VIENNA, the Imperial City

Travel in Time

Viennese façade

Vienna (Wien in German) is a magnificent city that bears the marks of its past imperial grandeur. The Austrian capital has two main characteristics: on the one hand, its historic center seems to be contained within a circle delimited by the 'Ring Road'; and on the other hand, the brightness of its edifices presents a general cheerfulness that enhances the imposing aspect of all its three-folding constructions: palaces, churches, and private buildings. 

Two other features characterize this European capital of the east. Primarily, the city layout has an incredible number of passageways, some humble-looking while others bear the mark of its majestic past. The

House passageway

Austrian continental climate may have been responsible for the concept - snow in winter, lots of rain at other times, and even heat in the summer. Vienna is often associated with the Danube – particularly since Johann Strauss poetically imagined it to be blue. Yet, contrary to other major European capitals like London, Paris, Rome or even Lisbon, there is no river flowing through the city, with the exception of a canal that connects Vienna to the mighty Danube River on the eastern outskirts.

The past atmosphere seems to be lasting in today's life. There is a

Another covered passage

definite feel transpiring the everyday life of the Viennese: the musical ambiance of some lounges at cocktail hours, the perduring café tradition, the horse-drawn carriages that still haunt the narrow streets and alleys.

But make no mistake, Vienna is also an outgoing modern city that seems to follow today's major trends. Parks and sidewalks turn it into a pedestrian heaven. Riding a bicycle on the many designed tracks has become a popular activity, along with the teenagers'surfboards, or even an unusual number of kick scooters. It is frequent to come across a middle-aged lady or a businessman occasionally using a kick-scooter!

Vienna is certainly a bustling European capital with a great Art de Vivre of its own. It is not surprising that it has been consistently classified as one of the most pleasant cities to live in the world.

Christian Sorand

Open café on the Danube canal