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Heartbeat Streets.
Fall in Love with Vienna's Neighborhoods
In 2024, Vienna will celebrate its local neighborhoods, or Grätzel as the locals here call them. They areplaces where people gather to meet, to interact and to be creative. Diverse, multicultural and authentic.
The upcoming focus program will shine a spotlight on the neighborhoods that lie off the beaten path formost tourists –“Heartbeat Streets. Fall in Love with Vienna’s Neighborhoods”.
In Berlin the word is Kiez, New York has its Neighborhoods, Madrid its barrios – while Vienna’sneighborhoods are referred to as “Grätzel”. Originally derived from the obsolete word “gereiz”, whichmeant “perimeter”, it describes a small, inner-city unit consisting of several streets. Most of the Grätzel emerged from the former settlements outside what was then the city center and is now the firstdistrict. The centers of these Grätzel are mostly defined by markets or main squares, as well as by
the streets leading to them. What makes Vienna’s Grätzel unique is that they often have no official
boundaries, no beginning and no end.
Even if there are some common features, each district has a unique combination of architecture, urban feeling, culinary and shopping offerings and, above all, people. Each Grätzel has its own
attractions, its particular crowd, its unique character and charm. It is precisely these elements thatare responsible for making the world-renowned Viennese attitude to life so tangible in each neighborhood. Each plays a role of its own for both residents and visitors in cosmopolitan Vienna.
Temporary neighbors: dive into local communities
What makes a Grätzel unique is a sense of togetherness. This is not reserved just for residents.
In Vienna’s Grätzel, you are a temporary neighbor and not just a visitor. Here you can feel like a true
Viennese and discover the authentic Vienna. Vienna’s Grätzel are places to meet, where the cityshows itself to be a modern, diverse and liberal-minded metropolis.
Jewish culture, modern architecture and Viennese originals
In 2024, the spotlight will shine on eleven unique Grätzel that could not be more different fromeach other (in alphabetical order):1. Freihausviertel (4th district) – a creative cosmos: Just a stone’s throw from the Naschmarkt, this Grätzel with its laid-back stores and eateries is a hot-spot for Vienna’s creativescene. Modern galleries on Schleifmühlgasse and trendy shops create a lively combination.

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The reputation of the Café Anzengruber precedes it. Stefanie Herkner is a Viennese nativeand offers cuisine to match in her restaurant Zur Herknerin. This neighborhood is also hometo the Third Man Museum. The legendary Freihausviertelfest takes place every year at theend of June.
2. Gußhausviertel & Karlsplatz (4th district) – Gründerzeit (“founders period”) andViennese history: The spectacular new Wien Museum and the baroque Karlskirche (Churchof St. Charles) constitute the entrée for this neighborhood, which is dominated by Gründerzeit architecture. The eponymous Gußhaus, a cannon foundry, was built in 1750. Today
it is an institute of the Vienna University of Technology. Its culinary delights range frominternational gourmet cuisine at Z’SOM to traditional Viennese fare at Gasthaus Buchecker& Sohn.
3. Karmeliterviertel (2nd district) – cool and kosher: This neighborhood is still home to alively Jewish community to this day. Jewish history is tangible on every street corner. There
are outstanding culinary offerings at the Karmelitermarkt in the heart of the Grätzel and in
the streets surrounding it: Tewa serves organic Mediterranean cuisine, while Skopik & Lohn
specializes in cold bar food and one of Vienna’s most legendary schnitzels. The Museumof Crime awaits devoted crime fans, while the baroque Augarten caters to those in searchof relaxation.
4. Kutschkermarkt (18th district) – sophisticated and organic: It is one of the last remaining
street markets in Vienna and is located in the up-market 18th district. It is particularly worth
a visit on Saturdays, when the permanent market stalls are joined by farmers from thesurrounding region selling their produce, which ranges from fruit to fish and is often grown
or reared organically. The farmers’ market underwent expansion as part of a project in fall
2023. The upper end of the family-friendly market has been landscaped, pedestrianized
and thereby made more climate-friendly. Atlantis Fish runs a restaurant here in addition toa market stall. The best place to watch the hustle and bustle is from the garden of Café
Himmelblau. The new Kutsch market restaurant opened at the beginning of September.
5. Meidlinger Markt (12th district) – rugged charm: The Meidlinger Markt is a distinct contrast to the Kutschkermarkt. This is where you will find the authentic face of Vienna. Locatedin the inner-city working-class Meidling district, in addition to traditional market stalls it alsooffers a gourmet restaurant: the Wirtschaft am Markt takes its cue from the atmosphere ofthis Grätzel and offers Viennese cuisine with an international touch. Here’s a tip for you:the Meidlinger Markt is located on the route to Schönbrunn Palace. This makes it a perfectstop-off point for a short rest from sightseeing.
6. Seestadt (22nd district) – a lakeside utopia: A neighborhood of the future is currently
being built in this city on the Danube. Predictions suggest that more than 25,000 people
will live and work and in the area surrounding the eponymous nearby swimming lake by the2030s. Alongside the Ariana Eventlocation, the area is also home to the HoHo Wien, theworld’s second-tallest wooden high-rise building at 84 meters tall. The cuisine here is alsoexcellent, for example at Café Leo and See22. Owner Johannes Kößler will give you the2/4

