Are you a coffee lover? A pastry lover? Many coffee, pastry lovers are either planning to or have already visited Austria’s beautiful capital city, Vienna. The Viennese coffeehouses have been a large part of Vienna’s history for almost 350 years, making for some of the best coffeehouses in all the world. In fact, the Viennese coffeehouse culture has been listed as an intangible Culture Heritage with UNESCO since 2011.
Vienna, Austria
Austria’s capital Vienna is touted as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It offers the perfect combination of nature and city life, which is what many travelers are looking for nowadays. What are some of the more popular things to do while in Vienna? Bicycling through the city to enjoy the fabulous views, hanging out in their impressive parks, visiting the many interesting museums and, of course, visiting the local cafes and coffeehouses.
Café Demel
Visiting the Demel Coffeehouse when traveling to Vienna is a must! It’s one of the oldest coffeehouses in Europe, dating back to the late 1700’s. All visitors are encouraged to check out their onsite museum, which informs on the history of the coffeehouse, including interesting artifacts from back in the day. There are plenty of seating areas, which are available in several rooms, as well as outdoors. Due to its being located right in the middle of a popular tourist area, anyone wanting to enjoy a cup of coffee along with one of their famous pastries will often need to wait in line.
The Coffee
Vienna coffeehouses are known for their strong coffee choices. A classic Viennese coffee choice is an espresso with steamed milk and topped with milk froth. Additional popular coffee choices include a Kleiner Schwarzer – a single, plain expresso, a Kleiner Brauner – a single espresso with a side of milk or cream, a Verlängerter – an espresso with added hot water, an Einspänner – an espresso topped with whipped cream, a cappuccino – a classic cappuccino with less milk, a Melange – an espresso with steamed milk and a little foam, and a Heferlkaffee – a mug of coffee with a little milk.
The Pastries
Café Demel is also well-known for its wide variety of pastries. As one of Austria’s most famous pastry shops, customers will enjoy eating freshly made cream cakes, tea scones, strawberry cake, and their celebrated apples strudel. Those who show up at the right time can watch them make apple strudel through the glass windows, which is served with a dollop of real whipped cream.
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