Cosm\u00f3 (Benjamin Gedeon) represents Austria in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest with his hit “Tanzschein.” In this exclusive guide, he reveals his favorite spots and hidden gems across Vienna.<\/p>\n
Thomas Ramstorfer (ORF)<\/p>\n
Most visitors never experience the real Vienna.<\/p>\n
The Austrian capital continues to break tourism records and with so many things to see and do, it’s hard to know what’s actually worth your limited time. <\/p>\n
Local knowledge on where to go in Vienna, from parks to the best schnitzel restaurants and fun nightlife spots can make all the difference.<\/p>\n
To get a true insider’s perspective, I asked Austria’s Eurovision Song Contest contestant Cosm\u00f3 about his favorite things and places across the city.<\/p>\n
Cosm\u00f3, whose real name is Benjamin Gedeon, is just 19 and currently balancing his dentistry studies with preparations for the biggest performance of his life on May 16 at Vienna\u2019s main show venue Wiener Stadthalle. <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s Cosm\u00f3\u2019s guide on where to go, what to eat and what to do in Vienna. <\/p>\n
Plus, a little secret about his costume that he says nobody has noticed yet. <\/p>\n
Quick Summary: Where To Go In ViennaSightseeing: Start at Schottentor and walk along the Ringstrasse to Burggarten. Food: Try schnitzel at Figlm\u00fcller, one of Vienna’s most famous restaurants. Nightlife: Find the best of Vienna nightlife at U4, The LOFT, or Charlie P’s. Drinks: Experience local wine culture at a traditional Austrian tavern like 7Stern Br\u00e4u. Day Trips: Head to Halbturn or Neusiedler See in Burgenland.Where To Start Your Day In Vienna <\/p>\n
Cosm\u00f3 recommends starting at the historic Ringstrasse, one of Vienna’s most iconic streets to visit. The boulevard surrounds the city center and passes many of Vienna’s most famous landmarks.<\/p>\n
“Take the subway or tram to Schottentor and walk from there. It’s the easiest and free way to experience Viennese architecture up close,” the Eurovision Song Contestant says.<\/p>\n
From there, continue to Burggarten, a centrally located park and a popular local hangout. “I love meeting friends there. And a great introduction to Vienna’s mix of culture and laid-back lifestyle.”<\/p>\n
Best Parks In Vienna<\/p>\n
Austria\u2019s capital is one of the world’s greenest cities, with half of the city\u2019s area covered in nature. Cosm\u00f3\u2019s favorites are:<\/p>\n
Stadtpark is ideal for a relaxed stroll near the city center.Gr\u00fcner Prater, often called the “green lung” of Vienna, is perfect for jogging, cycling and long walks.Votivpark, in the ninth district near the university quarter, is a quieter park and a popular meeting spot for students.<\/p>\n
These parks all offer a different side of Vienna beyond museums and historic streets.<\/p>\n
Who Has The Best Schnitzel In Vienna?<\/p>\n
A traditional, oversized crispy Wiener Schnitzel on a plate at Figlm\u00fcller in Vienna.<\/p>\n
Figlm\u00fcller<\/p>\n
If you’re searching for the best schnitzel in Vienna, as most visitors do, Cosm\u00f3 has one clear winner.<\/p>\n
“The place to go is Figlm\u00fcller,” he says.<\/p>\n
This is one of Vienna\u2019s most famous restaurants, known for its oversized, perfectly crisp schnitzel. It’s extremely popular, so expect long wait times or plan ahead.<\/p>\n
For an alternative, Wiener Stadthalle CEO Thomas Waldner sends visitors to Meisl & Schadn and Caf\u00e9 Anzengruber, two highly regarded spots for traditional Viennese cuisine and Waldner\u2019s personal favorites. <\/p>\n
ForbesWhat To Do In Vienna During Eurovision Song Contest 2026By Katharina Kotrba<\/a>Souvenir: Take Home Schnitzel Cooking Skills<\/p>\n But Cosm\u00f3 mentions another very Austrian schnitzel-themed activity.<\/p>\n “There are fun cooking classes in Vienna. I recently took a schnitzel cooking class at Figlm\u00fcller<\/a> and I managed to get my Kochschein, my cooking license. It’s a play on my song Tanzschein which means license to dance.\u201d<\/p>\n Schnitzel cooking classes teach the traditional techniques necessary to make authentic Wiener Schnitzel, including soufflieren, the frying method that keeps the schnitzel constantly surrounded by hot butter. The result is a signature light and crispy texture around the schnitzel. <\/p>\n Heuriger, Taverns And Viennese Wine<\/p>\n One of the most authentic things to do in Vienna is to eat and drink at a traditional Austrian tavern.<\/p>\n “Heuriger are a big part of Vienna’s culture,” Cosm\u00f3 explains. “They serve local wine, have cozy outdoor seating and a very relaxed atmosphere.”<\/p>\n His go-to for Austrian food is 7Stern Br\u00e4u, \u201cbecause, as you\u2019ll see, it is adorable and has a small courtyard garden.