The city of Vienna has a long history of immigration and diversity. Today 40,7% of the Viennese population was either not born in Austria or does not have an Austrian citizenship.

The 16th district of Vienna, called Ottakring, is known for being one of the most diverse and lively neighbourhoods of the Austrian capital. For people seeking opportunities of transcultural encounter we have some ideas for you.

Stroll around Brunnenmarkt

Brunnenmarkt is probably the place to go if you’re looking for cultural diversity in Vienna. Whatever it is that you want to purchase, you will most probably find it here. The many market stalls offer fruit, vegetables, clothing, sweets, meat, bread and all sorts of everyday items. The Brunnenmarkt ist one of the biggest street markets in Europe. For a long time this area was considered being deprived, today the so called Brunnenviertel is popular among many Viennese people of all ages.

Grab some coffee at Yppenplatz

The Yppenplatz has gone through a significant change within the last years. It is a very popular spot for young people to meet and have a drink or get some international food in one of the many cafés, bars and restaurants. The café C.I. stands out for having a history of cultural diversity commitment. It is part of the non profit organization Club International that helps migrants to establish themselves in Vienna. They offer german courses, literacy/alphabetization courses, trainings to become a taxi driver, a dormitory, initiatives for participating in city development and planning, vernissages and their café . It was founded in 1983 and still is a popular place to go.

Accessible Arts at Brunnenpassage

In 2007 a former market hall was turned into the ArtSocialSpace Brunnenpassage. The idea is to bring together artists and ordinary people to create arts with sociopolitical meaning focussing on diversity, transculturalism, transgenerationality and multi-perspective views. Brunnenpassage wants to make arts accessible for everyone regardless of their financial, cultural or social background. Participating is for free and it doesn’t matter if you are a professional or not. It is a wonderful opportunity for people getting together that usually do not get in touch. Whatever you’re into – music, singing, dance, drama or visual arts – there is plenty of possibilities to join.

Ottakring – the home of wenedi.eu and Babel

If you walk around the Brunnenviertel you will also find the home base of the non profit organization Babel that wenedi.eu is a part of. Babel offers consulting for migrants, german courses or events like book presentations. There is a special offer for mothers with little kids called Baby Café. Young children can be brought along into the Babel office where there is a variation of toys waiting for them. So momma can learn german while the little ones are entertained.