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Vienna Stories
From Suneela & Yeswanth. Learn about our stories from Vienna, Austria through this email.
Yeswanth S
June 04, 2025
Thanks for subscribing to Holistic Travellers. This is Suneela and Yeswanth and we are travelling to Europe again! Through this email series, we will share our travel journey, stories and history.
Grüß Gott,
Out of all the cities we went to in this trip, we liked Vienna the best. Vienna has a lot of history (Habsburg empire), excellent architecture, great public transportation, charming atmosphere and social scene. Here are a few stories we learnt about Vienna.
Vienna
Vienna was the capital of the Habsburg Empire, the dynasty that ruled most of Central Europe (including the land encompassing countries of Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Romania) during the 19th century. Habsburg Empire was a major dynasty in Europe and ruled for more than 600 years. After the World War I, the Habsburg Empire collapsed and all of the land it held, disintegrated into various countries. As Vienna was the capital, the people of this city had migrated from the neighbouring countries of Hungary, Czech or Slovak. Today, you would find an international community of people living in Vienna. The city is frequently recognised as one of the most liveable cities in the world due to affordable costs and extensive public transport.
Empress Elisabeth of Austria
Empress Elisabeth of Austria
The most famous Viennese empress was Empress Elisabeth of Austria, or Sisi. She was known for her beauty, her dramatic life that saw many tragedies including the deaths of her children, and her struggle adjusting to a courtly life. Her life and tragedies make her as interesting as Princess Diana of the British royal family to the people today.
During her day, she was known for following a strict regimen of fasting and exercises such as gymnastics and she always maintained her weight at 50 kgs. Whenever she thought she was gaining weight, she would fast for days. Today, historians suggested that she might have had anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder.
Her beauty was unparalleled in the Habsburg Empire. In addition to her rigorous exercise regimen, she also practiced demanding beauty regime. Her hairdressing itself took about two hours every day.
Sisi was known for mediating the cause of Hungarian Empire with the emperor Franz Joseph, and helped create a joint rule of Austria and Hungary. Her life and events have been portrayed in many shows and movies including the latest one on Netflix called "The Empress"
Gemütlichkeit
The term “Gemütlichkeit” is a word used to convey the idea of well-being, comfort, and friendliness. In Vienna, this is particularly evident in the city's coffee houses, where people gather to enjoy drinks, pastries, and conversations.
Viennese coffee houses are an experience. They are elegant, large and are frequented by the Viennese people, and in some cases, almost every day. The waiters of the coffee houses would identify regulars and bring their favourite food. There is no need to order. Many student groups and older men and women hangout in coffee houses regularly.
Our experience
We had an amazing time in Vienna, learning the history and taking the public transport. We also took the trams 2 and 1 which complete a circle around the Old Vienna Town, and is a great way to see all the sculptures and sights without walking. These trams cover the Ringstrasse, a highway, that replaced the moat around the Old Vienna Town back when the city was expanding in the 18th century.
On one of the days, we attended a free jazz concert happening in a park, in the suburbs of Vienna. We enjoyed Jazz music, while chilling on the grass in the park. We were happy to see other people with their family, friends, and pets, having a relaxing picnic in the park.
That's all from Vienna. In the next mail, I will share more details on Budapest, and share more about their unique language (Hungarian) which is unlike any other European language.
In Case You Missed It
Check out our latest posts on Instagram on Floras of Austria [Link to Instagram Post]
Curious about how we slow travel? [Link to Instagram reel]