Walking Gay Vienna – Keep Calm and Wander

Walking Gay Vienna - Keep Calm and Wander

Here’s my own walking tour of gay Vienna – using the map I picked up at the tourism office at the train station. If you are arriving by train, don’t forget to drop by the tourism office and ask what you could do for a day or three in the city. The nice lady recommended and handed me a map of a two-hour walking tour. She patiently answered my questions and even gave a few coupons I could use. But, of course, I didn’t depend on the map alone. I had help from Google maps, too. 😉

I recommend that before you embark on your own walking tour, make sure to find these places in order. It will save you time, especially if you are not good at reading maps – like me. 😀

Vienna State Opera House

There is no better place to start my walking tour but here on a Saturday morning. This is not just a historical Rennaissance building, but this is the center of Austrian arts. Waltz originated in Vienna and world-renowned composers, like Mozart and Beethoven, found their homes here.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Vienna Gay Travel Resources

The Stephansdom Cathedral in Vienna – Keep Calm and Wander

The Stephansdom in Vienna is, perhaps, the most-visited of all tourist attractions in the city. Apart from its towering Gothic tower, its multi-colored roof tiles are ones that you will recognize instantly. When I asked a friend who lives there now on where I can take a photo with my rainbow wig, she didn’t blink an eye to highly recommend this Cathedral. And being an obedient friend, I went there early morning to avoid the crowd. 

The Stephansdom cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Vienna. For visitors, they call it St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

As you can see from its facade, the Cathedral is obviously of a Gothic architectural style. 

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Austria Gay Travel Resources

Life & Art in Queer Vienna – Passport Magazine

Vienna - Pixabay

If you plan on visiting Vienna in 2018, you’re in for a treat. This year, the city will be celebrating the lives and artistic creations of Klimt, Schiele, Moser, and Wagner. These virtuosos, who coincidentally all died in 1918, together help make Wien a mecca for fine arts that continues to this day.

As a destination for art lovers, the Belvedere Museum & Palace (www.belvedere.at) is a banquet. Walking through its galleries, one gets the feeling the ghost of Gustav Klimt is present. The museum was built in the 18th century for Prince Eugene of Savoy as a summer residence; the prince, who was gay, had numerous palaces built during his reign. This one is sprawling and majestic, the very definition of palatial. It comprises two imposing white buildings overlooking extensive formal gardens, a large pond, and elaborate statuary and fountains.

Featured here is Klimt’s most famous “The Kiss” and many other of his works. Also on display are paintings by other artists, hanging in galleries on a background of dark red wallpaper under the sparkle of Vienna’s ubiquitous crystal chandeliers. Kokoschka, Klimt’s friend and a member of his inner circle, is represented here, as is the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, his contemporary. There is also a comprehensive collection of the statues of the contorted faces created by the 18th-century artist Franz Xaver Messerschmidt.

Literally, days can be spent exploring the works in the upper and lower buildings. It’s also one of the only museums to allow visitors to photograph its masterpieces.

Find more of Klimt at the newer Leopold Museum (www.leopoldmuseum.org), which offers the largest collection of modern Austrian art; the Secession Building (www.secession.at) that features Klimit’s notable “Beethoven Frieze”; and at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (www.khm.at/en) where his frescoes are displayed. There are also images of his works on watches, dishes, pads, and pens everywhere you look.

By Marlene Fanta Shyer – Full Story at Passport Magazine

Austria Gay Travel Resources

Eating Out: Austria – Passport Magazine

Austria - Pixabay

I ask an American what is considered quintessential Austrian cuisine, and you’re likely to get a furrowed brow. At roughly 32,000 square miles (think South Carolina, but landlocked), the country shares borders and cultural influences with the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Slovakia. In its heyday, the Austrian Empire was one of the most powerful in Europe, ruled by the Habsburgs for nearly six centuries. The declared war against Serbia marked the beginning of World War I, and by 1918 the dynasty was history. Nazi invasion followed and an eventual restoration of autonomy with the help of the Allied Forces.

Sitting at the epicenter of Europe’s evershifting alliances has tested Austria’s resiliency, but it has also laid the groundwork for culinary inspiration drawn from historical trade routes and centuries-old farming and agriculture industries. I recently visited the land of Wiener schnitzel and pumpkinseed oil in search of Austria’s best bites, and to taste how the country is keeping pace with 21stcentury gastronomy trends, while still maintaining its authentic traditions.

Vienna is Europe’s unsung hero for stunning Gothic, baroque, and modern architecture. It also boasts the Ringstrasse, a three-mile circular road where you can find the Vienna State Opera, the Museum of Fine Arts, and other Insta-worthy landmarks. Commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1857, it is the symbol of the city’s penchant for the finer things in life and still serves as an anchor for Vienna’s bustling and sophisticated lifestyle.

I begin my edible excursion by checking into the Grand Ferdinand (Schubertring 10-12. Tel: +43-1-91880. www.grandferdinand.com), hotelier Florian Weitzer’s opulent reimagining of several adjacent 1950’s office buildings. Its showcase restaurant, Meissl & Schadn (www.meisslundschadn.at), pays homage to the legendary namesake hotel and restaurant that opened in Vienna in 1896 but didn’t survive the city’s World War II bombing. History is reborn with classic recipes served in a dramatic setting featuring wicker chairs, tiled pillars, low-hanging chandeliers, and crisp white linens.