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best advice at his Seeseiten bookstore. Every afternoon he heads out on his bicycle todeliver loaned-out books.
7. Servitenviertel (9th district) – Paris in miniature: This picturesque French-inspired neighborhood is situated not far from the Sigmund Freud Museum. At the heart of the Grätzel isServitengasse, which is currently being pedestrianized and landscaped before its reopening in November 2023. The historic houses are particularly well preserved, and numerous
beer gardens and (French-style) pubs are to be found on the ground floors. It’s no wonderthat “bon vivants” enjoy this neighborhood.
8. Sonnwendviertel & Quartier Belvedere (10th district) – urban development rolling forward: Urban development is on a roll around Vienna Central Station. The Sonnwendviertel
is a residential area that meets all the requirements of a modern city. The 70.000 m² HelmutZilk Park forms the green heart of the neighborhood. There is plenty of good food to choose
from: Mimi im Stadtelefant, the Feldhase (vegetarian cuisine) and Bio Mio (locally grownproduce).
The modern architecture of the Belvedere quarter on the other side of the station is impressive. Renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano (known for the Centre Pompidou in Paris,among others) has also made his mark in Vienna with the Belvedere Parkapartments. TheBelvedere 21 museum is the contemporary offshoot of the eponymous palace and worldfamous Belvedere Museum.
9. Spittelberg (7th district) – Biedermeier paradise: The Christmas market (from 2023 classified as an “eco-event”) in Vienna’s best-known and almost car-free Biedermeier district isparticularly popular. However, the Grätzel immediately behind the MuseumsQuartier andthe Volkstheater is appealing all-year round, with its romantic streets and houses and numerous food and drink establishments. These include Tian Bistro, an offshoot of star chef
Paul Ivić’s Tian restaurant, and the &flora restaurant, where the chef is Parvin Razavi.
10. Stuwerviertel & Prater (2nd district) – unadorned Vienna: This area was once home tothe red light district. Today, the Stuwerviertel near Messe Wien is a modern neighborhoodwith lots of eateries (including Mochi am Markt and Brösl) and the Vorgartenmarkt. TheVienna Prater borders directly on the neighborhood, separated only by Ausstellungsstraße.
Fun-seekers will get their fill in the Wurstelprater amusement park with its numerous rides.
This is also where the new Prater Museum is scheduled to open in March 2024. Thoselooking for relaxation are well-advised to visit the Grüner Prater park.
11. Yppenviertel (16th district) – where East meets West: The area around Yppenplatz, whichfeatures a wealth of food and drink establishments, is one of the most diverse parts ofVienna. More than 400 art events take place in the Brunnenpassage every year. With morethan 170 stands, the neighboring Brunnenmarkt is the largest street market in Vienna. Theneighborhood has a tangible Middle Eastern atmosphere, with plenty of Turkish stands andstores to be found hereabouts. Right next to them will be Syrian snack bars, African butchers and Viennese delis. This neighborhood is truly the city’s heartbeat.

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For even more information about “Heartbeat Streets. Fall in Love with Vienna’s Neighborhoods”, please visit heartbeat.wien.info

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