One of the most representative meals in Viennese gastronomy is wiener schnitzel (or Viennese escalope). In fact, is the national food, even is originally from Austria, actually.

Is a common recipe in many countries: in Spain is known as San Jacobo or cachopo, also seen as the Japanese tonkatsu, the Argentinian escalope or the Italian cotoletta, among other examples.

The origin has become an intense debate among culinary historians. Most of the agree to point the origin in Spain, where it was introduced by Arab traders, who already covered meat on bread during the Middle Age.

Then we have the legend, which says it was imported from the Italian "costoletta milanesa" by marshal Joseph Radetzky, who sent the recipe to Franz Joseph I of Austria. They said he liked it so much that he incoroporate it to the Austrian gastronomy under the name of winer schnitzel.

Therefore, many countries claim the origin. This happens often for any new invention even sometimes, what happens is that it appears in different countries simultaneously, a each country looks for old gastronomy books to claim the origin.

However, there’s no doubt that is a delicious and crunchy dish, wanted by any tourists that arrives in the city.

To prepare it, a thin slice of veal is softened with a mallet, then is dipped in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and finally fried in butter. It’s served with potatoes, salad and lemon slices and seasoned with vinaigrette.

Generally, these dishes are easy to cook and delicious, but not so glamorous. That’s not the case with schnitzel, presented as an haute cuisine specialty. It might be because of the elegant way Viennese people cooks it.

Even the veal is the main ingredient for the classic version of this dish, pigmeat is often used and is more popular. There is also a version made of chicken or a veggie made of tofu, seitan or soy.

In Vienna you can try this meal anywhere in the city centre. This is a list with some of our favorites so you don’t leave the city without trying the Viennese schnitzel.

Figlmüller
Wollzeile 5, | Bäckerstraße 6, Vienna

Schnitzelwirt
Neubaugasse 52, Vienna

Gasthaus Poschl
Weihburggasse 17, 1010, Vienna

Strandcafé Wien
Florian-Berndl-Gasse 2,1220, Vienna

Café Einstein
Rathausplatz 4, 1010 Vienna

There is not only wiener schnitzel in Austria gastronomy. Even it’s a little country, it has a long culinary tradition, mixing many European specialties. You shouldn’t miss a chance to try more typical dishes like tafelspitz (boiled beef), milling trout (Forelle nach Müllerin Art), Kaiserschmarrn (sweet), Palatschinken (Crêpes), Apfelstrudel (apple cake) or Sacher cake. Yummy!

Picture by Kobako

We’ll be there. If you want to come too, check out our flights here.

There are lots of clichés about travelling in autumn: that it's low season, the weather's still mild, cities look nicer... But the truth is that it's an ideal time of year to take a break from your routine. Besides, there's a bank holiday weekend at the beginning of November, which means you can enjoy these wonderful places even more. Let us guide you with a few recommendations on places that are particularly charming at this time of year.

Dornbirn is a town in the administrative district of the same name, located in the federal state of Vorarlberg in Austria. it lies south of Bregenz, near the borders of Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein. The Dornbirner Ach river flows through the town before draining into Lake Constance. Dornbirn is the largest town in Vorarlberg and an important hub of trade. It is the regional site of ORF (the Austrian Radio and Television Service), the Fachhochschule (Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences) and other institutions. The town was a major centre of the textile industry until its decline in the 1980s.

The Martinimarkt (St Martin’s Market) of Dornbirn is one of the leading markets in Austria. Participants include exhibitors, schools, clubs and restaurants from all over the district. The hallmark of this market is its pronounced nostalgic character, as everyone dresses up in costumes from the early 19th century. This year’s theme is “sharing” as legend has it that St Martin shared his cloak with a beggar. This has prompted merchants to offer visitors their regional or homemade wares. Schools and clubs make special offers on that day, too, and workshops are held to show how hand-made or recycled products are crafted. As in previous years, the Martinimarkt is held in the town centre, which turns into a huge stage hosting a mass tableau vivant.

Market Day

The day starts early. At 8.45 a.m. everyone converges around the clock tower, adjoining the market square, where free coffee is served. This is the gesture by which the merchants welcome their visitors. At 10 o’clock, the mayor, attired in period costume, presides over the official opening ceremony by delivering a speech from the Red House staircase.

