European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                D an be divers10\r s ass Hillk the burst Heater one of the Many monuments on the Day ring. The Stephan Dom gleams by night. Roast chestnuts for a cold Day. Continued from Page 4 most noteworthy sights including the old City Hall the Mozart museum the opera the Imperial burial vaults and the old jewish ghetto. But the downtown area s two most important landmarks Are Vienna s worldwide trademark the Stephan Dom St. Stephan s Cath Draland the Homburg Palace the huge Imperial Complex that includes the Spanish Riding school. The Cathedral and its namesake Square Stephans Platz Are located at the intersection of Vienna s two most famous shopping streets Graben and Kantner Strasse. Including a handful of Side streets this is one of Europe s largest and most attractive pedestrian areas ranking with those in Copenhagen and Munich. Four blocks North of the Cathedral Between Marcus Aurelius Strasse and  in the old jewish ghetto is the area nicknamed the Bermuda Triangle because of its Many student pubs and bars. The implication is that those who enter run the risk of disappearing in an alcohol Haze. Miksch says the Bermuda Triangle contradicts one stereotype about the City. Vienna has the reputation of being a City of tradition but with Little for Young people and that is not the  the City distributes a Booklet titled youth scene detailing everything from fast food places and cafeterias to youth hostels campsites Rock bars cabarets and open air festivals. Midway Down Graben the onetime City Moat that was filled in is one of Vienna s most Eye catching landmarks the Pes Saule plague pillar built by emperor Leopold \ in the 17th Century to fulfil a Promise to god in the aftermath of an epidemic. The Many winding streets and Wal through courtyards give the City Center a predominantly medieval flavor. They can also be confusing for visitors. But the absence of cars and the amazing variety of shops cafes and restaurants make the area Ideal for aimless wandering. Shopping sightseeing and dining can be combined at a leisurely Pace. Outside the City ring Vienna changes its Outlook becoming More open and expansive. There is a simple reason for this. When the City Wall was torn Down in 1857 planners and architects were no longer constricted by the space limitations of the old o to. The most convincing evidence of this is die Many Parks. On the immediate perimeter of the ring these include the Sta Park the Rathaus Park and the Resse Park at Karls Platz. But there Are others throughout the City including the Augarten Belvedere Garten and Liechtenstein Park. The biggest Are the Prater Park and the Dona Park. Vienna is a very Green City Miksch said some of the greenest sections Are in the wine villages of Heiligenstad grinding Flo Riesdorf and Nussdorf. Built on the Edge of extensive vineyards they offer visitors and viennese alike an easy escape from Urban stress. In summer when it s so hot in the City one Heads out to the edges where one can sit outdoors in a Garden and drink wine with soda water a Esprit ten Miksch said. The wine districts Are the Headquarters for Vienna s other major social institution besides the cafes the Herriger. These indoor outdoor wine pubs Are places to relax socialize and in summer enjoy the fresh air in a convivial atmosphere. A heu Rigen tour can be combined with a hike through the vineyards to make make an All Day Outing. The Best known and most touristy Section is grinding while Nussdorf and Flo Riesdorf Are More tranquil and out of the Way. A Heiligenstad visit can be combined with a Stop at the House where Beethoven wrote his now famous Heiligenstad testament the anguished letter in which he so poignantly came to terms with his worsening deafness and approaching death. Any sojourn in Vienna should include its museums which Miksch said number about 100." they Are some of the Best places to experience the City s and the world s history and culture and Range from Mozart s Figaro House to the staterooms of Schonbrunn the natural history museum and even a criminal museum. Even if you know Vienna Well. You can still find something new through the constantly changing exhibits Miksch said. In the provinces Scheiner said Vienna is viewed with a mixture of desire and disdain and the viennese with envy and contempt i think the farther West you go the less loved Are the viennese he said. Many other austrians consider viennese overbearing and self important but they would also like to become one of them. Today one out of five austrians 1.6 million live in Vienna. Though this is Well under the 2 million at the end of world War i it is 100,000 More than 10 years ago an encouraging sign after decades of decline. Miksch had a simple explanation for this before it was quite isolated in a kind of dead end Corner. Because of the opening to the East Vienna is again in the Center of  this has sparked an influx of Eastern european immigrants and some anti foreigner backlash. Subsequently there has been a counter movement to stress Vienna s Rich ethnic heritage. Miksch and Scheiner said most viennese realize that Multi ethnicity was one of the reasons the City reached its greatest Heights during the Austro hungarian Empire. Krzysztof Wiktorski came to Vienna from Poland in search of a better life. Now he drives a taxi 16 hours a Day. I have to work hard but i get something for it he said. He plans to stay and in time Hopes to get austrian citizenship. Wiktorski has experienced very Little prejudice but knows it exists and finds it amusing. The viennese who think today they Are real viennese their grandparents or great grandparents came from Hungary or Yugoslavia or Poland or Russia. There s no such thing As a real viennese for Many reasons Vienna will continue to fascinate visitors and immigrants alike. For former army officer Ooster Baum it is a destination everyone should visit. I Don t know How Many people stationed Over Here get to Vienna but it s a must he said. 6 stripes Magazine february 18, 1993