; Tues.; Wed and Fri. Thurs. 0800 - 1230 and 1330 -
1730 with offices in the main railway station and Exchange Bureaus open
outside of these times.
Credit Cards are accepted everywhere and you should not have difficulty
in finding an ATM.
Accommodation -
We read on other sites that there is little if any
accommodation in Vienna for the first weekend of September due to a
convention taking place, but we found no problem booking. Expedia prices
begin from £42 with centrally located hotels around £60 per room per
night. Octopus Travel offer a good selection of hotels from around £55
per room per night:-
Tourist
Information -
The main Vienna Tourist Office is at
Österreich Werbung (ANTO); Margaretenstrasse 1; A-1040 Vienna; Austria Tel:
(1) 58866 Fax: (1) 588 6620. They also
have a good website which you can access by
following this link detailing everything you could
possibly want to know. For an online Map of Vienna
click here
Language -
German:
Follow this link
for some helpful phrases.
Just a pity there are annoying pop up ad's!
Food & Drink, Bars &
Nightlife - You'll find a cuisine very similar
to Germany so not that easy for vegetarians. You cant not try the
world-famous Wiener schnitzel, then there's pork and beef (tafelspitz) often
garnished with red/white cabbage and enormous bread dumplings. With its
close proximity to Hungary variations on a basic goulash also abound. Other
delights include sausages, along with regional fare including roasted pork,
served with potato-noodles and an apple cider gravy).
Vienna is also famous for its cakes and
coffee houses, having a fine reputation for well-over 300 years, but
cheap they are not and its more expensive to drink outside.
Bars
–
Like most
places we seem to visit, Vienna is another overrun with Irish bars. If this
appeals to you, there's the
Bockshorn,
Naglerg. 7 with live Irish music; Flanagan's, Schwarzenbergstr. 1-3
with food and Guinness served daily, on tap; Little Stage Irish Pub,
Ramperstorfferg. 66, with Murphy's, Harp Lager and Irish stew; or Molly
Darcy's, Teinfaltstr. 6, with fish and chips on the menu.
Other well known haunts for those on the pull include Casanova,
Dorotheerg. 6; and the Moulin Rouge, Walfischg. 11
Far better
offerings can be had at Absolut Bar, Börsegasse 1, Vienna, U-Bahn:
Schwedenplatz, as the name suggests, this downtown bar serves shot after
shot of Sweden's finest export (behind Abba, Sven, meatballs and Volvos, of
course). Absolut advertising posters adorn the interior, while the bar
staff's uniforms, and more or less everything else on show, promote the
virtues of this most neutral of spirits.
Blue
Tomato, Wurmsergasse 21, U-Bahn: Johnstraße, Named after 15th century
blue Austrian tomatoes. Has Czech Budvar on tap,a beer garden and
food.
Castillo,
Biberstraße 8, U-Bahn: Stubentor, come here if you're flush. An
American bar simply oozes sophistication, with immaculately made cocktails,
slick, knowledgeable bar staff and a long bar in similar style to that of
the film Casablanca.
Nightlife - Beware that nightclub means a strip bar, not somewhere
to dance so will have free entry but extortionate drink prices.
If you want to dance head for a disco!, though most discos don't get going
till at least midnight and run till 4 or 6.
Recommended to us are the “Snake Pit” below the Down Under Australian Pub;
U4 club (U4 Meidlinger Hauptstrasse). Vienna's reputedly best disco is the Volksgarten Club, near Hofburg palace; Titanic (6th exit, off
Mariahilferstrasse - U2 Museumsquartier with free entry before 11pm, P1 (off
Rotenturmstrasse - 1st exit, U4 Schwedenplatz); and the Chelsea which should
have some appeal (near Thaliastrasse U6 on the underground).
