The outsider view of Austria tends to revolve around some pretty specific cliches. For example, the idea that it’s almost exclusively populated by buxom ladies holding tankards, fat, dormant Nazis (which might not be all that untrue) and alcoholic man-children in funny tunics and knee-high socks. In that respect, Vienna isn't that different to the rest of the country – it's just more "urban". But Vienna is as contradictory as a schnitzel served with cranberry sauce.
The city somehow offers everything but nothing. There are – despite the extensive pedestrian zone on Mariahilferstrasse – more suicides than road deaths. There is a violent "black bloc", but it’s said to be mostly composed of West German "riot tourists". There’s also a separate language knocking about, which is mostly made up of bits and pieces from other languages (but no one speaks it these days, anyway).
Vienna is kind of a paradise, but it's also not – just like any other city you spend more than a week in.
Annons
See more of Stefanie's work here.Does your town or city qualify for paradise status? Feel free to send your pitches to nordics@vice.com. Don't be shy.Previous Paradises:Honolulu / Katowice / Warsaw / Oslo / Belfast / Stockholm / Detroit / London / Lahti / Budapest / Helsinki / Dublin / Birmingham / Miami / Phoenix / Tbilisi / Los Angeles / Berlin / Rotterdam / Reykjavik
