Altstadt Vienna

Vienna

This former imperial city and administrative seat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire under the reign of the Habsburgs, was also the birthplace of the arts in Europe during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. As the present day capital of modern Austria, Vienna has maintained numerous vestiges of its past glory, when Austria dominated the political, cultural and artistic life of the entire European continent. “There has never been a city in Europe with such a passion for culture as Vienna,” according to Austrian dramatist Stefan Zweig. This authentic center for art echoes with the sound of Strauss waltzes which open the ceremony of the traditional Opera Ball. Although the tradition of dancing continues to this day, touching all social categories of the population, Vienna is also known for having conserved another of its customs: café life. As a meeting place for the Viennese bourgeoisie where literary conversations and political discussions were the order of the day, the café is still a vital part of everyday life. The emblematic Spittelberg quarter, just a few steps from the large museum center, offers a wide choice of restaurants ranging from traditional Austrian cooking to the most innovative cuisines…literally a gourmet’s feast.

The spirit of the “Belle Epoque” revisited

In the Spittelberg artist quarter, a few steps from the Leopold Museum whose collection of modern Austrian art is among the best in the world, a patrician building once belonging to an industrialist in the employ of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, contains a collection of rooms and apartments created by the celebrated Italian architect, Matteo Thun. Very different from the classical style of the building’s original rooms conceived by its owner, Otto Wiesenthal whose intention was “creating a place where I myself would like to stay,” the eight rooms created by Matteo Thun represent a return to the bourgeois spirit of the “Belle Epoque”, somewhere between melancholy and euphoria. The dark interiors with their red velvet tapestries are provocative as they invoke eroticism, celebrating the nudity of the body and a rediscovery of sexuality restrained by a conservative and puritanical society. Raised bathtubs, as if placed on a pedestal, zebra like tapestries, couches and Wittmann armchairs in brown leather reflect an elegant, non-design environment that is both modern and classical, with a renewed sense of luxury. The general atmosphere is one of charm and sobriety.

The owner, Otto E. Wiesenthal possesses a vast collection of art works acquired at international salons, which he exposes in all of the hotel’s rooms. The museums in Vienna enrich this superb collection by lending their works to the hotel.