© Richard Randall

Caribbean

Sundries

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

Oceania

Between these, there are still many smaller stations that are particularly important for local passenger traffic. Since the mid 1990s, the West and South stations have handled all long-distance travel. Many trains stop at H¸tteldorf or Meidling, especially when inbound.

In order to bundle all long-distance traffic it has become necessary to build a tunnel, colloquially known as the Wildschweintunnel ("boar tunnel"), underneath Lainzer Tiergarten linking the West Railway to the South Railway. The new bundled train line will connect to a new train station called Vienna-Central Europe that will be constructed somewhat to the south of today's South Station. This new station will give Vienna a main train station for the first time.

Road traffic

Like the train lines, Bundesstraþen leave the city in a star shaped pattern. Some are designated after their historical final destination (Prager Straþe -- to Prague, Linzer Straþe - to Linz, Triester Straþe - to Trieste and Br¸nner Straþe - to Brno). Bundesstraþen can be compared to Federal Highways in the United States, being two-lane in rural areas and multi-lane in urban areas.

Three national autobahns leave Vienna in the westerly (A1), southernly (A2), and easterly directions (A4). Similar to the rail lines, they are commonly referred to after their exit direction (Westautobahn, S¸dautobahn, and Ostautobahn). In addition, several spur and branch autobahns circle around the southern and eastern areas of the city. The western and northern areas were left mostly untouched because of the Wienerwald protected forest.

Nightlife

Vienna has a variety of nightlife options. Its low crime rate and extensive public transportation network make going out at night safe and convenient. Regular public transportation (subway, tram, and bus) runs until approximately 12:30. After this, nighttime bus lines provide service every half hour (fifteen minutes on some segments). Almost all night lines circle the inner city before heading outbound. Most lines are numerated the same as their corresponding daytime line. For example, if you take the 60 tramline followed by the U4 subway into the city, you can take the N60 bus directly from the city back out. At approximately 5 a.m. the daytime lines resume. Day and night lines now use the same tickets.

Starting in the 1980s, the pedestrian zone between the St. Ruprecht's Church (the oldest in Vienna) and the Fleischmarkt became populated with bars etc. and became known as the "Bermuda Triangle" (the name starting as a local joke that in this area there are so many bars that you can disappear there completely and reappear days later, remembering nothing). It is the one area of the inner city district where relatively loud music and noise are (grudgingly) tolerated. Many bars and small clubs are located in this neighborhood, but drinks tend to be more expensive than in the rest of the city.

Jazz lovers may go to "Jazzland", situated beneath the Ruprechtskirche.

The First District in general has an abundance of night life options for any budget. There are many Irish pubs with pint prices starting at €2. On the other side of the price-spectrum are bars such as Sky Bar and Do & Co., which are frequented by the Austrian elite. Opening hours vary essentially by neighborhood noise ordinance agreements. In the summer, bars' outdoor seating often has to be vacated by 11 p.m. Generally there is an abundance of establishments open until 4 a.m. or later, especially on the weekend.

Larger nightclubs are generally located further out. Popular ones include U4 Disco[1], located on the U4 subway line, two medium sized clubs in the wine-producing neighborhood of Grinzing, and an ever-increasing amount of large clubs on the eastern side of the Danube, often located in shopping malls and cinema complexes. One popular club located near the centre of the city is Flex[2], which was built into an abandoned subway tunnel on the shores of the Donaukanal, and, like U4 is also located on the U4 subway line. Flex often features world-acclaimed dance music DJs. Another new nightclub is the Ost-klub[3], which features music from the former east bloc states and the balkan area. It is located at the Schwarzenbergplatz. There you find also the russian monument behind a coloured fountain. Some sort of underground club may be Fluc[4] at the Praterstern.

In the summer, the eastern shore of the Danube is very popular. It is called Copa Cagrana, which is a word-play of Copacabana and Kagran, which is a sub-district nearby.

Starting in the late 1980s, the city undertook much effort to revitalize the area around the Westg¸rtel (Western Beltway), which had become a red-light district. Today, large portions of the Westg¸rtel have been modernized, with many restaurants, bars, and mini-clubs now located under the elevated tracks of the U6 subway line.

Recently the Freihausviertel, right outside the First District by Karlsplatz has also gained some popularity for its restaurants. It includes the Naschmarkt, the major market in Vienna.

Useful nightlife terminology

Austria, particularly Vienna, has unique terminology for drinks. Here is the terminology commonly used:

Beer sizes: These are either ordered by name or small/large for the 0.3/0.5 L sizes. The names are usually one used for draft beer, as it is dispensed into glasses of the same name.

* "Ein Pfiff": 0.2 L (6 U.S. fl oz) (not always available) Meaning: "A whistle"

* "Ein Seidl" or Ein kleines Bier: 0.3 L (10 U.S. fl oz). (common)

* "Ein Kr¸gerl" or Ein grosses Bier 0.5 L (17 U.S. fl oz). (common) Meanings: "A little crock" and "a big beer"

* "Ein Maþ" 1 liter (usually only available in microbreweries) This term originates from Bavaria, and essentially means "a measurement."

Wine sizes: These are ordered in fractions of a liter

* "Ein Achtel" 1/8 L (4.2 U.S. fl oz)

* "Ein Viertel" 1/4 L (8.4 U.S. fl oz)