Josefstadt

Josefstadt is the 8th district of Vienna. It is bounded on the north side by Alser Straße, by the "2er Linie" on the east, Lerchenfelder Straße on the south, and the Gürtel on the west.

Understand

Typical street scene in Josefstadt

Josefstadt is Vienna's smallest district, with many former noble palaces built in the 18th and 19th centuries by noble families. Today it is a heavily-populated and well-to-do residential area.

Get in

The underground lines  U2  is available on the eastern border and the  U6  on the western. The trams 2 and 5 and the bus 13A cross Josefstadt.

See

Piarist Church (Piaristenkirche)

Exhibit in the Austrian Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art (Österreichisches Museum für Volkskunde)

Architecture

• 1 Palais Auersperg, Auerspergstrasse 1, ☏ +43 1 40 107, info@auersperg.com. The palace was built in the early 18th century, and expanded in the late 18th century under the ownership of Prince Adam von Auersperg. Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach drew up the first plans; later designs are attributed to Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. In 1945 the Austrian resistance group O5 (meaning OE = Oesterreich) met here. Historically it has always been a center for music, hosting many celebrations and balls. Today various events are organised here.  
• 2 Palais Damian (Zum Stroblkopf), Lange Gasse 53. The palace changed hands frequently, with each owner making their own adaptations to the building. The central sections date from the early 18th century, while the second floor was a later addition.  
• 3 Palais Schönborn, Laudongasse 15-19. This impressive Baroque palace was built in 1706-1711 following the designs of Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt. It houses the Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art (Museum für Volkskunde) (see listing below).  
• 4 Palais Strozzi, Josefstädter Strasse 39. The palace was built in 1702, and once had a garden that extended to Pfeilgasse. Renovations in 1996 led to the rediscovery of old paintings dating to the period of the building's construction.  

Religious buildings

• 5 Piarist Church (Piaristenkirche), Piaristengasse 43. The Baroque church Maria Treu was probably designed by Lukas von Hildebrandt. The church has eight chapels and is decorated with frescoes made by Franz Anton Maulbertsch. It is considered as an important religious building of its time. In 1949 it was elevated to Basilica minor.  

Museums and galleries

• 6 Wiener Schuhmuseum (Shoe Museum), Florianigasse 66, ☏ +43 1 514 50-2354, gesundheit-natur@wkw.at. Every second Tu of the month, 16:00-19:00. The only museum of its kind in Austria, with displays focusing on the history of shoemaking. €3.50 (adults), €3 (trainees/students/seniors). (updated Jun 2016)
• 7 Österreichisches Museum für Volkskunde (The Austrian Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art), Laudongasse 15-19, ☏ +43-1-406 89 05, fax: +43 1 408 53 42, office@volkskundemuseum.at. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00; closed Jul-Aug. Founded in 1895 and housed in the Schönborn Garden Palace, this museum is dedicated to preserving the traditional folk art of Austria and of central Europe, with rotating exhibits as well as a permanent display. There is a museum library and gift shop onsite, and guided tours are available in German, English, and Slovak. €8 adults, €6 seniors, €4 concessions. (updated Jun 2016)

Do

Theater in der Josefstadt

Vienna's English Theatre

• 1 Kletterzentrum ÖGV (Kletterzentrum Gebirgsverein), Lerchenfelder Str. 28 (Strozzigasse 46), ☏ +43 1 720 005 005, oeav@gebirgsverein.at. Sep-Jun: M-F 10:00-23:00, Sa Su holidays 14:00-20:00; Jul Aug: M-F 10:00-17:00. A small climbing gym inside Vienna has walls in an indoor court, in the cellar, and more upstairs. The gym offers courses for various ages and climbing experience, with highly-motivated trainers and climbers. The boulders are known to be very demanding on endurance, and there are some special circuits set up upstairs. Every autumn they organise a friendly boulder competition. €11 for 2 hours or more. (updated Jun 2016)
• 2 Theater in der Josefstadt (Die Josefstadt), Josefstädter Straße 26, ☏ +43 1 42700 300 (tickets). Opened in 1776, this is the oldest continually-operating theater in Vienna. At its reopening following a remodeling in 1822 Beethoven directed his commissioned piece Die Weihe des Hauses (The Consecration of the House). Since 1858, it has focused exclusively on theater, and music is no longer performed here. Famous cast members have included Johann Nestroy, Otto Schenk, and Klaus Maria Brandenauer.  
• 3 Vienna's English Theatre, Josefsgasse 12, ☏ +43 1 402 12 600 (box office), fax: +43 1 402 12 60-40, tickets@englishtheatre.at. On performance days: M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa and holidays 17:00-19:00; non-performance days: M-F 10:00-17:00. The oldest English-language theatre in continental Europe. Tickets can be purchased online.  

Buy

There are several specific shops in the Josefstadt to be found, especially for high quality local Austrian products.

