| Everyone knows that as soon as a perfectly rational | | | | Tourist Trap #4: Cafe Central |
| human being goes on holiday, they lose all common | | | | Cafe Central was one of Vienna's most venerable |
| sense and end up buying trinkets and knick-knacks at | | | | coffee houses. Intellectuals and authors such as Peter |
| astronomically priced souvenir shops. You've probably | | | | Altenberg, Theodor Herzl, Egon Friedell, Hugo von |
| also visited a tourist mecca and heard all about | | | | Hofmannsthal, Anton Kuh, Vladimir Lenin, Adolf Loos |
| can't-miss shows and sights - only to shell out a wad | | | | and Leon Trotsky would meet here to discuss |
| of money and leave sorely disappointed. Vienna is no | | | | politics, philosophy, economics and the like. With such |
| different. However, I'm here to help you steer clear | | | | famous patrons, long history and a beautiful |
| of vacation letdowns and find Vienna highlights. | | | | atmosphere, it's no wonder that every tourist guide |
| Tourist Trap #1: The Lipizzaner Horse Shows | | | | recommends it. However, all of this is slightly |
| The Spanish Riding School was founded in 1572, | | | | deceiving. The real Cafe Central was located in |
| making it the oldest and most prestigious in the | | | | another part of the building, the Palais Ferstel, and |
| world. With beautiful Baroque architecture nestled | | | | closed at the end of WWII. Although you'll see these |
| within the Hofburg palace, the architecture alone is | | | | celebrities of old beaming at you from informative |
| worth visit - not to mention the majestic Lipizzan | | | | signs around the cafe, they never actually sat at |
| horses. However, before you pay up to 173 euros | | | | your table. In addition, there's really nothing special |
| for the performance (don't bother with a cheap or | | | | about this cafe. The architecture's pretty, but the |
| standing ticket - all you'll see are people's heads and a | | | | food/drinks are mediocre and in my opinion not |
| few white specks pirouetting about), why not watch | | | | worth the inflated prices. If you want a to visit a |
| their morning training? You'll see the horses up close | | | | Viennese coffee house, try Cafe Prückel or |
| and personal (12 euros) or add a guided tour of the | | | | Cafe Hawelka, where they have fresh Buchteln, |
| stables with a combo ticket (26 euros). | | | | sweet yeast dough dumplings with jam fillings. Under |
| Tourist Trap #2: Grinzing - or any other restaurants | | | | no circumstances should you choose a Starbuck's and |
| with tour buses in the parking lot | | | | thereby pass up the opportunity to experience the |
| You'll want to try authentic Viennese cuisine while | | | | unique personality of each Viennese coffee house. |
| visiting Vienna, and there's no better place than a | | | | Tourist Trap #5: Any souvenir shop in Vienna's 1st |
| traditional Heurige (wine tavern/restaurant). One main | | | | district - the city center |
| Viennese attraction is Grinzing, a collection of Heurige | | | | I know, I know - you're in Vienna, one of Europe's |
| in the vineyards overlooking Vienna. Instead of | | | | most beautiful cities. You've traveled around, seen |
| jostling past hordes of Japanese tourists, you'll be | | | | the sights, had a fantastic time and want a keepsake |
| much happier venturing just outside Vienna to | | | | to remind you of your stay here. However, before |
| Heurigefrequented by locals. There are great Heurige | | | | you decide to purchase a Klimt poster for 50 euros |
| in Austria's Weinviertel (Wine Quarter) in | | | | (there are some great poster/print shops in Vienna), |
| Stammersdorf and Hagenbrunn or in the picturesque | | | | why not reflect on a) whether you really need it and |
| town of Perchtoldsdorf to the south. All of these | | | | b) if you're wasting hard-earned money on a real |
| villages are within easy reach of Vienna. | | | | piece of Austrian culture, probably manufactured |
| Tourist Trap #3: Hotel Sacher | | | | cheaply in China. My advice: don't even bother walking |
| While in Vienna, one must try the world-famous | | | | into a souvenir shop in the city center - there's |
| Sachertorte. This world famous dessert consists of | | | | nothing you need there and it's not worth the price. |
| two layers of chocolate cake separated by a layer | | | | So, before you take that snow globe to the cash |
| of apricot jam in the middle and covered in a dark | | | | register, try out some of the following places for |
| chocolate glaze. Now, Hotel Sacher holds the right to | | | | some unique Viennese keepsakes: |
| the "Original Sachertorte," which makes it the most | | | | Museumsquartier Gift Shop: out-of-the ordinary |
| expensive, but definitely not the best. While Cafe | | | | memorabilia, cool, but not necessarily inexpensive |
| Sacher, located directly across from the State Opera | | | | Naschmarkt: why not take home some Austrian |
| House, offers a sumptous atmosphere, if it's a really | | | | specialties like schnapps or pumpkinseed oil? |
| good Sachertorte you're after, then I'd personally | | | | Antique shops: there are fantastic finds hiding just |
| recommend L. Heiner, located at Wollzeile 9 or | | | | beyond the city center - especially in districts 4, 6, |
| Tirolerhof in the city center. | | | | and 7. |