Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
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U3: Neubaugasse. From the stop, the bookstore is off Mariahilfer Str. English books €8-11. Open M-F 10am-6pm, Sa 10am-4pm.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICES: The Vienna Card, opera and theater tickets, and other brochures are available. (1 24 555 www.vienna.info Located in the Inner Stadt, Albertinapl. across from the Albertina museum, behind the Opera House. Hotel reservations €2.90. Open daily 9am-7pm.)
• EMBASSIES: Australia (IV, Mattiellistr. 2-4. 1 506 740 www.australian-embassy.at Open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm.), Canada (I, Laurenzerberg 2 1 531 38 30 00 www.kanada.at Open M-F 8:30am-12:30pm and 1:30-3:30pm.), UK (III, Jauresgasse 12 1 716 130 www.britishembassy.at Open M-F 9am-1pm and 2-5pm.), and US (IX, Boltzmanngasse 16 1 313 390 www.usembassy.at Open M-F 8-11:30am.).
• INTERNET CAFES: künstlerhauskino wien - internetcafé (Karlspl. 5. 587 96 63 19 €1.60 per 30min. Open daily 11am-9pm.) and Surf land.c@fe (Krugerstr. 10 512 77 01 €6 per hr. Photocopy €0.50. Color copy €1. Printing €0.30 per page. Open daily Apr-Oct 10am-11pm; Nov-Mar 10am-10pm.).
• POST OFFICE: The main office (Hauptpotamt) is located in the Inner Stadt. (Fleishmarkt 19 0577 677 10 10 Other branches are located throughout the city; look for the yellow signs and post boxes. Open M-F 7am-10pm, Sa-Su 9am-10pm.)
• POSTAL CODES: 1010 (Inner Stadt) through 1023 (District XXIII).
Emergency!
• POLICE: (133)
• AMBULANCE: (144)
• FIRE: (122)
• PHYSICIAN: (141) Physicians Hotline for Visitors: (513 9595 24hr.)
• EMERGENCY DENTAL: (512 20 78 Service on nights and weekends.)
• PHARMACY: (15 50 Open on nights and weekends.)
Getting There
By Plane
Vienna is centrally located in Europe and as a result is quite easy to reach via plane. Vienna-Schwechat Airport (Wien-Schwechat Flughafen. 7007 222 33 www.viennaairport.at) is home to Austrian Airlines (www.austrian.com), which runs non-stop flights from most major cities in Europe to Vienna multiple times a day. Other airlines that fly to Vienna include British Airways (www.britishairways.com), easyJet (www.easyjet.com), Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com), Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com), KLM (www.klm.com), Air France (www.airfrance.com), and United Airlines (www.united.com).
One of the least stressful ways to reach the city center after a long flight is with the City Airport Train (CAT, www.cityairporttrain.com). It brings you to Wien Mitte in a mere 16min., from which you can then connect to the U4 underground line at Landstr. The CAT runs every half hour. ( From the airport to the city daily 5:38am-11:38pm. From the city to the airport daily 6:05am-12:05am. One-way €9, round-trip €16; with a Vienna Card €7.50/15. On board tickets cost €12. Children under 14 ride free.)
In addition to the CAT, the Schellbahn (S-7 or S-8) runs into the city as well, though it’s a bit trickier. The trains going to the city should read “Wien Mitte,” “Wien Nord,” or “Florisdorf,” while the train to the airport should have a “Flughafen” or “Wolfsthal” sign. ( One-way tickets (2 zones) €4.40, bought in advance €3.60. With the Vienna card €2.20/1.80.)
Airport Express Buses also shuttle between various places in the city center and the airport and take about 20min. (www.postbus.at 1 7007 323 00, 517 17 One-way €6, children €3, Vienna Cardholders €5. Round trip €11/5.50/10. Every 30min., 5am-midnight.)
By Train
There are a number of train stations located throughout the city that serve as major hubs for both local and international trains.
Sudbahnhof
If you are wondering where the Sudbahnhof went, in short, it’s gone. But don’t freak out just yet. Since 2009, the Sudbahnhof has been under construction, and a shining new Vienna Central Station will take the place of this defunct station. The VCS is scheduled for completion in 2013. During construction, the eastern portion of Sudbahnhof (Ostbahn) will remain running, serving eastern bound trains to destinations like Bratislava.
