Vienna - cool places to go
Discos and pubs
Vienna is full of discos and the like. Beware: nightclubs here are topless/strip bars, and drinks cost a fortune! So look something called disco. The most famous ones are the U4 and the Volksgarten. If the disco has a door man, it’s likely that there’s a dress code, but it is in general comparatively loose. A lot of pubs and restaurants have clubbing rooms, and the techno-electronica scene in Wien is particularly interesting, with a lot of clubs to choose from.
The "Bermuda Triangle"is an area near Schwedenplatz, known in German as Bermuda Dreieck, is the old Jewish Quarter. Especially the streets around Ruprechtskirche are packed with clubs and bars, the most famous of which are the Bermuda Bräu, the Krah and the Kaktus; in many places you can dance, and you can find cheap food also. Some of the most stylish clubs have selective admission.
The Donauinsel is an island on the Danube river. It can be reached from the U1 station with the same name. There are a lot of pubs, restaurants, discos, salsa and cocktail bars. Good time is guaranteed, especially in the warm season. Another area with interesing bars is Spittelberg area in the 7th district- (Underground U2/3, Volkstheater station).
The Prater
The Prater is a big park, with an amusement park with one of Europe’s most famous panoramic wheels, with a great view on the city. The amusement park is great for families during the day, while the entertainment becomes more targeted for adults in the evening. There are several rides, and some are very modern and scary. Great place if you enjoy vomiting your lunch while riding fast at some metres from the ground! Again, be careful at night, the Prater is one of the few places in Vienna which can be a little dangerous.
Opera House (Staatsoper)
Maybe an Opera House is not everyone’s concept of cool, but this is one of the best Opera Houses in the world, and since one of the leading factor in travelling to Vienna is interest in classical music you’ll probably be interested in it. It was built between 1861 and 1869 by the architects Eduard van der Nüll and August von Sicardsburg; it was so badly received by the population that the former committed suicide and the latter died before the Opera House opened doors. In spite of this, it has been rebuilt faithfully after its destruction during World War II. It has one of the best traditions in the world, having had directors such as Mahler, Richard Strauss, von Karajan and, more recently, Claudio Abbado. You can visit it as a tourist by day, but if you want to get a ticket to see opera or ballet you’ll have to book well in advance. For this purpose, you can visit the Opera House site at www.wiener-staatsoper.at. By the way, for those interested in high-society kitsch, every February the Staatsoper hosts the debutantes ball, where the cream of Wien gathers to introduce 100 or so girls into ’society’, with the obligatory Strauss waltzes, flowers and white dresses.
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