15 things to do to make your February fantastic in Vienna

There’s no other feeling like it – the cold on your face, a red nose, gliding over the ice, and on occasion falling in a puddle of melted ice.

Get your skates on and visit one of the ice skating rinks around Vienna. We especially recommend checking out the ice skating rink at the Wiener Eislaufverein in the centre of the city or the famous rink at Rathausplatz, Wiener Eistraum. The atmosphere is perfect for winter.

Winter is the ‘reader’s hour’, so we’ve heard. The weather can be pretty grim, and it’s very hard to find motivation to leave the house. It’s the best time to immerse yourself in a great book. Hot chocolate, a warm bed, and fireplaces go really well with a book. So why not take a book and head to one of those cosy cafés where you can sit by a fire and lose yourself in a book?!

‘L’amour est un oiseau rebelle que nul ne peut apprivoiser…’ – you know how it goes. Love is a rebellious bird that no one can tame, and ‘Carmen’ by Bizet is an opera you definitely shouldn’t skip. It’s packed with some real bangers and is absolutely worth checking out on the biggest opera stage in the world… cough… we mean in Vienna.

The Cirque is coming to town! You don’t want to miss a show with people who paint their bodies bright colours and then throw said bodies into the air in order to defy death, gravity and anybody else who would try and stop them from fllyyyyying!! Well, you don’t want to miss that, do you??

This Sunday, you can bargain and hunt for comics and films at the huge location of the Berufsschule Längenfeldgasse. Here you’ll find rarities from all around the comic world, action figurines and other merch. Oh, and swapping is allowed too.

You know it, we know it, everyone knows it – the Vienna Opera Ball is happening.
If you’re one of the lucky ones who managed to snag a ticket, we’re happy for you (and maybe just a tad jealous). But for those of us who can only dream of going this year, we can still catch all the glitz and glamour from the comfort of our couches. There’ll be plenty of coverage on social media, in newspapers, and multiple other sources (hey, we might even join in!). So grab some popcorn and get ready to enjoy the night without having to squeeze into black tie attire.

Some people love fighting while others are appalled at the idea of it. If you belong to the first camp, then watching a bunch of professional wrestlers at this Sunday’s WUW Underground Wrestling at Weberknecht promises to blast you into submission. There will be a couple of fights held at the venue with some live music afterwards. We recommend not getting too drunk and accidentally lurching into the ring. That might end badly for you.

Wild, crazy, colourful, fun-filled carneval – we are happy to have you back! We wouldn’t miss a chance to play dress-up for anything in the world, and neither should you. Whether you shake your ass in a David Bowie costume in a club or intend on being a drunk unicorn at a house party – this is the time of the year to let loose and simply have fun. And on top of that, delicious jam-filled Faschingskrapfen can be found at every other corner of this city. Oops, we just accidentally started drooling.

If you are lucky enough to have the time to travel to one of the traditional Faschingsumzüge in the rural parts of Austria, you should definitely go for it. Seeing those artfully crafted costumes and masks and wild figures who are trying to scare the winter away really is an experience of its own kind.

Tip: Many clubs offer a discount of entry if you come in costume – all the more reason to get in character

‘Pomp & Embossment’ at the Kunsthistorisches Museum is all about cool medals and art from royal courts. So, there are going to be a lot of shiny pieces that you’ll really want to steal for your cabinet of curiosities, but won’t be able to.

Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day this month! If this inspires a groan from the depths of your belly, then look away from this event tip and read on! However, if you’re the romantic type, or have somebody special in your life, we’d suggest you check out 6 of Vienna’s most romantic bars for dates, drinks & cuddling.

And hey all you singles! We didn’t forget you. There’s plenty of tips on how you, the lone wolf, can spend this – some say, commercial day hijacking love, some say, sacred day of sweetness that ends in a climax of some wild rooty tooty – day. Our random tip for more happiness: Get your lazy ass out of the house and check out these beautiful, colourful Viennese doors that will hopefully instantly boost your mood on this gray day.

Grab a loved one and head to the Belvedere Museum this Valentine’s Day. From 6:30pm until midnight, couples will have the opportunity to stand in front of Gustav Klimt’s iconic painting, ‘The Kiss’ and well… smooch as a professional photographer captures their affection. So, if you’re feeling bold, celebrate your love, get your photo taken free of charge, and show the characters in Klimt’s masterpiece how it’s truly done.

If anything comes close to Gossip Girl in Vienna, it’s gotta be this event. Walk through the grand floors of the majestic Park Hyatt Hotel and look at even more majestic art. So grab your finest suit, borrow your grandmas’ mink fur coat, put on a fun accent and pretend to be a Genovian royalty who’s come to look at some damn fine art.

Roberto Matta is the guy who really shook up the 20th-century art scene, inspiring big names like Jackson Pollock. His paintings are super colourful and vibrant – just the thing to see as Vienna wakes up for spring.

The Edelstoff market is back! We remember our time at the last Edelstoff Designmarkt fondly – we were greedily munching our way through the different street food stands while looking at some damn hip design, art and jewellery. Multitasking is a glorious thing.

We like that even though there’s always a big, young crowd at Edelstoff, it never gets too full, or stressful. The market will also feature the traditional hoard of food trucks to splurge at, while they also have some neat DJ tunes in the background to serve your hedonistic urges.

Ever listened to accordion music? There is a whole festival of it. This is your chance to listen to the best of Austria’s newcomer accordion artists and talents who will step up on stage in various locations in Vienna and Lower Austria. Oh, and not to forget the harmonica will also make an appearance in addition to plenty of singing. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy this underrated genre.