People and Places: Wien, Austria

Linke Wienzeile No. 40 - fine testament to the Viennese Jugenstil Art Deco era

I am taking some time off from Melaka to share my thoughts about one of my favourite cities in the world - Vienna, capital of Austria. Together with Vancouver and Melbourne, it has been voted the top 3 best places to live in.

Over the centuries, the city has been residence to some of the world's most important and famous people such as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Mahler, Freud, Klimt, Hundertwasser, Otto Wagner, Gerhard Fuchs and many many others.

Why do so many people gravitate towards Vienna and choose to make it home? The answer is simple - Vienna is refined and delicate, artistic and cultured. The city and its people, its palaces and buildings, even its streets and pavements exude an air of Romanticism.

Sipping tea in a London tearoom transports me back to the classic days of Jane Austen and E M Forster. Dipping into a dish of ice cream in a Rome gelaterie energises me and I feel exuberant. Whereas, savoring a piece of torte in a Viennese cafe transforms me into a complete Romantic (with a capital R).

When in Vienna, you don't need to do very much to be happy. I could spend the better half of a day just standing in front of Klimt's 'The Kiss' and be totally mesmerised by it. And the other half of the day can be spent having a tete-a-tete  with my darling wife as we sip tea and enjoy a wedge of Sacher Torte. Just like that, a day passes us by in Vienna leaving me with a decided sense of accomplishment.

Vienna is, at the same time, a city of contrast.

Karlsplatz Stadbahn Station - best in Art Nouveau architecture

Strolling down its wide boulevards, you will get to admire different architectural forms from the classicist to the Modernist. Some of my favourite buildings are the Karlskirche (Baroque), Stephansdom (Gothic), Karlsplatz and Kettenbruckengasse Stadbahn stations (Art Nouveau), Linke Wienzeile 40 (Jugenstil Art Deco), Kunsthaus Wien and Hundertwasserhaus (Modernist).  The city is like an architectural encyclopaedia.

Hundertwasserhaus - leading example of the Modernist Movement in Vienna

People ask why I keep going back to the Austrian capital.  The answer is obvious ... Vienna drips with culture, finesse and good taste!