Afterwards, to get into the swing of things, you either wander around the street stalls or stand and watch people filing past. It is like going back in time to a period in which the word “motor” meant as little as “iPhone 7”. Here, you can find anything – and try everything, too! When it comes to cuisine, pride of place is given to traditional local cooking: coffee, käsfladen (flat bread and cheese typical of the region), noodle soup, apple fritters, potato balls, etc. The entertainment part includes a dance floor for participating in the local folk dances, with live music provided by a band, making for a setting seemingly having leaped out of a romantic novel, while children can have a whale of a time in the antique fairground. One of the most popular games here is the wheel of fortune, the proceeds of which are earmarked for charity.

Dinner and Overnight

After a day packed with emotions, your legs start feeling heavy as evening approaches. At this stage, the best thing is to get your strength back and have a hearty dinner. Here are some recommendations in the fascinating town of Dornbirn.

1. Rotes Haus

If you want to discover local cuisine in all its splendour, head for Rotes Haus. This restaurant is a classic. What’s more, it is located next to the market square, so you can’t get any closer than that. When we went there, we ordered a consommé with panqueque (a South American variation on the pancake) with grated local herbs, and a breaded beef escalope with parsley potatoes and cranberries – we loved this typical local dish!

2. Zum Verwalter

This is actually a boutique hotel gourmet-restaurant. The establishment is a lovely timber house which will wow enthusiasts of interior design, as all the rooms are done out in different décor. Each space is a story on its own. The gourmet restaurant is on the ground floor. It is certainly unique as far as local catering is concerned. The restaurant enjoys long-standing acclaim, thanks to its marked admix of traditional cuisine, striking a marked contrast with the young catering staff. They offer locally sourced market produce. Their meat is outstanding, while the roast beef is spectacular!

3. Pasta Fresca da Giovanni

This is clearly the best value-for-money option. Located on the Stadtstrasse, this restaurant is conveniently situated next to the main road going through the town. The interior is very relaxing as the decoration is sparse. We recommend you order the pasta of the house, as they make it themselves. The ravioli stuffed with plum and the cheese-fondue potatoes are unbeatable.

All aboard for your trip back in time… check out our flights.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Jerey Keith, Pasta Fresca da Giovanni, Zum Verwalter

Ai Weiwei is a controversial figure wherever he goes. While his activist streak has earned him more than one headline in the media, particularly in connection with the problems he has with the regime in his native China, his artistic facet has also put him under the spotlight in all the exhibitions he unveils, given the political denunciation behind his work. Last year it was the Royal Academy of London that enshrined him as the great international artist he is. Now it is Vienna’s turn as it hosts an exhibition, running until 20 November, of his latest works. This is the largest display of Ai Weiwei’s work so far in Austria.

A Temple in the Museum

Under the title, Translocation – Transformation, referring to the metamorphosis which people and objects undergo after a deliberate relocation, migration or expulsion, the event features several installations by Ai Weiwei distributed over different spaces in the Belvedere Gardens. The main feature of the exhibition, curated by Alfred Weidinger, is located in the former Austrian pavilion for the 1958 World Expo, currently used as a platform for promoting contemporary art under the name 21er Haus. Displayed in the interior is the Wang Family Ancestral Hall, an installation which is unlikely to leave the viewer unmoved. This 14-metre-high exhibit made up of 1,300 separate pieces is an ancestral temple from the Ming Dynasty. The temple, which belonged to the Wang family, a clan of tea merchants who were expelled from China during the Cultural Revolution, was thus abandoned. Ai Weiwei acquired it from an investor some time ago and transformed it into what we see today, a decontextualised work which coexists and communicates with other architectural environments.

Another exhibition site, the Upper Belvedere pond, showcases the installation, F Lotus, where the artist elicits a reflection on subjects unfortunately in the limelight in recent years, notably the refugee crisis besetting Europe. The work comprises 1,005 discarded life vests picked up on the beaches of Lesbos after being used by Syrian refugees on their sea crossing to Europe. They are set in a total of 201 rings linked to resemble the lotus flower, the overall structure forming a hugefin the water.

Another work displayed in the Upper Belvedere pond is the Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, a veritable classic of Ai Weiwei’s oeuvre. Composed of twelve bronze heads standing for the signs of the zodiac in the Chinese horoscope, they are inspired by the fountain-clock at the summer palace of Yuanming Yuan which was ransacked by French and British troops during the Second Opium War in 1860. The treasures – including the heads – were looted and have never been returned since.

Eager to see the work of Ai Weiwei first-hand? Be sure to make a getaway to Vienna – book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS