Naschmarkt

   

The Naschmarkt is my favorite thing in Vienna thus far. It is best described as every foodie's dream. The center of the strip consists mainly of permanent shops and restaurants. I consider San Francisco a pretty diverse city in terms of the different types of cultures, represented by the range of restaurants at your disposal. Vienna manages to be San Francisco times five. 

Within the relatively small Naschmarkt, you can find every type of food imaginable. Scattered throughout you find your traditional Viennese restaurants and hot dog stands where you can get your classic weiner schnitzel and sausage options. However, just as commonly you find italian, eastern/greek, indian, thai, chinese, japanese. I could eat at this market everyday I am here and never get bored. On the outward edges of the nashmarkt, line pop-up stands where you can taste and, if you wish, purchase every type of delicacy. Walking through you find a plethora of options: spices, bread, cheese, nuts and candies, meats, fresh produce, flowers, vinegar, wines, and grains.

Most days it consists of a strip of restaurants and pop up stands, however each Saturday, the size of the naschmarkt doubles, as a wonderful flea market tacts onto the southern end of the market. Be prepared to argue with people when the only german you sort-of-know are the numbers one through ten- and that's when people say them very slowly. 

  On my first trip to the flea market, I exercised some restraint and purchased a scarf, a ring, and a bottle of sturm.

   Sturm, which literally translates to storm, is wine still in the fermentation stage. This results in a cloudy (thus the storm nickname), bubbly, and sweet drink slightly less in alcohol content when compared to the finished wine product. Most sturm ranges in the 5% alcohol content, but sometimes can be found upwards of 10%. I prefer to call Sturm magical juice or unicorn liquid, and it is all too fun and easy to share between two people.