After a busy day in Vienna, I like to retreat to a striped velvet couch at the renowned Cafe Hawelka. The decor here is circa-1900, with smoke-and-coffee-stained furniture, walls adorned in paintings by struggling artists (who couldn’t pay for coffee), and a phone that rings for regulars. This creaky Viennese institution, where intellectuals like Leon Trotsky once stewed, has become my local living room in Austria.
All over Europe, I seek out cozy establishments like this to relax, nurse a drink and strike up a conversation. Delving into the cafe culture and historical pubs of the world’s most elegant cities is an enriching way to get some distance from the sightseeing crowds, lighten up a museum-heavy itinerary, reflect on my travels and alleviate homesickness.
Vienna’s Cafe Hawelka is the creative epicenter for artists, poets and revolutionaries. Old man Hawelka himself may have served a “Melange” (as they would have called their cappuccino) to Trotsky, Stalin, Klimt or Freud — all of whom were rattling around Vienna in the early 1900s. I ponder how, in the last days of Europe’s family-run empires (essentially all of which died with the end of World War I), Vienna was a place of intellectual tumult — and coffeehouses like this were the social backdrop.
Across town in Vienna, the iconic Cafe Sperl dates from 1880 and is still furnished identically to the day it opened — from the coat tree to the gold chandeliers to the ornately upholstered chairs. An afternoon in this cultural treasure feels like an afternoon among the city’s 19th-century creative minds and military elite. Every Viennese coffeehouse offers its own individual character and a welcoming space oozing with history.
In Venice, the venerable Caffe Florian — one of the first places in Europe to serve coffee — is perfect for a sightseeing break. Sitting elegantly on St. Mark’s Square, Caffe Florian has been a popular spot for a discreet rendezvous since 1720, and everyone from Lord Byron to Woody Allen has paid too much for a drink here. Tourists stake out tables on the square to people-watch and enjoy the Caffe Florian orchestra, which performs each hour with a repertoire including classical, jazz, operetta and Venetian. But for elegance and ambiance, romantics sit inside to appreciate richly decorated rooms, each with a historic or artistic theme, such as the “Room of the Illustrious Men” with portraits of great Venetians from Marco Polo to Titian.
You’ll find more cozy comfort in Amsterdam’s “bruin” (brown) cafes. These after-hours hangouts get their name from their dark hardwood interiors, embracing the “gezellig” (cozy) quality that the Dutch hold dear. Don’t confuse these with the “coffeeshops” where the Dutch gather to buy and smoke marijuana (coffeeshop windows display plants and Rastafarian colors). Brown cafes project a more elegant atmosphere and usually specialize in beer, while others focus on the Dutch gin “jenever.” Drop in, linger over a drink, and see if you can pick out the regulars.
In London, the pub is the heart of the people’s England, where all manner of folks have, for generations, found a home away from home. These “public houses” became comfortable places for groups and clubs to meet, friends and lovers to rendezvous, and families to get out of the house at night. My favorite pub scene is at South Kensington’s Anglesea Arms. Set in a beautiful Georgian building lined with flower boxes spilling color around communal picnic tables, the place is filled with musty paintings and old-timers, dogs wearing Union Jack vests, and a long line of tempting tap handles. Today, timeworn taverns such as the Anglesea Arms are national treasures that still make a cheery refuge from the daily grind or a brief escape for a tired traveler.
After you have taken in the sights of Europe’s magnificent cities, look for an inviting cafe or pub where you can soak in the locals’ enthusiasm for their national heritage and traditions. Slow down and experience a good cup of coffee or local beer — and make yourself at home. You’ll return with a broader perspective, some interesting stories and maybe even a new friend or two.
&Copy;2016 Rick Steves. Distributed By Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
