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 Vienna for Lovers
A man with a fistful of tickets draws a crowd in a Vienna square. He’s hawking seats for a nearly sold-out concert, one that’s drawing residents and visitors alike.
Nope, it’s not the Rolling Stones swinging through Vienna this evening but a classical concert featuring the works of Mozart which is creating this buzz. While 2006 marked the 250th birthday of the famous Austrian (born in Salzburg) who made Vienna his home, classical concerts are always a crowd favorite in a city that celebrates culture and art in every form.
What to Do
Mozart enjoys pop star status in Vienna. You will find Mozart (as well as Haydn) concerts most nights in the city. At Schöenbrunn Palace (above), the renovated Orangery Schöenbrunn serves as the setting for concerts featuring the works of Mozart and Strauss. Concerts are held at night but be sure to save most of an entire day to tour Schöenbrunn, the Hapsburg’s summer palace and one of Europe’s largest palaces. Many rooms can be seen on self-guided tours; outside, extensive gardens and the world’s oldest zoo await exploration.
The city is also well known as the home of the Vienna Boys Choir. The group, whose members range in age from 10 to 14, performs many concerts throughout the year (taking a break in July and August). Since 1498, theyhave providedthe music for the Sunday Mass in Vienna's Imperial Chapel.
 Downtown Vienna is home to the lion’s share of the city’s attractions including the symbol of the city, St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansplatz 1, right). The soaring landmark is easily spotted because of its tiled roof and pointed Gothic towers. Inside the church’s catacombs, the internal organs of the Hapsburgs rest in urns. Their hearts, however, literally remain at Hofburg (www.hofburg.com) , the downtown palace that served as the Imperial Palace until 1918. Today the complex is home to the office of the Austrian President as well as numerous museums open to the public, the Imperial Apartments, the Lipizzaner Museum and the Lipizzaner Stallions. The chapel where the Vienna Boys Choir performs is also located here.
No visit to Vienna would be complete without a visit to the MuseumsQuartier Wein (Museumplatz 1). The museum complex is one of the 10 largest cultural centers in the world and is home to the Leopold Museum, which showcases Austrian art, and the MUMOK (Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation Vienna), a collection of modern and contemporary art.
A pleasant evening outing for lovers is a visit to Vienna’s wine gardens; the most visited area is Grinzing, a suburb about half an hour from the city center. Here many wine gardens offer outdoor seating, traditional music, and homemade wine. For nightlife a little closer to the city, stop by the “Bermuda Triangle.” This area, tucked north of the cathedral, is home to many pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs.
Romantic Hotels
Grand Hotel Wien
Vienna’s oldest luxury hotel dates back to 1870 and has long been a favorite with European royalty. Through the years, the hotel has evolved in purpose and became the headquarters for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) before returning to its original role as a hotel. In 1989, the property underwent a major renovation to modernize with state of the art technology. Today each of the 205 guest rooms and suites includes modern amenities such as two direct dial telephones, complimentary high-speed internet service, and trouser press. On the seventh floor, the hotel’s Le Ciel gourmet restaurant overlooks Vienna; terrace dining is available during the summer.
Radisson SAS Palais Hotel
Since 1872, this palatial facility has been located on the Ringstrasse not, however, as one building but as two palaces, the Leiterberger and Henckel von Donnersmarck. Today the two palaces are joined to create one five-star hotel with 247 guestrooms and suites including some which face the Stadtpark. The elegant décor features antique furnishings in many guest rooms. Rooms combine traditional Viennese elements with modern practicality including free broadband with wireless Internet access available throughout the hotel. Several dining options are located on-site including Sapori, a modern Italian gourmet restaurant, and Le Siècle, a gourmet restaurant showcasing Viennese and international specialties. The hotel is within walking distance of St. Stephen's Cathedral, the State Opera and the Imperial Hofburg.
Hotel Bristol
With its location next to the State Opera, this historic hotel (named for the city of Bristol, England) has been a city favorite since 1892. The hotel’s Prince of Wales Suite is Austria’s largest, complete with its own library, dining room, office, and fitness room, but all of the 140 rooms and suites are comfortable. Each features the Westin Heavenly Bed.
Romantic Dining
The ultra-modern DO & CO hotel, located directly across from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, is the setting for the equally mod and stylish DO & CO Stephansplatz restaurant. Perched on the seventh story with floor to ceiling views of the Cathedral and the surrounding square, the restaurant is decorated in calming tones of beige and wood with an emphasis both on the view and the chef’s stations. The menu features Viennese and international specialties as well as Asian dishes including sushi and sashimi. Look for deep-fried monk fish Viennese Style on potato salad or saddle of lamb with funghi Risotto. Be sure to call ahead and reserve a window table.
Café Sacher Wien
Vienna’s most famous coffee house, located at the Hotel Sacher, serves traditional Austrian specialties ranging from beef goulash to beef cutlet with fried onions. The café, however, isn’t known for its entrees but for its desserts. One dessert—the Sacher-Torte— is well-known throughout Austria and dates back to 1832. More than just a chocolate cake, this ultra-rich pastry, produced at the in-house bakery, sports a thin layer of apricot jam.
Housed in a 17th century monastery, this restaurant dates back to the 1930s and is considered one of the city’s oldest luxury restaurants. Antique Viennese furnishings with a decidedly Hapsburg touch set the tone for an elegant evening. The stylish surrounding are supported by an equally elegant menu, starting with appetizers such as Osietra caviar with buckwheat blinis or lobster risotto with mussels. Although entrée options range from venison to lamb to fish, the “classical Drei Hussaren” dishes include Viennese veal escalope with parsley potatoes and braised sirloin with cabbage pasta in red wine sauce.
Getting There, Getting Around
The Vienna International Airport (VIE ) is located about 11 miles east of the city center. The airport saw 7.9 million passengers during the first half of 2006. Soon the growing numbers will find additional facilities at the airport including an expansion of the Skylink Terminal planned for the last quarter of 2008.
From the airport, passengers can transfer to the City Air Terminal aboard the Cith Airport Train. The service, which runs daily from 5:38am to 11:35pm, takes 16 minutes. Taxi service runs about 30 minutes to the city center and costs about €35-40.
Lovers find that getting around Vienna is easy thanks to its large public transit system including an extensive tram system, one of the world’s largest. A single fare covers U-bahn, bus and tram rides; tickets can be purchased at Wiener Linien ticket offices as well as tobacco stores and vending machines. The Vienna Card covers 72 hours of transit and also offers discounts at some city attractions and restaurants.
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