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.

If Dogs Run Free is a great place to have coffee or a cocktail or both. It is located between Naschmarkt and Museumsquartier and always worth a stop. It has a calm and cool atmosphere. They also serve some great homemade sandwiches. They offer a small but great selection of drinks and at night it is usually packed.  It is designed by two architects and the ceiling installation is changing every year.

Vienna’s 7th district, called Neubau, is one the city’s hippest neighborhoods. If you want to stroll along the trendy streets of Vienna, have a drink, do some shopping, grab a bite to eat than I would recommend to walk along Kirchengasse, Zollergasse, Lindengasse and Neubaugasse. Looking for some Austrian souvenirs? Here some suggestions: - Get a pack o freshly roasted coffee at the "Jonas Reindl", or "Kaffeefabrik" roasters/coffeeshop.  - Minus Plus hair salon produce their own organic hair products called „Less is more“.  - „Mühlbauer“ hat store is an over 100 years old family business, with a great choice of handmade hats and headgear.  - At „Geschirr Niessner“ you can get one of the famous pastel enamel pots from Riess, manufactured in Lower Austria. - „Sonnentor“ sell organic teas and herbs grown by Austrian farmers. You’ll find plenty of nice coffeeshops and small restaurants along the way.

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.

If you are into Brutalism and would like to see something different in Vienna (apart from Schönbrunn Palace and its historic city centre …) this church is worth the journey. On the basis of a model by Fritz Wotruba, the Austrian sculptor, the church was built from 1974–76. (Photo: Thomas Ledl)