Viennese culture and traditions

The historical figures that left the biggest imprint on perceptions of Vienna were mostly Habsburg monarchs or knew their way around a piano or paintbrush. A notable exception … [Read more...] about Prince Eugene: what you need to know

July 7th, 1498 was a Thursday, apparently. This was also the day that Emperor Maximilian I decided his chapel choir needed an upgrade, thus bringing to life an institution … [Read more...] about The Wiener Hofmusikkapelle

Many art exhibitions in Vienna focus on "prints". But what do all the technical terms in display texts and audioguides actually mean? I'm no art historian or expert (so … [Read more...] about Prints and printmaking

When you think of buildings in Vienna, one named after the author of The Communist Manifesto probably doesn't top your list. Yet the Karl-Marx-Hof claims as much historical … [Read more...] about Karl-Marx-Hof public housing

One of the lasting legacies of history in Vienna comes, unexpectedly, from a programme of social housing construction in the 1920s and early 1930s. Far ahead of their time … [Read more...] about Social housing in Red Vienna

Ah, Sisi, the 19th-century Empress who still inspires adulation and artists. Sportswoman, fashion icon, traveller, poet, friend to the Hungarians, and tragic victim of an … [Read more...] about Empress Elisabeth (Sisi): what you need to know