Wiener Weihnachten

Christmas in Vienna

By Jamie Martin

December 25^th, 2017

Traveling Light

Two days after a massive power outage shut down the Atlanta airport, our flight to Vienna was miraculously routine. Our luggage wasn't so lucky. We started our first day wearing yesterday's clothes, exploring the Museumquarter and nearby neighborhood of Spittelberg.

In the heart of the Museumquarter, 25Hours is an eclectic modern hotel bursting with wit and funk. Our terrace had a bathtub.

A lonely bike on the streets of Spittelberg

A wall of Polaroid cameras greets guests at the 25Hours hotel.

Muse: "Why don't you just try to work for like 15 minutes and if..." Artist: "Nah." - Ferdinand Raimund Statue

Aperitifs and decisions to make at Steirereck

Seventh Heaven

Why ease into Viennese cuisine when you can dive into a seven-course lunch with wine pairings? On our second morning in Vienna, we woke to glorious news: our lost luggage had been found in Amsterdam, flown to Vienna and delivered to our hotel lobby. Fresh clothes, a razor and toothbrush meant we could keep our hot date with Steirereck, a 42-year old restaurant with two Michelin stars and a top slot in the World's Best 50 Restaurants list. I don't know if they serve a leisurely, four-hour lunch in Heaven, but who cares: Steirereck has created heaven on Earth.

This course of duck was so large, we thought they'd made a mistake.

CHEEEEEEEEEESE!!! No knife was ever used twice.

After dessert, a large wooden cart rolled up topped with a 2'x4' "sandbox" of confectioners sugar, secreting Christmas cookies.

After dessert and Christmas cookies: even more cookies.

Walk in the Park

Five hours later, lunch was over. Dusk was coming. Outside was grey and wet. Our host offered to call us a cab, but we declined. Hoods up, we headed into the cold drizzle with a singular, wine-fueled purpose: through the Stadtpark to find Strauss.

After Strauss, the wind picked up to 20 kts and rain began to pelt our faces. Still a beautiful evening.

Christkindlmarkts

In Vienna's city center, Christmas markets seem to pop up every few blocks. From the bustling labyrinth of the Rathausplatz to the cozy nooks and crannies of Spittelberg, each market entrance is punctuated by a bright, festive Glühwein stand, plying patrons with mulled wine and hot punches as they brace against the biting cold. Wiener carts roasting Bratwurst and Käse Krainer (cheese-filled pork sausage) waft warm scents accompanied by Maroni (roasted chestnuts), Kartoffelpuffer (fried potato pancakes slathered in garlic butter), and Strudel. Artistans sell hand-made goods in leather, wood, ceramics and cloths.

Night at the Opera

The Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) is relatively new by Viennese standards: completed in 1869, it employs over 1,000 staff who produces 50 to 60 operas per year with an operating budget of €100M. It is closely associated with the Vienna Philharmonic, whose members are recruited from the Staatsoper's orchestra. We saw Mozart's "The Magic Flute," which might be the source for Charlie Day's "The Nightman Cometh" from the TV sitcom, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Not pictured: individual screens for each guest with English subtitles to follow along.

Food

A friend advised us that "the quality of food is high throughout Vienna." She wasn't wrong: from Kartoffelpuffer carts and the ubiquitous Wiener Wurstëlstands to cafés, gastropubs, and Michelin-starred affairs, we were consistently impressed. As one guide noted: no other city in the world has its name associated with an entire culinary tradition.

We were advised that Vienna completely shuts down around Christmas. We took that pretty seriously and stocked up.

An amazing brown bread at MAST weinbistro

Spinach strudel at one of the only cafés open on Christmas Day

This latte was so light and frothy, it seemed to float.

Duck shank with red cabbage, oranges and potato rolls at WEIN & CO

In Vino Veritas

Collecting a representative sample of a region's wine in seven short days requires a great deal of persistence, endurance and sacrifice. We did our best, but despite tasting dozens of Gruners, Rieslings, and Blaufränkischs, we barely made a dent; a return visit will be required.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Started in 1359 by Duke Rudolf IV and expanded through the 16th century, St. Stepehen's stands on the ruins of two 12th-century churches, which stood on a 5th century Roman cemetery. We visited on a bustling Christmas Eve afternoon, then returned that evening to witness a beatific Mass led by Archbishop Schönborn and his angelic choir. Now I know why there are so many Catholics.

City Scenes

It's like Peter Falk said: if you want to really see a city, go shpatziring. Nothing beats long walks on a cool day in a beautiful, new city. Jam-packed with art, history and architecture, Vienna's city center is as photogenic as Paris, as bold as Berlin, and as clean and safe as Copenhagen.