Contributed by: Howie Schulman | Last Date of Travel: May 2007
Kosher Info: There is a large Jewish community in Vienna. The ultra orthodox live in the second district. That’s where youll find the kosher super market, butcher, bakery, and restaurants. Many of the modern orthodox allow themselves to eat some bread and pasteries from the local franchised bakeries, similar to a kosher Dunkin Donuts, in a refined European way. Also, many will eat from certain ice cream stores like “Zoni Zoni” or this newer one at the end of Rotemstumstasse.
Tourist Info: There is plenty to do in Vienna there is the museum quarter that has all the main art museums the city has to offer. There are also great parks just to hang out at, a nice place to sit down for some coffee or tea is “prima haus” in the Burggarten. For fun like Times Square there is the Graben at Stephansplatz. There you’ll find the main church and a lot of shopping, ( there may be 5 HM’s on one block!). For a little more fun you can go to the amusement/recreation park the “Prater.” There you’ll find a large ferris wheel that offers great views of the city, which on clear days you can see the Alps. There are also fun games, but watch out for the shady guyswhom tell you one thing and mean the other, like 5 euros a game means 5 euros a shot; if they give you a hassle just walk away.
Jewish Info: There is a memorial and small museum located in Judenplatz. There is also a larger jewish museum on dorotheengasse right off the graben. The two main modern orthodox shuls are in the first district. the main shul the stadttemple is on stietenstssengasse, the shul is magnificent on the inside, with guilded moldings and a large ahron and dommed ceiling. On Shabbat you can hear the amazing cantor Barzilai.
If you plan to go to the shul Bring your Passport or a copy, security is tight.
Here is a great website on kosher information for Vienna (Wein): http://www.ikg-wien.at/static/etis/unter/html/gr_index.htm
“Many of the modern orthodox allow themselves to eat some bread and pasteries from the local franchised bakeries … Also, many will eat from certain ice cream stores like “Zoni Zoni” or this newer one at the end of Rotemstumstasse.”
Well, sorry, but neither the bakeries (animal fats are in almost every product there!) nor the ice cream stores (Zanoni and also the other store in Rotenturmstraße serve a range of treif food) are a real alternative for anyone who cares about keeping kosher. If you see Jewish people there eating, then they are not even modern orthodox; the latter ones would just drink a coke there. A real alternative are the Starbuck coffee shops, offering kosher beverages and also kosher nosh. Of course one can just take the packed sweets as there are other (treif) foods served as well.
As I live in Vienna I know the situation here quite well.
The above link is for sure the best information about kosher infrastructure in Vienna. I will write some article as soon as I have the time :-)
did i write this when i was drunk?