Here are 18 unusual and unexpected ways to cool off in Vienna’s inner city:
1. Flee into the next Altbau stairwell
They’re always at least 10 degrees cooler. If anybody asks why you’re hanging out in their stairwell, just tell them you’re waiting for a friend, and if they ask what your friend’s name is, just answer, ‘Georg.’ In Austria, you’ve got a pretty good chance the building will have a Georg.
2. Wander through the shaded courtyards and secret passageways of Vienna’s city center
We even made a tour for you 🙂
3. When you’re weather app is telling you it’s hot outside, just ignore it like the many other things in your life you’d rather not believe and are in denial over
4. Ride the chain carousel at Prater to catch a cool breeze
Just ride it again and again throughout the hot period of the day – it may make you slightly dizzy and there’s a high chance you may vomit your breakfast Semmel on some helpless and unlucky person below, but atleast you’ll be cool.
5. Cool your feet off in the fountain in front of the Karlskirche
Or, if you’re not that bothered by social norm’s, just lie in it. Another good fountain for this is the one at Schwarzenbergplatz.
6. Hide out in any church that comes along your way to cool off
It’s what Jesus would have wanted.
7. Awkwardly stand next to an open basement window to catch some of the cool (but slightly smelly) air coming out
8. Almost hug the wall when walking on the shady side of the street
9. Eat a spicy meal!
We know this doesn’t make any sense when you first read it, but It’s actually pretty simple – spicy food (usually) makes you sweat (a lot), which in turn helps you to cool down almost instantly. People in the hottest locations on earth have been doing this for years. Oh, and we have a list of Vienna’s hot spots for awesome spicy food for you.
10. Avoid dark-coloured asphalt streets
According to Wikipedia, dark asphalt actually absorbs heat from the sunlight, gets hot and warms the air above. Lighter surfaces reflect sunlight more and reject heat. So if possible, walk on lighter coloured streets.
11. Spend some time in the city’s green lungs, like Lobau, or the Wienerwald
It’s always cooler in the forest.
12. Occasionally throw some shade at your friends
It may help. It might not. Just try it out 😉
13. Meet with your friends on one of the new Cool Streets of Vienna.
In an effort to offer spaces where people of Vienna can cool down a bit during summer, the city’s decided to close off a few roads to cars in various areas, and turn them into outdoor living rooms. There’s additional seating, some drinking fountains and spray mist machines that will help cool off on hot days. These cool streets can be found all over Vienna – check out the location map online. There’s probably one in, or near, your Grätzel.
14. Sit in one of the café gardens that has one of these fancy water mist fans
Or whatever you want to call them. You know what we’re talking about. The thing that sprinkles itty bitty tiny water droplets in the air.
15. Organise a water-gun or water-balloon fight with your friends on the streets of the city
If you’ve ever taken part in Thailand’s Songkran Festival, you’ll understand how fun this can be. If you haven’t heard of this festival, we suggest you google it and adapt this city-wide water fight taking place in Bangkok, to Vienna.
16. Do a rain dance and wait for the rain to come
It may be hot at first, but the rain will come at some point. If you wait long enough…and keep on dancing that rain dance of yours. PS – please send a video!
17. Eat your way through all the ice cream shops in Vienna
Tongues ready, people! We’ve got a guide for you with our favourite places for ice cream and gelati you absolutely need to try this summer.
18. Become super good friends with that friend of yours who has a air conditioner
19. Complain about how hot it is
With the amount of this that happens in Vienna when it gets hot, you’d think that bitching about the weather must have some positive effect.
20. Ride the U6 metro line for a day
They’ve installed air conditioning now in all of the trains that service the U6 Line!