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6th District of Vienna in Austria
Photo: Niels Elgaard Larsen - User: (WT-shared) Elgaard at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Mariahilf is the 6th district of Vienna. Its border to the north is the most famous Viennese shopping street the Mariahilferstrasse, to the west the Gürtel and to the south the Vienna River.
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Haydn's House
Joseph Haydn spent the final twelve years of his life in this home, during which time he composed the oratorios The Creation and The Seasons. The house has been a museum since 1899, and careful restoration has included the small garden, which is now also open to the public.
Aqua Terra Zoo
A marvelous zoo, with a rain forest glasshouse, tiny apes, aquariums with sharks, and terrariums with reptiles and venomous snakes. Other highlights include an interesting exhibit of Mediterranean sea life and the aquarium's beloved sea turtle, "Puppi." The apes and birds are allowed to freely mingle with the visitors, but don't attempt to touch or feed them. It is in one of the surviving air raid defense towers from WWII, a so-called Flakturm. During wartime, the building provided fire control for Vienna's anti-aircraft artillery, housed some of the first radar equipment, and is designed to withstand a direct bomb hit, an earthquake, and wind speeds up to an overpressure of ten bar. Its former gun emplacements are now a platform on top affording nice views over the roofs of Vienna.
The staircase connects the Mariahilfer and the Gumpendorfer Strasse. It was built in 1870.
On one side of the 2nd Worldwar bunker there are routes to climb high up until its roof with great views into the roofs of Vienna. The routes are usually hard and require some endurance. The alpine club organises courses for beginners and intermediate. On the other side there are boulder problems set. The outdoor climbing in middle of a historic city makes this a favorite choice for many climbers during the hot season.
This historic theater was founded by Emanuel Schikaneder (best known as Mozart's librettist for The Magic Flute). The building was designed by Franz Jäger, and completed in 1801. Since opening it has been the venue for many historic premieres of opera, theatre, and symphonies, including Beethoven's Fidelio in 1805 and Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus in 1874; since 2006 it has functioned mostly as an opera house. The side entrance, known as Papagenotor, has a sculpture of Papageno, the character whose role was Schikaneder played in the premiere of The Magic Flute.
Constructed in 1893 as a venue for German folk dramas and plays, the building was later used for operettas. Since 1985 it has hosted German-language and international musicals.
A Cineplexx theater with plenty of choices including original versions. The cinema opened here in 1905. According to seat numbers it is one of the biggest in Vienna.
English Cinema Haydn
The theatre projects mostly English films in original version.
Several salads are served. Free Wi-Fi. Usually it is well packed by a "bobo" public.
Serves vegan and interesting ice-cream varieties.
Decent sushi.
The restaurant inside the lesbian and queer "Rosa Lilla Villa" serves good international food.
Pizza with just enough and not too many toppings, and very Italian selection. Austrian ingredients, when used, are unusual specialties.
im Majolkahaus
The smallest Japanese restaurant in town. All the dishes are homemade, and the owners claim that they pay attention to a proper balance of ingredients – being full can also be healthy. The place is so small that there is no toilet inside, you have to use the one in the Naschmarkt. The udon soups are excellent.
A nice family-run Greek restaurant, with a good variety of items to choose from.
Popular student meet place in Naschmarkt that sells directly sells good food with many vegetarian options directly from the Naschmarkt. The Italian café is recommended. Later in the evenings often a DJ plays.
The Salzberg restaurant serves Pongauer Kasnocken, made with special smoked cheese (Räucherkäse) from Salzburg province. There is a large selection of breakfast/brunch choices. The open air patio is on a quiet street.
Georges Dimou, the singer, operates this traditional Greek restaurant.
Extremely good fish directly from their shop, which is the best and freshest seafood shop in Vienna. Wi-Fi is available. Changing daily lunch menu.
Neni am Naschmarkt
The best restaurant on the Naschmarkt with Isrealean carte.
The café is open during nights. It opened in 1919 by Engelbert Drechsler and is a traditional and popular all-night meeting point. It was carefully remodeled in 2007.
Small coffee place nicely lost in the middle of Mariahilf. In winter the rustic and warm oven is wonderful. In summer one can sit outdoors.
Smaller congenial Viennese café.
A traditional Viennese cafe that is very popular due to its central location on Mariahilfer Strasse.
Cafe Wienzeile
The queer bar is centered around a big mirror and decorated in Makart style (Makartstil). Free WiFi. The café serves breakfast.
A very traditional Viennese café, known to be frequented by contemporary Austrian writers including R. Menasse. It offers breakfast, cakes and a great atmosphere. Don't be put off by the Viennese brusqueness of the waiters – if possible counter with Viennese dialect and humor.
The bar/café sells also books, LPs and its furniture. The Pellini-Espresso is served from a Faema machine. Nice place to have breakfast.
The bar of the cinema has good food too and serves wine and beer in a relaxed atmosphere. Unfortunately only up to 22:00 the bar is non-smoking, soon before people start smoking.
Big selection of fine and rare bottles.
The Italian styled bar offers many different cocktails. Free Wi-Fi access. The music is primarily jazz and there is a dance floor.
Tiny little artsy bar, smoking permitted.
The stylish and hip bar serves interesting cocktails.
Eissalon Joanelli
The bar permits smoking and offers wines and vegan snacks.
The bar serves good wine, with a popular dance floor (unusual in Vienna). Well-liked by women.
Free WiFi, hostel bar, free welcome drink, shower/toilet in every room, backyard, free luggage storage. 1 Jul-14 Sep.
Directly located on Mariahilferstraße.
The hotel is near Mariahilferstrasse and offers large breakfast. It hosts the Barfly's Club.
A small and comfortable hotel.
This is the largest of Vienna's 22 market places and provides a unique blend of typical Vienna costumely and oriental flair. Stroll through the market and be part of the amazing ambiance. If you like to cook, you will find all the spices you could possibly want at the Naschmarkt; on offer are regional and exotic fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, baked goods, and seafoods, as well as many small restaurants serving Viennese as well as international dishes. The side of the Secession tends to be more touristy and thus more expensive than the side of the Kettenbrueckengasse.
Flohmarkt beim Naschmarkt
Need used lederhosen? How about a doner kebab at the Naschmarkt or an Austrian war bond from the first World War? This is the place to go on Saturdays. Pick through the detritus of an imperial society, you never know what you will find hidden under that stack of terrible fuzzy sweaters. Couture gowns, communist medals from all the former Eastern Bloc countries, tobacco pipes, broken pocket watches. Worth at least a full morning. Flea markets are the best possible blend of high and low culture, and a way to truly get to know a city. Walk all the way from the flea market end of the Naschmarkt through the food stalls end to arrive at the Secession building, on the left close to the Karlsplatz metro stop. (It is illegal to export antiquities from Austria, even if you legally buy them at a market.)
The longest and most popular shopping avenue in Vienna, featuring all kinds of stores, many flagship stores from international brands, etc. More diverse and cosmopolitan than Kärntner Straße.
Sells hand-picked second-hand clothes.
Vienna bike base
This very fancy Viennese bike shop sells mostly Specialized mountain bikes or Italian road bikes. Their repair center is pricy, but very well known for their quality work. The shop is affiliated with a road racing team. From time to time they organise test rides for their customers.
The underground line is available to the north, the to the south and the to the north on the districts borders.
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