Vienna is one of the great capitals of Europe. Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire of the Habsburgs is long gone, many reminders of the city's Imperial period remain, lovingly preserved by the Tradition-loving Viennese.
The 18th century brought about a renaissance of music in Vienna unlike anything the world had ever experienced. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, Mahler, and Bruckner all lived in the city, producing music so exquisite that it is still played in concert halls all over the world.
The end of the 19th century the city's artists and architects -- Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Josef Hoffmann, Otto Wagner, and Adolf Loos among them -- brought about an artistic evolution that literally set the stage for what modern art could aspire to be.
Nevertheless, Vienna is a Baroque city, and as you explore churches filled with statues of golden saints and Virgins frozen in adoration, wander through the opulent museums, or while away an afternoon sipping hot chocolate and dining on the delectable sweets in one of the many cafés, the change of pace and the sheer beauty of this city will transport you to another era.
The ambience of the city is definitely ornate and nostalgic, especially in the winter when the Christmas decorations have gone up and the warm glow of classically decorated spaces filled with velvets and crystal sharply contrast with the cold weather outside. The Old World charm of this city and the friendly faces will soon have you wisihing you didn't have to leave. There is no such thing as hurrying in Vienna. |
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