A district, also called a Grätzel in Vienna, usually evolves over the course of centuries. It expands, it develops, it changes its structure until what remains is a charming mixture of old and new. In a growing city such as Vienna, urban development projects enable such districts to evolve in just a few years – quickly enough for changes to be perceptible.

Seestadt

One of the largest urban development projects in Europe is currently under construction in the 22nd district of Donaustadt: aspern Seestadt. It is expected that more than 25,000 people will live, work and have access to education in the area surrounding the nearby artificial swimming lake by the 2030s. But even now, a visit to the “walking distance town” is well worth it.

The VHS Kulturgarage offers a varied cultural program of national and international artists. The Ariana Event Location has even been awarded an international architecture prize. The HoHo Wien is the world’s second-tallest wooden high-rise building at 84 meters tall. The area’s culinary offerings are also outstanding, for instance Café Leo for breakfast or snacks, Café Bruno é Marone with its own roasting house, See22 for more substantial meals and cocktails and the ice cream parlor at Schwedenplatz. The popular ice cream company, which has its main branch on Schwedenplatz in the city centre, creates and sells its produce here. Owner Johannes Kößler will give you the best advice at his Seeseiten bookstore – that is, unless he is out delivering books to local residents himself on his bicycle. What’s more, this is far from the only sustainable initiative that can be found in Seestadt.

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Sonnwendviertel and Quartier Belvedere

Urban development is progressing at a pace in the vicinity of Vienna Central Station in the tenth district in the form of the Sonnwendviertel and the Quartier Belvedere.

The Sonnwendviertel is a residential area in the heart of the city that meets all the requirements of a modern metropolis. The 70,000m² Helmut Zilk Park (named after one of Vienna’s most popular mayors) is the area’s green space. There is plenty of good food to choose from: Mimi im Stadtelefant offers a varied lunch menu, the Feldhase wins plaudits for its vegetarian cuisine and a select array of organic produce and Bio Mio brings locally grown foods from the farms to the city center. For dessert, trying one of the exceptional flavours of gelato ice cream is simply a must – strawberry-mint, for example. Fans of a sour drop will find what they are looking for at the famous Gegenbauer vinegar and oil factory.

The most striking feature of the Quartier Belvedere on the other side of the station is the vibrant glass architecture of the Erste Campus. Just nextdoor, the Parkapartments am Belvedere designed by Renzo Piano reach high into the sky. The celebrated Italian architect (whose projects include the Centre Pompidou in Paris and The Shard, London’s tallest building) now also has a presence in Vienna. Belvedere 21 across the street in the Swiss Garden is the contemporary offshoot of the palace of the same name. The best view in the area is from the Aurora Rooftop Bar on the roof of the Andaz Hotel.

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Nordbahnviertel

A city within the city is taking shape on the site of a former freight station: its name is the Nordbahnviertel. The area is attracting young Viennese and their families in particular, largely thanks to traffic calming, the area’s proximity to the city center and outstanding infrastructure. At the heart of the district is the spacious Rudolf Bednar Park. Two organic restaurants and groceries, Salon am Park and Burgenländer, are located right next to each other.

Nestled between modern apartment buildings, the opposite of a city also thrives across more than nine hectares of land: Vienna’s nine-hectare Stadtwildnis nature reserve. Its impressive array of flora and fauna for a city centre nature area attract many visitors, as do the two pond areas and several playgrounds. The Nordbahnviertel even has a boulevard in the form of Bruno-Marek-Allee. Here’s a tip for you: be sure to drop by the Vogel Coffee micro-roastery for an espresso tonic and cheesecake! Or perhaps the Gragger und Chorherr bakery, which puts all its profits into promoting education and training for people who are at a disadvantage in the labor market.

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