• 1 Essenswert, Schlösselgasse 20, ☏ +43 699 140 43 164, office@essenswert.at. F 10:00-19:00. The seasonal products are to be ordered online until Tuesday morning and can be picked up on Fridays. The shop sells special bread, vegetables, cheese and wines. 
• 2 muso koroni, Josefstädter Straße 33 (2, 13A Lederergasse/Josefstädter Straße), ☏ +43 1 402 47 70, info@muso-koroni.com. M-F 11:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-17:00. Vegan clothing and accessories. 
• 3 Potstill (Austria's Finest Whisky Shop), Strozzigasse 37, ☏ +43 664 118 85 41, office@potstill.org. M-F 14:00-19:00. The shop offers a huge selection (1000 different single malts), with good advice on choosing whisky. It also offers interesting or not so common whiskey-chocolate combinations. 
• 4 Vinoe - Die Niederösterreich-vinothek, Piaristengasse 35 (U2 Rathaus), ☏ +43 1 402 09 61, vinoe@aon.at. M-F 16:00-19:30, Sa 10:00-13:00. The shop sells a variety fine wines from Lower Austria, including from the regions of Wachau, Langenlois, and Retz. They really know their selection – don't hesitate to ask for recommendations. 

Eat

Josefstadt offers good food in the listed restaurants below for various budget.

Budget

• 1 Tunnel, Florianigasse 39, ☏ +43 1 947 57 20. Su-Th 10:00-01:00, F Sa 10:00-02:00. Student's place. Nice breakfast, live music every day starting about 21:00. €5 vegetarian and normal lunch. 
• 2 Puerta del Sol, Lange Gasse 52, ☏ +43 664 423 38 38, Ale@tapas-bar.at. M-Sa 18:00-24:00. One of the best tapas bars in Vienna. Both the cold and warm tapas are excellent, and one can choose from amongst 90 wines. 

Mid-range

• 3 Curry Insel, Lenaugasse 4, ☏ +43 1 4069233, office@curryinsel.at. Tu-F 17:00-24:00, Sa Su 11:00-24:00. Sri Lankan restaurant with a good range of vegetarian dishes. Free WiFi. (updated Mar 2019)
• 4 Deli Bluem, Hamerlingplatz 2 (2,5 Albertgasse), contact@delibluem.com. M-F 07:30–19:00, Sa Su 09:30–16:00. The vegan restaurant cooks local ingredients. €10.50 main dish. 
• 5 Il Sestante, Piaristengasse 50, ☏ +43 1 402 98 94. Daily 11:30-23:30. This Italian restaurant serves pizza fired in a stone oven. It has a nice view of the Maria Treu plaza, with outdoor seating in the summer. 
• 6 Konoba, Lerchenfelder Strasse 66-68, ☏ +43-1-9294111, info@konoba.at. Daily 17:00-24:00. The delicious aromas of garlic and grilled fish invite the passerby into this Croatian seafood restaurant. 
• 7 Prinz Ferdinand, Bennoplatz 2 (U6 Josefstädter Strasse; 2/5/33 Albertgasse), ☏ +43 1 40 29 417, office@prinzferdinand.at. M-Sa 10:30-24:00, Su and holidays 10:30-23:00. An Austrian Beisl that serves good food and even some vegetarian options. €7.80-22. 

Splurge

• 8 Sakai, Florianigasse 36, ☏ +43 1 729 6541. Tu–Sa 12:00–14:30 18:00–22:30, Su 11:30–14:30. Hiroshi Sakai, previously the chef of Unkai, opened this Japanese Kappo restaurant in 2013. Diners can choose from multiple courses, or enjoy the sushi brunch on Sundays. Particularly recommended are the agedashitofu, dashi and kani toujimushi, all served in small handmade porcelain dishes. The diverse menu varies seasonally, offering a great impression of the breadth of Japanese cuisine. 
• 9 Schnattl (Wilhelm Schnattl), Lange Gasse 40 (U2 Rathaus), ☏ +43 1 405 34 00, schnattl@aon.at. M-F 18:00-24:00. For more than 25 years the restaurant has been serving Viennese and international cuisine of a high standard. €98 menu, €35 vegetarian. 
• 10 Speisekammer, Tigergasse 31 (Tram 2 Albertgasse), ☏ +43 680 440 63 38, steger@speisekammer.at. Tu-Sa 18:00-22:00. A small new fancy underground restaurant, with a rotating roster of young chefs who prepare freely-improvised dishes. A special feature is the surprise menu (Überraschungsmenu), where you can choose the ingredients of your meal, but not the manner of preparation. €27-45. 

Drink

During day there are several cafés to choose from and during night interesting club.

Cafés

Cafe Eiles

Café Florianihof

The Cafés in Josefstadt are mostly visited by Viennese locals as this district is not so touristy. Nevertheless with Café Eiles or Cafe der Provinz and Café Florianihof it features both a very traditional or also very young and modern ones that are worth the visit.

