Christmas in Vienna - NOW!

Christmas in Vienna is waiting for you! 

 Book now to celebrate and indulge in Gluewein and Punsch! 

We have availability from 21st to 26th Dec 

for 4pax - €745 5nights!

 

A Place with a View

FROM AN EAGLE'S VIEW

Have you ever wondered what it's like to fly free,

To see the world as far as the eye can see,

To view the surroundings from high and from low,

To hear only the sound of a distant echo,

To float in the air with the wind being your guide,

To admire many rainbows that the trees tend to hide,

To see the misty mornings over a beautiful mountaintop,

To glide over a flowing river that never seems to stop,

To watch the animals from over a mile away,

Or to rise above the treetops that glisten in the day?

If you were an eagle you would wonder no more

For it can see things you have never seen before.

Next time you look into the sky of blue,

Think of what it's like from an eagle's view.

© 1998 Stacy Smith

Vienna has, like many other major capitals, a place too, where you could feel like an eagle!

Don't miss to make your way up there on a bright day! Either by hiking up or by driving the long and winding road with bus or car. You definitely will not be disappointed. People love this spot not only in summer, but also on New Year's Eve!

Up there you can visit either the Kahlenberg with it's new trendy Coffeeshop and a posh brandnew hotel

or if you like it more private go a little further to Leopoldsberg. Unfortunately you won't find anything to drink or eat there, so bring along your picnic!

Leopoldsberg is 425m high and overlooks Vienna's posh 19th district on one side and Klosterneuburg on the other side. Around 1120 Leopold III built an impressive castle up there, which currently undergoes an owners dispute.


Another Leopold, namely emperor Leopold I, donated the construction of a chapel, after a vow for prevention of the plague in 1679. The finished chapel was destroyed 4 years later by the Turks. But after our siege over the Turkish invaders this chapel was rebuilt in 1693.

It's nice to mention that even Turkish people nowadays find their way up there and seem to remember this part of history!

And on your way back home you may stop in Grinzing, the touristy approach to vinyards, wine and Viennese tradition.

We recommend a stroll through the old cobbled streets!

Prosit Neujahr - Happy New Year

Welcome to the New Year!

How do you feel? Hope you had a good party and a good "Rutsch" into the New Year, as we locals say.

"Rutsch" means slide or ride.

Now then just to give you an impression on how serious we live our traditions, here is our daughter and our dog, celebrating with the tradition "Glücksfisch essen" - eating the sponge finger fishes!

And this was Vienna 1hr before midnight -

a party throughout

all nationalities bunched together, happy, singing & drinking!

Happy New Year!

Vienna's Silvester (New Year's Eve) Traditions

Ok, then, maybe you'll know already where to spend that last evening of the year BUT do you also know how and what to do? Apart from drinking?

The fact is: people in Vienna like it loud and traditional and with lots of beer and wine!
But here is the chronological way of the traditions/custom - no party will do without these!

Pummerin - Chime of St. Stephens Cathedral
The first "thing" you will hear in the city centre, on radio and on tv are the chimes of the huge bell of St. Stephens Cathedral. Did you know, that the bell is made out of cannonballs?

Walzer - Waltz:
In Vienna you waltz into the new year and of course it is the one and only waltz: the Donauwalzer - The Bluedanube Waltz. Everywhere in Vienna and Austria you will hear the sounds of this hymn - starting immediately after the chimes of the Pummerin

Feuerwerk - Firework

spot on and simultaneous to the Pummerin and the waltz (sounds a bit stressful!) the firework will start all over Vienna, unfortunately with the so much forbidden firecrackers

Glücksbringer - Lucky charms

you can buy those small little things starting from about tomorrow on every corner of the streets. A pigs, fish, chimney sweeper, shamrock, coin - they are all symbols of luck. You'll give them to your friends in the first minutes of the new year. They will put those lucky charms in their purse or wallet and carry it around all year round

Fischbiskotten - sponge fingers in fishy form
You eat them, well actually you bite them at midnight - BUT you have to bite from the tail's side! It will bring good luck to you

 

Bleigießen - melting lead:
This is the absolute Top of the traditions and an Must-do on any kind of party.
You melt little lead figures in a spoon on New Year's Eve to see what the year ahead will bring...a form of fortune-telling. The spoon full of liquid lead is then poured into cold water. Your future is then read from the shapes formed in the wate. This is done in the early hours of the new year

Here you go, so hurry up and buy the necessary stuff for your party!

Silvester Viewpoints Vienna

Ok, then, want to have some inside information where to hav a great view on 31st December 11.59pm?

1. Kahlenberg:
a small hill outside Vienna, overlooking the town.
Take Bus 38A, leaving from Heiligenstadt U-Bahn Station. The 25min ride takes you through the posh part of Vienna up to Kahlenberg.
Enjoy up there the midnight fireworks over Vienna. Wrap up warm and take some bottles of champagne with you!
There is also a restaurant up there: http://kahlenberg.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28&Itemid=5&lang=de

2. Riesenrad:
Take a ride on Vienna's famous landmark "The Riesenrad" - "The ferris wheel" and enjoy the unique panorama! Nearby is a New Year's Party too!
When staying in bluedanube apartments  just cross the road! It offers you the unique opportunity to party just a second awany! Otherwise take the U-Bahn to Praterstern and cross over to the Riesenrad.
To book in advance for the Riesenrad: http://www.wienerriesenrad.com/index.php

3. Am Himmel (translation: On Heaven)
the third option takes you out again to the chilly air above the roofs of Vienna.
Again take the Bus 38A (see above) and take the stop Cobenzl-Parkplatz after a 17min ride.
There is the Oktogon and the green around it. Party either inside with a gala buffett (hurry up - booking in advance necessary: himmel@himmel.at ) or outside on the green with Gulaschsoup, Gluehwein and open fire - entry free.
In any case wrap up warm again, be happy and watch the stunning fireworks all over town!

New Year Trail in Vienna

Now, that one party is over, Christmas, we can prepare for the next big thing!
New Year's Eve! "Silvester" as the locals say!

If you spend that night in Vienna you should take a walk into the city centre, as this is one  huge stage.
Thousands of visitors are attracted every year to the trail with entertainment and food starting already around 2pm.

If you're keen on dancing, you can brush up your dancing skills guided by an expert, who will ensure, that you are able to waltz into the new Year.

A whole bunch of stages offer music of different styles and performances all over the city centre. Everywhere food stalls with traditional Viennese and international delicacies.

Until midnight everyone lingers around, drinking, dancing and singing ..... waiting only for the countdown to go. And then: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ..... New Year is here! The chimes of the Pummerin, the old bell in St. Stephens Cathedral, will sound, surrounded by fireworks all over the town.

The party goes on on the street until 2am and then lots of bars are still open to party until early morning.

If you want to continue with the tradition, somehow you must stay fit, as at 11am the New Year's Concert on New Year's day is an absolute must .... we'll report on that tomorrow!