Vienna - With Charm and Cream

Downtown Vienna, 7:30 in the morning. The morning sky stretches wide between the ornate palaces, the color of cream and vanilla ice cream, on Kärntner Strasse. This traffic corridor is part of the famous ring that surrounds the center of Vienna, and which connects the most important attractions of the city. The trams squeal along the tracks, and at number 17, directly across from a baroque plaza with the statue of a horseman, the first cup of coffee gurgles and drips through the machines. Café Schwarzenberg opens early; at the height of the ball season in January and February, it opens so early that the waiters in their black three-piece suits are ready to serve dancers a fortifying meal with a small goulash before sunrise.

The Viennese culture of idleness
The fact that this traditional coffee house, one of more than 1,000 in Vienna, is brimming with activity almost around the clock, showcases how important the culture of idleness is to the city and its inhabitants. These oases of coziness and comfort are a part of Vienna, just like the famous schnitzel or the giant ferris wheel in the amusement park Prater. In 2011, UNESCO even declared the coffee houses of Vienna an intangible cultural heritage. In this cozy atmosphere, people drink a “small black coffee”, mocha, no sugar and milk, or a mélange which is reminiscent of cappuccino. They read newspapers suspended from a wooden hanger, or they simply do nothing. After all, there is enough to see: inside the Café Schwarzenberg, the wood panel walls, petite marble tables and impressive crystal chandeliers recall the turn of the century. Nothing much has changed since its opening in the year 1861. Of course, the cake inside the glass showcase, steeped in golden light, is always fresh.

With all this comfort and coziness, who would want to move along? But one must also pay a visit to the Café Sacher. It is located only a few minutes’ walk from the Café Schwarzenberg, close to the Vienna State Opera and the Hofburg Wien, residence of the Habsburg dynasty from the 13th century to 1918. The smell of horse manure, at times noticeable on the way to the Café Sacher, originates from the Spanish Riding School which is connected to the Hofburg. This is where members of the royal family were instructed in riding – exclusively on Lipizzans – white stallions. White is also the color of those horses that are harnessed to the traditional carriages, known in Vienna as “Fiaker”, which await their customers outside the entrance to the Hofburg and other central locations in Vienna.

The Café Sacher, located inside a corner Renaissance building, is easily recognized by the long lineups forming outside its door. Everyone is here to enjoy a piece of the namesake pastry that Chef Franz Sacher had baked for his employer, Prince Metternich, in 1832. In the mornings, one stands a good chance of being led to a table in this elegant room, which is reminiscent of a plush living room, without much of a wait. The walls are covered in coral red damask, with countless mirrors framed in ivory color, and the stucco under the high ceiling bears witness to the splendor of the fin de siècle. The chocolate cake with apricot jam and glistening dark-brown surface is particularly delicious when one is enjoying it seated comfortably on the red-upholstered circumferential bench.

Fortified by caffeine and cake, one is now off to explore the neighboring Palace Garden, planted around 1818 for Emperor Franz I in the style of an English landscape garden. From here, it is not far to the Café Demel by the Kohlmarkt. This coffee house is famous most of all for its sweet cakes and pastries, for strudel and candied violets – Empress Elisabeth’s favorite flowers. This café delivered sweets to Sisi and her husband, Emperor Franz Joseph – which explains the name “k.u.k. Hofzuckerbäckerei” – “k.u.k.” stands for “kaiserliche und königliche” – “imperial and royal”. Waitresses in black-and-white traditional dress still address the guests in a peculiar third person plural: “Have had a chance to choose?”, or: “Would like to see the menu?” This is known as Demel-German – a polite form of address dating back to the times of the monarchy.

A second home for artists and writers
Our next destination is most likely the best-known coffee house in Vienna, the Café Central. Its rooms are located in the neoclassic Palais Ferstel inside the former Vienna Stock Exchange. One’s gaze wanders past the cake display, towards the dome supported by countless marble pillars. At the end of the 19th century, the beautiful café located in Herrengasse was home to mostly artists and writers: Arthur Schnitzler, Oskar Kokoschka, Stefan Zweig, Leon Trotzki, Robert Musil, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, and also Sigmund Freud who lived only a fifteen-minute walk from the Central. Today, his former home has been converted into a museum.
The Café Sperl, on the other hand, was frequented mostly by composers and painters; after all, this heritage café is located in the 6th district, not far from the city’s theaters – which means it is also a little removed from the city center with its tourists. In the smoke-yellowed room, Thonet armchairs, marble tables and imposing gas lamps welcome the visitor. Here, too, guests enter what Stefan Zweig described as a club where one “can sit for hours and discuss, write, play cards and, most of all, consume an unlimited number of newspapers and magazines.”

Eppendorf Austria is the regional distribution and service office for the Austria/SEE/CIS distribution zone, and in addition, it serves multiple area functions for Eastern Europe. Its 40 employees include area managers, quality managers, HR business partners as well as colleagues from controlling, distribution and marketing. One area of focus is corporate social responsibility; this location is collaborating with the Vienna Open Lab. In addition to product support, there is the Kids Academy for Young Scientists between 5 and 11 years of age which has been jointly organized since 2016. Eppendorf Austria is further engaged in “Projekt 2028”: this project supports beekeepers in their efforts to protect bees. Companies purchase a bee starter set from trained beekeepers and thus support the propagation of bee colonies.