So, now that you know why to go, let’s discuss where you should plan to visit. And it makes the Austrian capital a unicorn amongst A-list European destinations. That said - this feeling, confirmed by other experienced travelers, is something I’d call this a quantifiable element in Vienna. Granted, I was there off-season (early February), so your mileage may vary. Visitors spend less time and energy overcoming crowds and noise, and rarely suffer input fatigue. It’s delightful, and, more importantly, it’s a quality that makes every other experience quantifiably easier and more enjoyable. Even amidst the traffic and crowds, everything is somehow not very loud or frenetic. And so it was that on my first day wandering around Vienna, before turning on a microphone or donning my headphones, it struck me completely out of the clear blue sky (literally) that, “This is a really sedate city.” By that I meant that Vienna is not just quiet, but there’s a blissfully unhurried, casual, quiet and respectful vibe about the place.Ĭoming from Dublin, where the touristy parts of town are flooded with people partying and having a good time, and everything feels busy, noisy, and harried all the time, I find Vienna relaxed and - kind of soft and gentle. In my other life as a sound designer, I experience the world through sound I listen to everything. If the goal of travel and vacation is to get away from our everyday lives for a while, eat good food, see new things, and relax, then Vienna, with its schnitzel, Sacher-Torte, Spanish Riding School, and spectacular museums, may be the unsung hero of Europe’s A-List.

Vienna waits for you