I felt an instant pang of regret on my most recent Target shopping spree.
21.07.2023 - 08:37 / roughguides.com
As refined as afternoon tea and as sacred as the Japanese tea ceremony, Kaffee und Kuchen – coffee and cake – is the most civilized of Viennese rituals. It is not an experience to be rushed, and should you try, the archetypal grumpy Viennese waiter will surely sabotage your efforts. Kaffee und Kuchen is as much a cultural as a culinary experience.
The cafés are destinations in their own right: the grand, nineteenth-century Café Central, the suave Café Landtmann and the gloomy, bohemian Café Hawelka are as distinct from each other as Topfenstrudel is from Gugelhupf. In these memorable surroundings, there are newspapers to be read and very likely, fevered artistic or political discussions to be had. Trotsky, it is said, planned world revolution over Kaffee und Kuchen in Vienna, though the contrast between the revolutionary intent and the bourgeois trappings must have been richly comic.
The coffee-and-cake culture is unique to Austria. For coffee, you may order a cappuccino, but you’ll endear yourself to your waiter if instead you go for a Mélange, which is the closest Austrian equivalent. The choice is bewildering: there are Einspänner, kleiner or grosser Brauner, and even the Kaisermélange with egg yolk and brandy. Whatever you order, you’ll most likely also get a small glass of water with your coffee.
The cakes are made with care from high-quality ingredients. It doesn’t make them any healthier, but at least it ensures that the assault on your arteries is likely to be an enjoyable one. Apfelstrudel and the unexpectedly bitter, chocolate
Sachertorte are reliable and ubiquitous, ideally eaten with a heap of schlagobers (whipped cream) on the side. More exotic creations include the multilayered almond-sponge Esterhazytorte and the caramel-topped Dobostorte.
For all their sugary delights, an air of gloom pervades many Viennese cafés: part nostalgia for vanished imperial glories but also surely an acknowledgement of the transitory nature of sensual pleasure. Because finishing a hot, pungently sour cherry strudel is a small death, the last delicious forkful as full of sorrow and yearning as anything by Mahler.
Planning a trip to Austria? Don't miss our guide to the best things to do in Austria.
Café Central, 1, Herrengasse 14; Café Landtmann, 1, Dr-Karl-Lueger-Ring 4; Café Hawelka, 1, Dorothe-ergasse 6.
For hundreds more ultimate travel experiences, get Rough Guides' Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth
Top image © Cyndi58/Shutterstock
Use Rough Guides' trusted partners for great rates
I felt an instant pang of regret on my most recent Target shopping spree.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation is on the fast track to growing its brand, its property portfolio and its loyalty partnerships. While not the biggest hospitality company, it is laser-focused on being the best by expanding its geography and listening to customers. Even during the tough pandemic era, Hyatt found opportunity to grow in key markets and evolve with the ever-changing travel landscape. All of this helped position Hyatt for the post-Covid travel boom, benefiting both consumers and investors.
Last month I traveled by train from London to Berlin and back.
After moving from North Carolina to Okinawa in 2022, my family was overwhelmed but fascinated by our surroundings. One familiar monument made us feel right at home: McDonald's two golden arches.
For about the price of a typical single-family home in Mississippi, ultra-rich adventurers can spend three weeks traversing the world via private jet thanks on an Abercrombie & Kent "air cruise."
Last year, we hired a lovely property sleeping eight two miles from Lake Garda. It was in a hamlet with two gorgeous Italian restaurants and a shop selling seemingly everything. We drove from Lincolnshire with our two dogs, in our motorhome. Our three grown-up children and their partners joined us there. The property owner arranged a pasta cooking day with local wine, meat and cheeses. We barely left the villa and the time spent just talking and playing games was priceless. Having nothing but time to chill and talk proved to be our best holiday.Cath Delsignore
Royal Caribbean already operates the world’s largest cruise ship—Wonder of the Seas—but next January it will break that record with Icon of the Seas, which boasts 2,805 staterooms (including more than 1,800 with balconies) and 179 suites. Nearly 1,200 feet long, Icon of the Seas has 20 decks and features a 55-foot-waterfall, multiple pools and waterparks and a “chill island” and a “thrill island”—depending on a passenger’s vibe.
AirHelp, the online service that files complaints against airlines on behalf of passengers entitled to compensation for air delays or cancellations, knows a thing or two about air travel. Because it’s hard for the average person to understand air passenger rights and pursue a legal claim when they’ve been wronged, AirHelp is always going toe-to-toe with airlines and airports—and reveals once a year which ones that treat their passengers for the better (or worse).
With rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft taking over, you might be wondering where in the world it’s still possible to take a cheap taxi. Cabs aren’t dead, yet: These countries still heavily rely on them.
Halfway through my international journalism program at City, University of London, COVID-19 hit. I was forced to move back in with my parents in rural Wales for three months. I then made the impulsive decision to fly to any airport that would take UK travelers. I found myself on the last flight out to Belgrade, Serbia.
If traveling to Europe is on your bucket list for next year, you better make a checklist too.
“There is definitely a moment for every food style but having a simple, well executed meal within a great environment is a great pleasure and surely a form of understated luxury for any food lover.”