This piece features as part of a Year Abroad series over on The Cambridge Language Collective - an online space for language students to share their thoughts, experiences, and love of all things related to their cultural and literary studies.
Far from the techno scene of Berghain, the Parisian rooftops, and definitely far from the balmy Spanish weather, Vienna seems to be the dark horse of Year Abroad destinations. After several months in this elegant capital at the heart of Central Europe, I’m convinced that Vienna remains hugely underestimated. Hopefully the following assortment of photos from the past week will only prove my point, and if not, then I’ll buy you a slice of delicious Imperial Torte – as soon as the traditional Kaffeehäuser decide to open, that is.
Saturday
The year at the University of Vienna is split into two semesters which run from October to January, and then March to June – meaning I’ve just started up again after a month-long break. On Saturday I went on a walk organised by the KHG Wien to mark the start of this Sommer Semester, which was more of a vertiginous hike than a leisurely stroll, but nevertheless provided stunning views over the Danube basin and the city.
Humming Strauss' The Blue Danube will never get old...
Sunday
The weather here has been pretty bracing lately, but on Sunday the sun was peeping out enough for me to even consider heading out for a takeout Eis (ice-cream) at Gelateria La Romana - one of my favourite haunts when I first arrived in the city. It in fact turned out that my flatmates had a rather different Eis in mind for the afternoon; Eisbaden – an icy open-water plunge in the Donau. Luckily I was meeting up with friends straight afterwards and had a good excuse not to go in, but I did enjoy watching them from the riverbank as they squealed and thought that maybe an ice-cream would have been a good choice after all.
A dip in the Donau, anyone? [Image Credits: Stefanie R.]
Monday to Thursday
With university classes all online, weekdays can become quite repetitive and monotonous, so I try to spruce them up with walks around the neighbourhood, dropping by at different Churches, and going to the shops. I have to admit that the extensive selection of cheese and flavours of Milka bars make a European supermarket trip highly enjoyable, although nothing can beat the Caramelised Onion Hummus and inevitable social run-ins of Mainsbury’s (the nickname given to the Sainsbury's in Cambridge which is always overrun with students).
The rather unmissable Hofburg Palace complex with a horse-drawn carriage waiting outside. Am yet to try this mode of transport but perhaps one for the next piece – sorry to disappoint.
A dramatic sky over the Hauptgebäude (Main building) of the Universität Wien on the grandiose Ringstraße.
A selection of suitably aesthetic postcards to send back to friends and family at home – giving the ongoing lack of direct flights between the UK and Austria, I think these real 'Postcards from Vienna' are the closest they’ll be getting to sharing in my adventures for a while!
No Year Abroad photo compilation would be complete without the respective European cathedral; here’s Stephansdom with its distinctive roof tiles on a particularly dreamy morning this week. I can't decide what I like better - the fluorescent orange water bottle with feet or the purple jumper below...
Main Altar at Stephansdom – statues in churches are traditionally covered with a purple cloth during the Lenten period. This contemporary interpretation does however look like it should belong on the Sidgwick Site, rightful home of all colourful and oversized artsy jumpers.
View from my student accommodation, which lies directly on Währinger Gürtel – the four lanes of traffic, tramlines and trainlines aren’t particularly conducive to contemplation, but at least the sunsets and the glimpse of the hills in the distance is quite pleasant.
Friday
... was a lecture-free day ('Rector's Day' - anniversary of the founding of the Universität Wien) so I went for a rather spontaneous trip up Kahlenberg (yes, again) with a couple of the other Year Abroad students lurking about in the city. Vienna has several walking routes around the city’s surroundings, and it’s easy to see why this walk around the vineyards up to the viewing platform at Kahlenberg is by far the most popular.
Views from Stadtwanderweg 1, up and around Kahlenberg
Saturday
... also involved a long walk, beautiful views, and a fellow Year Abroad student who has just arrived to start her British Council placement teaching English – but this time in Linz! I find it somewhat ironic that I never made it to her college, always claiming Homerton was just too far to meet at, yet happily travelled across Austria to visit her for a day… Although a speedy 1h7min direct train was hardly a perilous journey.
Linz is Austria’s third largest city and an up-and-coming contemporary hub, but with its pastel hues, quaint cobbled streets and riverside promenade, feels very much like a sleepy fairy-tale village.
Looking out over the Altstadt of Linz from the Schlossmuseum balcony,
Enjoying a slice of the famous Linzer Torte on the main square – made to a 17th Century recipe with hazelnuts, spices, and tangy redcurrant jam, a trip to Linz is worth it for this legendary cake alone. As you can see from the marketing-savvy paper bag, this is from the k.u.k. Hofbäckerei.
On one side of the Danube is the rather steep but idyllic Pöstlingberg, which very much makes you want to swirl around singing ‘The hills are alive with the Sound of Music’… There were also Stations of the Cross along the path up to the top - wasn't aware that my friend had a little Lenten devotional practice lined up for me in the afternoon... but I don't think she was either!
If the precipitous walk is not for your liking, you can take a 15 minute ride on the rather sweet looking Pöstlingbergbahn - but not one for the fainthearted; according to the guide book it's 'Austria's steepest adhesion railway, and indeed one of the world's steepest'.
A colourful street leading down from the Schlossmuseum towards the banks of the Danube - definitely looks more Mediterranean if you ask me.
So there we have it - the past seven days have not only seen me discover new corners of Vienna and even Austria, but also enjoy delightful slices of cake, finally reunite with MML friends, and gain a record step-count (28 000 in Linz alone). The weather has also been exceptionally fair and the sky outrageously blue. So much so that I’m beginning to think I should make this Austrian edition of a ‘Week in the Life of a Year Abroad Student’ a regular feature…