ITCHY FEET TRAVELS

Vienna, Austria

June 18, 2025

More than anywhere else, Vienna is synonymous with a rich history of classical music. Sponsored by the Habsburg dynasty and aristocrats at the imperial court, it has been home to many of the musical greats. Among those who studied here are Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss and Mahler. And that is merely the beginning of a list that goes on and on. The tradition lives on still and a visit to the home of the Vienna Philharmonic is an unarguable must.

As is attending a concert and so I did. And gasped at the ornate concert hall. Constructed between 1870 and 1913, it is justifiably called the Golden Hall. Lavish paintings adorn the ceiling amid richly gilded surroundings. Rows of arched narrow windows are set high on the side walls in these ornate surroundings.

The Greek Renaissance style shows in the classical statues along each wall. At the end, above the orchestra is a grand pipe organ. It is absolutely beautiful!

And then the music began. It ebbed and flowed and rolled over me. And I was swept away.