In association with: Austrian National Tourist Office
A visit to Vienna is always special, but in 2023, the 150th anniversary of the 1873 World’s Fair will make a trip to the Austrian capital more special than ever
The Vienna World’s Fair of 1873 transformed an already exhilarating European city of culture and intellectualism into a global metropolitan hub. Vienna’s construction boom encompassed a clutch of lovely hotels, including the legendary Hotel Imperial, classic coffee houses like the Café Landtmann, and cultural institutions such as the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (KHM) and MAK – Museum of Applied Arts Vienna.
First models of both of these were presented at the fair. In 2023, Vienna is marking the imaginative, progressive spirit of the fair with a range of new attractions and refurbishments across the city for your clients to enjoy.
Marking the milestone
At Prater Park, the new Panorama Vienna exhibition venue will emulate the fair’s original rotunda, the largest dome in the world at the time, with a new space showing vast artworks and images in the form of giant 360-degree panoramas.
The Museum of Applied Arts gets in on the fun with two exhibitions referencing 1873, one focusing on the trend towards Orientalism that was triggered by the fair. The other celebrates the astonishing crystal glass work of Viennese manufacturer J&L Lobmeyr, which marks 200 years in 2023.
Other museums will commemorate the fair with exhibitions such as Women at Work – 150 Years of the Women’s Pavilion of the Vienna World’s Fair. A room in the Weltmuseum (World Museum) is dedicated to the Vienna World’s Fair, themed on Japan, as the fair was the first time Japan presented itself in detail to the world. Music is represented with the House of Strauss, a new concerts and events venue in the historic Casino Zögernitz which will also contain a museum dedicated to the Strauss dynasty.
And towards the end of the year, the Wien Museum will reopen in a fully remodelled space that will beautifully display its unique collection of high-quality works of art and historic exhibits. All in all, 2023 will be a fantastic year for Vienna – and everyone who visits it. Make sure your clients don’t miss out on the fun.
Stately homes from home
Vienna’s range of hotels offers accommodation at every price point, but for a truly special stay, direct clients to the iconic Hotel Imperial, built for the World’s Fair. Charlie Chaplin loved it, saying: “I have never had such a beautiful room in any hotel in the world.”
Other luxurious alternatives include Palais Hansen Kempinski, the Ritz-Carlton Vienna and Rosewood Vienna.
PICTURES: Wien Tourismus/Paul Bauer, Peter Rigaud