MY FAVOURITE PLACE / December
Augarten Park
Fly to
Gerald Wirth, Vienna Boys
Choir’s artistic director and president
Words by Ilze Vītola
Publicity photos,
by Florian Prischl
and Alamy
No Christmas in Vienna
is complete without the
enchanting sounds of
the Vienna Boys Choir
actively performing
around the city
throughout the festive
season. Feel the holiday
spirit at the choir’s
‘Gute Hirten’ (Good
Shepherds) Christmas
concert at the MuTh
concert hall from
December 11 to 15. The
concert programme
was developed by
Professor Gerald Wirth,
who is the choir’s
artistic director and
president. Born in Linz,
he was once a soloist
with the choir. ‘I love
Vienna: its cosmopolitan
atmosphere, its many
eateries, and its wealth
of culture,’ says Wirth.
36
/ airBaltic.com
round trip
Lois Lammerhuber
VIENNA
from
This huge park in Vienna’s second
district was begun in 1615 and
properly laid out in the mid-1700s,
with a topiary garden, allées of trees,
and giant hedges. Today people come
here to jog, stroll, sit, chat, read, walk
their dogs, or picnic. The park is also
home to the old porcelain factory, a
café, a snack bar, and the Vienna Boys
Choir School as well as MuTh, our
choir’s own concert hall.
Musikverein
One of the most beautiful concert
halls on earth! Most people know it
because of the Vienna Philharmonic’s
annual New Year’s Concert.
The building is built like a giant
instrument, making you feel the
sound coming from the musicians.
The audience becomes part of the
music, and it’s truly an incredible
experience. Affordable standing-
room tickets let you experience a
concert by the Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra for less than six euros!
It’s a huge privilege to be there, and
you can literally feel the spirits of
Beethoven and Brahms.
Musikvereinsplatz 1; musikverein.at
Albertina Museum
MY
Vienna
€ 109
Housed in a freshly renovated palace,
the Albertina Museum always has
a good temporary exhibition and a
stunning permanent collection of
mainly impressionist and modern
paintings by Monet, Degas, Cézanne,
Nolde, Picasso, and many others.
Definitely worth a visit, though you
may have to queue! The Albertina has
a restaurant, and right beside it is a
rather famous hot dog and sausage
stand where you may even run into
some opera singers.
Albertinaplatz 1; albertina.at
Café Hawelka
This café with comfortable, old sofas
is a former hangout for writers. When
it becomes too crowded, the staff
encourages newcomers to share a
table with people who are already
there – a wonderful chance to strike
up a conversation and make some
new acquaintances! Late at night,
the café serves delicious Buchteln,
or sweet dumplings. They’re served
warm and the taste is simply out of
this world!
Dorotheergasse 6; hawelka.at