Anyone sipping a Caramel Macchiato in a Starbucks-style café today cannot imagine the role that cafés played as institutions in European social and political life. For centuries, these establishments were veritable centres of information, and business contacts were made around their marble tables. People discussed politics and philosophy, stimulated by caffeine rather than alcohol. Indeed, even revolutions were organised in cafés... in Switzerland!

Cafés, an Arab invention: European café culture has its origins in the East. The first cafés appeared in Arabia in the^mid-16th century along the caravan routes; they also served as places of accommodation for travellers and pilgrims. Via Constantinople, which had been under Ottoman rule since 1454, the custom of drinking coffee was brought to Venice by merchants around 1626. In 1647, the first European café opened its doors in the city of water. Its success inspired others, and more cafés were established over the following decades, including Café Florian in St Mark's Square, which still exists today. The rest of Europe followed suit. In 1674, Paris saw the opening of its first café, and in 1689, Francesco Procopio Cultelli introduced new standards of design with his lavishly decorated coffee temple, the Café Procope. Vienna became the true centre of coffee culture in Europe. This beverage was discovered during the wars against the Turks. The importance of cafés as centres of information and places of business grew very quickly, as evidenced by Lloyds Coffeehouse, which opened in London in 1687. It became the essential meeting place for ship owners, captains and insurers, and thus the birthplace of the Lloyds maritime register.

Artists, intellectuals, women: coffee culture developed during the^18th and^19th centuries, with increasingly luxurious coffee palaces appearing, which were now frequented by "high society". More and more women were going there, as it allowed ladies of society to escape their homes for the first time. The range of products on offer also became more diverse. Café-patisseries attracted customers with sweets and cakes, while other establishments focused on entertainment with music and cabaret or offered distractions such as chess. Some cafés became meeting places for artists and intellectuals. Around the marble tables, people discussed, philosophised or simply killed time. The café has also always served as a "waiting room for talent", as Erich Kästner describes in his book "The Artists' Meeting Place": "The Café Romain is the waiting room for talent. There are people who have been waiting for talent here, day after day, for twenty years. They have mastered, if nothing else, the art of waiting in the astonishing crowd." Café Romain was a meeting place for writers, journalists, theatre and cinema people in Berlin in the 1920s and 1930s. The small room in the famous establishment on Budapester Strasse was called the "Schwimmer-Bassin" (swimmers' pool). It was reserved for well-known figures such as Egon Erwin Kisch, Kurt Tucholsky and Joachim Ringelnatz, who were able to stay afloat, i.e. make a living from their art. The larger room was the "Nicht-Schwimmer" (non-swimmers)...

The Grand Cafés: some of the great cafés frequented by European artists and writers have survived. In addition to the Florian in Venice, there is also the Café Greco in Rome near the Spanish Steps, where Goethe and Baudelaire sipped their coffee, and of course the renowned Parisian establishments, notably the Café de Flore in St-Germain-des-Prés, a bistro frequented by celebrities such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, Ernest Hemingway and Picasso. Or the institution La Closerie des Lilas on Boulevard Montparnasse, where the Parisian artistic world still meets today. In Vienna's first district, Café Hawelka still radiates its former splendour, and if you go to Budapest, don't miss the sumptuous Café New York-Hungaria (built in 1894). Even in Switzerland, there is a world-famous café, the Café Fédéral in Bern. When it comes to coffee, Switzerland has long been left behind. Although the first establishments opened in Basel, Bern and Zurich around 1700, they were quickly condemned by particularly strict city councillors. Drinking coffee was considered a vice that had to be eliminated. In this regard, the belief that luxury goods such as coffee, tea and tobacco were not meant for ordinary subjects was much stronger than medical considerations. It was only with the emancipation of the bourgeoisie in 1830 that the market took off. In Zurich, the number of cafés doubled, with some opening in the houses of guilds that had been stripped of their power, such as the Saffran on Limmatquai, which was later renamed the "Café du Commerce" because it had become a popular meeting place for businessmen. Cafés also boomed in other cities across the country. The first alcohol-free cafés appeared in Switzerland from 1880 onwards, created by the temperance movement in response to the alcohol problems prevalent among urban workers. In 1911, the well-known Zurich café, the Odeon, was finally founded. The Art Nouveau establishment quickly became a meeting place for artists and intellectuals with a European influence. James Joyce and Thomas Mann also frequented the café. Lenin also meditated on his revolution at the Odeon during his exile in Zurich from 1914 to 1917. During the Second World War, the Bellevue in Zurich became the main reception centre for emigrants from all over Europe who had fled to Switzerland to escape the fascist regimes. With "Café Odeon", Kurt Früh created a monument to the memory of Switzerland's most famous café in 1958.

