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LIVING IN AUSTRIA

Martinigansl and more: 11 delicious Austrian dishes you need to try

If you thought Austrian food was all Wiener Schnitzel and Sachertorte then think again. The Local takes you on a mouth-watering tour of some of the country’s not so famous but equally tasty culinary delights.

Martinigansl and more: 11 delicious Austrian dishes you need to try
Viennese Tafelspitz. Photo: Christian Kadluba/Flickr

Martinigansl

Traditionally this roast goose dish is only offered in restaurants for a few weeks in October and November, around St Martin’s Day on November 11th, and is considered something very special. The roast goose can be stuffed with chestnuts and dried plums, and is traditionally served with red cabbage and potato dumplings. It’s fatty and very filling, but delicious when done well.

Tafelspitz

One of the most typical of Viennese dishes: veal or beef boiled in broth. Good-quality beef, a few vegetables, aromatic spices and plenty of water to cook in – these are the vital ingredients. Served with roast potatoes, a bread and horseradish mix, green beans in a dill sauce, or creamed spinach and chive sauce.

Potato goulash

This traditional Viennese dish is not made with beef, but with sausages. The potatoes are slow cooked and the juice tends to be thicker and creamier than Hungarian beef goulash. It’s not as spicy as the Hungarian version, and is delicately flavoured with caraway and paprika. Usually eaten with sour cream and bread to mop up all the goodness.

Tiroler Gröstl

This bacon, onion and potato fry-up is perfect after skiing and hiking and tastes great served with a fried egg. Traditionally, it’s a delicious and satisfying way of using up yesterday’s leftovers. It makes a great shared-from-the-pan mountain lunch, particularly when paired with a separate pan of Kaiserschmarren – a thick shredded pancake served with fruit compote.

Kasnudeln. Photo: Thermenhotel Pulverer/Flickr

Kärntner Kasnudeln

These delicious cheese noodles from Carinthia can be drizzled with butter or complimented by a topping of your choice. In Carinthia, people like to top their Kasnudeln with melted ‘Sasaka’. This is made from pork lard, finely diced bacon, and raw onion. It’s also served as a spread on rye bread and can be served as an appetiser.

Fleischlaberl mit Kartoffelpüree

These spicy Austrian beef or veal meatballs may not look like much but they are a favourite among Austrians and once you’ve tasted them you’ll know why. Served with creamy mashed potato, this dish is true comfort food. Best enjoyed with a glass of cold Austrian Grüner Veltliner wine. 

Steirisches Wurzelfleisch

This pork pot roast, made with lean pork neck and belly filet, is a favourite from Styria, served with grated apple, horseradish and caraway potatoes.

Käsespätzle

This humble dish is Austria’s answer to macaroni cheese, but it tastes so good after a walk in the mountains, washed down with a mug of beer. The egg noodles are made by hand, the cheese is usually Emmenthal or gruyere, and the dish is topped with crispy onions and chives.

Wachauer Marillenknödel

The mild climate and fertile soil of the Wachau Valley not only produces outstanding white wines; they are also perfect for fruit-growing. When the apricots are ripe, they are perfect for making these delicious dumplings.

Viennese Apfelstrudel

This fine apple dessert once travelled an extensive route from Arabia via the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, before taking up residence in Vienna. Ideally the paper-thin dough should be mixed and stretched by hand, the raisins soaked in rum, and nuts are optional.

Buchteln

These yeasted sweet rolls are filled with apricot or plum jam – and are best served fresh from the oven with a jug of vanilla sauce. The buns are not overly sugary, and the dough is fluffy and airy, surrounded by a crispy, nicely browned crust.

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PROPERTY

What will happen to Austria’s property market in 2022?

The property market in Austria performed well in 2021 with rising prices and high demand. Will this continue in Austria in 2022?

Austrian chalets
Whether you're looking to buy a first or second home in Austria, here's what experts predict for the property market. Photo: Finease Anton/Unsplash

As we near the end of 2021, Austria is in another national lockdown and many businesses are closed, but the property market is still riding high.

This means 2022 could be another strong year for property in Austria, although prices might start to stabilise over the next 12 months.

Here’s what you need to know.

READ ALSO: Why are property prices in Austria’s Tyrol region so high?

