An island of countryside-like idyll in one of Vienna’s youngest districts, surrounded on all sides by the city’s newest apartment blocks. Notgalerie’s wooden church was once rescued from demolition to be completely reassembled and now hosts a programme of art events appreciative of the character and leisurely pace of its new location.

There is one thing finally that is good about vienna’s small size, to reach the river danube and its two side arms in summer, when its boiling hot, takes only few minutes. All the life is transferred from the center to the river banks, swim and barbecue in summer, ice skating in winter. If you exit the subway at Neue Donau station you will see the small tower of viennas biggest mosque that is located on the danube island. You can go there and visit, if you are lucky, you will be offered dryed figues and dates and you can watch the prayers repose themselves lying on mattrasses in the cool.

Tenderly covered in snow is oskar kokoschka, the artist that gives name to the square from which you enter the university, it is not out of patriotisme or for promotion that I list this institution here, but for viennas art and creative scene this is a center in its own rights. You can come and visit one of the many different applied art classes, with a little self esteem use most of the facilities, drink a coffe that is cheap and surprisingly good in the mensa or get yourself the cheapest automat-can beer for 90 cents. There are various talks in english if you look for them and in summer there is a good chance you will find a barbecue party in the garden or a film screening. If none of this is the case, there is always a chance to meet people, find a gallery to go to at night, or a room to rent. the library and the magazine reading room are free and well equipped with a great selection of avantgarde cinema, that can be watched on computers.

Vienna has three mountains, “house-mountains” as we call them in german, in fact they are more like 3 connected hills that house the famous viennese vinyards, beautiful forests for scary winter midnight visits and restaurants for autumn walks. one can find cheap wine and great traditional food in the green. for me and my friends, taking the bus from the city to go up there has become a ritual in a way, a symbolic voyage to clear our head up there in the fresh air while watching vienna from above. the names are Kahlenberg, Cobenzl and Leopoldsberg. The bus 38A accesses them all, (start from station Schottentor) in summer picnic is a good idea. if you happen to have a car or take a cab at night, the stars are bright from any meadow and you can watch and listen to the city youth drift in their cars on the big public parking space.

A newcomer to the Vienna art scene, GOMO bravely takes on a relatively art-unpopulated area near the main train station. Exhibition and performance program revolves around a distinctive aesthetics of the space (an old garage) and a large yard with plenty of greenery is used extensively and with gusto in all seasons.