First Impressions of Vienna

Arriving on a calm midday Sunday allowed me to slip into a world of Viennese café spawning culture, with ease.  Upon arrival at the airport I caught the CAT line to Wien Mitte, then from there I hovered down the escalators to catch the U-bahn.  The public transportation operated promptly and punctually, taking me near to my preliminary hotel, just a few days before the study program began.  The hotel was just a brief walk from the U-bahn station.  Navigating the transportation system turned out to be a simple enough task for a jet lagged, non-native student such as myself, arriving in Vienna. 

Just traveling to my hotel brings back memories of my past trip to Germany and the transportation system they have there, which is identical in Austria.  An individual can be allowed so much freedom and ease of travel, without having to own a car.  It’s a near idealistic system of efficient public transportation and a seemingly important element to Vienna’s vitality.  Without it, I could only imagine that Vienna would be crippled during peak hours by the influx of cars and cyclists on the already narrow, car lined streets.

Just by walking the streets and admiring the architecture of Vienna, I have developed a personal sense for just how old and beautiful this city really is.  I’ve recently visited the childhood home of my great grandmother and compared it with a picture from a hundred years ago.  Very little of the building resembles the face it once wore, but today it still stands with the upper archway of the main door in its original form.  I believe that this also reflects the physical image of Vienna, in some ways.  If you look in the right places it’s easy to find the old faces of Vienna; the old buildings that assure its history.  Look elsewhere, and the faces of newer buildings can be seen, dating from pre and post WWII eras, and much of them residential. 

Vienna’s population and culture is still quite diverse and is noticeable on the faces of all the people I see throughout the city, as well as in the great selection of food and goods that are readily available.  It’s a confirmation that the culmination of culture from surrounding countries is still prevalent here in Vienna.