Vienna-Where elegance is an understatement

Where other cities strive to carve a name, she sits back and lets fame seek her. From her name to her history, character and culture, everything reeks of class and grandeur. She has given the world some of the finest emperors, musicians, psychologists, scientists, poets, artists, architects and writers which civilization has seen. Her beauty is charming and regal. Ladies and gents, welcome to Vienna - the city where elegance is cemented in every stone on her streets.

Sunil and I take our first steps in Vienna ('Wien' as it is known in the area) with much less grace however. The night train from Cologne took long and our co-passengers were so interesting that we barely got any sleep. Stepping out of Wien Westbahnhof Station on the morning of New Year's Eve, we trudge down Maria Hilferstrasse, lugging our fat suitcases. 

A short walk gets us to Hostel Ruthensteiner, our home for the next 3 days. To any traveler who wants to get an unique, no-frills European experience during their visit, I highly recommend staying in a hostel. Of course, make sure you do your research to find out about the hostel's ratings, reviews, location and safety features. A hostel stay may not compare to booking a romantic suite at the Ritz but it can be a wonderful experience in enjoying camaraderie, making new connections and getting the most out of your visit, especially if you are on a frugal budget. You can book a bed in a common area or private suite (slightly more expensive). Most private suites come with a bathroom and shower attached. Book in advance and you may be able to get a bed for just $15-$25/night. Breakfast is typically a large buffet with plenty of fresh options and usually at a surprisingly cheap price (~$3-$5). Small and large lockers are available for your valuables and luggage alike. At the front desk, borrow any guidebook you may need or get tips, suggestions and advice from people who really know the area. Often, hostels also arrange walking tours where you can meet other hostelers, cover several tourist attractions and have a guide you can trust. 

Interiors at the Ruthensteiner

Ruthensteiner does not disappoint us in any way. The interiors are cozy and painted bright yellow while the beds are clean and comfortable. There's a common area filled with couches, stuffed chairs and writing tables.  A piano waits for residents to tinkle ivories while board games stacked on shelves provide another distraction. There's a kitchen area where you can cook your own meals and a dining space leading out to a garden.

 

 

Eager to explore the city, we check in at the front desk for some sightseeing tips. The friendly Brazilian girl at the registration desk is happy to help us plan our day and make sure we get to the New Year festivities happening in the city that night.  Our first stop is to continue down on Maria Hilferstrasse to the Schonbrunn Palace.

There are palaces all over the world and then there's the Schloss Schonbrunn ('Beautiful Spring Palace'), the mother of them all. How else do you describe a magnificent Rococco structure housing 1441 rooms and set on sprawling grounds of 1.2 sq.kilometers? Did I mention that this was the summer palace of the Hapsburg emperors? Yep, not their permanent residence, just summer home. As Sunil and I take in this magnificent sight, I remark to myself that the Hapsburg royalty could have slept in a different room each night for 10 summers in a row and still have more rooms waiting to be used. Life must have been tough for a Hapsburg king.

The palace was completed in the 17 century and its gardens opened to the public in 1779. The splendidly manicured lawns boast a magnificent fountain, maze of hedges and a small zoo.  Inside the palace, a tour takes you through the private chambers of 

• Empress Maria Theresa, the only female Hapsburg ruler in the entire dynasty
• Some of the 16 children she bore for her husband Emperor Francis II including Queen Marie Antoinette of France. The children also included Franz Karl, whose grandson Franz Ferdinand's assasination triggered World War I. 
• Franz Karl's son, Franz Josef' whose wife, Elisabeth ('Sisi'), has drawn the fascination of every visitor who steps into these royal chambers. 

 While pictures are not allowed on the tour, the images that remain best imprinted in my memory are from the life and times of Sisi, wife of Emperor Franz Josef and Empress of Austria, Croatia, Bohemia and Hungary. A woman of exceptional beauty (known in particular for her long tresses), Sisi's life is the tragic tale of a free-spirited young girl, married off at an early age into royalty and subsequently enchained by the shackles of court life. She withdrew from Vienna's royal life as much as she could. Her poetry was as impressive as her skills in horseback riding, fencing and other extreme outdoor sports. Subjected to the confines of orthodox royalty, Sisi's mother-in-law and aunt, Empress Sophie, dominated every aspect of Sisi's married life, almost entirely destroying her spirit. Her first 2 children (both girls) were taken away at birth by Sophie who felt that young Sisi made for a silly mother. Sisi's only involvement in courtly affairs was when she accompanied the Emperor on his travels. The trips got her out of Austria's stifling society and on one of these trips to Hungary, she struck a chord with the Hungarian people, championing for their liberation and winning their admiration instantly. Naturally, Sophie scorned such efforts from her daughter-in-law, making her feel even more unwanted.  A terrible tragedy occurred with Sisi's son, Prince Rudolf, getting killed at the age of 32. This drove her into severe depression and she never fully recovered. 

Sisi's beauty has been the subject of admiration and criticism for decades. While she chose to not cover her flawless features with cosmetics, she certainly had elaborate rituals using natural products to help preserve her beauty. Here are some facts we find out when we visit her Salon in the palace:

• Her slender figure was unnaturally too slender and always at 50kg.
• It took over 3 hours to care for her hair every day-so long that it could envelope her entire body. Every other week, her hair was washed with crushed eggs and cognac. All activities were cancelled on those days.
• She slept with raw veal and crushed strawberries on her face as a natural mask.
• Her bed had no soft pillows. She slept on a metal bed frame to retain her posture.
• While her morning bath was in cold water, her evening bath was in olive oil.
• After she turned 32, she refused to sit for portraits so that her beauty could be preserved for posterity.

