Winter 2018

In the Hotel Austria, the first gifts appeared beneath our magnificent 4-metre high Christmas tree some days before the 24th December.

On Christmas Eve, our entire team gathered together, first of all to review the past year over an aperitif, and then to set forth to Wilhelminenberg Castle for a quite special event. Under the motto ‘Dinner & Crime’, they enjoyed an outstanding 4-course meal and also solved a murder mystery that could not have been trickier. Although it challenged our amateur detectives, they were able to solve it with distinction.

Up until mid-February, the Walzerstadt Vienna will be hosting countless glittering balls!
Perhaps you too will be swinging a leg at one or more of our ball nights? Or why not enjoy the unforgettable atmosphere from the box or while sauntering around?

Should you wish to have a peaceful lie-in the following morning, we have the perfect treat in store for you! On the evening before, order our special ball breakfast with selected delicacies, salmon and a glass of sparkling wine – We will serve it to you in your room at any time up until 11am (at no additional cost). We would be delighted to pamper you while you reminisce about the evening!

Over 2,800 guest feedback forms were filled out in great detail in 2014, giving us your countless evaluations and your fantastic comments!

To say thank you we have drawn 3 winners for a week-end stay for 2 people.

We heartily congratulate this year’s prize winners:
Mrs. Gözde Cetin from Turkey,
Mr. James Hill from Great Britain and
Mrs. Marlies Mairhofer from Italy.

From January until March the Vienna Rathausplatz will be transformed into a huge ice rink and becomes a paradise for ice skaters of every age. The "Little Ice World" opened on 17 November as part of the Vienna Christmas Dream.

The idyllically illuminated façade of City Hall forms the fairytale backdrop for Vienna Ice World. An 8,000 m² ice landscape delivers entertaining winter enjoyment for skating fans of every age. Both families and sporty visitors who are seeking action on the ice will get their money's worth here. Every day from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm, fantastically wild or sweepingly elegant loops can be turned to popular music hits and to some sounds of the waltz. From 17 November until 14 January, a smaller rink of 3,000 m² will be open at the Vienna Christmas Dream during the Vienna Ice World.

Winding through the romantically illuminated City Hall Park is a magical ice path that thrills beginners and professionals alike with its countless routes. A free practice area is available for the very youngest ice skaters from Monday to Friday, from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. At 5.00 pm, it transforms into eight curling lanes, where sporty curlers can put their skills to the test.

Restaurateurs pamper guests with delicacies made from regional and organic ingredients at various outdoor booths and in the popular Almhütte with terrace. Warming drinks are also available at Vienna Ice World - from fragrant organic punch to tea. There are 2,000 pairs of ice skates (all pre-heated with warm air) for rent on site. Lockers are available for any items of clothing or shoes that you don’t need while skating.

Vienna Ice World. 19 January - 4 March 2018
Daily from 10.00 am - 10.00 pm, 5.00 pm - 10.00 pm with free ice skating
25% discount with the Vienna City Card
Information at www.wienereistraum.com

Each year more than 450 balls take place in Vienna. The city of waltzes exuberantly celebrates Carnival in January and February. The three-quarter rhythm is supplemented by more contemporary sounds, offering enjoyable dancing for every taste.

The best time of the year begins for ball-goers and dance fans on 11 November. The Vienna ball season starts punctually at the beginning of Carnival with public dancing of the waltz in the city center. In Vienna, the ball season reaches its peak in January and February. The old tradition of carnival balls continues to thrive in the city. While some dancers enjoy following the three-quarter time of the waltzes, others may prefer letting loose to a disco beat.

The ball season kicks off with the Vienna Red Cross Ball at City Hall (17 November 2017). On New Year’s Eve, guests dance into the new year in a magnificent setting at the New Year’s Eve Ball at the Hofburg Vienna (Imperial Palace).

Numerous other famous ball events are held here as well, such as the Hunters' Ball – Jägerball (29 January 2018), the Doctors' Ball (27 January 2018) and the Lawyers' Ball (10 February 2018). The Coffee-house Owners' Ball (18 January 2018) is one of the most atmospheric. Each year it brings about 6,000 visitors to Vienna's Imperial Palace and into the Redoutensäle.