• 1 Cafe der Provinz, Maria-Treu-Gasse 3, ☏ +43 1 9442272. 08:00-23:00. Cute little coffee place sells mostly organic products. Serves breakfast, gallettes, and crêpes. 
• 2 Café Eiles, Josefstädter Straße 2, ☏ +43 1 405 34 10. M-F 07:00-22:00, Sa Su 08:00-22:00. This café has been operating since 1840, when the building was completed. The interior dates from the last redesign in 1933.  
• 3 Café Florianihof, Florianigasse 45, ☏ +43 1 402 48 42, florianihof@florianihof.at. M-F 07:30-22:30, Sa Su 09:00-19:00. A very popular café that has been redecorated. It serves good food with many vegetarian options for fair prices and typical Austrian desserts like "Topfen-knöderl" or "Powiderl-Tascherl". Free Wi-Fi. Most of the places are non-smoking. 
• 4 Café Merkur, Florianigasse 18 (Corner Lammgasse), ☏ +43 1 990 54 13. 09:00 - 02:00. On Saturdays and Sundays offers breakfast almost all day. Due to its good prices it is a popular hang-out for students. Has Wi-Fi access. 
• 5 Kaffeemodul, Josefstädter Straße 35, ☏ +43 680 2228039, info@kaffeemodul.at. M-F 07:30-17:30. A tiny coffee gem in Vienna, easily overlooked by passersby, with very skilled baristas. 
• 6 People on Caffeine, Schlösslgasse 21. M-F 08:00–17:00. Hidden away in a former Catholic sacristy, this café offers fair trade and special roasted coffee. Serves espresso and many of the newer filtered coffee styles. 

Nightlife

As Josefstadt is a residential area most of the night life (disregarding the collegiate Tunnel) is on its border at the Gürtel. B72, Chelsea and the experimental Rhiz clubs play a big part of Vienna's night life.

• Gürtel, Josephstädter Straße (U6). Many bars and music-oriented venues are under the elevated subway tracks. 
  • 7 B72, U-Bahn Bogen 72 (Hernalser Gürtel), ☏ +43 1 409 21 28, info@b72.at. The bar also serves as a venue for hip hop and modern music concerts. 
  • 8 Chelsea, Lerchenfelderguertel/U-Bahnboegen 29-31 (between the U6 underground stations Thaliastrasse and Josefstaedterstrasse), ☏ +43 1 407 93 09, chelsea@sil.at. Daily 18:00-04:00. Serving a wide range of international beers, this popular place is often fully-packed. 1/2 L of beer is €3.1. 
  • 9 Rhiz, U-Bahn Bogen 37–38 (Lerchenfelder Gürtel), ☏ +43 1 409 25 05, rhiz@rhiz.org. M–Sa 18:00–04:00, Su 18:00–02:00. Rhiz promotes experimental music for an alternative audience; it's well worth checking out the online program of upcoming concerts. This bar tends to be particularly smoky. 

Sleep

Although primarily an upscale and traditional residential district, Josefstadt is a good choice for accommodation for both tourists and business travellers, as it is centrally located and almost all the main sights in Vienna are within walking distance.

Mid-range

• 1 Hotel Graf Stadion, Buchfeldgasse 5 (Metro station (U2 Rathaus) and tram stops nearby), ☏ +43 1 4055284, fax: +43 1 4050111, info@hotelgrafstadion.at. Check-in: 14:00-22:00, check-out: 11:00. The house was built in the Biedermeier Epoche style in 1824/1825 and is registered as a historic monument; it has been run as a hotel since 1897. 39 singles and doubles with bath with shower/WC, hair dryer, clothesline, SAT-Flatscreen-TV, radio, telephone and free WLAN in the entire hotel. €103+/single, €119+/double. (updated Jun 2016)
• 2 Mercure Josefshof Vienna, Josefsgasse 4-6 (U2 Rathaus), ☏ +43 1 404 19, mercure@josefshof.com. The hotel is located on a quiet side street. It provides free Wi-Fi and has a small basement garage for cars. 
• 3 The Levante Laudon, Laudongasse 8, ☏ +43 1 407 13 70-0, laudon@thelevante.com. Rents apartments on a quiet street behind the city hall (Rathaus). All apartments have a usable small kitchen; the two-room apartments have separated living rooms and bedrooms. Perfectly suitable for families. 
• 4 Hotel Zipser, Lange Gasse 49, ☏ +43 1 404 54-0, office@zipser.at. The Jugendstil hotel in the centre of Vienna is a family-run business, and offers special rates for families.  

Splurge

• 5 The Levante Parliament, Auerspergstrasse 9, ☏ +43 1 228 28 - 0, parliament@thelevante.com. The centrally-located boutique hotel has a beautiful atrium and the Nemtoi Restaurant-Bar. Has free Wi-Fi, as well as fitness and spa rooms. 

Go next

• Innere Stadt is the central town district.
• Neubau is an inner district to the south.
• Alsergrund is an inner district to the north.
• Vienna/Outer West lists outer districts to the west.