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Destination: VIENNA, Austria Austrian double take Vibrant Vienna is worth a second look By Connie Emerson -- Special to The Sun
VIENNA -- There's something special about firsts -- the first day of school, a first love, the first taste of champagne. But a second visit to a special place is far more gratifying. Take Vienna, for example. After you have dispensed with the obligatory sites on a first visit -- St. Stephan's Cathedral, the Imperial Palace, the Rathaus (City Hall), Schoenbrun Palace, Belvedere; after performances by the famous Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School and the Vienna Choir Boys have been attended, dozens upon dozens of places and pleasures remain to be discovered. While first-time tourists march eight abreast around Stephanplatz and along the impressive pedestrian street called Kartnerstrasse, the more venturesome second-timers meander the narrow passages with names like Schonlaterngasse and Kumpfgasse, stopping to explore the crannies and courtyards along their way. Fleishmarkt, a street of bakeries and restaurants, small shops and a resplendent Greek Orthodox cathedral is a good place to begin your wanderings. On the sidewalks, you'll see priests in cassocks and tall black hats, business people in sombre grey suits, children in their school uniforms, women with shopping bags full of the evening's dinner, but very few tourists. At Backerstrasse No. 2, a residential building built around another square, an open corridor (Pawlatschen) runs the length of all four courtyard walls, allowing access to each of the apartments. On each level is a Bassena, or water tap, where the tenants used to meet to exchange gossip. In a picturesque courtyard on Heiligenkreuzerhof, craftspeople hold an open-air market every other weekend, and spectators can watch glass blowers, jewelry makers and weavers at work. Vienna's entire Inner Ring is replete with exquisite detail. Virtually every building is an architectural triumph of intricate cornices and window trim. Myriad church spires soar into the city sky. Outdoor showcases attached to the building at the corner of Grashofgasse and Kollnerhofgasse display handsome brass finials, drawer pulls, door knockers and key plates. Confectionary shop windows tantalize with rows of marzipan bananas, pears, apples and peaches precisely arranged. On fine days, join the Viennese as they stroll the asphalt paths along the Donaukanal (Danube Canal), with benches every few hundred feet for those who crave a rest. For the best view of the fin de siecle apartment buildings that flank the canal, walk along the west side (toward the city's centre). The best bicycling paths meander through the outskirts of town and the fabled Vienna Woods. Five major cycling routes in the city interconnect, making it possible to ride from the northeast reaches of the Donaukanal, to the South Railway Station, past the Rathaus to the West Railway Station, and through town to the Prater with its giant Ferris wheel, to Danube Park, and beyond. Be sure to keep looking up and around. Most visitors miss the Otto Wagner "Jugendstil" figure on the Austrian Post Office Savings Bank Building unless it's pointed out. Another sight most tourists miss is the giant clock at Hoher Markt. At high noon, the chimes of the giant clock begin playing Austrian melodies, heralding the start of the procession of 12 figures from the city's past -- Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius leads the parade, while Joseph Haydn brings up the rear. If you went to the Museum of Fine Arts on your first Vienna visit, and were overwhelmed by the sheer number of paintings, go again, but on a Thursday evening. That's when you can partake in a buffet dinner, listen to classical music and wander leisurely through the galleries of your choice -- say those containing the Breughels, father and son. Or if you want something a bit more unusual on your encore trip, try the Circus and Clown Museum (2, Karmelitergasse 9) and the Clock Museum (18, Khevenhullerstrasse 2). One of Vienna's newest museums, KunstHausWien (Vienna Art House), provides a journey into creative art and architecture. Containing the works of Fredereich Hundertwasser, the avant garde building with fanciful columns, fountains and architectural materials was also designed by the artist/architect. (It's detractors call it "bizarre.") As a second timer, you might also consider visiting Vienna during a different season. Winter means cross-country skiing in the Vienna Woods and skating on the Danube. The traditional Christkindlmarkt, held at the Rathausplatz (City Hall Square) from late November until Dec. 24, is a fantasy of fairy lights, entertainers and more than 150 booths where you can buy everything from gingerbread cookies to marvelous Christmas ornaments. Spring brings a special beauty to the city, when the flowers and trees begin to bloom. Autumn heralds the beginning of a flurry of concerts, plays and other cultural performances. Even at the height of the tourist season -- July and August -- special events include delights, such as open-air concerts by the Vienna Philharmonic. One word of advice: Vienna can become addictive. Which may mean you'll want to plan not only a second trip, but a third. And a fourth.
Reno, Nevada, freelance writer Connie Emerson is planning her umpteenth trip to Vienna ACCOMMODATIONS: Among the smaller hotels in the Inner Ring, the elegant Konig von Ungarn (Schulerstrasse 10) and Hotel Karntnerhof (Grashofgasse 4), offer both charm and quiet surroundings. A DELIGHTFUL HOTEL off the beaten tourist path, Hotel Biedermeier (Landstrasse Hauptstrasse 1030) is located outside the Outer Ring and is close to public transportation. It's also within walking distance of the old city. AT THE SCANDIC CREST, Vienna's only hotel on the Danube, is less expensive than city centre hotels. The breakfast buffet, which is included in the room rate, is hearty enough to keep you going until dinner. SNACKS: Try less touristy coffee houses and konditorei like Cafe Hawelka on Dorotheergasse, a favourite with writers, artists and musicians, or L Heiner Konditorei on Wollzeile, where windows brim with Mozart torte, the powder sugared Topfenkolatsche (fruit-filled pastries) and other delights. THINGS TO DO: If you enjoy guided tours, take advantage of a series of 10 city walks with a group of guide-lecturers who will take you to places you might not find on your own. AFTER DARK? Any night of the year, musicians perform everything from Bach to Buxtehude at churches such as St. Michael (Michaelerplatz/Kapitelsaal 1), St. Stephan's, and Votivkirche (9, Rooseveltplaz). Jazz legends like Art Hodes play at Jazzland (1, Franz Josefs Kai 29) and there's folk dancing at Salver (18, Lacknergasse 71). MORE INFO: Austrian National Tourist Office is at 967-3381.
(First featured: July 1999) |
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