IN THE MOOD FOR VIENNA: PART 2 | Summer in Vienna | Travel Guide Austria | Sights, Culture & Wine

It’s been a while since I’ve been in this city. Since my first visit in 2019, the world has thunderously changed in more ways than one, but the sweet prospect of coming back here remained a certainty, as I took a personal oath to revisit, re-experience, and re-examine my undiminished love for this place. Vienna. That city of nearly indescribable beauty, one that oozes a kind of wistful, nostalgic grandeur. It took me a while to realise how much I missed being in this city, and being back here is

like peeling back a fond memory, revealing a world of visual and sensory details that’s truly a world of its own. It’s easy to be particularly biased with Vienna. I mean, anyone who appreciates refinement would feel at home here. Anyone who regards culture as significant would be supplied with such abundance. Anyone who respects history would be immersed in its multi-storied, colourful past. And it’s truly good to be back in Vienna. By far, this has remained to be one of my favourite European c

apitals. I missed walking along its grand boulevards, getting lost in its cobbled streets, soaking up in art and culture, steering into its great palaces and parks, and spending unhurried time in its glorious coffeehouses and beautifully ornate museums. I visited four years ago during Christmastime, and I was back recently this past summer to experience Vienna from another season, and thankfully a much warmer one, when you can see the city take on another face, another kind of life. And to remin

d myself that while the world changes at such a startling speed, there’s a place like Vienna that holds steadfast to its legacy resolute to its classical core, and breathes the same atmosphere as its distant yet nonetheless nuanced past. I came back here in the summer, and what a rapturous time to be in Vienna. All it took was a brief jaunt around the Innere Stadt to be reminded what a truly stunning place this is. The Innere Stadt contains a lot of what you’ll consider Vienna’s Greatest Hits, w

hich one can easily spend a whole day just walking around, going from one place to the next, from Stephansplatz to the palatial complex of the Hofburg, right to the wonderful Museumsquartier, admiring the glorious Maria-Theresien Platz, where two of Vienna’s greatest museums face each other, as though in a harmonious agreement in a marriage of architectural beauty. Around the corner, there’s also Albertina, with its famous terrace with a good vantage point of the Wiener Staatsoper, or the Vienne

se State Opera. As much as I enjoyed walking down this memory lane of places I’ve already been before, I also longed to see parts of Vienna which I haven’t caught a glimpse of. And in the summer, Vienna springs into a magnificent bloom, with a wealth of gardens and parks that are, sublimely, free and open to everyone. Just across from the Hofburg is the Burggarten, and it takes only a short walk here and you’ll understand that the Viennese adore their parks. I’ve read that more than half of the

city of Vienna is green, despite its urban spread. A stone’s throw away is the Volksgarten, with its well-manicured, botanical beauty. This park is famous for its Rose Garden, with over 3,000 rose bushes that spring forth an impressionistic array of colours. You’ll find that each rosebush, there’s a dedication to those beloved, a clear sign that Vienna has its romantic side. We also went to the eastern side of the Innere Stadt, in Stadtpark, a green oasis in historic Vienna and considered the ol

dest public park in the city, one that stretches over 28 acres of land. Here you’ll find a great golden statue of one of Austria’s greatest composers, the “Waltz King” Johann Strauss. If you do want to elevate your park strolls to Imperial level, well then, it has to be the Schönbrunn. Known for its imperial palace, Schönbrunn also boasts a magnificent park, one that’s mostly open to the public. We came for a good, long stroll to experience this place from another perspective. There’s still so m

uch of Vienna I haven’t seen, sometimes I wonder how many visits, how many times I’d have to encounter the city to peel another leaf from its many sumptuous parts. Just a little walk around Vienna’s Ringstrasse reminded me how truly stately and imperial this place is. First, there’s the Austrian Parliament, ceremonial and lofty in its Classical Greek architectural forebears. Then, next to it is Rathaus, the Viennese City Hall, monumental in its Neo-Gothic inspired edifice. Do inspect the Burgthe

ater across the road, a stentorian presence along this avenue. But the magnificence of Vienna isn’t only seen from its exteriors, you’d have to go into a few of such places to witness the remarkable collection of art and architectural jewels in the city. I’ve already witnessed a few, and this time, I went to see the State Hall of the Austrian National Library, perhaps one of the most astounding libraries I’ve seen in this world. Talk about a pure Baroque splendour. This 18th century paradise of

