a day ago
Vienna is one of Europe's most expensive cities, but I know how to do it cheap
Vienna has been chosen to host the next Eurovision Song Contest, the biggest televised event in the world.
Austria's JJ won this year's competition, held in Basel in Switzerland, with his song Wasted Love – making his home country the 2026 host.
The final, set for 16 May, will see tens of thousands descend on the Austrian capital, which is consistently named one of the most expensive in Europe.
But there are ways of doing it on the cheap, if you're willing to eat on the hoof.
I am talking, of course, about the humble Vienna sausage stand, a place where street sweepers and celebrities converge for the same signature snack. So treasured is this everyman's institution, it was recently inducted into Austria's heritage hall of fame.
Known as Wiener Würstelstand, the street food stalls were added to UNESCO's national list of intangible cultural heritage last December, joining the Austrian capital's wine taverns ( Heurigen ) and its world-famous coffee houses.
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But there's more to Würstel-culture than greasy satisfaction.
All manner of human life meets beneath the glow of these historic stalls. Politicians and pensioners chew over the world's problems, and women wearing Louis Vuitton sip beer with the store staff who sell it.
'Here, it's easier to connect and engage with people outside your usual bubble,' sausage stand owner Patricia Pölzl tells Metro. 'I used to think it was just a cliché, but it's genuinely the case. The atmosphere is truly something special.'
The Würstelstand is part of Vienna's identity, so I flew to the city last Christmas to try some out.
First on my list is Würstelstand Leo, Vienna's oldest (and according to many reviews, its finest) sausage stand, a 25-minute tram ride from the city centre.
Opened in 1928, the kiosk now sits on a busy junction beside an industrial estate, but its less-than-salubrious surrounds do nothing to deter customers.
A queue awaits when I arrive shortly after 10pm; the man in front of me, dressed in builder's overalls, orders a Krokodü (gherkin) and the Big Mama, Leo's legendary giant cheese sausage 'for the really hungry'.
He looks and sounds like a regular, ergo someone you should trust, but my appetite won't stretch to such an indulgent meal.
Instead, I opt for the Bosna, a lightly spiced pork sausage laced with ketchup, mustard and onions in a grilled white roll (€7/£6). Every bite is better than the last, as oil from the meat seeps into the bread.
I surprise myself by devouring the lot — perhaps I could have taken Big Mama on, after all.
Wiener Würstel rating: 8/10
Sausage stands are Vienna's great equaliser, known for bringing people from all classes and backgrounds together.
The city's mayor Michael Ludwig describes them as a 'meeting place where joie de vivre and culture come together', while Josef Bitzinger, , whose famous Bitzinger Würstelstand is behind Vienna State Opera, notes that the Würstelstand is a 'form of gastronomy everybody can afford'.
The tradition dates back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, when veterans set up mobile stalls to make a living after they were injured in war.
'Originally it was just a bucket with hot water in which the sausages used to swim,' Bitzinger told the Associated Press.
He said soldiers loaded their wares onto carts drawn by dogs or horses, and later tractors, until permission for fixed stands was granted in 1969.
That year brought the invention of the Käsekrainer, a smoked pork sausage stuffed with melted cheese that quickly became a popular dish.
I order one for lunch at a kiosk in the historic 1st district, along with a tray of lavishly salted fries slathered in ketchup and mayonnaise. I wonder what the secret ingredient is in this seasoning of the gods (perhaps it's just MSG).
Vegans beware, but this €11 (£9) meal is one of the best things I've eaten all year.
Wiener Würstel rating: 9/10
The smorgasbord on offer at the Würstelstand is also a great (albeit extremely unhealthy) way to cut costs on a trip to the Austrian capital.
Vienna's food scene has exploded in recent years. Food markets like the Nashchmarkt and Karmelitermarkt are good, cheap snack spots, while timber-fronted Beisln (taverns) have cosy nooks where you can try traditional grub like the Wiener Schnitzel. More Trending
No trip to Vienna is complete without a visit to the Café Central, a stately, marble-columned building where Sigmund Freud and Trotsky once hung out. The coffee and cakes are legendary, but a huge queue winding around the corner of Herrengasse left me no choice but to admire this piece of history from the outside only.
A fantastic place for a (relatively) affordable pint is the Bockshorn, the 'smallest Irish pub in Vienna'. You'll be jostling for a stool, but it's worth it.
I did manage to find a seat for dinner at Hausbar Wien, a cosy cocktail bar recently transformed into a fine dining restaurant. The red cabbage topped with pear and horseradish, and a caramel poached apple, were the standouts from the seven-course tasting menu.
It was undeniably delicious, but at €150 per person, I can't help but feel that the good old Würstelstand offers buckets more taste and value per bite.
Save
For value in Vienna, it's hard to look past the Citadines Aparthotel Danube. Located opposite a U1 train line in the 22nd district, this four-star self-catering spot doesn't offer luxury, but it has everything you need for a comfortable stay (plus a 20-minute direct ride to the city centre). Rooms start from £66 per night.
Spend
If you're looking for a more central location, Vienna's 1st district – the Innere Stadt – is right in the thick of things with plenty of opulent five-star hotels to choose from. Hotel Sacher (famed for its chocolate cakes) has rooms from an eye-watering £895 per night, while the grandiose Hotel Imperial offers a more affordable £295 nightly rate.
How to get there
You can fly from London to Vienna in September 2025 from £61 return with Wizz Air.
As of 20 August, flights for Eurovision weekend (16 May) are £85, travelling from London Luton.
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