Schweizerhaus opens for season

Schweizerhaus, a huge beer garden, popular with locals and tourists alike has opened for the summer season this week just in time for the warmer weather this weekend in Vienna.

The beer garden opens every year on 15 March at 10am and many locals rush to its opening to sink their first beer of the season.

Famous for its good beer, people also flock to enjoy traditional Austrian food such as their famous pork knuckle, sausages or schnitzel!

Karl Kolarik, owner of Schweizerhaus said: “The opening is a party for our regulars. They arrange to be here once again when we close for the winter in October.

“This year we have finished the renovations which we started a few years ago. We are now bigger than ever.”

One local said: “I don’t drink beer all winter and wait for the Schweizerhaus opening as you don’t get beer as good anywhere in Vienna as here. The first beer of the season always tastes the best.”

Schweizerhaus has space for 1,800 guests and has around 80 staff ready to serve every day.

The popular restaurant and beer garden located in the Vienna Prater were officially opened back in 1868. However, it is claimed it was founded much earlier, records show it existed as the Schweizer Hütte as far back as 1766.

The name Schweizerhaus translated as “Swiss House” is nothing to do with Swiss routes or Swiss origins but rather was named as at the time of the emperors when the beer garden was opened, Switzerland had been, for centuries, associated with opulence and sophisticated gastronomy.

Schweizerhaus is open every day from 15 March until 31 October from 11am until 11pm and at weekends it opens at 10am.

For more information: – http://www.schweizerhaus.at/1024/index.html