Cafés: what does the future hold? With the expansion of Starbucks and Co. in Switzerland, a change in trend has emerged in the industry. In many cities, chic cafés targeting a young audience have been created. The new cafés focus on sophisticated décor and a creative, fresh and well-presented menu, which also includes healthy snacks. The coffee is prepared with love and espresso is always served with a glass of water, as in Rome. With this concept focused on quality and trends, cafés have been gaining ground in recent years. So immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a café on a misty autumn day.

The first coffee houses in Europe opened their doors in the^mid-17th century. In the East, the first cafés had already been around for nearly 100 years. It was the Ottomans who opened them in Constantinople in 1554. The culture of coffee houses later spread to European cities through explorers and emigrants. Oriental cafés were striking in their simplicity of construction. Operators set up round or polygonal tents and shacks made of a few planks in busy places such as market squares. People could sit along the walls. But visitors did not stay inside; they also stood in front of the entrance. This open structure allowed people from all social classes to enjoy coffee. The coffee house thus became a meeting place for everyone. Storytellers and musicians rubbed shoulders with scholars and merchants. As a result, the Oriental coffee house was a place of conversation and learning. The spiritual and secular authorities, however, saw it as a degradation of morals and a revolutionary ideology. A Muslim legal opinion banned the consumption of coffee, and Sultan Murad IV had all coffee houses demolished in 1633. His successor subsequently abolished this decree, so that nothing could halt the triumphant march of coffee house culture on a global scale. In Cairo alone, visitors had a choice of 3,000 coffee houses in^{the 18th century}.

Preparation

The type of coffee preparation depends not only on personal taste, but also on customs. While Turkish coffee is cooked with sugar and water in a coffee pot, in other regions it is used only as a filter. In German-speaking regions and the United States, filtered coffee is very popular. Hot water is poured over finely ground coffee beans. Italians "push" the water through the ground coffee at high pressure. This is what produces the foam (crema) on espresso. These basic preparation methods offer hundreds of different ways to enjoy coffee. Here are a few examples: Caffè latte - coffee with milk, Cappuccino - equal parts espresso, hot milk and milk foam, Latte Macchiato - hot milk and espresso, Caffè Corretto - espresso with spirits, Irish coffee - coffee with whisky and cream, Café frappé - instant coffee with ice cubes (e.g. in Greece), Einspänner - black coffee served in a glass with whipped cream (Austria).

Vienna, the city of coffee: Vienna is the European centre of coffee house culture. It is difficult to say whether Armenian immigrants were responsible for this or whether it was a side effect of the second Turkish occupation. In any case, no other city has cultivated coffee drinking as much as Vienna.The Vienna Coffee House Owners' Club presents everything visitors need to know about Viennese coffee house culture in the Austrian Museum of Social and Economic History. Historic roasting and grinding machines await curious visitors, as do numerous documents and photographs from the heyday of Viennese coffee houses.This interactive museum also offers presentations on topics such as "Coffee and Health" and "Culture and Treatment". Viennese coffee house culture Austrian Museum of Social History and Economic History, Vogelsanggasse, 361050 Vienna. To combine theory with practice, simply pop into Café Benno in Josefstadt. While enjoying a cup of mocha or brauner, every customer has the opportunity to admire the café's collection of historical and curious coffee utensils. Don't miss a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, known as a fiacre, which is typical of the city. For example, to the Prater with its giant Ferris wheel. Also not to be missed: a visit to St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom), whose large tower rises to a height of 137 metres. Close to this building, which is over 800 years old, is one of the last cafés that maintains the European tradition of literary and artistic coffee houses. Café Hawelka is the ideal place to spend a quiet day immersed in Viennese coffee house culture.