But it’s the sound of veal cutlets pounded into plate-size portions in the salon kitchen that gives Meissl & Schaden its signature Viennese flair. Dipped in free-range eggs then coated in breadcrumbs, the Wiener schnitzel sizzles away (in your choice of clarified butter, lard, or neutral vegetable oil) until crispy. Finished with a hearty squeeze of lemon, it embodies the essence of classic Austrian cuisine.

By Matthew Wexler – Full Story at Passport Magazine

LOCATION Gay Travel Resources

Exploring Gay Vienna

gay Vienna One of the best ways to get the most out of a visit to a new destination is to source some local advice and guidance on what’s good – where you should stay, what you should do, what are some of the hidden treats and experiences that only the locals seem to know about. The Austrian capital of Vienna has long been one of our favorite European cities – with its solid grandeur, stunning buildings, and sense of history, together with a cafe culture and appreciation of the arts that is hard to match. Here’s a quick guide to some of the essentials: Coffee This city is obsessed with coffee. Not in an Italian, fussy-about-quality kind of way, but the Viennese pride themselves on offering all sorts of inventive ways of serving coffee — most seem to come with a huge dollop of cream and a slug of alcohol. Our favourites were the Mozart Kaffee (a short, strong coffee, topped with some whipped cream and accompanied by a small bottle of Mozart chocolate liqueur that you pour on top); the Maria Christina Kaffee (pretty much the same except the alcohol is an apricot liqueur); and the Franz Landtmann Kaffee (a double espresso with brandy, coffee liqueur, whipped cream and cinnamon). Cafés Of course, coffee is served in cafés, and Vienna has an extraordinary café culture. From the iconic but touristy Café Central (where Freud reportedly spent a lot of time); to the locals’ favourite Café Diglas which has the most amazing selection of cakes; to the more commercial Café de l’Europe, Café Mozart or Café Landtmann — you really can while away hours in Vienna’s cafés, eating, reading, and talking.

Full Story at Gay Star News

Austria Gay Travel Resources

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Seven Cool Places to Take a Date in Vienna

Vienna - Pixabay Vienna’s status as one of the leading European LGBTI destinations didn’t peak with the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, you know. Yes, the fierce and fabulous bearded lady Conchita Wurst put her hometown on the map when she won it in 2014. And yes, the Austrian capital did a fantastically camp job of hosting the following year. (Followed by Stockholm last year and, erm, Kiev this year). But the reverberations of Vienna’s moment in the gay sun can still be felt today. This city of roughly 1.7 million is wonderfully, truly LGBTI-friendly. Even the traffic lights are gay. But, in its way, it’s friendly towards everyone. Perhaps because the people who live here are really, really happy. Vienna topped Mercer’s 2016 Quality of Living Ranking, measuring the happiness of city-dwellers around the world. In the country proper, things aren’t perfect. A far-right political trend is gaining momentum, and same-sex marriage is still not legal, although Austria introduced civil partnerships in 2010.

By Jamie Tabberer – Full Story at Gay Star News

Austria Gay Travel Resources

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Vienna in Mascara and Heels

Vienna Think mascara is only good as make-up? Think again! The Viennese drag queen and burlesque performer, Tamara Mascara, is here to give her top tips about having a great time in Vienna. A full-on shopping trip on Mariahilfer Strasse is an absolute must for a perfect day in the city on the Danube. “The Phil on Gumpendorferstrasse is a great place for a break: Bookstore, cafe and bar in one. Students and hipsters love it. The Felixx just around the corner is a cozy place to round off your shopping spree …” After dropping off the shopping bags at Tamara’s apartment and getting all dolled up, it’s time to start the evening out with dinner at the revolving Danube Tower Restaurant – fantastic 360* panorama included! “I can warmly recommend Cafe Berg for dinner – it’s totally gay friendly.

Full Story at Pink News

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Austria’s Stunning Lake Wörthersee

Lake Wörthersee It doesn’t matter if I am hiking, cycling or swimming in the crystal-clear waters or lying on a lounger drinking beer and eating ice cream, Lake Lake Wörthersee always makes me feel healthier. It’s the freshness of the alpine lake, the scent of pine trees carried in the warm summer breeze and the towering mountains all around. Located in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia, this is one of the region’s largest lakes at around 20km long and 1-2kim wide. Most holidaymakers stay in or around the pretty town of Velden on the western end. The regional capital of Klagenfurt is on the eastern end.

By Tris Reid-Smith – Full Story at Gay Star News

Austria Gay Travel Resources

Photo: © Austrian National Tourist Office]]>

Fairytale Vienna

Vienna It’s been named the city with the world’s highest quality of life in a recent ranking and is famed for its fairytale atmosphere – but there’s more to Vienna than initially meets the eye. The Austrian capital’s rich history is rife with gay figures, setting the scene for it’s modern status as the country’s epicenter of gay life. And which better place to choose than a city of stunning beauty, bursting with palaces and well-kept parks as much as clubs and bars, known for residents who aren’t just fond of but perfected the coffeehouse culture. Gay life in Vienna is all about the districts of Mariahilf (sixth district) and Margareten (fifth district) with the Wienzeile, the twin roads running either side of the River Wien, marking the districts’ border. With its borders roughly marked by the U-Bahn stations Karlsplatz and Pilgramstrasse, the center of Vienna’s gay quarter appears in the form of the Naschmarkt – the name literally translates as snack or nibbles market (albeit more of the sweet kind), but it offers everything, from fruit to clothes and a fun flea market.

By Stefanie Gerde – Full Story at Gay Star News

Austria Gay Travel Resources

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