Stadium -
The match will be played in the 49,000 capacity Ernst Happel Stadium in
Vienna with kick off at 21.00 hours local time. For a picture of the
stadium, click
. To see a map of the area around the ground reached by Bus 80B, 83A or 84
click
Vienna Attractions -
If like us you are not a big fan of museums, Art and architecture and you're
not bringing the kids with you, then the following will not have very much
appeal.
Hofburg (Imperial Palace) – By far the main culture sight, the
Habsburgs set up house here for more than six centuries, with the oldest
part dating from the 13th century, however a large part of the building
dates from between the second half of the 19th century and WWI. The
curvaceous Neue Burg is where Hitler addressed a rally during his triumphant
1938 visit to Vienna. Rooms include period crown jewels, furniture,
tapestries and chandeliers if that’s your sort of thing. Within the complex
are a number of museums and loads of Art.
Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) - This is one of Vienna's most
famous sights, dominating the city centre since 1147, you cant miss it and
inside is again a lot of art treasures, no doubt guarded by an elaborate
security system.
Plague Monument/Trinity Column (Pestsäule/Dreifaltigkeitssäule) -
Graben, U Bahn Stephansplatz: You’ll find this along the pedestrianised
Graben. It was erected in 1693 to mark the emergence of the city from the
disastrous plague of 1679, having taken 9 years to create.
Kunsthistorisches Museum - This is reputedly the finest art museum in
Europe. The Habsburgs collected many of the items and we’re told it's
impossible to see the whole museum in one visit. Again if art is your thing,
the painter Rubens was appointed to the service of a Habsburg governor in
Brussels, so the museum has one of the best collections of his works. Other
collections of paintings include works by Canova, Vermeer, Dürer, Rembrandt,
Raphael, Van Dyck, Cranach, Caravaggio, Canaletto and Titian.
Palffy Palace (Palais Palffy) - Josefsplatz, U-Bahn Karlsplatz:
Dating back to the 14th century, it is best known as the place where on 16
October 1762 child prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gave a recital in the
Figaro Room, and guess what, yes the palace has not one but two Art
galleries.
Schloss Schönbrunn - U-Bahn: Schönbrunn: A baroque palace built
around 1700 is one of Vienna's most popular attractions. Some 40 of its 2000
rooms can be visited along with its Maze and Gardens. Vienna Zoo is also in
the grounds. A popular attraction here is the Palm House (Palmenhaus) built
in 1883 which contains a colourful display of tropical plants, orchids and
palms from around the world.
Papyrus Museum - Heldenplatz, U-Bahn Volkstheater: This Museum once
part of the Imperial Library was taken over by the Austrian State following
the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. It contains over 200,000
items with some from ancient Egypt dating back to 3000 BC.
Palace Gardens (Burggarten) - Main entrance on Burgring, U-Bahn
Karlsplatz: The Burggarten was laid out between 1816 and 1819 and as with
the Volksgarten below, the garden replaced the walled fortifications
destroyed by the French during their occupation of the city in 1809. The
former Imperial Glass House has been restored and reopened as a café, with a
Butterfly House nearby. Unlike some places we’ve been, the park has plenty
of seating.
People's Garden (Volksgarten) - Main entrance on Heldenplatz, U-Bahn
Volkstheater: Just across from the Austrian Parliament building, this is
another park worth a visit if only for a rest from the thousands of yanks
you’ll see in the city, pretending they know everything about music, art and
culture. It was in fact Vienna's first public garden.
Spanish Riding School - One for the kids to see the stallions strut
their stuff at the Hofburg's Winter Riding School in an equine ballet to a
program of classical music. If they are not away on tour, tickets to watch
them train can be bought on the day at gate No 2, Josefsplatz in the Hofburg.
Prater - Another for the kids, Vienna's fun fair with a great view
over Vienna from the giant Ferris wheel. It also offers sports and a large
park area of parks around which the Lilliputian Railroad (Liliputbahn),
steam railway runs.
Post Office -
The main Post Office is at
Fleischmarkt off Schwedenplatz and is open 24 hours a day.
