TRAVEL GUIDE | CABANA TRAVEL | WORLD OF CABANA

 

Austrian designer Catherine Bruckner, co-founder of New York-based design studio Casalta, may live in an elegant apartment on Fifth Avenue but her native Vienna will always call her home. Catherine shares her favorite spots in the Austrian capital, from restaurants and coffee shops serving Viennese classics to beautiful shops, museums, parks and lesser-known treasures. 

 

BY CATHERINE BRUCKNER | CABANA TRAVEL | 16 MARCH 2026

 

My Favorite Place to Stay: Hotel Sacher

My favorite place to stay when I’m in Vienna is the home I grew up in, where my mother still lives today. But if I were to check into a hotel, it would be the Hotel Sacher, with its old-world glamour and timeless charm.

My Favorite Restaurant: Zum Schwarzen Kameel

In the heart of the city, Zum Schwarzen Kameel is a true Viennese institution. Authentic and always lively throughout the day, I try to visit at least once whenever I’m in town. It’s perfect for a seated lunch or a quick bite at the bar, their open faced sandwiches are not to be missed.

My Favorite Shop: Anita Münz Jewelry

Anita Münz creates beautiful jewelry crafted from horn. One of my mother’s closest and longest friends, she was a constant presence throughout my childhood. I grew up seeing my mother wear her pieces and was always drawn to their sculptural quality and the beauty of this natural material.


 

My Favorite Museum or Gallery: MAK

Growing up, I spent many hours at the Museum für angewandte Kunst (MAK). I’ve long been drawn to their glass collection, which spans from the Middle Ages to the present. I also love Salonplafond, the museum’s restaurant, for lunch or for coffee and Apfelstrudel to recharge after an exhibition.

My Favorite Coffee Shop: Café Prückel 

Café Prückel feels like stepping into 1950s Vienna. Facing the MAK, it became my ritual stop after exhibitions, a place to sit among locals and linger over coffee. They also serve Ei im Glass, a typical Viennese way of serving eggs for breakfast, which I love.

My Favorite Park or Green Space: Türkenschanzpark 

This is the park I grew up going to. We lived right across from it, and I have so many memories there. I brought our kids there last year, and it brought back so many memories. It’s always filled with locals, families, and people walking their dogs.

 

 

My Favorite Bookstore: Buchhandlung Walther König 

Walther König offers an exceptional selection of art and design books in Vienna. Set within the MuseumsQuartier, it’s a place where you can easily spend an entire morning or afternoon, driving between the bookshop and the museums around it.

My Favorite Hidden Treasure: Carl Auböck Workshop

The Carl Auböck Workshop in Vienna’s seventh district is a dream to visit. Housed in a traditional Altbau building since 1912 and still family-run, stepping inside feels like discovering a closely held secret of Viennese modernist design.

My Favorite Thing To Do in Vienna

I enjoy wandering through the Dorotheum and surrounding galleries, where Vienna still reveals hidden treasures from the early 20th-century decorative arts. The sense of discovery, never knowing what I might fight, is always thrilling. 

Afterwards, I like to sit down at one of the nearby cafes to soak in city life. Vienna is defined by its Gemütlichkeit, and its cafés are a big part of the culture.

 

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