Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

City Beats doesn’t get busy until around 1am, making it the perfect last stop for a night full of cocktails and dance battles. Depending on the night, you may be greeted at the door by glittering shirtless gladiators or women on stilts—a ploy, we’re convinced, to distract you from the three bouncers lumbering at the door. A big part of getting into City Beats is making sure you look the part. If you arrive dressed head to toe in workout clothes, regardless of the fact that you made the conscious decision to wear all black in hopes that your travel-wear could pass for club-wear, you will not make the cut.

       i Cover up to €10, drink prices vary; cash only; upscale club attire recommended

       MENTOR’S BAR KULTURE

      Gstättengasse 3; 664 9133810; open M-W 4pm-1am, Th-Sa 4pm-2am

      “Trendy” is the word that first comes to mind when describing Mentor’s Bar. There’s so much hip shoved into such a small space that it’s easy to feel suffocated by it, but it’ll also make you feel way cooler than you normally are. Clad in skinny jeans, suspenders, facial hair, and manicured button-downs that scream Los-Angeles hipster, the bartenders serve up a variety of drinks, including originals concocted on the spot. If you like gin, you’ll get a kick out of the Cranberry Cobbler and Torino Smash, mixed with homemade cranberry syrup and mint, respectively. Mentor’s serves some damn good cocktails, so go ahead, sip yours slowly and experience some Urban-Outfitters-circa-2013-euphoria.

       i No cover, cocktails from €9; BGLTQ+ friendly; limited wheelchair accessibility

VIENNA

      Coverage by Antonia Washington

      With a look and feel like a cross between Paris and Manhattan, Vienna is a dream in the heart of Central Europe. One of the most open and fun-loving cities in the area, the “City of Dreams” is quite possibly the music capital of the world, boasting a proud history of operatic and orchestral music. Its claim to fame stems from its ties to great composers, from Mozart to Beethoven to the guy who was super jealous of Mozart (what was his name again? Oh yeah, Salieri). Take some time to soak up the city’s spirit—sit endlessly in cafés sipping cappuccinos and eating strudel, stroll along major shopping streets, or relax in one of Vienna’s many parks. A haven of chic, fashion-forward sun-seekers (who are a bit less stuffy than their Parisian counterparts), Vienna is the place to take a risk. Break out those mustard-yellow trousers, wear beige from head to toe like a Kardashian, or try to bring back flare jeans. We still, however, caution against wearing a fedora, as we would with any other time or place in the world. (Possibly the only exception is if you are in Cuba, under very specific circumstances. In that case, we think you should be Cuban, wearing white linen pants, and your name should not be Pitbull because something about that guy just pisses us off. If you’re playing someone Cuban for a movie, like Vin Diesel in The Fate of the Furious, that’s probably fine. You didn’t even wear a fedora in that movie, but you’re eternally off the hook, Vin.) With that digression, enter Vienna, land of culture, land of fashion, land of modern European living. Think New York City, if it were sunnier and more pedestrian-friendly.

       ORIENTATION

      Vienna rests on the Danube River (known as Donau in German), but it is not particularly useful for navigation. Instead, we suggest orienting yourself in relation to the Ring Boulevard (the name of this street changes in its different segments, but “Ring” is always in the name, and it is easy to identify on a map because of its circular shape). This street encircles the inner city, running the approximate route of the former city walls. Within the ring is the historic city center, including the Hofburg Imperial Palace and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Rimming the ring to its southern and western edges are many important public buildings like City Hall, the Vienna State Opera, and Maria-Theresien-Platz, which ties the city center to the Museumsquartier. Within the city center, major streets include Kärntnerstraße and Herrengasse. Another important neighborhood in the city is Neubaugasse, situated southwest of the city center in the seventh district. The neighborhood centers around Neubaugasse and Mariahilfer Straße, especially to the northeast of their intersection.

       ESSENTIALS

      GETTING THERE

      Vienna is accessible by plane or train from just about anywhere. Trains come right into the city at Wien Mitte (city center), Wien Westbahnhof, or Vienna Central Station. Planes fly into the Vienna International Airport (“Flughafen Wien”). Be aware that the airport is not actually that close to the city. From the airport, the fastest public transport to the city is the C.A.T. train to Wien Mitte (€12). The S7 train (€4) also runs from the airport to Wien Mitte, although it makes several stops. Wien Mitte is a metro transfer station to metro lines U3 and U4. Taxis are expensive, but may cost less than the C.A.T. if you are traveling in a group.

      GETTING AROUND

      Public transport in Vienna is easily navigable. If you need to go a significant distance within the city, the metro is often the simplest way to travel. Metro stops are demarcated by a “U” and each line is associated with a number and a color. For example, the first metro line is called “U1” and is always marked in red. Single-ride tickets for the metro are €2.20. Within the historic city center, most destinations tend to be reachable on foot. Bicycles are also extremely popular in Vienna. City Bike in Vienna is free for the first hour, €1 for the second hour, €2 for the third hour, and €4 for every hour after.

      PRACTICAL INFORMATION

      Tourist Offices: There is one main tourist office in the city center called Tourist-Info Wien (Albertinaplatz S; www.wien.info/en; open daily 9am-7pm).

      Banks/ATMs/Currency Exchange: Even in this large city, do not expect every business to accept cards. Cafés, especially, often only take cash. ATMs, however, are widely available; if at all possible, though, avoid using ATMs in major tourist areas such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral due to increasing reports of ATM fraud.

      Post Offices: There are post offices throughout the city. The post office website, with a branch locator, can be found at www.post.at. We have listed a central location (Fleischmarkt 19; open M-F 7am-10pm, Sa-Su 9am-10pm).

      Internet: Many major attractions, plazas, and public transport stations have free Wi-Fi (look for networks like Freewave or Free Austrian Internet), though network connection and strength are often unpredictable. Free Wi-Fi access is also available at the tourist office.

      BGLTQ+ Resources: The tourist information office of Vienna produces a pamphlet called the Gay & Lesbian Guide (and stocks others) with information on BGLTQ+-specific events, sights, bars, and more. Pick up a pamphlet in person or go to www.vienna.info/gay to learn more.

      EMERGENCY INFORMATION

      Emergency Number: 112

      Police: There are police stations available all over Vienna, and most of them are marked on tourist maps. We have listed one central location (Brandstätte 4; open M-F 8am-6pm).

      US Embassy: The US Embassy in Vienna is located on the north side of the city center (Boltzmanngasse 16; 1 31339 0; open M-F 8am-4:30pm).

      Rape Crisis Center: If you have been a victim of sexual assault, you can reach out to Weisser Ring. They are not a sexual assault-specific crisis center, but they specialize in victim advocacy and their services are free (Nußdorfer Straße, 67, 1090 Wien; 01 712 14 05; open M-Th 9am-4pm, F 9am-3pm).

      Hospitals: There are two main hospitals in Vienna. The first is Allgemeines Krankenhaus (AKH), which typically treats sickness and disease; if you contract Ebola, you should go here. The second