As the chill of Fall begins to hang in the air, Giesswein's Austrian-made woolens come to mind. The company is famous for producing high quality boiled wool clothing, accessories, and housewares. Its locally made jackets, blankets, and slippers are particularly warm and wonderful and make great gifts. The fairly-priced designs are traditional with a modern flair and are quite comfortable. Vienna's premium Giesswein store is currently located in the Ringstrassen Galerien, near the Stephansdom city center. For more information about Giesswein products, visit www.giesswein.com.

Giesswein store
Ringstrassen Galerien (near the Staatsoper)
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10am-7pm, Sat. 10am-6pm
Tel: +43 1 512 45 97

When searching for a true Viennese coffee house experience, look no further than Cafe Central. The centrally-located cafe is filled with classy traditional decor, elegantly-clad waitstaff, and numerous Austrian edibles and beverages. Sample Vienna's signature Melange (similar to a cappucino) coffee drink and a slice of one of Cafe Central's many enticing cakes (like Vienna's esteemed Sachertorte) to reenergize after sightseeing in Vienna's Stephansdom area. The menu also includes more substantial fare for a delectable lunch or dinner. Savor the Viennese relaxation of knowing that you can sit undisturbed for as long as you like before asking for the check. In the evenings, there is often live piano music being softly played in the background. Cafe Central has been one of Vienna's finest coffee houses since the late 1800s. Over the years, it has been frequented by quite a few famous individuals, including Sigmund Freud and one of Vienna's top journalists, who is commemorated in statue at a table by the door. For more information, visit www.palaisevents.at.

Cafe Central
corner of Strauchgasse and Herrengasse,  1st district
Tel: 01/533376324
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 7:30am-10pm, Sun. & holidays 10am-10pm; food served daily 11:30am-10pm

Summer and Fall are opportune times of the year to enjoy strolling in Vienna's National Forest (the Wienerwald). Enjoy the quiet and seclusion from cars and other city noise afforded by the forest's tree-lined trails. Or sample a glass of local wine or Sturm (alcoholic grape cider available in Fall) at one of the nearby guest houses' outdoor dining areas. To get to the Vienna Forest, take the U4 metro line to the Heiligenstadt station. From there, take the 38A bus to Cobenzl Parkplatz. A large trail map is posted on a sign across from the Cobenzl Parkplatz bus stop. The hike from Cobenzl Parkplatz to and from the Hermannskogel (a castle-like tower bedecked with scientific weather equipment) is a rewarding and moderate short hike. For a longer hike without added strain on the body, consider going from Cobenzl Parkplatz to Kahlenberg or Leopoldsberg. Both Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg flaunt gorgeous historic churches and breathtaking views of the city, its vineyards, and nearby Klosterneuburg. The marked trails are all relatively flat (with some gradual inclines and mild hills) and consist of stable terrain.

IKEA, the well-known Swedish home furnishings store, is a great place to stock up on inexpensive, fashionable housewares. Vienna's premier IKEA store lies just to the north of the city and can be reached with public transportation. The store is enormous - full of bathroom fixtures, bedding, kitchen gadgets, and more. There is even a fabric department, food store (near the cash registers), and cafeteria serving discount coffee, cake, etc. To get there, take the U1 metro line to Kagraner Platz. Then take bus 24A to the Zwerchaeckerweg stop. IKEA is just around the corner to the front and left of the bus stop. For more information, visit www.ikea.com.

IKEA Wien Nord
Gewerbepark Kagran
Sverigestrasse 1a, 22nd district
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am-9pm, Sat. 9am-6pm
Tel: 0810/081 081

When the weather is pleasant and you're itching to get online, consider heading to one of Vienna's free outdoor wireless areas. Currently available internet areas include the main courtyard of MuseumsQuartier, the quartier21 section of the MuseumsQuartier, Gaussplatz, Karlsplatz, and The Academy of Picture Arts (Akademie der Bildenden Kuenste). Each zone is part of the "q/spot free anonymous wireless" program, which hopes to add more free internet zones throughout Vienna in the coming years. For more information, visit qspot.quintessenz.at.