I wonder whose head rolled on the day she noticed her first wrinkle.

Her later years were filled with pain, distance from society, poetry and long voyages around the world. During one such trip to Geneva, she was stabbed by a young Italian anarchist who had originally plotted to kill a Duke who had been visiting. The incident turned fatal and the empress who spent her life supporting the cause of liberation of the masses was ironically killed by a commoner. While the tour takes us through room after room filled with glittering treasures, exquisite jewels, gowns and crowns, you cannot help but feel Sisi's ghost following you everywhere as melancholy hangs in the air.

Sachertorte

A tour of the palace quarters is a must for any visitor but make sure you have enough time to explore the grounds as well. Stopping at the cafe in house for some well deserved lunch, Sunil and I are tempted to try the Sachertorte - Vienna's most famous pastry first prepared for royalty. This is a dense chocolate cake in 2 layers with a filling of apricot jam. The recipe is so special that outside of Austria, only 1 location in the world (in Italy) can offer you this royal dessert.

As we savour this delectable treat, a group of kids dressed as the Magi enter the cafe to sing carols. I have heard legendary stories about the magical voices of the Vienna Boys Choir and I can only imagine that every child in this musically rich city is gifted with an angelic voice. But when the kids begin with their first carol, I have to dig my finger nails into the table. In all fairness, I have heard cats moan in synch better while Sunil begs that they all pick one key together. However, the peach that he is, he digs into his wallet for a few euros as they move from table to table ringing their bell while I claw at him, hissing in Tamil that our euros are precious.

The afternoon sun warms our cheeks when we step out into the cold and explore the gardens. It takes us over 20 minutes to walk towards the Gloriette, a building constructed atop a hill in the form of a pavilion. There you find an inscription stating that the gloriette was dedicated to the Just War, a war which lead to peace.

Schloss Schonbrunn

Sunil at the Gloriette with the palace in the distance

The Gloriette

 

We rest our weary feet at the top of the hill and take in the impressive sight in front of us. Dusk is settling in quickly as the sun goes down and the year itself fades away. The city of Vienna starts sparkling with bright lights in preparation for New Year's Eve. In the distance, Schloss Schunbrunn's yellow walls are arresting. On our way back, we spend some time at the Christmas Market on the palace grounds and enjoy hot chocolate. In Vienna, hot beverages are served in mugs, not disposable cups. You stand and enjoy your drink, giving it the dignity it deserves instead of sipping it on the go. For this, you pay a deposit for each mug returned when you bring the mug back. I really wasn't kidding about the elegance part.

After we return to our hostel, we try to plan out our activities for the night. Ringing in the new year in a city like Vienna has us totally excited and we quickly map out the locations in the heart of the city where festivities are going to be held. We decide to head to Volksgarten to watch fireworks but as we walk down Ringstrasse to get there, we stop to take in a dazzling sight.

The Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera)

The Wiener Staatsoper is Vienna's famous opera house. Members of the Vienna Philharmonic are picked from its orchestra. The opera house is one of the best and busiest in the world, producing over 60 operas every year.  On this festive night, the Opera House is magnificently decorated with lights. Limos pull up at all of its entrances and Vienna's elite arrive decked in their finest tuxedos, gowns and diamonds. On one side, a large screen has been set up on the side of the street to telecast the night's special performance for New Year's Eve - Johann Strauss' famous opera, Die Fledermaus. Over 60 chairs are arranged for the general public but the crowd outside is much larger. 

It is here that our ultimate European experience happens. As the opera opens with its first act, I flip through the pages of my Rick Steves' guide book to find out that frequently, concerts offer standing room tickets which are discounted. Considering that this is a special performance, there is every chance that the house has been sold out months in advance. Moreover, dressed in GAP sweaters and casual jeans,  Sunil and I are hardly eligible to rub elbows with Vienna's elite. Still, how often are we going to find ourselves in Vienna on a night like this? Deciding that no one in Austria is really going to give a damn if we embarrass ourselves, we step into the Opera House to check for standing room tickets.

The usher is dressed better than we are but she is friendly and polite. To out utter shock and amazement, we find that tickets for the standing room will be sold after the first act. What's more? They are priced at 4 euros (~ $5)! To get to watch the finest opera performance in the world in the finest opera house in the world for $5 on New Year's Eve is the sort of experience you can never ever forget! We dash out to grab some gyros at a food cart and then pop in several mints to hide the smell of onions. After all, we are going to the opera now!

Inside the Staatsoper

The interiors of the Staatsoper are just as magnificent as its exteriors. The atrium alone reeks of elegance while the main performance hall seats over 2000 people. The performance stretches for nearly 3 hours which isn't fun if you are standing the entire time. However, for the price we paid, we aren't going to complain!

The main atrium

Sumptuous ceiling of the Staatsoper

 Shortly before midnight, we file out of the Opera House tired but exhilarated. By this time, Ringstrasse, the city's arterial loop, has swollen with revelers. We quickly join the crowds stepping from the world of the elite into Party Central. The crowds drift towards Volksgarten where thousands gather with party hats, champagne and horns to ring in the new year as fireworks set the night sky ablaze with brilliant colors. 

 

When we stumble back to our hostel, the clock strikes 3am. Our first day in Vienna has been fantastic to say the very least. And there is still so much more to discover...