You cannot make it more fun, you can only make it easier
January, also known as ‘the month of exams’.. Some oral and written exams are planned, so the time has come to start studying! I found out that the best place to do this is in a Viennese coffee house :).
Together with some study colleagues, a cappuccino (or latte macchiato, chai tea, café latte, etc..) and study books you can spend the whole day in a coffee house. Here in Vienna it’s also common to go alone to a coffeehouse, just to read or write or enjoy your coffee. You can stay as long as you wish even if you just order once and there are newspapers or magazines to read. Vienna’s first coffee house was opened in 1685. Viennese coffee houses are an important part of the Viennese culture and since 2011 listed as “Intangible Cultural Heritage”, and belongs therefore to the UNESCO. In former times, a lot of famous writers and philosophers spend their time in the coffee houses. The story goes that Peter Altenberg (a famous writer and poet) had his post delivered to his favourite coffeehouse.
Besides the ‘Wiener Melange’ (half a cup of black coffee, half a cup of creamy milk and topped with milk foam) there is a wide variety of coffee drinks. Another important part of the Viennese coffee house culture is the pastry. I tasted a lot of different pies and cakes and they are so delicious! To name a few famous ones: Sachertorte, apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce, Schwarzwalderkirschtorte, cheesecake with poppy seed, and so on. Now you know why I love it to study in a coffee house :).