such aesthetic beauty, this beautiful library was ordered by Emperor Charles VI, whose statue adorns the centre of the hall, built with a great oval dome and painted with frescoes, a surely opulent way to house over 200,000 historical books. Next door, don’t forget to visit the Augustinerkirche, or Augustinian Church, with its unassuming façade that hides a great and long 300 years’ worth of history, being the official imperial church of the Habsburg monarchy, where some of history’s royal weddi

ngs happened here, the weddings of Empress Maria Theresa, Empress Sisi to Emperor Franz Joseph, the weddings of Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as Marie Antoinette to King Louis XVI of France. Lest we forget, Vienna is a museum city, and it holds a pride of offering many of the best museums in the world. This time, I’ve checked out Weltmuseum Wien, or the World Museum, housed in the spectacular Neue Burg wing of the Hofburg, at the residential wing of the Imperial palace. This is one of Vienna’s mos

t fascinating museums, and Austria’s largest anthropological museum, with exhibitions that take you into a journey around the world, across various cultures and ethnography. Another significant part of the museum is the historical collection of the Habsburgs dynasty, from armory, objects and instruments that were part of the Austrian imperial family’s life throughout the ages. One last museum I visited is the wonderful modern art collection by Rudolph and Elisabeth Leopold, both lovers and patro

ns of art, the Leopold Museum, famed for containing the world’s largest collection of the works by the Expressionist artist Egon Schiele. This museum also features Gustav Klimt, specifically his later Secessionist work, Death and Life. There’s also Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, and Modernism, including collections of objects, paintings, jewelries and furniture pieces that represent these art movements that will surely delight all art and design lovers out there. You know what else is beautiful in Vie

nna? The city’s old town. Comprising a few quarters, the Greek Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, and the Old University Quarter, where some of the cobblestone streets and buildings have been preserved since the Middle Ages. These are some of the most magical neighbourhoods in Vienna, and walking around here is really quite atmospheric. Walk around Hoher Markt, the oldest square in Vienna, and you’ll find the Anchor Clock, or Ankeruhr, a gilded Art Nouveau clock that depicts life at its many passing s

tages. A short walk from here is the Old University quarter where the Jesuit Church is located, and it’s worth a visit. A typically overlooked 17th-century church, with a High Baroque masterpiece of an interior, with spectacular paintings by Andrea Pozzo, especially the ceiling that’s painted like a dome. Around the corner is Fleischmarkt, where the Greek Quarter is located, where you’ll find the stunningly built Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. But there’s also something else special in this

corner of Griechengasse. Here, we stumbled into a restaurant named Griechenbeisel, which happens to be Vienna’s oldest tavern, founded in the 15th century. We learned that the likes of Mark Twain, Beethoven, Mozart and even Pavarotti have all wined and dined here, so we couldn’t help but satisfy our curiosity as well as satiate our hunger, and went inside for a full-on lunch feast, with a gloriously roasted schweinhaxe, or roast pork knuckle, with hot and cold sauerkraut and pickles. We were st

uffed, to say the least, but it must be said, I loved this restaurant and was very grateful for this real slice of old-world Vienna that still exists today. Speaking of old-world charm, one can’t truly visit Vienna without stopping by at some of the coffeehouses here. After all, coffee culture in Vienna is legendary. While I missed it during my last trip, I was finally able to visit the exquisite Café Sacher. Luckily with a very little queue, we came here for breakfast and enjoyed none other tha

n the original sachertorte, this classic Viennese chocolate cake with apricot jam recipe that was first created by the patissier Franz Sacher in this luxury hotel in 1832. As you can see, cafés here are no dreary business. The next one we visited is another Viennese institution, Café Landtmann, serving elegance and coffee house style since 1873. The likes of Gustav Mahler, Sigmund Freud, and Marlene Dietrich had all frequented this café during their time in Vienna. We came here to indulge in a l

ong afternoon lunch, with comsommé soup and tartare beef, savouring some classic Viennese cuisine with Wiener Schnitzel and Veal Scallops, and then, with a stroke of inevitability, we tucked in to their delectable house desserts. After this sumptuous time partaking in the coffee culture in Vienna, it was then time to take our Viennese experience to another level, by going to the opera. It’s another culture that’s dearly valued and treasured in Vienna, and for a city with such celebrated and hall

