In Vienna’s bohemian Seventh District, craftspeople, artists and shopkeepers are breathing new life into a handful of old cobblestone streets known as Spittelberg. Steps from the MuseumsQuartier, the city’s museum district, the neighborhood overflows with Old World charm and hidden garden restaurants. It wasn’t always picturesque. Named after a hospital built here in the 1500s, the hill filled in over the centuries with low-rent housing, taverns and brothels. By the 1970s, the red light district was headed for demolition, but locals insisted on preservation instead. Restored Biedermeier buildings on pedestrian lanes now house galleries, boutiques, bars and restaurants. With summer tourists gone, Viennese enjoy strolling and dining outside on pleasant autumn evenings.
Die Sellerie
Burggasse 21; diesellerie.com
Amerlingbeisl
Stiftgasse 8; (43-1) 526-1660; amerlingbeisl.at
Die Werkbank
After renovating the small, dark space where her father sold antiques and made furniture, Katharina Sobotka opened her own store in September 2012. She sells her handmade bags as well as jewelry, furniture and other original products from emerging designers. “My customers are looking for something different - personal, handmade, local,” she said.
Breite Gasse 1; (43-650) 524-8136; www.werkbank.cc
Carina e Vincenzo
In this year-old store, Daria and Varvara Khosroeva, who are sisters, sell an eclectic mix of clothing, vintage furniture, Swedish makeup and Italian olive oil and wine. The store is housed in a former cloister lined with wall paintings from 1653.
Breite Gasse 11; (43-1) 236-8974; carinaevincenzo.com
Restaurant 1070
With no menu and a flexible number of courses, this tiny restaurant turns out an abundance of fresh, seasonal food and good wines by the glass. On chilly evenings the owner, Dagmar Wulz, offers blankets at outside tables.
