Felicity Long
In recent years, marketing campaigns for Vienna have veered away from the city’s classical, imperial style in an effort to tout its modern face.
The concern was that the ornate, wedding-cake look of Austria’s capital so overpowered its newer attractions that it might turn off younger travelers or even repeat visitors who, having seen the stately attractions of the Ringstrasse, may feel they’ve been there and done that.
For the record, that modern face is very appealing, comprising an intriguing mix of modern art museums, ethnic restaurants and lively bars and clubs.
Steady increases in arrival numbers, despite the tough sell Europe has been the last few years, may prove that there is room for both Vienna's old and new charm.
Overall, arrivals and overnights from the U.S. rose 10% in 2012 over the previous year, and arrivals increased nearly 8% in the first quarter 2013, said Astrid Pockfuss, media manager for the Vienna Tourism Board.
She attributed some of that success to last year’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gustav Klimt, whose famous painting “The Kiss” can be seen at the Vienna’s Belvedere museum.
Last year 86% of U.S. visitors said they came to Vienna for the cultural offerings, according to Pockfuss.
In the spirit of “everything old is new again,” here are a few highlights that show off the best of Vienna, old and new.
The Vienna Boys’ Choir, for example, one of the city’s most popular and enduring tourist attractions, debuted a new concert venue called MuTh in the Augarten park in December. The choir will perform regularly at the hall, which will also serve as a venue for visiting choirs and theatrical groups.
The Kunstkammer Wein exhibition, a collection of Habsburg artifacts, reopened in March at the Kunsthistorisches Museum after a 10-year renovation.
The city is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the births of Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner with performances at various opera houses in the city. The Vienna State Opera has been broadcasting live performances on a stadium-sized screen on Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz for free in April and May and will continue through June and in September.
Open-air concerts fill the city with jazz during the annual Vienna Jazz Festival, running now through July 10 at the Vienna State Opera, the MuseumsQuartier and City Hall. The free, open-air Popfest, an annual, four-day festival that showcases dozens of Austrian pop groups, will take place from July 25 to 28 in Karsplatz.
The bars and restaurants along the Danube Canal play host to temporary art installations and live concerts throughout summer.
Vienna Art Week, set for November 18 to 24, ushers in the fall with special exhibitions, behind-the-scenes tours and open gallery events for art lovers throughout the city.
Vienna is also touting its waltz culture, thanks to the 450 or so balls that take place in Vienna annually, most during the winter. For clients already looking to 2014, the ball season starts with Le Grand Bal at the Hofburg Palace on New Year’s Eve -- evening gowns and tuxedos required -- and also includes the Vienna Philharmonic Ball and the Opera Ball at the State Opera House, held in January and February, respectively. In spring, the for-charity Life Ball at City Hall puts an edgier spin on the ball concept, while the flamboyant Rosenball is a high point for the city’s gay and lesbian community.
As to accommodations, the city boasts the new five-star Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna, which opened March 1; a new Sola Melia Group hotel in the DC Tower 1 is set to open this fall; and the 143-room Hotel Park Hyatt will open next year. In all, Vienna’s hotels currently have a combined total of around 58,100 beds, which is set to increase to 63,500 by the end of 2014.