The Opera Ball (8 February 2018) at the Vienna State Opera is legendary. On this one day, visitors have the unique opportunity to see the famous opera house on Ringstrasse not only from the spectators' seats but actually experience it "backstage" surrounded by many music celebrities.

The Vienna Philarmonic (18 January 2018) opens the doors to its ball at the Vienna Musikverein. However, at this event the musicians of this world-famous orchestra can only be found with their instruments during the introduction. Because even the performers of the Vienna Philarmonic want to shake a leg now and then.

The sweetest ball is the Bonbon Ball (9 February 2018) at the Wiener Konzerthaus. This ball is known for its fun and informal ambiance. The Strauss Brothers once celebrated their greatest accomplishments at the Vienna Kursalon - where visitors can now dance to the tune of waltzes at the Johann Strauss Ball (27 January 2018).

For the Flower Ball (19 January 2018), City Hall transforms into a unique sea of flowers. Also being held in City Hall is the Viennese Ball of the Sciences (27 January 2018), which represents Vienna’s entire research and higher education landscape in all its diversity, internationality and excellence.

The Ball of the Vienna Boys' Choir (21 April 2018) will be held outside the tradition ball season this year at the Kursalon Vienna. The spring ball will be opened by the Boys' Choir and is thematically dedicated to South Africa.

From the Late Gothic to the present day: The Albertina shows valuable architectural drawings by famous architects.

Whether Baroque city views, magnificent Renaissance buildings or modern ensembles on Vienna's Ringstrasse - artists have always documented the urban past and sketched its future with the aid of architectural drawings. The exhibition "Masterpieces of architectural drawing from the Albertina" shows around 140 highlights from its own collection. The drawings span the period from the Late Gothic to the present day. Important sketches, studies, designs, vedute (realistic illustrations of buildings) and architectural capriccios by Lorenzo Bernini, Gottfried Semper, Theophil Hansen, Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, Josef Frank, Clemens Holzmeister, Hans Hollein, Zaha Hadid and many others can be seen.

The architecture collection of the Albertina encompasses 40,000 drawings from the beginning of the 16th century to the present day. The exhibition illuminates the history of this collection. It illustrates connections between architectural hand drawings and architecture theory. At the same time, cultural and socio-political developments can be traced. Thematic focal points of the show are illustration types, residential buildings, fountains, decorations, garden buildings, villas, color schemes, Historicism and Modernism as well as towers, domes and high-rise buildings.

Masterpieces of architectural drawing from the Albertina. 15 December 2017 - 25 February 2018
www.albertina.at

The Festival of Early Music in January 2018 will be held under the title "Eurovisions". The musical contributions come from the world's best authentic performance ensembles - at the Wiener Konzerthaus from 20 to 28 January 2018.

Early music, played on historical instruments with extreme competence, is experiencing a boom in popularity. Which is why the Resonanzen festival is a perennial favorite. The best of the best that the Early Music scene has to offer are also brought together again at the Wiener Konzerthaus for the twenty-sixth time in 2018. Masterfully performed, hand-made programs have become a trademark of the festival over the past quarter century.

This year's Resonanzen slogan is "Eurovisions". Here are a few highlights:

At the opening concert, Jordi Savall, a gambist and one of the most important representatives of today's early music scene, deals with the life and times of the great humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam with his ensemble Hespèrion XXI and three actors.

The Belgian Paul Van Nevel is a perfectionist of a capella singing. With his Huelgas Ensemble, he wanders musically through seven centuries of European polyphony.

The world premiere of Eurowinds led by Dorothee Oberlinger is followed by the debuts of two ensembles: Melpomen with Arianna Savall and Tasto solo led by Guillermo Pérez.

Concerto Romano places a vivid appeal for peace at the heart of the traditional food concert (yes, really: with tasting for everyone) with Monteverdi's famous "Combattimento".

The accompanying exhibition "Historic Instrument Making" in the foyer and in several halls of the Konzerthaus has become a tradition on the first weekend of the Resonanzen. The exquisite reproductions of early instruments can also be tried out and purchased.

Before and after the main concerts, there is a "prelude" and "postlude" on some days. These include films, music and a course on Baroque dance.

Resonanzen 2018: Eurovisions. 20-28 January 2018