The sense of history, the look to the future: the many attractions of Vienna
Elegant, solemn, majestic. But also very lively, young, attentive to ecology and sustainability. Vienna shows up in the summer of the reboot with an extraordinary tourist offer who lives on tradition and certainties enriched by big news on the front of art, hospitality, commerce. New hotels, shops, shops open, the sense of rebirth and vitality can be felt everywhere in a city that boasts more than a thousand parks and 1300 kilometers of cycle paths, so much so that it is the second capital in Europe for green restaurants. On the tourist front from 1st July there is also one new air route, the direct flight Perugia-Viennatwice a week, on Mondays and Fridays with Ryanair.
i creative districts
All that remains is to immerse yourself in the discovery of the Habsburg capital. A alternative route attractions to the most famous starts from that area full of excitement that winds through the sixth and seventh districts, pedestrian and commercial area considered the incubator of Viennese creativity: the two districts involved in very particular projects of young artisans and innovators new designer activities starting from here, in the elegant buildings flourish shops and fashion boutiques, clothes, hats, design and vintage and visibly the Viennese who are looking for a home here. Alleys and streets wind their way around the Mariahilfer Straßethe largest and most dynamic shopping street Viennese. And here in the fall of 2021 he opened in a large historic building, the Hotel Motto that Bernd Schlacher, trendy restaurateur and gastronomist, created by combining traditional Viennese architecture with Art Deco and the glamor of 1920s Paris. Following the scents of history we arrive at ‘Naschmarkt ‘, the most famous market in Vienna, with 200 stalls and clubs, an amazing food offer that ranges from Viennese cuisine to Indian, Vietnamese and Italian, a meeting place for young and old. Watch out for the incredible flea market, a place of worship, strictly on Saturdays. And then there is Karlsplatz, one of the most harmonious squares of the city, where the testimonies of the Art Nouveau style flourish: from here you can admire the wonderful and “revolutionary” buildings created by Otto Wagner, master of architecture and on the north side stands the structure that created as a subway station. In the extreme northwest of the Naschmarkt here the ‘Secession’, exhibition building considered one of the most representative monuments of Vienna, with its unmistakable dome covered with gold leaves. At this point, a must stop at a typical café, such as the Sperl, a classic model par excellence of traditional Viennese coffee, in the nineteenth-century style, a traditional meeting point for artists and intellectuals.
Cultural news
The offer of Vienna as a city of art is incredible and very rich with museums and collections world-class. Yet even here there are surprises: a new museum was inaugurated in the center on June 3, which houses the spectacular private collection (one of the most important in Europe) by Heidi Horten, patron and passionate collector, who passed away at the age of 82 just a few days after the opening of her creation. The Museum was created by renovating in just two years the Stöckl building, a palace located between the State Opera, the Albertina and the Burggarten and now unfolds in almost 1,500 square meters of exhibition space in a marvelous open space that unfolds over three floors. Until 2 October there is to see the inaugural exhibition ‘Open’ which focuses on the architecture of the new museum and on sought-after locations, installations and sculptures with works by Damien Hirst, Basquiat, Picasso and Fontana, among many. In a truly limitless offer of art and culture that ranges from masterpieces and collections of all times, do not miss a walk at the Belvedere Castle, a sumptuous Baroque palace that houses one of the most important Austrian collections with works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka. Among the masterpieces of the museum, known all over the world, they stand out “The kiss” by Klimt and “The lovers” by Schiele. And if most of the museums and galleries are located in the historic center, there is also a lively art world outside the traditional circuits. In the neighborhood of Landstraßereally worth a visit (and photography is a must here) the Hundertwasserhausa whirlwind puzzle of colorful, ecological and quirky public houses created by visionary architect and artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
The historical center
And then, of course, all the great, exceptional attractions are essential. The St. Stephen’s Cathedral with its six million visitors a year and a large luminous staircase, a contemporary art setting that rises up to the bell tower, extended by popular demand. And The Imperial Palace, the Hofburg with its 250 thousand square meters, 18 buildings, 2,600 rooms, the Sissi Museum and the famous Spanish Riding School. Carrying on, the Opera House and the Mozart House and from here, in the streets behind the Duomo, you can freely enter a maze of labyrinths and alleys: just open a door and stroll through the condominium courtyards open to the public that connect the streets and host small shops and gardens. From the Duomo it winds Graben, one of the busiest shopping streets in Vienna, where companies coexist with modern shopping temples, such as “Knize”, the famous tailoring shop that royals from all over Europe turn to and the lingerie shop of Mrs. Hanni Vanicek, an authentic city institution, among the oldest imperial suppliers. Luxury brands wind their way along Kohlmarkt, the golden district between the monument of the plague up to the imperial palace. Here stands the Demel pastry shop which competes for Vienna’s best Sachertorte with the Sacher Hotel and where the Princess Sissi he went every day to taste the violet sorbet. Speaking of tastes and flavors, the Viennese gastronomic offer is boundless and ranges from innovation to tradition. High and creative cuisine that focuses on organic farming and on selected products of the regional territory can be found for example at Labstelle, the authentic and more traditional Viennese cuisine is in a typical “Wienner Beisl” like the Gmoakeller, off the beaten track. You can have lunch along the Danube canal in suggestive places like the “Motto am Fluss” or stop in a café with a modern spirit, like the Bellaria, a few steps from the Naturhistorisches Museum, the Natural History Museum. Outside the city, in the midst of the vineyards, an evening to be spent in an authentic Heuriger is not to be missed, where only Viennese wine is served accompanied by typical traditional dishes.