Schönbrunn Palace Gardens Gloriette Photo : WienTourismus / Peter Rigaud
Strolling in Old Town Vienna Photo : WienTourismus / Peter Rigaud
Perform your own turns , rolls , and whirls in a Viennese palace salon under the instruction of professionals at Private Dance Academy during one-hour daily classes or more intensive three-hour private sessions . By the end you ’ ll be ready to play Cinderella in Vienna ’ s most glamorous palaces throughout the winter ball season .
BUTTERFLY HOUSE IN BURGGARTEN PARK
Your heart will flutter along with the butterflies inside this graceful Art Nouveau greenhouse in the Burggarten Palace gardens . Erected in 1901 as a botanical retreat for the emperor , the “ Palm House ” welcomes the public nowadays to a tropical landscape of trees , shrubs , flowers , and even a waterfall . But it ’ s the bright blues , reds , oranges , greens , and yellows in the wings of more than 400 butterflies flown in from Costa Rica , Belize , Thailand and the Philippines that inspire the most cooing . The romance also in the air makes this a hotspot for weddings .
WINE AT ESTERHÁZYKELLER
The long barrel brick vaults in the bowels of Esterházy Palace is not only home to crisp , homegrown Riesling and Grüner Veltliner wines , but also some of the most intimate nooks in the city , particularly in the high-backed , curtained booths . Otherwise , slip into one of the long communal tables and raise a prost to your new best friends . The establishment is certainly well practiced at it , having dispensed its first vintages in 1683 to Austrian soldiers before they went into battle against the Ottoman legions outside the city gate . For composer Joseph Haydn — a regular customer — the inspiration was music to his ears .
OPERA AT THE STAATSOPER
Viennese pride is never on greater display than in the jewelry-box like state opera house , built in the 1860s . Even if you don ’ t catch a performance , make a point of stepping inside the majestic entry foyer — one of the only parts to survive World War II intact — marvel at the glimmering floors while gazing at the grand marble staircase , 24k-gold gilding , reliefs , frescos , and musical statuary . To see more , sign up for any of the daily 40-minute tours that include the Emperor ’ s Tea Salon , Marble Hall , Schwind Foyer , Gustav Mahler Hall , and more . To experience the full fairytale , however , reserve a box seat in horseshoe-shaped , red-and-gold auditorium for a performance of Verdi , Puccini , or Mozart .
CHOCOLATE SPA TREATMENT AT HOTEL SACHER
Admit it . In the throes of chocolate ecstasy , you ’ ve imagined submerging your entire body into its decadent , milky creaminess and going for a swim . At Vienna ’ s historic Hotel Sacher , opened in 1876 , your dream can almost come true in the spa , with four chocolate-based treatments that cover , massage , and purify with cocoa butter and bean for 60 to 90 minutes . Best of all , it ’ s completely free of calories . Add the exclamation point to the treatment with a Sacher torte in the hotel ’ s red damask Rote Bar .
COFFEE AND CAKE AT CAFÉ CENTRAL
The only thing richer than the Viennese pastries — apple strudel , apricot dumplings , peanut caramel crème brûlée — behind the glass cases at this 19th-century café is the resume of the historical figures who ’ ve eaten them . Among the tall marble columns , vaulted ceiling arches , crystal chandeliers , and plush red banquettes once philosophized Sigmund Freud , Leon Trotsky , Adolf Loos , Vladimir Lenin , and Peter Altenberg , among so many others . Should additional stimulation be required , look to the extensive coffee menu that gets playful with concoctions like double espresso with rum and whipped cream and hot chocolate with amaretto .
BALLET OF WHITE STALLIONS AT SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL
No horses combine power and grace more than the gray-white Lipizzaners , Europe ’ s oldest cultural breed . Developed in the 16th century out of Arab stallions with Iberian mares by the Hapsburg royalty , who ruled Austria and Spain at the time , the horses were prized for their exceptional sturdiness , beauty , and intelligence . Witness all of these qualities in dressage performances at the Spanish
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