A glorious afternoon at Naschmarkt-Vienna's most famous fruit,flowers and vegetable market

A riot of colour- these blooms could really make anyone's day!

It was a glorious October afternoon and we had spent the morning at Schonnbrun palace soaking in all the rich Austrian tradition and architecture. Next on our list was heading towards Naschmarkt to get a taste of all the buzz and action that we had heard so much about. 

Naschmarkt, Vienna which is located between Kettenbrückengasse and Karlsplatz is Vienna's most popular premier open-air fruit and vegetable market that should be on everyone's itinerary. Just over 1.5 kms long, Naschmarkt is truly an ethnic melting pot full of vibrant life and exotic scents. With endless rows of stalls selling fruit, vegetables, seafood, spices, homemade pasta, pickles of all kinds, cheeses and breads, this superb market can satisfy the most demanding culinary requirements. Interspersed are small bistros, as diverse and multi-cultural as the stalls and the market itself and if you know what you are looking for- you can have an absolutely delightful as well as memorable morning or  afternoon as the case might be. 

Naschmarkt is open Monday to Friday from 6am to 6.30pm and Saturday from 6am to 5pm. Mornings are the best time to absorb the market's sights and flavours. One of the highlights of this time of year( October) is that you can also find a glass of Sturm - semi-fermented grape juice/wine from this year's vintage.

With Halloween approaching you can see pumpkins in all shapes and sizes

And some more

Candies and sweets from all over the world.

Nowadays, you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from around the world, exotic herbs, cheese, baked goods such as bread, kaiser rolls, and torte, meats, and seafood. There are also a lot of small restaurants which offer sushi, kebabs,fish, seafood, traditional Viennese food such as Kaiserschmarrn  or Palatschinken ( rolled up crepes) as well as other stalls which offer clothes and accessories. 

The crowd builds up as the day progresses

It was very interesting to learn a bit about its history.The Naschmarkt has existed since the 16th century when mainly milk bottles were sold ("Asch", for milk bottles led to the name "Aschenmarkt").  From 1793 onwards, all fruits and vegetables brought to Vienna with carts had to be sold here, while goods arriving on the Danube were sold elsewhere. 

'Must haves for all'- real as well as decorative tea pots  

Typical Austrian fare- Sausages and cheese of all types

Exotic spices that add a dash of flavour to any cuisine

Cheap and very fresh- these fruits taste fabulous!

More candy- this time from the Middle East

Cookies, sweets and bakes- the variety is huge

And if you thought this market sells only fruit, veges and flowers- think again. We found a wide range of scarves, sweaters and caps there as well.

We walked around for a long time - till the delightful aromas around us became irresistible. It was then that we found this lovely open air bistro and settled down for our lunch, accompanied by a delightful glass of chilled Rose

 However, since we had no idea that the portions would be so generous, we had to ask for a takeaway..

Lunch at an Open Air bistro

Satiated and very, very  happy, we made our way out of the Naschmarkt and headed towards our next adventure.

Goes without saying, it will be detailed in my next blog post....

A Piece of Vienna- Sacher Torte and Coffee with Mozart at the iconic Landtmann Cafe

No trip to Vienna can be complete without trying out the famed  'Sacher torte' and we certainly couldn't be the exceptions. 

The Sacher-Torte has been the most famous cake in the world since 1832 and the original recipe remains a well-kept secret. The basis of this uniquely fabulous confection is a chocolate cake, thinly coated by hand with best-quality apricot jam. The chocolate icing on top of it is the crowning glory. It tastes best with a portion of unsweetened whipped cream.

Cafe Sacher, a landmark in Vienna

There is a very interesting story about the origins of the Sacher Torte. In 1832, Prince Wenzel von Metternich charged his personal chef with creating a special dessert for several important guests. The head chef, having taken ill, let the task fall to his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Franz Sacher, then in his second year of training in Metternich's kitchen. The Prince is reported to have declared, "Let there be no shame on me tonight." 

While the torte created by Sacher on this occasion is said to have delighted Metternich's guests, the dessert received no immediate further attention. Sacher completed his training as a chef and afterward spent time in Pressburg and Budapest, ultimately settling in his hometown of Vienna where he opened a specialty delicatessen and wine shop. Sacher's eldest son Eduard carried on his father's culinary legacy, completing his own training in Vienna with the Royal and Imperial Pastry Chef at the Demel bakery and chocolatier, during which time he perfected his father's recipe and developed the torte into its current form. 

You can easily understand the relevance of this torte when I tell you that 5th December is National Sacher torte Day in Austria.

 

 The Display insidethe Landtmann Cafe

One late, very cold evening after a show at the Opera House, we decided to take a chance and try out the Landtmann Cafe, which we had heard so much about. This cafe was founded in 1873 on October 1st when Franz Landtmann opened Vienna’s most elegant Café.

This legendary Café has been and continues to be one of the most popular in Vienna with regulars such as: Peter Altenberg, Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Max Reinhardt, Marlene Dietrich, Romy Schneider, Burt Lancaster, Hans Moser, the Dutch Queen Juliane, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sir Paul Mc Cartney, among many others.

The lovely Menu

Even better from Inside   

As it happened, we were in for an initial disappointment as the waiter informed us that the Sacher torte selection for the day was over. Then looking at the very obvious dismay on our faces, added that there was a very wide selection of other cakes that we could choose from.

 Which is exactly what we did!

Late night coffee and cakes 

My order- A Mozart Torte and a Melange cappuccino

Coffee and chocolate cake for Avi 

It was absolutely delightful- sitting in that wonderful restaurant which has seen artists,musicians, and celebrities from all walks of life walking in through its doors and making a morning, or as the case might be, an evening of it. 

The Logo is unmistakable- after all we are in the city of the greatest music composer of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

As to our share of the Sacher Torte, the most amazing coincidence was that we found it served up in our Breakfast Buffet at the  Hotel Maria Theresa the very next morning!