Page 574 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

572  GERM AN Y , A USTRIA , AND SWITZERLAND

Shopping and Entertainment modern plays are performed
here and at the associated
Shopping in Austria can be expensive, but it is a good Akademietheater.
place to buy certain high-quality traditional goods, The Volkstheater offers more
such as Loden coats, porcelain, and glass. Famous for its modern plays as well as the
coffee shops, Christmas markets, world-class opera, and occasional classic and some
orchestras, Vienna is the center of entertainment in Austria, operetta performances.
The Raimund Theater and
although some important music festivals are held across the Ronacher are part of the
the country. Outside the city, such rural pleasures as skiing Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, the
and hiking are available in the west of the country, in the city’s own theaters. Both
Tyrol, Salzburger Land, and Salzkammergut regions. specialize in lavish musicals.
The Wiener Festwochen,
held in May and June, features
Opening Hours powder compacts, and similar theater, including musical
Stores usually open at 8:30 or articles, is a Viennese specialty. A theater, at various venues.
9am and close at 6 or 7pm. wide range is available at Petit Vienna has a wide range of
Smaller ones may close for lunch. Point and Maria Stransky. fringe theater from one­man
Most shops stay open all day on Trachten (Austrian costume) shows to Kabarett – satirical
Saturday, especially in larger shops are fun, selling a wide shows not cabarets – but fairly
towns. In rural areas, however, selection of hats, children’s fluent German is needed to
they may close around noon on dresses, jackets, and blouses. appreciate them.
Saturday. Shops are closed on Glassware – including superb
Sundays and public holidays, chandeliers – and Augarten Opera and Operetta
but you can buy items such as porcelain come in highly
groceries, flowers, and news­ original designs, but are very The opera season runs from
papers at major train stations. expensive. Ostovics is a good September to June. The historic
glass and porcelain shop Theater an der Wien is a full­
for such items. The Schloss time venue for opera and other
Food and Drink
Augarten porcelain factory forms of classical music. At the
Austria is justly famous for its is open to visitors. Staatstoper in Vienna, operas
cakes and pastries, and in Vienna are usually performed in the
and large towns a good Café- original language. At the
Konditorei (cake shop and café) Booking Tickets Wiener Volksoper, where the
will mail cakes back home for you. You can buy tickets direct repertoire includes light opera
Buy a prettily­packaged Sacher- from the appropriate box by Mozart and Puccini and
torte, the world­famous Viennese office or reserve them by operettas by Strauss and Lehár,
chocolate cake. In November phone. Agencies are reliable; they are sung in German. The
and December, try the buttery try the Reisebüro Mondial. same singers often appear at
Advent Stollen, stuffed with fruit Vienna’s four state theaters, the the two venues. The New Year’s
and nuts and dusted with icing Burgtheater, Akademietheater, Eve performance at the Opera
sugar, available from the Meinl Opera House, and Volksoper House is always Johan Strauss
am Graben delicatessen or any have a central booking office, the Younger’s Die Fledermaus,
good baker. Specialist chocolate the Bundestheaterkassen. In and famous guests sometimes
shops, such as Altmann & most cases, tickets go on sale make surprise appearances
Kühne, are also worth a visit, one month before the perfor­ during the second act.
both for the unusual packaging mance. Written applications A wonderful smaller opera
and the chocolates themselves. for tickets must reach the house is the Wiener Kammer­
Eiswein (so­called because the Österreichische Bundestheater oper. Here, you can expect
grapes are left on the vines until Verband (address as Bundes­ anything from Rossini and
the first frosts) is a delicious theaterkassen) at least three classic operetta to rock versions
white dessert wine. Zum weeks in advance for opera of familiar operas and opera
Schwarzen Kameel in Vienna tickets, and 10 days ahead for parodies. July sees opera
also sells the rarer red variety. the theaters. Standing­room performances in the Kaiserhof
tickets (over 500 at the Opera courtyard of the palatial
House) are sold at the evening religious foundation at Oper
Luxury Goods box office one hour before the Klosterneuburg, a short
Desirable Austrian goods start of the performance. way north of Vienna.
include clothes made of Loden,
a felt­like woollen fabric, Theater Classical Music
custom­made sheets, and Viennese theater enjoys a high
high­quality down pillows and reputation and the Burgtheater The principal venues for
duvets. Petit point embroidery, (see p561) is the most classical music concerts are the
which adorns handbags, prestigious venue. Classic and Musikverein (including the

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