Shops -
In
general, shops are open Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm, and Saturday from midday
until 5.30pm.
The main area is the innere-stadt (inner city) where narrow cobbled
streets and arcades combine to bring you to the pedestrianised areas of
Kärntner Straße and the Graben serving as the destination of choice for
those wives or girlfriends in need of serious retail therapy!. Shopping
malls however are few and far between in downtown Vienna because of the
large number of well-preserved and historic buildings here.
However, Ringstrassen Galerien Kärntner Ring U-Bahn: Karlsplatz,
Open: 10am-7pm Mon-Wed, 10am-9pm Thu, 10am-7pm Fri, 10am-6pm Sat - offers 70
boutiques along with gift/souvenir shops, jewellers, cafés and restaurants.
For a massive display of fruit and veg but with the added bonus of many
surrounding cheap eateries go to the Naschmarkt Linke und Rechte
Wienzeile, U-Bahn: Karlsplatz, Open: 6am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 6am-5pm Sat
it’s the largest of Vienna's outdoor food markets with good snack and juice
bars, with in the surrounding area a large number of restaurants
Gasometer, 11, Guglgasse, U-Bahn: Gasometer, Open: 10am-7.30pm
Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat; amazingly a shopping centre made out of four converted
turn-of-the-20th-century gas towers into a state-of-the-art shopping centre,
two of the cylindrical towers contain offices and living space, with shops
and boutiques running the length of all four underneath. Big name fashion
stores are here, while the complex also contains a cinema and 14
cafés/eateries.
Generali Center, Mariahilferstraße 77, U-Bahn: Neubaugasse, Open:
10am-7pm Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri, 10am-9pm Thu, 10am-6pm Sat
Thirty stores on two levels, the Generali Center is by no means Vienna's
biggest. However, its location is ideal, being on Mariahilferstraße (the
city's longest retail street).
The Weather -
Water, Electricity etc - No
problem with water, electricity is the standard 2 round prong 230
volts.
Radio, TV & Mobile’s
Click
the logo for broadcasting information.
There are just 2 terrestrial TV stations,
with many Austrians preferring the German Stations or
satellite channels including most Sky.
Your Mobile phone should be able to make and receive calls, but check this with your service provider and to see how much the calls will cost
!.
Do’s & Don'ts -
Hotspots for Pickpockets - the 'Wiener
Prater' funfair, Stefanskirche (St. Stephens Cathedral, Naturhistorisches
Museum (Natural-science museum), the Parliament, Burgtheater
(Castle-theatre) and the Rathaus (Town Hall) are we are told all notorious,
as are other tourist areas frequented by the not just the immigrant or gypsy
but by smart looking professionals.
Dodgy areas -Stephansplatz U-Bahn
station, Stadtpark, the Prater funfair after dark especially,
Crossing the road -cars can still turn
when the green man is showing. It is also illegal to cross when the red man
is showing and this can result in an on the spot fine.
Horse drawn carriages - agree the
price before you get in and for how long. Prices can be €100 per hour.
Further Information
Austrian Tourist Office in England/UK
14 Cork Street.
London, W1X 1PF,
Tel: 0171 629-0461 -- Fax: 0171 499-6038 -
 Police,
Fire and Ambulance -
Dial 112 to reach any of the emergency services, or Police 133; Ambulance
144; Fire 122.
The British Embassy is at
British Embassy Consular and Visa Section
Jauresgasse 10
A-1030 Vienna
Tel: (+43 1) 71613-5151
Office hours: Mon - Fri 09.15 -10.15 (Visa & Consular) 14.00 -15.00
Out-of-hours, for British nationals in emergency situations only,
contact the Duty Officer on: 0676 5694012
  Know Before You Go - Travel Advice from the
Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London
We always need feedback from you
the fans.
Contact Talk2Us@365EnglandFans.com
© copyright
www.365EnglandFans.com
|
|