Westbahnhof
The Westbahnhof is also undergoing construction and large portions are closed until 2011, but all the normal destinations are still active. This includes trains to other parts of Austria (Innsbruck, Salzburg) as well as international destinations including Hungary (Budapest), Germany (Munich, Hamburg, Berlin), and Switzerland (Zurich). The airport buses and taxis ranks still drop off and pick up in from the station, and you can easily connect to the U3 or U6 underground lines as well as Tram #lines 5, 6, 9, 18, 52, and 58. Westbahnhof also still has ticket windows and machines, an ÖBB Travel Centre, luggage storage, shops, cafes, and an information point in operation.
Wien Meidling
In Vienna’s District XII, Wien Meidling lies at the end of Meidlinger Haupstr. and serves international destinations in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany. It has taken over all the local arrivals and departures that previously used the Sudbahnhof and also connects to the U6 Station Philadelphiabrücke, Tram #62, Bus lines 7A, 7B, 8A, 9A, 15A, 59A, and 62A, and S-bahn lines S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S9, and S15. Wien Meidling has taxi stands, luggage lockers, ticket machines, an ÖBB Travel Centre, and an information desk.
Wien Mitte
The City Airport Train arrives at Wien Mitte, where you can easily connect to the U3 and U4 underground lines and multiple S-bahn lines.
Getting Around
If you are staying in the city, a car is definitely not needed. Save the parking money and buy yourself a drink.
By Wiener Linien
The public transportation system in Vienna—the Wiener Linien (www.wienerlinien.at)—is extensive, reliable, and safe. It consists of the U-Bahn (underground), trams (above ground), and buses. The Vienna Card (available in hotels and at the tourist information center on Albertinapl. and the airport for €18.50), gives you 72hr. of unlimited transportation access within the city as well as over 200 discounts on other sights. Other useful transportation tickets include the 24hr. season ticket ( €5.70), the 48hr. season ticket ( €10), the 72hr. season ticket ( €13.60), and monthly ( €49.50). A single ride costs €1.80. For the U-Bahn, buy your ticket at the multilingual machines and validate it (stamp it) at the little blue boxes before reaching the platforms. Single tickets for trams and buses can be purchased on board for €2.20, coins only. The five U-Bahn lines run on weekdays from 5am to midnight, while the buses and trams end a bit earlier. Check the Wiener Linien website for exact schedules of specific lines. In September 2010, the U-Bahn lines started to run all night on Fridays and Saturdays in addition to the night buses that already reach a large portion of the city.
By Taxi
Because the public transportation system is so extensive, taxis are not entirely necessary, but they come in handy when the Nightbus is elusive. Some taxi numbers include 4000 011 11, 4000 010 00 (Inner Stadt), 601 60, 401 00, and 313 00, although the best bet is to pick one on the street. (All accredited taxis in the city are known to be reliable.) In the Inner Stadt, taxis cluster on Rotenturmstrasse and Schwedenplatz near the nightlife, but they also wait outside other well-known clubs in the core and outer districts. Taxis have set rates for the airport, and there are some that are exclusively airport taxis: C and K (444 44) and Airportdriver (22 8 22) run €35-48, depending on the number of passengers. An Austria-wide taxi number is 1718.
By Bike
Because of Vienna’s manageable size, bikes are extremely common in the warmer spring and summer months, and there are safe bikepaths (over 1100km total) throughout the city. Citybike is a public bike-rental system with over 60 stands located around the city, usually close to public transportation hubs. To rent a CityBike, tourists need the CityBike Tourist card (unless you somehow have a MasterCard or Visa associated with an Austrian bank). Royal Tours (Herrengasse 1-3) and Pedal Power (Ausstellunstr. 3) offer the cards for €2 per day, but it’s worth asking your hostel or hotel as well. (From €4 per hr.)
