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9 things to do in Vienna
When I think of Vienna, three things immediately come to mind: classical music, psychotherapy, and coffee. Every New Year’s Day, I enjoy watching the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert, broadcast live from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. This year, the concert was conducted by the Canadian maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, marking his debut at the helm of this world-famous event. The programme featured an eclectic mix of traditional Strauss family waltzes alongside lesser-known works by composers such as Franz von Suppè, Josef Lanner, and Florence Price. A few months later, in May 2026, I visited Vienna for another major musical event: the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2025, Eurovision had taken…
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Vienna: Music, Psychotherapy & Coffee
Last year, I took part in the Guardian’s competition ‘10 great Greek islands: readers’ travel tips’. I was so excited when I saw my tip ‘Hiking in Amorgos, Cyclades’ published that I did not realize that it’d been the winning tip. A few months later, I decided to spend the prize, a £200 hotel voucher, on a weekend break in Vienna. The Austrian capital has recently been named the best city in the world to live in – for the tenth year running. According to the annual Mercer Quality of Living survey, Vienna topped the list of 231 cities around the world. The ranking was based on a number of…
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Vienna: Search for Meaning & the Mozart Effect
I recently visited Vienna for the fourth time in my life. During a previous visit, I went to the Opera and saw Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Nabucco’. This time, I opted for a rather more low-key concert with music by Wofgang Amadeus Mozart. The concert took place in St Peter’s Church (Peterskirche), a beautiful baroque church situated in the heart of Vienna, not far from the famous St Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom). Built at the beginning of the 18th century, it provides the perfect backdrop for the music of the famous Austrian composer (concerts start at 8 am; tickets from 29 euros). I also visited the apartment where Mozart lived between 1784 and…