owed history of music and opera, they say to truly experience this city, a night at the glittering Wiener Staatsoper or the Viennese State Opera, is a must. And that’s exactly what we did. Dedicating an evening to delight in the lush and gorgeous environment, this Renaissance Revival building was the first major structure in the Ringstrasse. Built in 1869, this was considered the Vienna Court Opera, and was unfortunately partly destroyed in the Second World War. However, much of the exterior, th

e main façade, the grand staircase and the Schwind Foyer all survived the destruction and are preserved until today. Which makes it even a better reason to celebrate the beauty and historic significance, now considered one of the leading opera houses in the world. That evening, we witnessed a rapturous performance of Richard Wagner’s magnum opus, Tristan und Isolde, and this opera evening was certainly a night to remember. There’s another reason why I came back to Vienna, and it’s something that

is deeply embedded in the fabric of Viennese culture, accompanying social life in this city like a good old friend. Wine. Wine in Vienna is essential. A staple, just like your quality pastry or coffee. Austrian wine, or in fact, Viennese wines are so significant in this place that there’s literally no other capital city in the world that sustains the largest growing and operating vineyards within its city boundaries. In other words, Vienna is a wine metropolis, and you’ll find sweeping vineyard

s along the hillsides in the outskirts of the city. That’s why we partnered with City and Wine Tours to explore and experience the Weinviertel wine region, located at the north of Vienna, spending the day visiting three family-owned wineries, tasting local quality wines, and getting to know the wine culture in this city as much as possible. We began our tour in the Schwarzböck winery in Hagenbrunn, just about a 30 mins ride from the centre of Vienna, tasting the wonderful, organic wines of this

cellar. We learned that the vineyards here are organically farmed, with the producers here believing in the philosophy that their organic wines authentically represent the terroir and the flavours of this region, resulting in a truly impressive portfolio of wines, featuring the classic grape varieties of Grüner Veltliner, perhaps Austria’s most planted and most quintessential grape, and with Gelber Muskateller and Gemischter Satz, a popular field blend. We even got to taste their “sturm”, that’s

grape juice in the process of fermentation, as a way to celebrate the year’s harvest. Next up, we proceeded to visit the Holzer winery in Leobendorf, with their landscape of beautiful vineyards with a view of the Kreuzenstein Castle. We had a joyful time sitting outdoors, surrounded by vines, sipping and tasting some of the Holzer family wines, from the refreshing Frizzante to their typical Weinviertel classic, Grüner Veltliner, their Sauvignon Blanc, and this delightful red blend of Zweigelt,

Merlot and Syrah, a wine called Valentina, named after the couple Bernhard and Stephanie’s daughter. Lastly, we finished off our evening with a visit at the Laimer winery, including a dinner at their “heuriger” or wine tavern, where the Viennese wine culture reaches to a culmination, celebrating food and wine altogether. We learned that “heurigers” or wine taverns were a result of a royal edict that allowed wineries to open their own doors during harvest season, to serve their own food and wine,

a historic tradition that has now grown as part of a popular local culture. We loved this tour and thoroughly enjoyed tasting the refreshing, aromatic and crisp wines of this region, learning a lot about Austrian viticulture, and ultimately celebrating a slice of a truly Viennese culture. Thank you City and Wine tours for making this experience quite memorable. I never expected to come back to Vienna so soon, but life keeps surprising me at every turn. And it was really splendid to see Vienna f

rom another perspective. One of the most standout moments during my stay here was a visit at the Donauturm, or the Danube Tower, during sunset, as we went to the top, admiring a glorious view of the city from the other side of the Danube, a side of Vienna that’s rarely glimpsed by most visitors. I felt grateful to be here, seeing this view, seeing Vienna from a different angle and a different light. It’s moments like these that make me feel grateful for the gift of travel. To witness a city like

Vienna that glides at its own pace, sings to its own tune, and waltzes to its own rhythm. A city that remains to be an ornate box of surprises, revealing nearly infinite amazement at every visit. Come and think of it, we’re so lucky to have a city like this. And for that, we must treasure it. Not every lifetime we get to behold a city like Vienna.