As I recall the moment I stepped into the Schönbrunn Palace in the Imperial City of Vienna, I remember the feeling of grandeur that swept over me. Although I had seen the Palace a few times, I had never actually got the opportunity to enter the rooms and see for myself how the Habsburg Royals lived until about 200 years ago. Majestic rooms, exquisite chandeliers, valuable art – all as breathtaking as expected and more. But what intrigued me the most and has kept me engrossed in thoughts all these days are the stories. Stories behind the fancy rooms and furniture, the books and the jewels, the people who lived and worked there, the people who are remembered and not so well remembered. I wanted to see the traditional as well as modern Vienna, the classic side of it as well as the quirky face of the city, the grand architecture of the Museum Quartier as well as the street art and unusual buildings. But what I didn’t know was how a single character from history would leave such a strong impact on my mind. A woman who had everything except peace of mind and freedom in the true sense, a woman who felt helpless and trapped despite living in a palace and having several helpers around, a woman who got the courage to speak up against old traditions and patriarchy, who got empowered and decided to live life on her own terms eventually, leaving her kingdom behind as she travelled the world alone and in disguise. She, who today, is known as an icon of beauty from Austria. She who has had exhibitions and fashion events themed after her. She who is present on multiple brochures, posters and paintings all across Vienna and Austria – Empress Elisabeth, or Sisi from the Habsburg dynasty. History can be very intriguing but as Jezebel put it, it can do strange things to dead people. Here’s a journey into the classical and modern Vienna. Hope this gives you an idea of things to see and do in Vienna and help you plan your own trip to the historical city.
Gardens of the Schönbrunn Palace,Vienna
CLASSICAL VIENNA
Vienna is quite a backdrop for a fairy tale and I don’t know why it took me so long to see the charm of the city in the true sense. Undoubtedly, it is a great choice for culture buffs, with all the history, museums, architecture, music and more. I somehow used to think of Vienna to be a bit overrated with all the posh stores, fancy cafes and hotels, majestic cathedrals and horse-drawn carriages in Stephensplatz and Karlplatz, the heart of the city. But, beyond those posh buildings and museums lie intriguing stories and beyond the famous coffee and cake culture lies a completely different side of Vienna.
THE SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE: OF ROYALTY AND INNER BATTLES
For me, taking the hour long Grand Tour of the Schönbrunn Palace was a great way to get introduced to classical Vienna. As I started going through the rooms, I got to know of Sisi as a 15-year-old Duchess from Bavaria who was made to marry her cousin, Prince Franz Joseph 1 of Austria just because he fell for her despite the fact that he was supposed to get married to her older sister. The House of Habsburg was in fact one of the most powerful royal Houses of Europe from the 1400’s to 1700’s and included kingdoms of Austria Hungary, Germany, Croatia, Spain, Portugal and more. With a very dominant and controlling mother-in-law who would not even let Elisabeth name and take care of her first two daughters, it is not surprising that she went into depression and anxiety from a very young age. In the years to follow, Sisi became obsessed with beauty and undertook extreme measures to maintain her physical appearance, even if it meant having eating disorders, wearing specially made corsets from Paris to maintain her 18-inch waist and having a hair dresser spend two hours styling her extremely long hair every day.
MUSIC AND MOZART
It was also in this palace that 6 year old Mozart gave his first ever musical performance infront of the royal family and sat on the lap of Empress Maria-Therese in 1762. Mozart returned from Salzburg to live in Vienna for 10 years later and you can visit the MozartHaus in the centre of the city today as well as watch Mozart concerts in the MozartHaus and Schönbrunn Palace. Vienna is famous for the Opera productions, and if you do get the chance to attend one such event, you should certainly consider taking the opportunity even though the tickets are generally not inexpensive.
Vienna State Opera
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ART IN VIENNA
The stories of the Royal family continue in the Albertina Museum, which is one of the leading art museums in Austria and was also a former residence of the Habsburg rulers. While you can peruse through a huge number of art works on multiple floors of the museum, the first floor is still maintained as the rooms of the Royal Residency. You can easily spend a good two hours in the museum, going through all the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. Another summer residence of a Habsburg Prince (Prince Eugene of Savoy) were the Belvedere Palaces, which are now listed as UNESCO World heritage sites and comprise of a huge art collection. There is also a whole museum dedicated to Empress Sisi, known as the Sisi Museum. It was interesting to find out that the Empress chose to take language lessons during her 2 hour long hair care routine everyday. She became a prolific horse rider, grew a great attachment to Hungary’s language and people, travelled alone to countries including Hungary, Greece, Croatia, Switzerland and did not want to be recognized as the Empress while travelling. She spoke against the notions of early marriage and emphasized on how important decisions like marriage cannot be taken when one is merely a teenager, for then they have to bear the brunt of decisions taken by other people for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, she got assassinated in Geneva for no real reason by an anarchist, while she was out travelling.
The Albertina museum is currently displaying collections from Monet to Picasso.
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COFFEE AND CAKE CULTURE IN VIENNA
Cafès have been an important part of the Viennese lifestyle, especially since the 1900’s. They used to be the meeting point for people willing to divulge in intellectual discussions, work, reading or even gambling. There were no limits or judgments associated with the time spent in a café, and this ‘fruitful wastage of time’ was completely acceptable in the society. This somehow reminds me of the concept of ‘Adda’ in Bengal, India. As a result, you can spot many cafes in the city, some still maintaining the décor and traditions of yesteryears. Since Austria is known for desserts, you can try the Sacher Cake or Apfel Strudel or one of the many other desserts wherever you choose to sit down for your coffee. Hotel Sacher , right next to the Albertina Museum, is supposed to have the original Sacher Cake, but because of that it often requires people to queue up for a seat. I also feel that there are several bakeries where you could also get great coffee and cake. So, if you have a sweet tooth or love coffee, do not leave Vienna without trying some of this goodness irrespective of where you tried them .Here is more info on the Coffee Houses, which typically serve coffee with water and sugar in a silver tray.