What can we expect from Austria’s property market in 2022?

Experts are predicting the high demand in the property market to continue throughout 2022, especially in rural areas and in the luxury homes market.

Justin Field, Marketing Director at property consultants Amazing Austria, told The Local: “The movement of people [as a result of the pandemic) created a demand for more country properties so people could work from home.

“Due to the uncertainty over the virus for the coming year, we would expect the local market to stay buoyant with demand for larger family homes in villages.”

READ MORE: Why are property prices in Austria’s Tyrol region so high?

Maizie Delaney Baird, Property Consultant at ski chalet specialists Lindforth, said they are receiving high numbers of enquiries from buyers looking for an investment property, despite the current national lockdown.

Maizie told The Local: “We still have a backlog of clients who wanted to buy last year but had to put their searches on pause. Additionally, many new buyers, especially Germans, have been inspired by the pandemic to invest in their family lifestyles. 

“Many of our clients want to buy a lifestyle investment property in Austria – a place they can holiday and “work from chalet” on occasion, but also rent out to earn an income.”

However, Justin at Amazing Austria predicts prices could start to stabilise or even drop during the next year.

He said: With the uncertainty of corona, and as personal debt ratios in Austria rise, my own thoughts are that the property market will level out in 2022, or even reduce as debt catches up with people and businesses.”

READ ALSO: Can foreigners buy property in Austria?

Property market trends and hot spots in Austria

Since the start of the pandemic in spring 2020, the Alps region in western Austria has been experiencing a real estate boom as both Austrians and foreigners have sought to buy property in the mountains.

Maizie told The Local it is a seller’s market right now with high demand and a shortage of supply.

She said: “With few chalets becoming available to buy there is a lot of competition so buyers need to be quick and determined if they wish to find their dream chalet, especially in the top resorts.

“In terms of prices, property in world-famous and glamorous Lech am Arlberg [Vorarlberg] are some of the highest in Austria and average around €20,000 per square meter. 

“Whereas, in sporty Zürs am Arlberg, sharing the same ski region and just five minutes away by car, prices average around €15,000 per square meter.”

FOR MEMBERS: Altbau vs Neubau: What’s the difference and which should I rent in Austria?

Elsewhere in Austria there is a similar story, although prices aren’t rising to the same extent as in the Alps.

For example, in Vienna prices have risen by around 12 percent in all districts to an average of €5,800 per square meter (sqm), and luxury properties have gone up by 23 percent to €14,500 per sqm.

In Penzing, prices have gone up by 19 percent in the past year after the average price per sqm exceeded €5,000. In Donaustadt, prices rose by 15 percent to €4,870 per sqm.

What happened to Austria’s property market in 2021?

In the first half of 2021, the House Price Index (HPI), which measures changes in residential property prices, increased from 142.85 in January to 150.77 in July – an all-time high. 

To compare, in June 2020 the HPI in Austria reached 135.11. This was the highest ever recorded level at the time.

Earlier this year, a study by Deloitte showed that new apartment prices in Austria were the most expensive in Europe with a 70 sqm apartment costing an average of 10.6 times the national annual salary.

Gabriele Etzl, real estate expert and partner at Jank Weiler Operenyi / Deloitte Legal, said: “The rising construction costs and the high attractiveness of real estate as an investment form are the main reasons for this price development.”

FOR MEMBERS: Seven common mistakes to avoid when buying a home in Austria

Rising prices have since prompted the Österreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) to warn of overheating in the housing market after it was revealed property prices across Austria have doubled since the beginning of 2010.

The average price increase across the Eurozone in the past decade is just one third.

In fact, some experts say residential property prices are currently overvalued by around 30 percent and there are concerns about the steep growth in mortgages in Austria, which is outpacing the average across Europe.

Stefan Selden, banking advisor at 720° Restructuring & Advisory, told Der Standard: “The development of real estate prices is undoubtedly wild.”

However, according to ImmoScout24, the cost of rent in Austria in 2021 only rose by 1.6 percent, compared to 4.6 percent in 2020. The average cost for a 70 sqm apartment in Austria is €944.

Tyrol remains the most expensive province for rent, followed by Vienna and Vorarlberg.

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