Vienna's Bermuda Triangle (awaiting completion)
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
(this entry is still in the making)
Vienna is one of Europe's oldest and largest cities, drawing millions of tourists every year. As a result, it sports a very large number of tourist attractions, often making it very difficult for the unsuspecting visitor to avoid stepping into one or the other tourist trap designed especially for him.
However, getting to know a city means getting to know its inhabitants' life-style, a task that is not easily achieved without some knowledge attained in advance.
This is certainly true for visiting Vienna, as well. However, there are several good ways of sneaking a look at authentic Vienna. One of them is to spend a night getting lost in the infamous Bermuda Triangle.
This is a euphemistic term for the old Jewish Quarter located in the centre of the city. It sports a unique architecture that is the direct result of the city's sad antisemitic past. As virtually anywhere in Europe, Viennese Jews were forced to live within certain designated perimeters, outside which they were not allowed to take up residence.
However, just like the rest of the city, the Jewish population grew in size over the course of time, and as a result, had to make do with what little space they were permitted to occupy.
The result was a crammed architecture as people were forced to make use of the tiniest little space to set up new housings.
(stay tuned for next week's episode!)
Vienna is one of Europe's oldest and largest cities, drawing millions of tourists every year. As a result, it sports a very large number of tourist attractions, often making it very difficult for the unsuspecting visitor to avoid stepping into one or the other tourist trap designed especially for him.
However, getting to know a city means getting to know its inhabitants' life-style, a task that is not easily achieved without some knowledge attained in advance.
This is certainly true for visiting Vienna, as well. However, there are several good ways of sneaking a look at authentic Vienna. One of them is to spend a night getting lost in the infamous Bermuda Triangle.
This is a euphemistic term for the old Jewish Quarter located in the centre of the city. It sports a unique architecture that is the direct result of the city's sad antisemitic past. As virtually anywhere in Europe, Viennese Jews were forced to live within certain designated perimeters, outside which they were not allowed to take up residence.
However, just like the rest of the city, the Jewish population grew in size over the course of time, and as a result, had to make do with what little space they were permitted to occupy.
The result was a crammed architecture as people were forced to make use of the tiniest little space to set up new housings.
(stay tuned for next week's episode!)
