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HEATWAVE

Best places in Vienna to escape the heatwave

Vienna is not the most pleasant place to be in the midst of a sweltering heatwave - especially when your friends and colleagues have headed off to the lake for some ‘sommerfrische’. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay inside in front of an electric fan, mopping your sweaty brow. Here are the best options for getting out and about but keeping cool.

Published: 20 July 2015 13:44 CEST
Updated: 24 August 2023 10:02 CEST
Best places in Vienna to escape the heatwave
Vienna's Alte Donau. Photo: europetravelculture

Take a swim in an outdoor pool or the Danube

For those who aren’t jetting off to the beach this summer the 21 kilometre-long Danube Island offers free sand and gravel beaches, sports facilities, restaurants and bars. It can be reached in just a few minutes from the city centre on U-Bahn line U1. The Gänsehäufel lido offers stand up paddling (SUP) for those who like to mix lounging by the water with some sport. There are wonderful views over the city from the Döblinger Pool, Schafberg Pool and Krapfenwald Pool. Virtually every swimming pool in Vienna includes several pools of different sizes and temperatures, often including a separate toddlers’ pool. Most are surrounded by shaded and grassy areas to give you some respite from the heat.

Head to a church

Augustinerkirche Photo: viennatouristguide.at

With around 25 churches in the first district alone, these places of worship are also a perfect spot to cool down and enjoy some quiet contemplation. The less well-known the church, the less likely you are to be surrounded by sweaty crowds. The Augustinerkirche and the Michaelerkirche in the first district are a welcome 24C – as well as being beautiful buildings that are well worth a visit. Taking a tour of the crypt in the Michaelerkirche will ensure you enjoy even cooler temperatures. The more well-known Stephansdom and Karlskirche are a warmer 28C and usually bustling with tourists – but the catacombs under the Stephansdom are only 14C.

Find some shade in a public park

The Prater Hauptalle. Photo: WienTourismus

Take a book and a bottle of water and sit under a tree. The bigger parks like Prater, the Augarten and the Lainzer Tiergarten have plenty of trees which offer welcome shade. Take a hammock to string between two trees if you have one. And don’t be afraid to strip down to swimwear if it’s hot – the Viennese are very relaxed about sunbathing and are comfortable wearing very little in the parks when the mercury rises.

Watch a movie at the cinema

Red and cool and dark… Burgkino.

Highly recommended when it’s sizzling. Most cinemas in Vienna are air-conditioned and can be a good way to escape the sunshine when you’ve had enough. If you don’t want to watch something that’s been dubbed into German look out for cinemas that play films marked with OV (original version), OmU (original version with subtitles) and OmeU (original version with English subtitles). The Burgkino, English Cinema Haydn, Filmcasino and Votivkino are some of our favourites. 

Head to the bar of a fancy hotel

So very blue, so very elegant. Photo: Sacher.com

Fancy a gin and tonic in a cool setting? Why not head to one of the nicer hotels in the city? The legendary Blaue Bar at the Sacher Hotel is a great place for a stylish aperitif – although a couple of drinks might set you back a small fortune. The Hotel Bristol bar on the Ringstrasse is also delightfully cool and traditional. The luxurious Palais Coburg has a wine bar which is open to non guests and boasts an incredible 60,000 bottles (worth over €30 million). If you’re lucky, you might be able to persuade the barman to show you the six stunning cellars below, or you can also book one of their wine tasting tours. If the €170,000 bottle of Latour 61 Imperial isn’t in your budget you’ll be glad to hear that the excellent house Grüner Veltliner is much less.

Find a shady Schanigarten

Strandgasthaus Birner. Photo: Stephan BoroviczenyFotografieWien

If you don’t like fancy hotels then find a table outside a cafe or restaurant – many of which are shaded with trees and plants – and sip on a classic Wiener Eiskaffee or an Aperol Spritzer. There are loads to choose from but we like the outdoor seating at the Georgian Cafe Ansari, on Praterstrasse, and the shaded tables and sofas at Heuer am Karlsplatz, as well as the Volksgarten Pavillon from where you can see the Hofburg palace. If you have the energy to take a drive or hike up to the Kahlenberg the views from the shady Heurige Sirbu will not disappoint. And if you fancy a drink and some dinner by the water head to Strandgasthaus Birner on the Alte Donau.

Give your lungs a break in the salt grotto

Photo: ots.at

The Oceaneum artificial salt cave is just a minute’s walk from Landstrasse. Visitors can breathe in air enriched with salt at a pleasant room temperature of between 20 and 24C. The salt particles are supposed to be beneficial for those suffering from asthma, allergies or hay fever. A day ticket costs €14. Or if sitting in a salty room isn’t your thing why not go summer ice skating at the Stadthalle? The skating rink is a fresh 16C and you can glide around the rink knowing that you won’t be dripping with sweat afterwards. 