If you're looking for a small-scale group tour of Vienna, consider riding on the Vienna Classic City Tour. Tour participants travel in a cool vintage-style convertible truck and will see all of Vienna's most significant historical sights and city highlights. The tour visits many of the famous buildings within and along Vienna's Ringstrasse, including the State Opera, Hofburg Palace, and St. Stephen's Cathedral. An on-board local guide narrates relevant historical facts and trivia in both German and English along the way. A headphone system with tour information in additional languages is also available. Tours depart daily in summer at 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, and 5pm in front of Stadtpark's Kursalon (a mansion hosting dinner and music evenings). Tour duration is approximately one hour and tickets cost 17 euros for adults, 10 euros for children. For more information, call +43 699 11103374.

When looking for books printed in English in Vienna, The British Bookshop is the place to go. Formerly in two different locations, the closing of the Mariahilferstrasse store leaves the Weihburggasse location as the premium place to find quality English reads. The store stocks a plethora of bestsellers and classics, and is sectioned off into different genres (mystery, hobby, romance, etc.) for easy browsing. There are even a fair number of travel guides and children's books as well. The staff is friendly and is glad to order titles they don't have in stock. If visiting from a native-English-speaking country, expect to pay a bit more for the books than you would back home.

The British Bookshop
Weihburggasse 24, 1st district
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:30am-6:30pm, Sat. 9:30am-6pm

At Vienna's "Sand in the City" area, relaxing chairs, sand, tropical plants, and sun umbrellas dapple the scene. The overall effect is much like a conglomeration of tiki-type bars. Normally an ice skating rink in winter, the area is covered with sand and offers a variety of themed places to sit and relax with a drink, activity, or something to eat. There are separate beaches for dining, spa and wellness services, sports, and kids' activities. Doors to the beach area open at 2pm daily and stay open until midnight. The atmosphere gets lively with the arrival of the after-work  crowd, festive music, and offerings of evening drink specials. Admission to "Sand in the City" is free. To get there, take the U4 metro line to the Stadtpark station. The beach area is between the Hotel Intercontinental and the Konzerthaus. For more information, visit www.sandinthecity.at.

When the Rathaus Film Festival is underway, people flock to the food in addition to the films. Filling more space on the city hall plaza than the viewing screen and seating, the smörgåsbord of exotic food stalls draw a sizeable dinner crowd. Foods from all over the world are represented, including American hamburgers and fries, Spanish paella, and Viennese spaetzle. The Iranian, Indian, and Thai selections are among the best, but a peek at any of the available foods will tantalize the tastebuds.

The beverages for sale are also a treat. The Raspberry Punch (Himbeer Bowle) is out-of-this-world good, and the white wine spritzers (Weiss Wine Gespritzt) are a refreshing choice for summer. The Ottakringer Brewing Company even has a separate stand near the viewing screen with a wide variety of beer for sale. The Red Zwickl (Rot Zwickl) is a popular choice. There are small dining tables dispersed throughout the food stall area for comfortable eating and drinking. The small sun deck near the street is particularly nice. Also, about an hour or so before the scheduled film showing, classical or opera music is played over speakers, creating a lovely background for an exotic outdoor meal.

The festival runs through the first week of September in front of Vienna's Rathaus city hall. To get there, take the U2 metro line to the Rathaus station. For more information about the film festival, see this post.

This Tuesday, July 29, a new flea market will have its first run in the Museums Quartier "Freiraum" space. DJ-spun music and visual entertainment are advertised, as well as an LP record sale and swap sponsored by PLAY.FM. The market will take place from 2pm-9pm and features vendors between the ages of 13 and 25. A slew of used CDs, DVDs, books, jewelry, and other artsy articles will be available for purchase. Be sure to check out the fun and funky MotMot screen-printed T-shirts. The Vienna/Wien motifs make great gifts. To get there, take the U2 metro line to Museums Quartier. For more information, visit www.jugendinwien.at.
Jugend Flohmarkt
Museums Quartier, quartier21, Freiraum
Museumsplatz 1, 7th district