Of Music in Vienna

Looking back on Vienna (the last stop on my Eurotrip this past April), I think I will always put it as one of my biggest regrets. Forgetting that I was going to Austria, I did not plan anything in advance in anticipation of it, even though in the back of my head, it occurred to me that the city was the mecca of classical music and opera and that I should probably try to see some sort of show (especially when standing room tickets at the opera house and concert halls were only 5 euros). Alas, this wonderful thought did not occur to me until I was riding on the train to Vienna and thinking, "Oh wait, Vienna was my contribution to this part of the trip, where should we go?" That's what happens when you get trapped into the complacency that comes with being mellow and letting other people lead you around.


Vienna - 2 days

So what did happen in Vienna, besides the marathon that was going on as we were within the city that weekend, were 4 Americans stumbling around like zombies trying to enjoy the city but in actuality, just wanting to lay down and sleep for 100 years. At this point, after having been to 5 other countries this month alone, I was mentally tired and was not in the right state to thoroughly enjoy such a beautiful city.

Yet, what did hit me was how grand and beautiful the city center was. I can go on record to say that Vienna has one of the most beautiful city centers that I have ever seen. The road around that area were lined with trees and it was filled with public parks that were blooming with flowers, trees, and the occasional monument to a famous composer (I only saw three when we were there but trying to find them is like a scavenger hunt, they are scattered all through the city).


Monument to Mozart, who was buried in an unmarked grave outside of the city (which I regret not going to, Beethoven and countless other composers are buried nearby there too!)

The weekend we were there, there was a chance to go into one palace, we picked the Hofburg Imperial Palace which was built with a mixture of Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. Walking within the royal apartments, I was subtly reminded of Versailles but a more Neoclassical, simpler version that did not contain as much gold. Sadly, the royal apartments was the only place we went into since every component of the Hofburg had a separate entrance fee (and they don't even let you take pictures!)



Another educational experience was our tour of the Burgtheatre, built by Empress Marie Theresa (mother of Marie Antoinette) in the 1700's and filled with paintings from Gustave Klimt. You cannot help but feel like royalty when you walk up the more than 200 year old entrance hall, the grandeur of everything and being able to pretend that you were seeing a play there does help you feel like a million dollars. I even sat in a box for the first time in my life, my next goal is being able to afford to sit in a box to see a show. One of these days...


Come right in your highness...

Of course, a trip to Vienna would not be complete without trying the coffee. And despite the fact that I was not able to hear any classical music in one of the grand concert halls, I did hear a pianist during our afternoon coffee break play Leonard Bernstein "I Feel Pretty" while having a wonderful cappuccino. So it was not a complete loss. Yet, just walking around the city and listening to everything gave me a taste as to why so many famous composers wrote their best pieces here. The whole city is filled with music, I could hear it from the festivals that were going on in front of the Rathaus to the music from the street players beside the Danube Canal (the Danube River is located outside of the city), to just the chattering of people sitting in the park. It was not a symphony played with a full orchestra but it was musical nevertheless.


Eiskaffee, coffee with vanilla ice cream and my favorite thing about Austria.

Vienna, the photo album