First published: 06/02/09.

Anonymous

Vienna

Vienna (Inscribed)

Vienna by Els Slots

I am an American who lived in Wein (Vienna) for 3 years on business. They were three of the most memorable years of my life and I would recommend expatriating to Wien to anyone with an adventurous spirit. The first thing you must do to maximize your Austrian experince is to embrace the difference. Live the lifestyle of an Austrian as much as possible. Drink cafe malange and wein gespritzer with the locals. Eat at the local gasthaus with them and shop for groceries at a Julius Meinl and a local markt. Speak Deutsch as much as possible and the locals will open up to you. The culture of Wein is complex and generally it takes an auslander in Wein 2 years before asking the right questions... and then another 2 years to figure out the answers! The seasonal changes in Wein are magical. Christmas time Kris Kringle Markts dot the city are very festive, particularily the one at the Rathaus. Try the gluwein and hot chestnuts. Austrians take their Skiing and Waltzing seriously and fasching (ball season) carries the city thru the coldest months. Spring brings the tourists in droves. Summer weather is celebrated in the outdoor cafes and Heurige. Bicycling along the Donau canal was one of my favorite Saturday workouts. Autumn brings some great new concert series and you should take in some classical music and performing arts since Wein is the musical Capital. It's impossible to even scratch the surface of a Wein experience in a paragraph but it's worth much so much more than just a stop on a tour bus.

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