Spring and summer days are excellent times in Vienna. The weather is usually quite dry and warm – some might even argue too hot in the peak summer days – and the Viennese people love nothing more than leisurely having a relaxed glass of wine or a pint of beer on a nice evening. Meeting up with buddies in parks, on public squares or on the banks of the Danube has a long standing tradition, not only with students, but really with groups of all ages. Sometimes you’ll bring your own beers or a few radlers (they were conceived for hot summer days after all) and kick back with your friends, or you’ll hang out in a restaurant’s “Schanigarten”. Here’s a list of a few favorite spots.

Yppenplatz & Brunnenmarkt – 1160 Vienna

The Brunnenmarkt is a day market for all kinds of stuff, from fresh vegetables to amazing spices to t-shirts, you’ll find plenty of stuff to browse through. Wander off a bit and you’ll hit the Yppenplatz, a central square in the district with amazing restaurants, bars and food stands. Vienna’s 16th district has become a vibrant place, where you’ll find lots of cool events throughout the year and the area around the Brunnenmarkt has become its center. Prices are usually a bit cheaper than what you would pay in the inner city and if you’re sociable well into the night, the popular bars on the “Gürtel” are just a short walk away.

Votivpark – 1090 Vienna

A well-known location for students to hang out, where people bring their own beer and sit together in the evening sun. There are some deck chairs around and sometimes there’ll be music or an event going on. The crowd you’ll meet there is a mix of locals and tourists, with a student majority. It’s easy to meet people, play Frisbee together or hop on a slackline. Being located near the University of Vienna, the first district is just around the corner, as is the ninth district with all its wonderful bars and restaurants.

Museumsquartier – 1070 Vienna

The Museumsquartier in Vienna’s seventh district is a top location for cool pop-up exhibitions, food stands and all sorts of events. As you would expect from the name, the area is home to a variety of museums and art galleries, but innovative restaurants and hip bars are just as close as well. There are new events happening daily, from outdoor art exhibitions to design fairs, you’ll never run into trouble finding someone interesting to talk to and have a few drinks with.

Donaukanal & Roßauer Lände – 1090 Vienna

The area around the subway station here hosts “Summer Stage”, a range of pop-up restaurants which are built up there during the summer months. It has become a pretty hip place to be, so the area is usually pretty busy. But you don’t need to go and sit down at the restaurants and bars there, the meadows on the banks of the Danube are a great place to have a picnic or enjoy a few BYO beers with your friends.

Naschmarkt – 1060 Vienna

Vienna’s most famous market has an epic reputation for providing almost any kind of exotic food imaginable – if you can’t find it here, you’ll probably be hard pressed to find it at all in Vienna. But it’s not just the market. Come summer time, you’ll discover the broad variety of amazing restaurants with cozy seating outside, a popular spot all summer long where you are sure to bump into friends, old and new.