Coffeehouses
1. Introduction
At the present age, the Europe coffee culture is commonly believed to be started from the country of Italy (Mikoyan 2009). Actually, coffee was first introduced to Western Europe by Vienna – the capital of Austria. Therefore, one of the most interesting things about Vienna the every tourist should know is its coffee culture. Coffee makes an important part of many people, many cultures, but it has a special place in Viennese society, in a way that hardly can be found anywhere apart from this city. “The Coffeehouse, or Kaffeehaus as they are called in German, that line the streets of the city hold centuries of history and those who live here speak of this unique culture with great pride.” (Guelly 2011). Certainly the Kaffeehaus is really distinctive and exceptional that only can be seen in the capital of Austria. As a result, in this paper, with the purpose of finding how different Viennese Coffeehouses are, I would like to discuss the uniqueness in two aspects: as a place to drink coffee and as a essential part of Viennese daily life.
2. A unique place in the city
2.1 Style of Viennese Coffeehouses
It is undeniable that Viennese Coffeehouses have their own style, but it does not mean that there is no difference among those Coffeehouses themselves. Some of the very old Viennese Coffeehouses are beautiful to witness with crystal chandeliers, plush sofas, marble-topped tables, thonet chairs, and the Historism style interior details. However, most of them are not very attractive, in fact, they are a bit shabby with large rooms, small tables, uncomfortable chairs, non-descript decór and creaky floors. These hallmarks actually make Coffeehouses feel like home for customers, but unlike home, this place gives customers the connection with people around them, as a noted writer, Alfred Polgar, said: "A coffeehouse is a place for people who want to be alone but need company to do it with." (cited in Schneider n.d.).
And what can be more
At the present age, the Europe coffee culture is commonly believed to be started from the country of Italy (Mikoyan 2009). Actually, coffee was first introduced to Western Europe by Vienna – the capital of Austria. Therefore, one of the most interesting things about Vienna the every tourist should know is its coffee culture. Coffee makes an important part of many people, many cultures, but it has a special place in Viennese society, in a way that hardly can be found anywhere apart from this city. “The Coffeehouse, or Kaffeehaus as they are called in German, that line the streets of the city hold centuries of history and those who live here speak of this unique culture with great pride.” (Guelly 2011). Certainly the Kaffeehaus is really distinctive and exceptional that only can be seen in the capital of Austria. As a result, in this paper, with the purpose of finding how different Viennese Coffeehouses are, I would like to discuss the uniqueness in two aspects: as a place to drink coffee and as a essential part of Viennese daily life.
2. A unique place in the city
2.1 Style of Viennese Coffeehouses
It is undeniable that Viennese Coffeehouses have their own style, but it does not mean that there is no difference among those Coffeehouses themselves. Some of the very old Viennese Coffeehouses are beautiful to witness with crystal chandeliers, plush sofas, marble-topped tables, thonet chairs, and the Historism style interior details. However, most of them are not very attractive, in fact, they are a bit shabby with large rooms, small tables, uncomfortable chairs, non-descript decór and creaky floors. These hallmarks actually make Coffeehouses feel like home for customers, but unlike home, this place gives customers the connection with people around them, as a noted writer, Alfred Polgar, said: "A coffeehouse is a place for people who want to be alone but need company to do it with." (cited in Schneider n.d.).
And what can be more
References: Mikoyan, A., 2009, ‘The Viennese Coffee House Tradition’ [online] Available at URL: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Viennese-Coffee-House-Tradition&id=3420940 (Accessed February 18, 2012) Schneider, S., n.d