Viennese coffee house culture in the International Office in Prague

On 14 June 2023, representatives of the Prague City Administration, Austrian organisations in the Czech Republic and the media met in a Viennese coffee house, set up for one afternoon in the International Office of the City of Vienna in Prague. In a relaxed atmosphere, about 50 guests discussed cooperation between Prague and Vienna and future relations between the two Central European cities, while enjoying famous Viennese delicacies.

For one Wednesday afternoon, the International Office of the City of Vienna in Prague was transformed into a traditional Viennese coffee house, where the most famous Viennese specialities such as original Sacher Torte cake, Julius Meinl coffee as well as wine and grape juice from the city's Cobenzl winery enriched the atmosphere. Guests tried to solve a surprisingly difficult task of distinguishing the original Viennese Sacher Torte from the one served during the event. The lucky winner received another of Vienna's world-famous delicacies.

The invitation to an informal afternoon meeting in the prestigious premises of the newly renamed International Office of the City of Vienna in Prague was accepted by nearly 50 distinguished representatives from Prague and Vienna and the Czech-Austrian community.

Further strengthening of relations between Prague and Vienna as a goal

The 1^st meeting of this kind after the Covid-19 pandemic focused on existing cooperation and a search for new opportunities to further develop and strengthen relations between the two capitals. Discussions in a relaxed atmosphere covered topics such as sustainable transport, the quality design of furnishing of public spaces, the mutual exchange of experience through trainee programmes, and the issue of immigration and integration, which had been discussed at a workshop held at the same venue just few days earlier. The guests were interested in the day-to-day functioning of the City of Vienna's International Offices network, with a special focus on external communication and media relations. The journalists were particularly interested in finding out which Viennese projects contribute to the city being named the most liveable city in the world in many renowned rankings.