Europe '81: Vienna

September 8, 1981

I once did a school project on Austria and fell in love with this Alpine country of imperial palaces, Strauss waltzes and warm apfelstrudel. When planning my first trip to Europe I was aware that reality might not live up to my high expectations but I needn't have worried. Austria was everything I'd hoped it would be, and more.

The Rathaus, Vienna's Town Hall (1981)

I arrived in Vienna on an overnight train from Florence at 9:10 a.m. noting in my trip diary the lovely scenery of Lower Austria. The Pension Zipser (230 Austrian schillings or $16 CAD per night, including breakfast), located near the Rathaus or Town Hall, was my favourite accommodation on the trip. I described it as very nice, clean and quiet and still remember the cozy duvet on the bed, welcome in the slightly cooler climate. The expanded property carries on today as the family-run Hotel Zipser.

Trip Diary Entry

The city of Vienna impressed me as beautiful in a quiet way as I walked through the Ring area to the Stadtpark and the Johann Strauss Monument. Today the bronze statue of the 'Waltz King' is gold-plated, as it originally was, but the gilding was absent from 1935 to 1991. I took a seat on the terrace of the Kursalon building for a cup of tea while enjoying an outdoor concert of Strauss waltzes (30 ATS or $2.25). This performance was another highlight of my European tour.

Johann Strauss Monument, Stadtpark (1981)

Kursalon Terrace (1981)

Concert Musicians (1981)

I don't remember much of my visit to the Kunsthistorisches, Museum of Fine Arts, built by Emperor Franz Josef I in the late 1800s to house the extensive Habsburg art collection. I did make note of David's dramatic painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps because I remembered it from a course in college. And I do recall walking up the impressive Main Staircase. A four-ton bridge was recently erected across the staircase to allow visitors to view wall paintings by Gustav Klimt in an exhibition to mark the centenary of his death, Stairway to Klimt.

The Kunsthistorisches, Fine Arts Museum (1981)

Museum Fountain (1981)

The 2015 film Woman in Gold (starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds) is based on a true story about Klimt's famous painting. I'd love to see his work in a museum some day but for now, I'll have to be content with this souvenir fan my friend brought me back from a recent visit to Vienna.

Souvenir Klimt Fan

For dinner I thought it might be a novelty to try the local McDonald's franchise where I paid 38 ATS ($2.25) for my meal. For the '80s that sounds rather pricey for a burger and fries. I also purchased a ticket to a performance at the Vienna State Opera (50 ATS or $3.75) but didn't go. I wasn't comfortable venturing out after dark; a concern for a young woman travelling alone.

Vienna State Opera Fountain (1981)

All in all, though, I'd had a busy first day in Austria.