Coffee and cake are an integral part of Vienna’s lifestyle and culture.
MODERN VIENNA
It’s interesting to see how architecture changed in post-War Vienna. In the last few decades, a lot of newly designed art and residential complexes have sprung up.To soak in some art and architectural beauty, I would highly suggest strolling through the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna. This area is full of old as well as new museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and KunstHalle Wein, restaurants and also has the Volkesgarten as well as the Austrian Parliament nearby.
As the sun sets over the city and you have had your share of culture and museums, it’s a good time to relax by the River Danube. Whether you enjoy boating, trying out one of the many eateries along the river or partying in one of the trendy beach bars, a visit to the Danube Insel could be a great choice. In fact, you can also reach Bratislava in 75 minutes if you get on a cruise on the Danube and it will set you back by 20 Euros or so.
QUIRKY ART AND OFFBEAT MUSEUMS
In the 1800’s and early 1900’s, Vienna was home to the Father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, whose apartment and museum you can still visit while in Vienna. I have always wanted to visit this museum but somehow still haven’t been able to. Some other non-traditional museums include the Burial Museum, Condomi Museum , Torture Museum, Hat Museum, Coffee Museum and Museum for Contraception and Abortion, just to name a few.
You can also spot a lot of street art in Vienna, and can either take a self guided tour based on this map or get on a walking tour to know more. On the note of quirky art, visiting a garbage incinerator might not be on your list per se, but if you are in Vienna it’s worthwhile to visit the Spittelau plant, which was designed by a well-known artist called Hundertwasser. He also designed another building in the city known as the HundertwasserHaus.
Could you have guessed this artsy building to be used for garbage incineration? Spittelau, designed by HundertWasser
Speaking of quirky art, you can also stay in a hotel that has some in all its rooms!
WHERE TO STAY IN VIENNA
The 25 Hours Hotel near the Volksgarten, Austrian Parliament and Museum Quartier in the vicinity is quite an interesting place to stay, especially if you like unusual and quirky design. They run by the slogan ‘We are all mad here’ and is a chain of hotels spread across several European cities. The general theme they run by is that of a circus and along with related wall art in the rooms, each room is also equipped with Bluetooth speakers, yoga mat, hoola hoop and other useful and fun accessories. I also enjoyed their selection of Pizzas and drinks at the 1500 Food Makers Restaurant, housed within the hotel. I’d recommend checking out this restaurant for good ambience and service and you can then head over to their rooftop bar for drinks and views. Roughly, a double room with breakfast (and spa access included) can cost you around 120 Euros per night.
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WHAT TO EAT IN VIENNA
Traditionally, Austria is known for different types of dumplings, sausages,cakes and pancake based dishes. Check out some pictures and details of food in Austria in this guide to vegetarian food in 24 European countries.
STREET FOOD
Just outside the Albertina museum, you can spot a Bitzinger sausage stand and also the Bitzinger cafe. Before you enter the museum or after your visit, you can stop at this stand to try a ‘Wurst’ or the typically Viennese sausage along with a glass of local beer or wine. Vegetarians have the option to order some potato snacks instead. While you are there, you can also ask for wafers from Vienna, the brand known as ‘Manner’. Standing near the Albertina Museum and the Café Mozart, a popular and high-end café , I doubt if you could find a better location and a cheaper price for a meal while still taking in the culture and architecture of this historical city.
There are a lot of other such street food stands and trucks in the city, whether you’d be interested in grabbing a sausage or Doner or rather a vegetarian wrap too. The Street food Vienna website has detailed information about it.
View of the Cafe Mozart from Albertina museum.The Bitzinger sausage stand is just to the right of the museum.
ROOFTOP BARS AND FINE DINING
If it’s a rainy day and not a great time to spend along the river, you can enjoy the views of the city over a drink in one of the many rooftop bars. Vienna is full of several stylish rooftop bars as well and is also home to several pubs and clubs. For some great views and drinks, check out the Aloft at Sofitel, Vienna or one of the many other options. For a fancy dinner, you can choose one of the many fine dining restaurants like Lugeck or the funkier 1500 FoodMakers Restaurant at the 25 hotels. I was a bit apprehensive with regards to vegetarian food at Lugeck as it mainly caters to Austrian cuisine which predominantly comprises of sausages and meat. But, the salads I tried were delicious and extremely filling. In fact, the additional quinoa patties might have been too much for me. The 1500 Foodmakers had a different selection of pizza and pasta on offer, including toppings like sweet potato. I quite enjoyed their ambience and service more than the food itself.
Vienna has quite a few rooftop bars and restaurants.One such is Aloft at Sofitel at Schwedenplatz.Go for the views,stay for the drinks and lights!
As you see, Vienna is a good choice for a getaway because it caters to many different tastes and to many different styles of travel that one might prefer. I would suggest having sufficient time in hand to enjoy the city and not rush through it. Check the museum timings in advance, as they often close a bit earlier during winter. And since Vienna is a big city, you would be requiring a public transport pass for sure. Consider getting the Vienna city card for either unlimited access on public transport or to the hop on Hop Off buses. Plus, this will give you multiple discounts on restaurants, museums and even shopping.
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