Mon Voyage clients are art enthusiasts, music fans, history buffs, foodies, and culture vultures of all stripes. Whether a trip is for a private client or a small group, Mon Voyage always aims to bring out those destination highlights (or hidden gems) that will enliven travel experiences and perhaps even enlighten travelers in unexpected ways.

This summer’s City Spotlight shines on Vienna—a destination whose glory radiates so brightly that a spotlight should hardly be necessary. I can't wait to share my love of Vienna with clients in March 2023.

At First Glance

Vienna really experienced two overlapping golden eras, the first as the political, intellectual, and creative nexus of the Habsburg dynasty for many centuries; and again as a dominant creative center from the late 19th century into the first decades of the 20th, coinciding with the last days of the Habsburgs.

The appearance of the city nods to both, with the imposing imperial architecture of the royal era featured in the center of the city and along its famous inner ring, while just outside those grand boulevards lurk art nouveau design treasures such as the colorful Majolikahaus and charming Karlsplatz pavilions of Otto Wagner.

Art Lover’s Paradise

Vienna's museums, too, span the centuries. You may find a broad and collection at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, from antiquities to the golden age of Flemish painting and more. Prefer something more modern? Belvedere Palace houses extensive examples by Schiele, Kokoschka, and Klimt, all in a stately setting overlooking a serene reflecting pool.

The Leopold Museum contains an impressive trove of pieces by these premier Austrian artists as well, with particularly fine examples of Schiele’s work. The volume and quality of his groundbreaking work is even more affecting considering that he died at age 28.

Or are decorative arts more your cup of tea? Then the MAK (Museum of Applied Arts) is another must-see sight for you. It is home to an incredible number of objects created in the Wiener Werkstatte, from fabric designs to furniture to jewelry. Vienna was truly the heart and soul of decorative arts at the turn of the 19^th/20^th centuries.

Design and music come together at the Vienna Secession. A group of creative leaders, including artists Alphonse Mucha and Gustav Klimt, along with architect Josef Hoffmann, “seceded” from the traditionally sanctioned art shows of the turn of the last century and came together to create a new art experience. Inside this small but significant building you can view Klimt’s visual interpretation of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and its “Ode to Joy”—and nowadays you can actually take in all its beauty while listening to the glorious music on your headphones.

A Music Center to Rival Any

Be it opera, chamber music, orchestral works, cabaret or jazz, Vienna has it all. Not only are its venues such as the Wiener Staatsoper, The Wiener Konzerthaus, and the Musikverein among the top acoustic models in the world, the performers you will see in the halls are the best as well.

Depending on the time of your visit, you will have the opportunity to see numerous performances in Vienna. If you are there in the weeks leading up to Easter, for example, you may be able to attend not only Bach’s St. Matthew Passion but the St. John as well.

Opera productions can range from the very traditional to the avant garde, with world-class casts and world premieres. Even if you are not an opera fan, it is well worth your time to simply tour this grand palace of music, considered to be a Mecca for lovers of the vocal arts and of theater architecture. Every opera house in Europe tries to hold itself up to this one, and most pale in comparison.

Even some of Vienna’s churches have outstanding music programs, where you can hear a choir with a small orchestra on a weekly basis at Sunday mass.

History Galore

Vienna has found itself at the crossroads of world events more than once. Walking its streets and touring its multiple palaces, you will get a feeling for just how powerful a center it was for many centuries. A bike tour through the historic center is a terrific way to get an overview of its place in history.

Empress Maria Theresa was one of the most accomplished and most fascinating rules of Central Europe. A visit to Schönbrunn Palace offers a capsule education on her place in both Austrian and European history. The gardens outside the golden yellow palace are gorgeous in almost any season.

Another fun method to explore Vienna’s history is through the long list of composers who have called this city home. A composers walking tour is a great route to understanding how Vienna’s music scene ties into its overall history, and how the times in which these composers lived shaped their output.

Food, Glorious Food

Hot sausage and mustard (to quote Oliver)! Indeed, any destination along the Danube is bound to have excellent local sausages, but cosmopolitan Vienna goes well beyond that.

Wiener schnitzel—a breaded veal cutlet—is probably the most famous entrée in Austria, but schnitzel comes in many delicious varieties, with various sauces and cooking methods. It’s a long-running argument as to whether the Milanese stole this dish and rechristened it as Cotoletto all Milanese or if it was the other way around!

Have you noticed that all of the fancy pastries in France are called, in general, “viennoiserie”? That’s not an accident. Vienna is home to some of the finest pastry-making in the world and you simply must stop in one of the city’s elegant cafés to enjoy a coffee and a pastry or a slice of cake. For the ultimate cake and coffee experience, you’ll want to reserve a table at the Hotel Sacher, for its indulgent dark chocolate Sacher torte. They'll even sell you a sealed, boxed torte to carry home.

And Wine, Glorious Wine (OK, beer, too!)

Near Vienna you can find numerous vineyards producing high quality wines, from grüner veltliner to weissburgunder (aka pinot blanc). If you hit the right time of the year, you should head for the hills to try a Buschenschank or Heuriger (wine tavern), where you can drink the wine made right there at the adjacent vineyard.  Fun fact: in underground Vienna you can visit its largest Sekt (sparkling wine) maker’s cellar. 

If beer’s your beverage of choice, of course you will not be disappointed by your stein of local brew. Try a rich copper-colored Vienna lager for something typically Austrian.

Out and about in Vienna

Do you like to shop at local markets? Then I recommend a trip during the time of the Christmas and/or Easter markets. They are not only for shopping; you will find regional food and drink alongside local entertainment.

The Naschmarkt is overflowing with culinary delights and is open year round. It houses 120 market stalls and restaurants, while on Saturdays it offers a lively flea market.

Or perhaps you would love a summer stroll in the shade of the linden and plane trees lining the Ringstrasse, which encircles the historic center.

Spring, summer, winter, fall–it is always worth the time to linger in Vienna's lavish urban beauty. So often Vienna is a mere stopover on a longer itinerary, but it truly deserves more attention. I would be delighted to help you plan a wonderful private trip to Austria.

Alternatively, we do have a few spots left on our Spring 2023 trip to Central Europe. The focal element is the inaugural sailing of AmaWaterways new itinerary Celebration of Classical Music: The Danube. 

This is a traditional Danube itinerary with the addition of special music-related twists and enhancements, and it will be a lovely trip for those who enjoy classical music on even a casual or occasional basis. 

Because of my close association with this niche, I was invited by AmaWaterways to appear in a webinar on this subject last week, aimed at travel advisors all over the world.

Tell me more

The cruise begins in Budapest and ends in Vienna. You may also join an optional pre-cruise extension to Krakow and/or a post-cruise extension in Vienna, where we will visit many of the sights I've outlined above. For more information, check out the links below for the Mon Voyage brochure, cruise details, and a video presentation on the trip.

I do have three coupons for 5% off your cruise fare AND there is a special offer of $750 off through June 30^th only. So the next few clients to book this trip can take advantage of BOTH the coupon and the promotional price!