25th October 2017: Vienna is often described as the 'cultural heart' of Europe and I can certainly see why, with historic architecture, an abundance of classical and modern art, palaces and its stunning Opera House, the city of Vienna certainly doesn't disappoint. Travelling with Kirker Holidays, Sarah, from our Monmouth branch, recently had the opportunity to see what Vienna has to offer... Kirker’s expertise left nothing to chance; they ensured we made the very most of our time in this beautiful city. Our journey began at Vienna's Imperial Hotel; a truly traditional five-star deluxe hotel built in 1863 and one of the grandest hotels in Vienna. The hotel features a Michelin starred restaurant, Baroque lounge bar and is located on the 'ring', a boulevard which encircles the very centre of the city. Due to the hotel's its location, the Opera House is just a five minute walk from the Imperial hotel and the major sights can be seen on foot.
Day One – City Tour
The day started with a private walking tour organised by our Kirker concierge and let me say, what a way to see this city! One of the first things I noticed here were how clean and well-kept the streets of Vienna are. Its buildings are low-rise so there's copious amounts of light flooding this city making its public spaces feel very warm and inviting. Not only this, but during my time here I noticed the lack of 'pushing queues' people seem to just simply meander. Vienna is awash with history and, during your time here, you're constantly reminded of this. Many stunning statues and carvings encapsulate this city including depictions of famous composers Beethoven and Mozart, previous historic residences of this city. Other highlights of our walking tour included St Stephen's Cathedral, which stands proud in the heart of the city and is surrounded by designer shops. After a fabulous lunch, which included the traditional dish of Wiener Schnitzel and clear beef soup, we visited the Kunsthistorisches Museum, more commonly referred to as the Museum of Fine Arts. The collections here include ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, Medieval art and items from the superb Renaissance and Baroque eras. We were also fortunate to see the Cellini Salt Cellar, a part-enamelled gold table sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, valued at around 60 million euros! We followed this with a visit to the Leopold Museum, home to one of the largest collections of modern Austrian art. The museum features artists such as Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka and was a great contrast to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. That evening, we dined at the Imperials Hotel's 'Cafe Imperial' restaurant which offers a lighter menu, yet is still prepared by the same Michelin starred 'Opus' restaurant team. After everything we had seen, we had high hopes for day two!
Day Two
The sister hotel to the Imperial, The Bristol, was where we spent our next few days, traditional and elegant, a warm welcome awaited us. After we had been allocated our rooms, it was time for our next adventure. It started with a marvellous coach tour of the old and new city seeing the famous Danube River, and crossing over the bridge into new town, here you see the more familiar modern high-rise developments. We finished our tour at the Schönbrunn Palace, a former imperial summer residence which played host to Europe's leading statesmen. Johann Edler von Kurzbock couldn’t have put it better when he said "…the palace is magnificent, the furniture befitting of a queen and in the best of taste. The gardens here have everything that art has ever created." Upon leaving this magnificent place, we were taken to board the 64.75 metre tall Ferris wheel located at the entrance of the Prater Amusement Park in the 2nd District. This attraction offers visitors superb views over the city and provides a great day out for all the family. As the sun was starting to set, we made our way to the Sacher Wein Hotel, frequented by the likes of John F. Kennedy, Indira Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth. Here, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner and were greeted with a typical warm, Austrian welcome followed by a Mozart concert by the Viennese Orchestra. The traditional concert lasted around two hours and for me, it was definitely the highlight of the trip. The opera singers were incredible and the atmosphere inside was truly magical. I left realising I knew far more Mozart compositions than I had ever imagined.
Final Day
After checking out, we were taken to the Belvedere Museum, which houses the world's largest collection of oil paintings by Gustav Klimt including the his masterpiece the 'Kiss' which was also featured as part of the Helen Mirren film 'Woman in Gold'. En route to the airport we had just enough time to stop by The Hundertwasser House, one of Austria's architectural highlights. Designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser and more affectionately known as 'the crazy house' the building draws visitors from around the world due to its quirky and unique design. No two windows here are the same and the building is awash with bright colours and even has trees growing out of its rooftop.
Final thoughts
The coffee houses are the very hub of the community here and really give the city a sense of charm that is in my opinion, hard to replicate. Vienna truly is the most amazing city I have ever been to and will hold a special place in my heart. With such a friendly atmosphere, it has a wealth of art and is open for everyone, not just for the rich. It's such a cultural city, where the locals immerse themselves in it, why not buy a coffee and relax as you watch the world go by?