\u201d<\/p>\n Vienna is also unique in that it produces wine within city limits. Cosm\u00f3’s go-to drink is a Spritzer, a mix of white wine and sparkling water that’s considered a local staple.<\/p>\n Best Bars: G5 Live Music In D\u00f6bling & More<\/p>\n Vienna’s nightlife offers everything from student bars to iconic clubs.<\/p>\n Cosm\u00f3’s recommendations are:<\/p>\n Charlie P’s, a go-to spot for medical students celebrating after exams. U4, one of Vienna’s most famous clubs, where Cosm\u00f3 has performed with his band.The LOFT, known for themed nights including 90s and Y2K parties.G5 Live Music Bar in D\u00f6bling, his personal favorite. “We’ve played there a few times with the band. The guys who run it are super kind.”Misconceptions About Vienna<\/p>\n \u201cThe Viennese have a reputation for being \u201cgrantig\u201d (grumpy) or even unfriendly,\u201d Cosm\u00f3 says. “That\u2019s not the case. The Viennese are so much kinder than everyone says. I\u2019d even describe them as gschmeidig, a lovely Austrian term that means smooth or relaxed.\u201d <\/p>\n Best Day Trips From Vienna<\/p>\n If you want to explore beyond the city, he suggests you head east to Burgenland. <\/p>\n \u201cYou could pop by Halbturn, it\u2019s a beautiful small town where I grew up, with a scenic castle and park.\u201d <\/p>\n Halbturn is near Neusiedler See, a popular lake for swimming and windsurfing. \u201cIf you\u2019re looking for a quick excursion from Vienna, this is a great place to mingle with locals.\u201d<\/p>\n Public Viewing: Where To Watch Eurovision 2026<\/p>\n The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 Grand Final takes place on May 16 at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna. <\/p>\n Cosm\u00f3 will sing his song Tanzschein in front of a live audience of 16,000 and around 166 million watching worldwide. Because the ESC provides a sizeable economic boost,<\/a> those visiting Vienna will have plenty of public viewing spots and ESC-themed programming all over the city. For detailed information on where to go and what to do, read my guide on Eurovision in Vienna. <\/a> <\/p>\n Small 3D-printed stars on Cosm\u00f3’s silver shoes are a detail nobody noticed yet, says Cosm\u00f3. He’ll be performing for the ESC in Vienna this week.<\/p>\n Corinne Cumming\/EBUCosm\u00f3\u2019s Costume Secret Revealed<\/p>\n When I ask Cosm\u00f3 if there\u2019s anything left about his performance that people haven\u2019t asked him a million times yet, he chuckles. <\/p>\n \u201cYes. There is something. Until today, only the stylists knew. And I knew. But now you know: There are tiny 3D-printed stars attached to my shoes. They are the same color as the shoes, so they\u2019re hard to see.\u201d <\/p>\n He says it is just one of the countless small details that show how much effort went into the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. \u201cShoutout to Adi and Timo from Flare Talents for this idea.\u201d <\/p>\n It will probably be a while before Cosm\u00f3 has time to enjoy all of his favorite places in Vienna. Our conversation ends once it\u2019s time for him to head inside the ESC venue.<\/p>\n In the meantime you now have the knowledge to enjoy these spots all around Vienna. <\/p>\n TL;DR: Guide To The Best Of Vienna By Cosm\u00f3Start at Schottentor and walk the Ringstrasse to Burggarten.Visit Stadtpark, Gr\u00fcner Prater and Votivpark for green spaces.Eat schnitzel at Figlm\u00fcller or try Meisl & Schadn.Try a Spritzer or visit a traditional Austrian tavern like 7Stern Br\u00e4u.Explore Vienna nightlife at U4, The LOFT, Charlie P’s or G5.Take a day trip to Halbturn or Neusiedler See.<\/p>\n MORE FROM FORBES<\/p>\n ForbesThis Resort Cracked The Code On Guest Happiness And LoyaltyBy Katharina Kotrba<\/a>ForbesWhat To Do In Vienna During Eurovision Song Contest 2026By Katharina Kotrba<\/a>ForbesLifestyle Hotels Beware: Ian Schrager Is Ready To Disrupt AgainBy Katharina Kotrba<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cosm\u00f3 (Benjamin Gedeon) represents Austria in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest with his hit “Tanzschein.” In this exclusive…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41866,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20858],"tags":[26750,26755,20859,20860,26752,26753,26751,26754,20865,26756,26757,23438],"class_list":{"0":"post-41865","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eurovision","8":"tag-7stern-brau","9":"tag-best-schnitzel-in-vienna","10":"tag-eurovision","11":"tag-eurovision-song-contest-2026","12":"tag-h2","13":"tag-heuriger","14":"tag-schottentor","15":"tag-things-to-do-in-vienna","16":"tag-vienna","17":"tag-vienna-nightlife","18":"tag-vienna-parks","19":"tag-vienna-travel-guide"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}