The „Kirche am Steinhof“  church is located off the beaten tourist path in the 14th district in the Steinhof Psychiatric Hospital (yes, you heard it right). The interior of the church is beautiful and designed to the tiniest detail by the famous Jugendstil architect Otto Wagner. He used new construction techniques and combined them with the necessities of the patients. For example the seating was designed so that there were no sharp edges.  The bus 48A takes you there directly.

Sous bois doubles up as a graphic designer’s office for its owner and is a candy-coloured materialisation of her playful aesthetics and enthusiasm for all things stationary. In summer, the parking place in front of the shop becomes a tropical-themed paradise for bookbinding and typographic workshops.

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.

I love visiting places that offer a totally different idea of urbanity and experimental concepts for urban (mass) housing. The Wohnpark Alterlaa, built from 1973–1985, is such a project. Hop on the subway to get there and I recommend that you take an extended walk through the area and the surrounding park.

The Palmenhaus is located in the gardens of Schloss Schönbrunn. One hundred and thirteen meters long and 28 meters high, it features a central and two lateral pavilions. Each of the three pavilions has another climate and is filled with botanical treasures from all over the world.