Ottakring: A Little Far, Very Friendly

This week we followed in Katie and Monica's footsteps in exploration of Ottakring, the 16th district.  After a long ride on the U3 (all the way to the last stop), we were welcomed by the same market written about by the previous team.  Although we found the atmosphere of the Naschmarkt to be a little more friendly, Ottakring's market was much less crowded and the produce seemed to be just as good.  Just like at the Naschmarkt, a lovely flea market booms here each Saturday morning.  It is less touristy than the Naschmarkt's Flohmarkt, less crowded, and much cheaper.

After perusing the produce, we headed for the Ottakringer brewery.  The inside was sleek, with a massive selection of local brews and a bar with several beers on tap.  Although the location was impressive, the brewery was nearly empty, save for one or two employees with their noses tucked between the pages of a recent newspaper.  We grabbed a few seasonal beers and were on our way.

We continued to wander around in search of a large park Daniel had noticed on a map before our arrival, so we could lie down and soak up the beautiful day.  On our way there, we came across a number of small secondhand shops.  Conor was elated!  We ended up spending an hour, perhaps more, looking through the shops.  The shopkeepers were very helpful and Conor left with a pair of white loafers for only 7 Euros!  Ottakring is certainly a great area for thrift shopping, when one is tired of the expensive Mariahilferstrasse and Stephensplatz shopping areas.

We continued to search for the park, but came across a smaller, more narrow park first.  After wandering around for so long in the heat, we decided to sit here, crack our Ottakringers, and relax.  The park was filled with locals, either lying in the sun or playing sports on the field.  After resting up a bit, we decided to head home.

Ottakring is one of the more residential districts of Vienna, but definitely has its charm.  The people are friendly and the shopping is unique!

xoxo,

Conor and Daniel