Dog Sh*t Blvd, Wiener Water and Other Austrian Oddities
Vienna is famous for epic architecture, magnificent museums and music icons like Mozart and Beethoven, but the picture-perfect Austrian capital has a strange side most visitors do not see. The city with the world’s oldest zoo also claims a world-famous loo, and other Austrian oddities include a make-believe sex school, gas-tank apartments and a Trojan museum that has nothing to do with the city of Troy. As the following list attests, Vienna has oddities that even Robert L. Ripley might not believe.
Scooby Doo-Doo Street
“Dog Shit Blvd” appeared in bright red ink over Stuckgasse street on a popular Vienna map, which also described Danube Island as “heaven for … dog shit spotters.” The title Dog Shit Blvd is hardly a boom for property values, and the mapmakers clearly sought to shame homeowners into scooping up those Lassie logs. Per the Poop Report (for reals), the problem got so bad that a petition for tougher turd laws landed 157,000 signatures, and one politician wanted to DNA-test doggie droppings. Still, the best quote came from activists who called on people to “count the number of Vienna sausages they see in the space of five minutes” and send the info to city officials. Old Yeller must be rolling in his grave.
The Village Throne
Photo via hundertwasser-village.com
Hundertwasser Village is an artistic space honoring the wacky works of Viennese artist-architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and one of the main attractions is the village throne. The Toilet of Modern Art (TOMA) is a kaleidoscope of styles, textures and images that include cracked mirrors, mish-mashed tiles and bright colors popping off mostly white walls. Ironically, Hundertwasser later built his own TOMA-inspired public toilets in New Zealand, and his written works include The Holy Shit manifesto and a guide for building humus toilets (that is humus, not hummus, my falafel-loving friends). Likewise, the nearby Hundertwasserhaus building boasts uneven floors, golden onion spires, glass-enclosed spiral staircases and indoor trees that stretch out the window frames.
WTF Is Wiener Water
Language is a tricky thing, and even the most adventurous traveler might pause when offered a tall glass of Wiener water. If you are in Austria, fret not, since you probably already brushed your teeth with it. The word Wien is German for Vienna, and Wiener refers to food, drink or other items from the Austrian capital. In this case, Wiener water refers the city’s famously fresh wasser locally sourced from the Alps.