36 charming hours in bustling Vienna
Austrian capital steeped in tradition proves it can also be creative and worldly
In 2018 Vienna is commemorating the centennial of four modernists’ passing. Myriad exhibitions will honour the artists Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser and Egon Schiele, and the architect Otto Wagner, who dared to colour outside the rigid lines of the status quo and dream of a different future — a feat that remains relevant today. But we don’t need such anniversary events to remind us of Vienna’s rich contributions to the world. Far from just a time capsule of imperial palaces and fin-desiècle flourishes, this multicultural metropolis of 1.8 million has long been at the crossroads of cultures, proving that even a place steeped in traditions — such as the ball season, which is currently in full swing — can also be creative and worldly.
3 p.m. Rooms With a View Schloss Belvedere often draws comparisons to Versailles — no surprise, considering Prince Eugene of Savoy, who commissioned the two Baroque palaces as his summer residence, grew up around the court of Louis XIV. While the impeccably sculpted grounds and over-the-top interiors are indeed reminiscent of the famous French château, the Upper Belvedere houses a proudly Austrian art collection that includes works by Schiele, Moser and Klimt, whose gilded tableau The Kiss mesmerizes visitors. A combination ticket to both palaces and the adjacent contemporary art pavilion 21er Haus is about $27 (U.S.).
5 p.m. Made in Austria Boutiques celebrating indie labels from Vienna and beyond have flocked just south of the inner city’s historic core. Along Margaretenstrasse you’ll find such concept stores as Unikatessen, which mixes up vintage Chanels and Saint Laurents with local lines such as Natures of Conflict. Across the street, Samstag champions its own brand, Superated, along with designers such as Vienna-educated and Paris-based jewelry-maker Sawako Ishitani.
8 p.m. Local bites After shopping, opt for one of the many nontouristy dining options on and near Margaretenstrasse. Randale presents a robust lineup of DJs along with interesting pizzas such as Viennese Blood, featuring “blunze” (“blood sausage”) and smoked provolone. Just as lively is the bar/restaurant Zweitbester that pairs dishes such as wild boar goulash with art exhibitions and, occasionally, concerts taking place in the bathroom.
SATURDAY 8 a.m. Garden of Good and Evil Open to the public since 1775, Augarten is the city’s communal backyard, where leafy paths take you past girls in hijabs playing soccer and Hasidic men on bicycles. Home of the Vienna Boys’ Choir and Europe’s secondlongest-running porcelain manufacturer, this 52-hectare park also harbours two Nazi-built flak towers that stand as a reminder of one of the city’s darkest chapters.
1p.m. A sense of wonder Designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, Vienna’s many historic coffee houses transport guests to an era when visionaries such as Freud mingled over Mélange, Vienna’s answer to cappuccino. No other Kaffeehaus has perfected anachronism like the threeyear-young Supersense. In addition to hosting indie concerts and letterpress workshops, this cafe-cumstore stocks vintage stamp kits and record players.
3 p.m. It’s a Big World After All Squeezed between the imperial splendour of the Hofburg complex and the gleaming MuseumsQuartier, the ethnological World Museum reopened this October after three years of renovation. Eschewing yesteryear’s circus-act approach to anthropology, this smart institution displays folkloric items from around the world while interrogating the West’s role in championing or stealing artifacts.
7 p.m. State of the aria In order to make an entrance at the Vienna State Opera, you don’t need a coveted — and exorbitantly priced — ticket to the Opera Ball in February, one of the more than 400 lavish parties making up Vienna’s ball season. The Staatsoper’s 300-plus performances of more than 60 operas and ballets are more approachable than ever, thanks to the free Opera Live Outdoors program that projects performance in real time on an LED screen on dates around New Year’s Eve as well as April through June and in September. If you want to admire the opera house’s gasp-inspiring foyers and intricate frescoes in person, standing-room tickets start at all of three euros.
10 p.m. Schnitzel and the City Few things induce tourist trap anxieties more than ordering off a bilingual menu in the city centre. But tucked around the corner from the chevron-roofed St. Stephen’s Cathedral are two restaurants equally beloved by the local suit-and-tie set. Lugeck serves Austrian classics such as schnitzel and glazed veal liver in a convivial space of enamel tiles, beech dividers and chandeliers made of beer steins. More chic yet is Labstelle, where ingredients that are responsibly sourced around Austria make their way onto the alwayschanging menu of dishes such as smoked duck with quince mustard and spaetzle egg noodles, gooey with Tyrolean grey cheese.
SUNDAY 11 a.m. Wine and walk From the tree-lined Ring Road that encircles the inner city, hop on a vintage red-and-white tram to the D line terminus at Nussberg, where vineyards flourish within the Vienna borders. Join the multi-generational families on the hiking path marked “Stadtwanderweg 1a,” which meanders around pretty farmhouses on rolling hills etched with grapevines. Along the way you’ll come across a number of wine taverns serving products from their own grapes.
2 p.m. All-star cemetery Halfway between the city centre and the airport, the stunning Central Cemetery brings together an all-star roster of native and adopted musicians, from Beethoven to Brahms, Schubert to rocker Falco. While on your stroll among the graves — some structurally audacious such as a cube created for the composer Arnold Schönberg by the architect Fritz Wotruba, and others poignantly modest with simple crosses — you’ll also come across Jewish sections, a Russian Orthodox chapel and even a Buddhist stupa, resting side by side.
Lodging The posh Grand Ferdinand, abundant in burgundy leather, parquet flooring and offbeat details such as a taxidermy horse, offers gorgeous rooftop vistas.
Its 188 rooms range between a grand suite of rich tapestries and a Lobmeyr chandelier to swanky dorm rooms, with mahogany bunk beds and housekeeping services.
Conveniently located by the State Opera and the transit hub Karlsplatz, Motel One Vienna Staatsoper offers immaculate and efficient digs.