Vienna: Architecture and Coffe Shops

For me, two visuals overwhelmingly stand out from Vienna; architecture and coffee shops.

A collection of sculptures that decorate typical buildings in Vienna Austria

It seems that almost every building in Vienna is ornately decorated with architectural detail and sculpture. From little carved stone scrolls to massive hulking god like beings holding up the facades. Every where you look there is some decorative element to the buildings.

The famous cafe Braunerhot in Downtown Vienna Austria
On every street there seems to be a coffee shop. Prior to my arrival in Vienna I had not really thought about coffee shops much. I am not a coffee drinker, and with my little Colorado town only having one coffee shop, the coffee shop is just not part of my daily routine. But in Vienna it is hard to ignore them. They are everywhere and they are part of everyday Viennese life.

Vienna lays claim to inventing the coffee shop. In Vienna, as is becoming the norm elsewhere, the coffee shop is more than a stop for a cup of joe. It is a social gathering place. You go there to sit with friends, to meet new friends, to have a meeting, or just to get get out and watch the city move by you.

 View froma seat at a cafe in the Naschmarkt, Vienna's liveliest market, Vienna Austria

Naschmarkt, Vienna's liveliest market, Vienna AustriaCoffee is not the only thing on the menu either; coffee, tea, beer, snacks, sandwiches, it’s all available. You may sit inside at a small table where there is always a selection of newspapers and magazines for you to read. Or my favorite, sit outside on the sidewalk under an umbrella where you get the best view of the lively street.

A horse drawn carrage passing by a cafe in downtown Vienna Austria

A typical street scene with sidewalk seating sat a cafe in Vienna Austria

In the more traditional coffee shops you are almost always served by a tuxedo-clad waiter who is efficient, but rarely smiles.

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