A heart
of gold
Renate Hattinger
Keramik
A heart of gold. Or rather a brain? Carefully modeled by hand, you can find both and even more unique objects and human organs made of porcelain in Renate Hattinger's marvellous store and studio just around the corner of the hotel.
Why do you like the area? Why are you in the 7th district?
I have lived in the seventh district for many years and like the small-scale structure, the many small stores and pubs all around, the mix of old and new and the public that is out and about here. Neubau has changed a lot in the last 20 years. Much of the dilapidated old stock worthy of preservation has been revitalized and the creative industries have discovered the district for themselves. If you are looking for something special, away from the mainstream, you will definitely find it in this district. So it was only natural for me to look for a studio here in Neubau. The neighborhood is very friendly, it feels a bit like an urban village in the middle of the city. Since Burggasse across from my shop has become Ruth-Klüger-Platz, it is even nicer. The only drawback is the lack of green spaces. But the Museumsquartier is close by, and you can reach the museums and parks of the city center in a few minutes.
What are you selling? What is your passion behind it?
You can find objects, tins and vases in the form of human organs, mugs, bowls and dishes, white and colorful, all made of porcelain. I love to model, so I create small and larger figures of women and various little animals. My jewelry is of natural forms - nuts, fruits and seeds, which I use for necklaces, pendants, arm and ear jewelry. Porcelain is a very fine, noble material, which wants to be processed with a lot of patience and tact. My store is also a workshop, so it of course often looks like one too. But people love it and they are always welcome to watch me at work.
Only in Vienna?
"Raunzer", the Viennese coffeehouse culture and high-quality city drinking water.
"Raunzen" or "Granteln" is the gift of heartily whining and complaining. This urge to communicate, which is typical of Vienna, is considered acceptable everyday jargon here.
Vienna's coffeehouse culture has been a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage site since 2011. "The coffeehouses are a place where time and space are consumed, but only coffee is on the bill," is how UNESCO describes the Viennese coffeehouse. So it's a place where you can linger for hours and where the pressures of productivity are left outside.
Better elsewhere?
Unfortunately, we don't have our own sea. But that's okay, because the 21-kilometer-long Danube Island is also a great place to relax and swim along the New Danube, and it's considered the leisure paradise of the Viennese. Less car traffic and more balconies would increase the quality of life even more.
Sweet Vienna?
Crème de la Créme offers sensational cupcakes, French flair in Vienna. We also have an ice cream parlor on every corner, a total of 159 in Vienna. Best just taste your way through them.
Savory Vienna?
After dark?
Vienna is one of the safest cities and therefore you don't need to be afraid in Vienna at night.
Not in any tourist guide?
During a walk through the Meidlinger cemetery you can discover cute hamsters.
Your favorite spot?
From the pirate bay, to the party beach, to the nudist area: the New Danube is extremely diverse, although my favorite place is rather one of the quiet, idyllic bathing places along the New Danube. The Nussberg with its many small Heurigen in the middle of the vineyards, offers a wonderful view over Vienna during a walk.
A must-see?
If you explore the city by bike, you not only support green tourism, but also experience Vienna from a completely different perspective. There are interesting things to discover in every district. Along the Danube Canal in Vienna's first district, the variety of graffiti culture can be seen in a unique density.
Can be skipped, although in all the tourist guides?
Fiaker ride.
What do you love about Vienna?
The great cultural offer, the high quality of life and that everything works well.
Renate Hattinger Keramik
www.renatehattinger.com
+43 676 628 73 00
Burggasse 34
Opening times
phone for an appointment
Photos © Daniela Beranek/Sabine Krammer
