Vienna: Enchanted Journey

For many years I had both devoured and savored books and images of Vienna's art: the works of Josef Hoffmann, Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser and other aesthetic geniuses. However, I was not prepared for the breathtaking assault the reality brings to the dream. In October I journeyed to Vienna expecting all of the enchantment that I have read about to come alive. My highest expectations were surpassed.

My first night in Vienna I go to the Secession. The visual impact of its filigree golden dome lighting up the cold, black sky is dazzling. The building and Klimt's murals encapsulate a driving force of art and architecture that took hold of Vienna in the early 1900's. Evidences of the Secession Movement and its legacy can be seen all around the Vienna. Ten stories down, the vista outside of my hotel room window affords one of the elaborate train stations designed by Otto Wagner. It is the egress to a fabulous park that is filled with ornate and refined statuary, archways, bridges and a canal. At dawn, the view astounds.