Traditional coffee houses, the Opera Ball, palaces and castles, hometown of Mozart and Beethoven, as well as Sisi, the Empress of Austria – Vienna is known for a myriad of faces and places.

When I think about Vienna, however, the first thing that comes to mind is one of my all-time favorite movies, Before Sunrise. First released in 1995, the film was directed by Richard Linklater and follows Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) who meet on a train and, feeling a strong connection, disembark in Vienna where they spend one night together. They walk through the streets engaged in deep conversation, and Vienna serves as the magnificent backdrop of this thought-provoking modern romance.

Ever since watching Before Sunrise, I have wanted to visit Vienna – but have never gotten around to actually doing it in these past 26 years. Luckily, this changed recently. Since the pandemic broke out, I have not left the country, and the feeling of wanderlust, the urge to taste the unknown, has grown incredibly strong. A death in my family only added to the desire to get away and take my mind off things, if only for a couple of days, and so I finally decided to take that long overdue trip to Vienna. Three days of escapism, solitude without being alone and a bit of Before Sunrise magic; this is what I wanted, and this is what I got.  

I stayed at Max Brown, a lovely boutique hotel located in an equally lovely area of the city, the seventh district. The vintage-style rooms were equipped with a record player and rotary phone – a charming and comfortable place to return to with tired legs and sore muscles after a day of taking in the city’s sights.

Usually, I like to travel with family or friends, but this time going solo was exactly what I needed. I longed to explore the city on my own, to linger if I wanted to or move on quickly when I thought it necessary.

I had, of course, a list of places I wanted to see, a combination of Before Sunrise film locations as well as famous landmarks and museums (in some cases, they fitted in both categories) – and it was a rather eclectic selection.

I took a stroll in the lush gardens of Belvedere before venturing inside and wandering through the museum, admiring paintings and artworks carefully hung on the walls, particularly by renowned Austrian painter Gustav Klimt and his most famous work “The Kiss.” I am not an art expert, but there is something astounding about standing in front of a world-renowned masterpiece, as if being in the presence of greatness could rub off. I had a similar feeling when I was at the Albertina, another art museum in Vienna, looking at paintings by Monet, Picasso and Gauguin – it was almost overwhelming.

I also paid a visit to the Jewish Museum that documents the city’s Jewish life from the Middle Ages to the present day, and let myself be enthralled by the life and paintings, tapestries and architectural designs of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, one of the most important Austrian artists of the 20th century, whose visionary ecological commitment resulted in Vienna’s first “green museum.”

Some monuments I did not even have to seek out, but passed by coincidence, like the Karlskirche, a Baroque church,  St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the striking Opera House and the MuseumsQuartier. Such is the cultural richness of Vienna.

In between taking in bits and pieces of art and culture, I devoured Austrian food and delicacies, from Wiener schnitzel and käsekrainer (a thick sausage filled with small chunks of cheese) to apple strudel, sacher cake (a rich chocolate cake) and kaiserschmarrn, which literally translates as Emperor’s mess and is a fluffy, shredded pancake. Emperor Franz Joseph I had a fondness for this dessert, hence the name.

Vienna’s past as the abode of emperors and kings is palpable and visible at every corner – not only thanks to the many castles and palaces (Schoenbrunn Palace and the Imperial Palace, the Hofburg, being among the most popular) scattered throughout the city, but also through the State Hall, which is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, and the Spanish Riding School where the elegant Lippizaner horses are kept and trained. There is an overall feeling of majesty to Vienna, a modern city that still revels in its splendid and glorious past.

And still I found time to follow in the footsteps of Jesse and Céline: I took a ride in the Ferris Wheel during sunset at Vienna’s amusement park Prater, where the couple shared their first kiss; just like them, I rummaged through endless stacks of records in a record shop; sought refuge in the gothic church Maria am Gestade and I waited patiently in line to get a table at Café Sperl, where they shot one of my favorite scenes of the movie. It felt strangely familiar to sit in this traditional coffee house that I had seen on screen so many times, almost like visiting an old friend. The menu was a revelation: half of the items listed here were different kinds of coffee, and when I ordered the ‘Granny’s Coffee’, the waiter simply nodded, without batting an eyelid.

While I sipped my coffee and read a few pages of my novel, a deep satisfaction took hold of me. I felt content that I had made it to Vienna after all, that it held the same magic for me as it did for Jesse and Céline all those years ago, and that it offered a much-needed respite from my grief-riddled daily routine back home.

What I did enjoy the most about my trip to Vienna, however, was the fact that I mainly discovered the city on foot, not unlike Jesse and Céline. Not only do I always find solace in walking, I also think it is the best way to learn about a city: to sit on a bench in a playground overhearing a group of mothers discuss what the best schools in the neighborhood are; to walk through a park and see dog owners play fetch with their pooches; to pass by a building with a note pinned to the door that reads “after 30 years, we had to close our restaurant, thank you for your loyalty” and to stumble across little shops and cafes off the beaten path.

On my last evening in Vienna, I came back to the hotel around 7 p.m., extremely tired but also exhilarated. When I took off my socks, I noticed a reddish stain. It was only then that I realized I had bloody toes after yet another day of walking. 66,000 steps in three days, as my iPhone happily informed me.

In the words of Céline (well, I did change one word in this quote, but it is still highly applicable): “You couldn’t possibly know why a trip like this is so important to my life right now… but it is.”

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