Go deep underground

Photo: H.A.B

Descend into Vienna’s underworld and visit the original location of the classic The Third Man movie – the sewers. From May until October The Third Man tour gives groups an insight into the world of Harry Lime. From Karlsplatz, you enter via the original staircase featured in the film, and will find it’s a refreshing 23C down there (although it might smell a bit funny). The cholera canals were built in the 1830s and have been nearly untouched to this day. Modern projection and light technology lets visitors immerse themselves in the world of sewer workers, smugglers and spies. The tour lasts 45 minutes and is available in English daily at 3pm. Do reserve a ticket.

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RENTING

‘Betriebskosten’: What are the extra costs renters must pay in Austria?

Renting an apartment in Austria means you’ll have to budget not only for the rent, but other somewhat hidden monthly costs and expenses.

Published: 30 April 2024 11:29 CEST
'Betriebskosten': What are the extra costs renters must pay in Austria?

Understanding operating costs or the specific expenses landlords or property agencies charge renters, is crucial for staying on top of your monthly payments when renting a place in Austria. These extra costs, known in German as Betriebskosten, are strictly regulated by Austria’s Tenancy Act. 

Here are the operating expensses that are chargeable to tenants, according to the MieterHilfe Public Association:

  • Water/wastewater and costs of leak testing, plus excess consumption due to burst pipes, but does not include disproportionate additional consumption for commercial operations;
  • Rubbish removal (and also clearing out floors and cellars);
  • Clearing out abandoned property;
  • Pest control, with costs such as extermination and periodic inspection or removal of pigeon droppings. Installation of pigeon screens is not included;
  • Sweeping fees (chimney sweep);
  • Electricity for lighting and communal facilities, such as the stairwell, but also replacement of light bulbs, fuses or switches;
  • Insurance premiums for fire, liability and water damage;
  • Insurance premiums for glass breakage and storm damage provided that more than half of the tenants have agreed to this being passed on;
  • Management fee (there is a set administration fee per square metre of usable space and building construction year)
  • House cleaning, including wages and social payments if there is a caretaker, plus materials; 
  • Public charges, unless there is a prohibition on passing them on – offsetting of property taxes is permitted;
  • Ongoing operating costs for communal facilities (lift, heating, playground, green areas, common rooms, etc.).

However, costs such as maintenance and repair work can never be charged under operating expenses.

The same goes for any ‘disproportionate additional costs or consumption due to commercial operations ‘, which refers to costs that are significantly higher than what would be considered normal for residential use or costs that are incurred due to the operation of a business within the rented property. 

READ ALSO: Tenant or landlord – Who pays which costs in Austria?

Vienna’s association for tenants MieterHilfe has a calculator that uses average values to show whether the Betriebskosten you pay are comparatively low, medium or high. The association notes, however, that even low values could be considered unauthorised billing in some cases. In contrast, high values could be correct – the calculator only shows if you are paying too much compared to other properties in the city.

You can check the values HERE. You will need to know either the total usable area of the building or the usable area of the flat and the operating cost share—this information is usually shown in a payment statement you receive from property management. 

What if I believe I am being unfairly charged?

If you think you are paying too much, but the charges are legal – such as for water electricity etc, then you would need to raise this issue with property management. They could take measures to save on operating costs, such as replacing old light bulbs with more energy-efficient ones or setting lights to a timer instead of a traditional light switch, for example.

There are many possible reasons for high or low values, according to the City of Vienna. For example, you may pay comparatively low for water one year because of a small number of residents, while the following year, there are leaking sanitary facilities and a burst water pipe that raises costs.

Buildings with many communal areas and green spaces often tend to have higher operating costs, especially for water, electricity, and housekeeping. 

However, things are different if you think you are being unduly charged—that is, there are charges in the operating costs that do not belong there, such as unapproved construction repair.

READ ALSO: Renting in Austria – The key things foreign residents need to know

If you are unsure of the costs, there is a significant deviation from average prices for no particular reason, or you believe that you are being charged for something not legally admissible as an operating cost, you could have a free check carried out by MieterHilfe or a tenant protection organisation. 

If there is a suspicion of unauthorised billing that cannot be dispelled between tenants and the property management company, this will be clarified at the arbitration board. The arbitration board is an independent body that mediates disputes between tenants and landlords. It is a point of contact before the courts in case of difficulties or legal disputes, and its decision is legally binding.

Property management companies and landlords must settle the operating costs for the previous year by 30 June at the latest and disclose them to tenants. This deadline is set to ensure that tenants have sufficient time to review their cost statements and raise any concerns before the new rental year begins. All expenses must be itemised in the statement, providing transparency and allowing tenants to see exactly what they are being charged for.

They are obliged to provide tenants with a detailed summary of the statement and the invoice documents. If the operating costs per square metre exceed €2, a more detailed review is recommended, according to the City of Vienna.

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