Vienna is an increasingly popular travel destination. It is a relatively small city, but it still has a lot to offer and top of the list is definitely culture.
The city is a very sophisticated one with plenty to offer for people who love the arts. Here is a summary of the best arts, music, theatre and museum venues.
Music
Without a doubt, Vienna is a great place for music lovers. The city’s love affair with music stretches as far back as the Habsburg Dynasty. Karl VI was a great lover of music and he turned Vienna into a musical Mecca.
The city’s great musical centre attracted talented musicians. Many of the most well known composers lived and worked in Vienna. Amongst them were Haydn and Mozart. Today, their works are regularly performed in the city.
Opera in Vienna is a fantastic experience. The city has a marvellous opera house and the performances are very high quality. The State Opera house is still one of the city’s most popular destinations.
Art
There are dozens of art galleries in Vienna. There is no type of art that is not represented in the city. If you want to travel through the centuries via art, you can easily do it in Vienna. At the Albertina you can admire Klimt’s studies of women and at The Belvedere you can see his legendary painting ‘The Kiss’.
If you love modern art, The Leopold Museum has to be top of your list. It is the most visited museum in the city and with good reason. The building itself is impressive and the artwork of Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and there is a huge collection of Viennese Art Noveau works.
Museums
The city is home to an impressive list of 99 museums. Most are well established and have been open for decades, so while the list fluctuates slightly you still have plenty of choice when it comes to museums.
Amongst the best of them is the Natural History Museum. The Third Man museum is fun especially for those who are fans of the film. If you are interested in the history of the city, the Karlsplatz is the place for you. The Az Wein is also very interesting. It is one of the newest buildings in the city and tells the story of the city’s amazing architecture.
Theatre
A night out at the theatre in another country is always interesting. However, in some cities the fact that you do not speak the local language fluently can be a big issue. That is not the case in Vienna.
There is a theatre called The English Theatre where all of the performances are in English year round. In addition, each year the Vienna Theatre Project arranges performances in English in some of the city’s bigger theatres.
If you like street spectaculars go to Vienna in January or February. That is the carnival season in Vienna. Throughout those months, there are lots of inside and outside events. It is also the ball season. During those two months, thousands dress in full evening dress to attend hundreds of balls in the city. During that time there is a unique atmosphere and buzz in Vienna.
Leave a reply