By Suburban Train
The suburban train network (Austrian Federal Railways, ÖBB
) is also extensive and provides swift and easy access to the surrounding towns and countryside. These trains require different tickets than the inner-city public transport, but all the stations have the multilingual machines or ticket counters. Single rides start at €1.80 for nearby towns, such as Mödling.
klosterneuburg
2243
According to legend, Klosterneuburg Monastery was built when Margrave Leopold III found his wife’s wedding veil that she had lost nine years earlier. It was hanging from an elderberry tree somewhere between the Vienna Woods and the Danube, and at that moment, the Virgin Mary appeared and commanded Leopold to construct a monastery in her honor. Thus the magnificent Abbey came into being. Over 900-years-old, Klosterneubug Abbey is at the heart of the small city of Klosterneuburg, located 10km up the Danube from Vienna. Around it, a selection of streets with shops and cafes have a small-town flavor; there are just enough large grocery stores to prevent the town from feeling as archaic as the abbey. Access to the town is easy via public transportation, making Klosterneuburg a popular daytrip from Vienna.
ORIENTATION
Wiener Str. is the main highway toward the town center, along which the bus #239 drives and the City Train runs parallel. On this street, with the city behind you, the Essl Museum will come up first on the right, and the abbey will be further ahead on the left. In the town center, Wiener Str. turns into Neidermarkt, where multiple bus stops and tourist information center can be found around a small plaza. Neidermarkt then curves left uphill and turns into Stadtpl., another main artery with the city’s shops and cafes. Bus #239 runs along Stadtpl. toward Maria Gugging, a neighboring town about 8km further into the Vienna countryside.
SIGHTS
KLOSTERNEUBURG ABBEY
Stiftspl. 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg
CHURCH, WINERY
2243 44 12 12 www.stift-klosterneuburg.at
The most frequented sight in the town of Klosterneuburg, the abbey houses an elaborate church, the Verdun Altar, and Austria’s oldest and largest winery below. If you have some hours to spare, it’s a good deal to invest in the Stiftsticket, which will allow you to tour-hop the whole day.
It’s the huge monastery with 2 towers. The Sacred Tour including the Church and Verdun Altar is the only tour offered in English. The self-guided “Imperial Tour” through the imperial rooms has English explanations. Tours €5-9, students €4-6. Stiftsticket tour €14/10. Open daily 9am-6pm. Sacred Tour Sa and Su 2pm.
ESSL MUSEUM
An der Donau - Au 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg
ART MUSEUM
2243 37 05 01 50 www.essl.museum
Agnes and Karlhienz Essl have collected over 7,000 works of art during their lifetimes, and it is their primary wish to share and educate others about the world of contemporary art (hence the free shuttle bus and free entry for students). The Essls are highly involved in the organization of the permanent collection as well as the program of visiting artists (all of whom they have met while traveling). In 2011, look forward to two special exhibits featuring up-and-coming artists from India and from New York.
A free shuttle bus (25min.) leaves from Vienna at Albertinapl. 2 at 10am, noon, 2, and 4pm. Return shuttle buses to the city leave the museum at 11am, 1, 3, and 6pm. Students, retirees, and unemployed free. Adults €5. Family €9. W 6-9pm free. Open Tu 10am-6pm, W 10am-9pm, Th-Su 10am-6pm.
MUSEUM GUGGING
Am Campus 2, 3400 Maria Gugging
MUSEUM, GALLERY
2243 870 87 www.gugging.at
Museum Gugging was established as a showcase for the artwork of the neighboring Haus de Kunstler, where mentally ill patients are given a voice through artistic expression. Their work—mostly drawing and painting—has revolutionized the field of “Art Brut,” popularizing artists such as Johann Hauser. The upstairs museum is paired with the downstairs Galerie Gugging, where visitors can purchase selected artworks.
U4: Heiligenstadt or bus #239: ART/Brut Center Gugging. Follow the signs for the museum and gallery up the really big hill. €7, seniors €5.50, students €5, family €14, children under 6 free. Open Tu-Su Jan-May and Sept-Dec 10am-5pm; June-Aug 10am-6pm.
FOOD
HOTEL ANKER
Niedermarkt 5, 3400 Klosterneuburg
RESTOBAR
2243 32 13 40 www.hotel-anker.at
Hotel Anker offers meat, potatoes, and beer at more reasonable prices than the few other sit-down restaurants located in town. Many locals enjoy Hotel Anker as a regular smoking and drinking establishment, so don’t expect white tablecloths and crystal wine glasses. The staff will kindly offer you an English menu and satisfyingly greasy french fries.
