Words Edel Cassidy
Vienna is a city where history, music and architecture move in graceful rhythm, and nowhere is this more evident than along the grand sweep of the Ringstraße. This boulevard, now encircling the historic city centre, has a fascinating origin. From the 13th century, the area had been enclosed by defensive walls, but by the mid-19th century, these fortifications were hindering the city’s growth. Emperor Franz Joseph I ordered their demolition, replacing them with a grand boulevard. Ambitious architects, wealthy patrons and government institutions competed to build along this new avenue, resulting in the impressive sequence of palaces, museums and cultural institutions that line the Ring today.
Discovering Johann Strauss’s Vienna
There is no better introduction to Vienna than the Ringstraße, and along this grand boulevard lie several places associated with the city’s most beloved composer, Johann Strauss II. Known as ‘The Waltz King’, he composed more than 500 works, including the world-famous ‘The Blue Danube’, now synonymous with the city. Following the Ringstraße and the streets that branch from it, I set out to discover the Vienna that Strauss knew and the Vienna that still remembers him.
My guide for the day was Alexa Brauner, whose knowledge of Vienna is impressive, and whose understanding of Strauss’s personal life is also truly remarkable. With her insight and enthusiasm, each place we visited became part of a much richer story. Our first stop was the gilded bronze monument in Stadtpark, which lies directly on the Ringstraße. Here the maestro stands, violin in hand beneath a decorative marble arch, one of the most photographed monuments in Vienna. Seeing it glint in the morning light against the greenery of the park, it’s little wonder why.
Leaving the park we walked to the Musikverein, home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. We continued on towards the distinctive Vienna Secession Building in the Karlsplatz area, where just opposite stands the recently opened Johann Strauss Museum – New Dimensions. Created to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth, its immersive displays trace his life and career in vivid detail. Here, the story of his complicated path to fame unfolds: born in Vienna in 1825, he grew up in the shadow of his father, Johann Strauss I, composer of the famous ‘Radetzky March’. Determined that his son would not follow the same path, the elder Strauss forbade him from pursuing music. Only after his father’s death in 1849 did the younger Strauss truly establish himself in Vienna’s music scene, supported by his mother and later by his brothers, Josef and Eduard.
Staying within the Karlsplatz vicinity, it was only a few minutes’ walk to the Theater an der Wien, where Strauss’s operettas Die Fledermaus and The Gypsy Baron, were first performed. I headed back toward the Ringstraße, and crossing it, came upon the magnificent Vienna State Opera. Just across from the opera house, in the splendid Palais Todesco, is Café Gerstner. This was the place where Strauss met his first wife, Jetty. I stopped for a coffee and one of the café’s delicate petits fours, enjoying its luxurious, historic ambience.
It was then time to go towards the heart of the old city to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where Strauss and Jetty married in 1862. Dedicated to St. Stephen, the cathedral was oriented toward the sunrise on his feast day, 26 December, at the time construction began. Its distinctive multi-coloured tiled roof and soaring south tower, rising 136 metres, make it a defining feature of Vienna’s skyline.
Just a short distance from the cathedral stands the Lutheran City Church, where Strauss’s funeral took place in 1899, and a quiet contrast to the grandeur of St. Stephen’s. Originally built as a Catholic monastery church, it was acquired by the Lutheran community in 1783. Its simple classical exterior reflects the restrictions of the time, when Protestant churches were not allowed to appear too prominent from the outside. In 1887, Strauss changed his citizenship to Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and converted to Lutheranism to bypass Austria’s strict Catholic divorce laws, allowing him to divorce, and marry Adele Deutsch.
Crossing the Danube Canal to Praterstraße brought me to another intimate piece of Strauss history, the Johann Strauss Apartment. Here, in a fashionable first-floor flat, he lived during the 1860s when his fame was at its height, and it was here that he composed ‘The Blue Danube’ in 1866. Although the apartment is currently closed for renovations, during my visit I was able to see many personal items: his sheet music cabinet, the standing desk where he composed and his Bösendorfer grand piano. An Amati violin from his collection was displayed beside a small home organ he likely used for late-night composing, since it could be played very quietly. Standing there, I reflected on the extraordinary life behind the music, a fitting end to a journey through Strauss’s Vienna.
An evening at the Musikverein
That evening I returned to the Golden Hall of the Musikverein for a concert marking the 125th anniversary of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. The highlight for me was pianist Anna Vinnitskaya performing ‘Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major’ by Maurice Ravel. It was written for the Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in the First World War. The concerto is a remarkable work; while composed for a single hand, the writing is so dense and technically demanding it masterfully creates the illusion of a full two-hand performance.
Having experienced this magnificent orchestra in this legendary hall, I would highly recommend including a concert here as an essential part of any visit to this city of music.
I finished the evening at the Bitzinger sausage stand, a much-loved Vienna tradition where, after a performance, patrons in tuxedos and evening gowns line up beside students and tourists for a late-night snack.
Recommended dining
Tante Liesl: Tucked away in the charming Servitenviertel quarter, this lively neighbourhood spot serves delicious Austrian and Swabian classics like Maultaschen dumplings and Wiener schnitzel in a rustic, welcoming setting.
TIAN Bistro: Located in the vibrant Spittelberg district, this vegetarian and vegan bistro impresses with creative, seasonal dishes made from organic and Demeter-certified ingredients, all served in a minimalist space with a gorgeous covered courtyard.
Praterwirt: Situated on Praterstraße near the Nepomuk Church and just steps from the Johann Strauss Apartment, this classic Austrian tavern offers high-quality regional dishes – from golden-brown Wiener schnitzel to tender roast pork – prepared in an open kitchen.
WRENKH: Found in the heart of the old city, just minutes from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, this stylish restaurant elevates vegetarian and vegan cuisine with inventive dishes and natural wines in a warm, modern atmosphere.
- ‘Vienna: Notes from a city of music’ is published in Anthology Volume 25. Read more features from this volume or buy it now.
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