Shake once, like a snow globe, to see light snow fall on imperial Vienna. Super in summer, elegant when illuminated, it’s a knockout.
Have you ever thought that some cities are at their most lovely in winter? Vienna is one. While the old Christkindlmarkt is open in the Rathausplatz, steaming glühwein in hand, strolling and sipping in the frosty evening air feels somewhat like living inside one of those snow globes you can shake. No coincidence there, as those delightful antique toys were patented here in Austria’s capital in 1900. In fact, the snow globes even have their own museum at Schumanngasse 87.
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Vienna is Everyone’s Favorite
Take a moment to contemplate the tragic story of the beautiful Sissi, Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary, wife of Franz Joseph I. Her lovely countenance appears here, there and everywhere around Vienna, made all the more lovely in that she refused any request for a portrait after the age of 32.
When it comes to impressive, it is difficult to name a hotel lobby more stately than Vienna’s Hotel Imperial from the Luxury Collection by Starwood. Opened in 1863 as the neo-classical Vienna residence of the prince of Württemberg, It was royal, indeed. Transformed into a hotel for the universal exhibition of 1873, the prince must have shipped off to one of Vienna’s others among the multitude of palaces.
Equally famous, if less grand, is the Hotel Sacher, just near the State Opera House. Of course, if you don’t check in, just check out the Sachertorte in the café. Expect to pay minimum 15 euros for two of the famous tortes plus two espressos. While it hasn’t got a hotel named after it, you can always opt for the apple strudel. Right nearby, the Hotel Bristol, another historic gem in the Luxury Collection. For devotées of the Ritz-Carlton brand, Vienna won’t let you down and the Marriott is located bang on the famous Ringstrasse in city center.
Besides the famous coffee houses, all that touring through enormous palaces like Schloss Schönbrunn and Schloss Belvedere means that one could do with a proper meal, too. Dom Beisl has just been added to the one-star roster, joining Mraz & Sohn and Walter Bauer. Top that off with a second star at Gourmet Restaurant Silvio Nickol and Steirereck im Stadpark for a special occasion.
Did you know that chef-owner Heinz Reitbauer’s Steirereck has broken into the top 10, now ranked number 9 in the S. Pellegrino 2013 list of top 50 restaurants in the world? With an emphasis on local nd Austrian heritage, it’s no wonder that ‘Citrus Fruits From Palais Schönbrunn’ are found on the dessert menu.