Behind the bus stop, across from the train tracks in Klosterneuburg. Entrees €6.50-13. Open daily 10am-11pm.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
Everything you need is on the main street, Stadtplatz, or Niedermarkt, where the train and buses drop off. Along Stadtpl., there are a number of 24hr. ATMs (bankomats) and full-service branches of Bank Austria and Este Bank. Grocery stores (Spar, Billa), pharmacies (Bipa, dm), cafes and specialty shops are all located along Stadtpl.
• TOURIST OFFICES: The tourist office can give you maps and information on rooms. (Niedermarkt 4 2243 320 38).
Getting There
If you are planning on visiting the Essl Museum in Klosterneuburg, take advantage of the free shuttle to and from the museum. From the Essl Museum, you can walk down the street to Klosterneuburg town center or take the bus #239 one stop. If you are not planning on visiting the Essl, Klosterneuburg is also easily accessible by public transportation. Take the U4 to Heiligenstadt, then pick up bus #239 toward Klosterneuburg/Maria Gugging. The City Train (S40) also runs to the town and drops off right near the bus stops in the town center.
mödling
2258
A small town on the edge of the Vienna Woods (Weinerwald), Mödling offers a peaceful atmosphere from which to taking hiking trips or explorations of nature. In reality, the neighboring towns like Hitnerbruhl and Heiligenkruez have more desirable sights, including the underground lake of Seegrotte and the picturesque Cistercian Abbey against a backdrop of green mountains. Mödling itself is a low-key town, with pleasant pedestrian streets ideal for an afternoon walk—or a wedding?! According to statistics, Mödling is the marriage capital of Lower Austria, with over 1200 ceremonies each year. If you are ridin’ solo, Mödling is better known as the summer destination of Beethoven, who wrote Missa Solemnis at the Hafner House at Haupstr. 79. There are a few other museums in town, as well as the swimming pools of Stadtbad at Badstr. 25, but these constitute more of a children’s water park than a relaxing spa, so it’s best to get out into the surrounding wilderness.
ORIENTATION
Exiting right from the Mödling train station, a left at the first intersection with lights will put you on Hauptstrasse, the town’s main thoroughfare with restaurants, shops, banks, and supermarkets. A walk up Haupstr. (with the building numbers increasing) will bring you through Jospeh Deutsch Platz and Freiheitsplatz to the network of pedestrian streets and the Hauptplatz, where the tourist information office is found.
SIGHTS
SEEGROTTE
Grutschgasse 2a
UNDERGROUND LAKE, CAVE
2236 263 64 www.seegrotte.at
Set in the Vienna Woods, the former gypsum mine is now Europe’s largest underground lake, and attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually (including lots of school groups). The mine experienced its most prominent 15 minutes of fame as the filming location for the 1993 movie, The Three Musketeers; parts of the set are still intact to prove it, including a viking-style boat. The caves and lake are only accessible via a tour, which takes you through the mines and on a boatride around the lake. The mines are nine degrees Celsius, so be sure to bring a jacket.
Bus #364 or #365: Hinterbruhl Seegrotte. From the stop, continue along the street in the same direction as the bus, then make your 1st right at the Seegrotte cafe. You will see to
ur buses and the Seegrotte entrance will be down the street in front of you. €9, children 4-14 €6, children under 4 free. Family (2 adults and 2 children) €24. Group rates (20+ people) available. Blanket rental €0.50. Open Apr-Oct M-Su 8:30am-5pm; Nov-Mar M-F 9am-3pm, Sa-Su 9am-3:30pm. English tours usually at noon.
STIFT HEILIGENKREUZ
Zisterzienserabtei Stift Heiligenkreuz
ABBEY, CHURCH
2258 870 31 38 www.stift-heiligenkreuz.at
While the grounds and courtyards are free to explore, it’s worth taking the tour to see inside this Abbey, currently home to over 80 monks. The tour journeys through the cloister, reading corridor, chapels, chapterhouse, fountain house, and sacristy, culminating in the magnificent Abbey Church which has garnered much attention for its unique blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles. In the sacristy, be sure to look closely at the inlaid woodwork of the cabinets, handcrafted by two monks over the course of 20 years.