Heavy Lies the Crown

I have gawked at the Coliseum in Rome.  I have stood in Place de la Concorde in Paris, stunned by the expanse of the spectacular city unfolding before me.  I have stood on the Grand Canal in Venice, listening to the swish of gondolas as they sail by.  I have even (surprise surprise!) stood at the top of the Grand Cascade at Peterhof, surveying the Gulf of Finland as Peter the Great himself once surely did.

These are all spectacular places, all worthy of a vacation, or at least, a brief stop.  But no city has instantly captured my heart the way Vienna did.  Vienna is the jack of all trades, master of none.  Sprawling imperial palace?  Check.  World class art museum?  Uh-huh.  Good food and drinks?  Absolutely.  Friendly people?  You bet.

Vienna is not nearly as large as Paris, but it does feel similar to the French capital.  It is a compact city of under 2 million with a historical section (the Innere Stadt) studded with beautiful buildings, expensive shopping, and some of the best street food I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying.  It's skyline is dominated by the Gothic spires of the Rathaus (city hall) and Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral).  Much like Paris there is a new, spectacular building to be found around the corner.  No matter how much one sees in Vienna, there's always the feeling that there's more to do and more to see.

The Hofburg Palace dominates much of the Stadt, and it's facade is appropriately impressive for a city that was once the heart of a vast, multi-ethnic capital.  Inside is the Schatzkammer, the museum housing the crown jewels of the Hapsburg dynasty.  The collection is simply stunning, including everything from the Holy Lance which was allegedly used by a Roman soldier to pierce Jesus in the side to the crown that Charlemagne himself was crowned with at the birth of the Holy Roman Empire (the Austrian Hungarian Empire was in some ways a continuation of the Holy Roman Empire, much the way the Byzantine Empire carried on the traditions of Rome after Rome itself fell to the barbarians).

A stone's throw away from the Hofburg is the Kunsthistoriches Museum, one of the world's great art collections.  It is smaller than the Louvre and the Hermitage, but no less impressive, housing masterpieces such as Breughel's "Hunters in the Snow" and Durher's "Adoration of the Trinity."  The building itself does the collection justice, it's neo-classical facade imposing, and the grand foyer is sumptuously decorated with a stunning array of marble and jade.

One of the pleasures of Vienna is simply wandering the Innere Stadt and the Ringstrasse, finding something new on each street, wandering into any one of the many churches to admire the ornate interiors.  Bratwurst is the street food of choice here.  It is both cheap and delectable; a particular sandwich called the "bosner" won my heart.  It consists of a sweet bratwurst in a toasted submarine roll with copious amounts of mustard, onions, and curry.  Simply delicious.

If you become tired, stop at any one of the many coffee houses and enjoy a drink and a piece of cake.  The coffee houses in Vienna all have table service (the American "to-go" style is largely shunned here), the waiters are usually dressed in tuxedos, and your coffee is served on a silver tray along with a complementary glass of water.  Starbucks, I hope you are taking notes.

After finishing your einspanner (double shotted espresso with whipped cream) and sacher torte, wander over towards the opera house and purchase a standing room ticket for under 5 euros and enjoy one of the finest opera companies in the world.  Vienna was the cultural capital of Europe for much of the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Viennese are clearly proud of this heritage.  Homages to Viennese icons such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Hayden can be found everywhere, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is arguably the best in Europe.

I was lucky enough to be present for the opening of Vienna's famed Christmas markets.  I wandered over to the Rathausplatz on my last night in the city, and found it bustling with locals enjoying a night on the town.  I purchased a mug of hot spiced wine and wandered around, admiring the stalls and munching on pastries.  There are worse ways to spend a Saturday night.

Before coming to Vienna, I would have said Paris was my favorite city in Europe.  No longer.  Vienna has displaced the City of Lights, and I am anointing it as Europe's best city (at least of the ones I have been to).  Heavy lies the crown indeed, but Vienna will not disappoint.