Vienna has a special charm and grandeur. The Austrian capital is called “the most comfortable place to live”. A high standard of living, excellent medical care, the best universities and cultural centers, palaces, museums, theatres – all this is Vienna.
Josefstadt – small but remarkable
The smallest district of Vienna is 8, Josefstadt. It is located near the center. The district has an area of only 1.08 km², a population of 24,365 people (1 January 2021), and a population density of 22,956 people/km². Josefstadt is a densely populated, fashionable district with many work and residential buildings. It is home to Austrian politicians, most mayors, and former Austrian President Heinz Fischer, but it is also a convenient place for students to rent accommodation due to its proximity to the university.
Josefstadt is densely built up. There are almost no new buildings here. Therefore, attic floors are being added, and old buildings are being renovated, where you can buy or rent an apartment in Vienna.. Prices for apartments in the 8th district of Vienna, according to the statistical website immopreise.at as of April 2023:
- less than 50 km² – 7609;
- from 50 to 80 km² – 7315;
- 81-129 km² – 5239;
- more than 130 km² – 12688.
On average, 1 km² costs 6121 euros.
If you are looking to buy or rent an apartment in district 8, you should keep in mind that due to the dense development, Josefstadt has parking problems.
Location
The borders of the district are formed by Alser Straße (north), Lerchenfelderstraße (south), Hernalsergürtel and Lerchenfeldderürtel in the west, and Auerspergstraße and Landesgerichtsstraße in the east. It also consists of the former Vorstädte of Josefstadt, Breitenfeld, Strozzigrund and Alt-Lerchenfeld and parts of St. Ulrich and Alservorstadt.
The advantage of the area is the metro. U2 metro line is available on the eastern border and U6 on the western border. Trams 2 and 5 and bus 13A cross the 8th district.
Historical information
District 8 was founded in 1850, and later the boundaries were changed. It was named after the Roman Emperor Joseph I. Today Josefstadt has become a “villa district”, as the locals call it. Here you can see mansions belonging to celebrities. The district is distinguished by its distinctive architecture: many of the buildings date back to the medieval period.
Josefstadt is the center of student life
The district is home to several universities:
- Universität für Bodenkultur Wien BOKU was founded in 1872. In 1896, the university moved to District 8, the outskirts of the Türkenschanzpark, and in 1991, the Centre for International Relations was opened. The University of Vienna is one of the best universities in Europe in the field of agricultural sciences;
- Medizinische Universität Wien MUW is the largest medical research institute in Austria and the largest medical university in German-speaking countries (8000 students and 1200 faculty members). It was founded in 1365 as the Medical Faculty of the University of Vienna and has been an independent university since 2004. Sigmund Freud worked here;
- Universität Wien is a state university and was founded in 1935. It is one of the oldest universities in Central Europe. It has about 92,000 students. Approximately 9700 employees.
It is not surprising that Josefstadt has become a student district.
Cultural life
- Opened in 1776, the Theater in der Josefstadt, Josefstädter Straße 26, is the oldest operating theatre in Vienna. Beethoven staged his play Die Weihe des Hauses here in 1822;
- Vienna’s English Theatre (VET), Josefsgasse 12. The oldest English-language theatre in Europe;
- Baroque Piaristenkirche, Piaristengasse 43;
- Wiener Schuhmuseum, Florianigasse 66. The only shoe museum of its kind dedicated to the history of shoemaking.
Palaces in Vienna
If you want to rent an apartment in Vienna near the palaces, you’re in the Josefstadt:
- Schloß Schönbrunn Palace. The impressive Baroque complex was built in 1706-1711. It houses the Museum für Volkskunde;
- Palais Auersperg, Auerspergstrasse 1, was built in the early 18th century. Historically, it has always been a centre of music, where many balls were held. Today, various events are organised here;
- Palais Damian, Lange Gasse 53, has often changed hands, with each owner making his own changes. The central sections date from the early 18th century;
- In 1702, the Palais Strozzi, Josefstädter Strasse 39, was built. Renovations in 1996 led to the rediscovery of old paintings.
Shops
Josefstadt has shops where you can buy Austrian products:
- Essenswert, Schlösselgasse 20. The store offers vegetables, cheese, speciality breads and wines. Online orders for seasonal products are accepted until Tuesday morning;
- Potstill, Strozzigasse 37. Mon-Fri 14:00-19:00. The best whisky shop in Vienna offers a huge selection (1000 different types);
- Vinoe – niederösterreich-Vinothek, Piaristengasse 35. Mon-Fri 16:00-19:30, Sat 10:00-13:00. The shop offers wines from Lower Austria, including those from Wachau, Langenlois and Retz.
Restaurants
Despite its size, district 8 is proud of its diverse cafés and restaurants. Josefstadt offers good food in restaurants for different budgets and tastes:
- Tunnel, Florianigasse 39. A student place. Excellent breakfast, live music from 21:00, reasonable prices;
- Puerta del Sol, Lange Gasse 52. A good tapas bar in Vienna. The cold and hot tapas are excellent, and you can choose from 90 wines;
- Rosnovskyundco, Buchfeldgasse 10 Ecke Schmidgasse, 300 m from Vienna City Hall. Austrian cuisine is open from 17:00 to 23:00. It is better to order vegetable and meat dishes. The menu is suitable for vegans;
- Marcodi, Florianigasse 50, from 6 pm to 24:00. Italian cuisine, seafood, suitable for vegetarians, gluten-free dishes. Small, cosy place.
Cafes
Mostly locals visit cafes in Josefstadt, as the 8th district is not so touristy. There are places worth visiting: Café Eiles or Cafe der Provinz and Café Florianihof, both traditional and modern.
Night in Josefstadt
The streets of Gürtel and Josefstädterstraße and the bridge under the city’s underground have long been the centre of Vienna’s nightlife. Josefstädterstraße is home to music venues, bars, and cafes where students gather. B72, Chelsea and the experimental Rhiz clubs play a major role in Vienna’s nightlife.
- Gürtel, Josefstädterstraße (U6). Many music venues and bars are located under the underground metro;
- Chelsea, Lerchenfelderguertel/U-Bahnboegen 29-31 (between U6 Thaliastrasse and Josefstaedterstrasse. The popular restaurant is often full;
- B72, U-Bahn Bogen 72 (Hernalser Gürtel). The bar has become a concert venue for hip-hop and modern music.
Advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
- close to the center,
- metro;
- universities;
- restaurants, nightclubs;
- palaces, museums;
- hotels.
Disadvantages:
- noise;
- dense development;
- old houses;
- parking.
Only residents can determine the pros and cons of Josefstadt. Educators, politicians, cultural and artistic figures are willing to buy flat in District 8. But students prefer to rent an apartment in Josefstadt. Those who are concerned about peace and nature views will use the VigoImmobilien website to choose another district of Vienna.
VigoImmobilien real estate agency will find you a home that will become a center of peace, confidence and convenience.
