Vienna, Austria has an air of old world elegance that permeates the city.
I often think of cities as people and if Vienna were a person
she’d be a poised woman who never slouched or wore wrinkled blouses.
I first visited Vienna when I was eighteen years old
and it left such an impression on me that I’ve dreamt of it since
and I know it’s a city I’ll always return to.
Vienna has so much history, art, music, and culture
that it sometimes feels as if the whole city is humming and vibrating
as its past collides with its present.
In this video, I’m going to share some of my favourite things to see and do in Vienna.
Belvedere Palace is one of the world’s best baroque palaces
and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There are beautiful grounds and gardens you can walk around too.
Inside, it’s easy to feel like you’ve travelled back in time
and, looking out through the windows, I could imagine when this palace was home to real royals.
There are gorgeous architectural details,
chandeliers,
and ceilings that are, themselves, works of art.
You’ll also find the world’s largest collection of paintings by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt.
Klimt’s paintings are so distinct
and I adored the chance to occupy the same space as them and see them up close -
I always love getting a good look at the artist’s signature.
Klimt’s most recognizable piece is called The Kiss, a gold-flecked painting of a man embracing a woman.
There’s a lot of traffic around this painting, as you can imagine,
and Marc and I stared at it for a long time.
We decided to put decorum aside and recreate it ourselves which was really fun.
What do you guys think?
I feel like we pretty much nailed it.
That room full of incredible Klimt pieces was one of my favourites in the whole palace.
One thing I found extra wonderful is a braille version of The Kiss
so that visually impaired people can enjoy it too.
The Belvedere also has a great collection by another of my favourite artist’s: Egon Schiele,
an Austrian painter who also happened to be a protégé of Gustav Klimt’s.
The way Schiele paints people is unbelievable.
I also got really excited to see a giant portrait of Napoleon
which was thrilling for me because when I was about five years old
one of my favourite TV shows was Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story,
which my Mom and I watched together.
One of my casual obsessions is paintings of women reading books.
I always photograph them and I keep them in a folder on my phone for easy access.
Let’s just say I was able to add some very good photos at the Belvedere.
One display took me by complete surprise and it's one of the most unique things I’ve ever seen in a gallery:
a series of sculpted busts called Character Heads.
At first I thought it was a contemporary exhibition parodying the solemn faces
you normally see on an 18th century bust.
But, no, these are from the late 1700s and depict laughter, shock, disgust,
and a mocking tongue sticking out.
Think of them as 18th century emojis.
Truthfully, The Belvedere is so fantastic I could go on and on about it
but there are other things I want to show you in Vienna
so let’s move on to an art gallery and museum on the complete other end of the spectrum:
Museum Hundertwasser.
Born Friedrich Stowasser, this Austrian-born artist and architect
changed his name to Friedensreich Hundertwasser and he’s one of Marc’s favourite artists.
His paintings and buildings incorporate bright colours,
tile mosaics,
and spirals.
You won’t find any straight lines either.
In fact, Hundertwasser once said ‘the straight line is godless.’
You’ll notice this unique feature as soon as you walk in the lobby of the museum
and see the peaks and valleys of the floor
and feel yourself walking up and down instead of straight on level ground.
You might also do a double take at the water fountain
where the water flows upwards.
Hundertwasser was very passionate about environmental protection
so that's a theme you’ll see in his work as well.
This is also Vienna’s first ‘green museum’
as he experimented with grass roofs and planted trees in building facades.
One of the things that sticks with me most are the life and death notices
that show Hundertwasser as a man from 1928 to his death in 2000
and, after his death, taking on the new form of a tree.
His work is very graphic and incorporates lots of geometric shapes and colours.
He said: “To make graphic art is like playing chess simultaneously with many unknown partners.”
Best known for his paintings and building designs,
Hundertwasser also designed stamps for the United Nations,
license plates,
and flag concepts for Australia,
New Zealand,
and a united Israel and Palestine.
At the museum you can see 3D renderings of his architectural designs,
including a whole planned community that represented his vision
for how humanity could live in harmony with nature.
When you leave the museum, head down the street to close by Hundertwasserhaus –
an apartment building designed by, you guessed it, Hundertwasser.
How many more times can I say Hundertwasser?
They’re private homes so you can’t go inside but you can admire it from the outside.
You’ll see mismatched windows, trees growing on the rooftop, and leaning columns.
It certainly stands out from the traditional buildings that surround it.
Another building that stands out – though for different reasons –
is the Vienna State Opera or Wiener Staatsoper.
In the lobby you’ll see ornate details and ridiculously affordable opera tickets.
One of my top recommendations for Vienna is seeing the opera for just 3 or 4 Euros.
These are standing room only and there are little benches you can lean up against.
The tickets are limited so make sure you arrive early
because you can’t book them in advance and the lines can get really long.
I thought that was Vienna’s cheapest thrill until I discovered something that only costs 90 cents
located underneath the opera house: the Opera Toilet.
This is one of those ridiculously amusing things that made Marc and I very giggly.
It’s located down the escalator at the Karlsplatz subway entrance.
By its own estimation this is ‘Vienna’s most beautiful toilet’
and I have to admit that the loud opera music that plays non-stop
adds a certain je ne sais quoi that you don’t usually find in public toilets.
They encourage you to take a toilet selfie
and I couldn’t help dancing to the orchestral music and the whole thing, honestly, just made me giddy.
I realize toilets aren’t usually something one recommends
but here you have it: I’m recommending the Opera Toilet.
Another cheap thrill, and a fantastic way to get a tour of the city, is to hop on a tram.
To me, trams are one of Vienna’s defining features
and part of what bridged the gap from the past to the present.
The tram network dates back to 1865 when tram carriages were pulled by horses.
You won’t find that today but you will find a comfortable, affordable way to move around the city.
These days, the trams serve more than 200 million passengers every year.
When you’ve given your feet a break and hopefully enjoyed the view out the window of the tram,
head over to St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
It’s located right in the heart of the city centre amidst the hustle and bustle
and my favourite part of this church hands down is the roof.
It’s such a bold, graphic design and the pattern and colours really pop against the blue sky.
To me it feels surprising and unique.
Inside are beautifully detailed columns,
stained glass,
and an overall feeling of calm.
Vienna is such a polished-feeling city and definitely occupies a space in my heart.
I hope you enjoyed this video – please give it a thumbs up if you did.
I’d love to know what your favourite parts of Vienna are so please leave a comment down below.
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