30% more Indians this year in Vienna

Vienna, the genteel city with fabulous castles, lakes and palaces has attracted as many as 47,465 visitors from India in the first 10 months of 2016, registering an increase of 30.4 percent over the corresponding period last year. Tourists from India accounted for 102,701 overnight stays between January and October 2016, each visitor clocking an average of 2.16 nights, according to Vienna Tourist Board (VTB).

Indians love to stroll around the fabulously green city, with half its metro area dotted with 2,000 green spaces. There’s plenty of heartwarming India connections to the Austrian capital. Zubin Mehta, the most conspicuous face of India in Vienna, conducting the premiere of Verdi’s Falstaff on December 7, 9, 12 and 15.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil shot from Vienna — Pic Courtesy Google

The romantic movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was shot in the Austrian capital and released in India, providing glimpses of the city’s charm. Indians would love to visit the locations of Karan Johar’s film starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai which the Vienna Film Commission had helped him finalize.

Located in the heart of Europe, Vienna has the right mix of culture, diversity and modernity. The city represents North European lifestyle and South European efficiency. It’s a multi-dimensional city that appeals to a diverse section of Indian tourists, right from young travellers to honeymooners to families.

Vienna’s USP is that it’s a safe haven for travellers, especially women. It’s a pedestrian friendly, cycle friendly city, known for its amiable residents. Vienna was named the world’s most livable city for the seventh consecutive year by global consulting firm Mercer in 2015.

Dance in Vienna

Vienna is as famous for its ball tradition as its music: each year more than 450 dances take place in the city, offering more than 2,000 hours of dance floor action between them. Recent years have seen the emergence of a new crop of events, which have added a zing and swing to the capital’s time-honoured ballrooms. Dancing in Vienna is not confined to the waltz – more contemporary sounds also hold sway. The HipHop Ball, on January 28, 2017 at the Kursalon Wien brings together two musical worlds as classical meets hip hop and guests are free to pair their ball gowns and tuxedos with sneakers if they feel like it.

Vienna Ice World

The Vienna Ice World, an 8,000 square metre ice landscape, comes alive at Vienna Town Hall Square between January and March each year, turning into a paradise for ice skaters of every age.The brilliantly illuminated ice rink, delivers entertaining winter enjoyment for skating fans. Both families and sports buffs seeking action on the ice get their money’s worth here. A free practice area is available for young ice skaters from Monday to Friday, from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm. At 5.00 pm, it transforms into eight curling lanes, where sporty curlers can put their skills to the test. There are 2,000 pairs of ice skates (all pre-heated with warm air) for rent on site.

In the rhythm of Vienna: Exciting line up for 2017
From classical to contemporary, Vienna is a delight for music lovers. 2017 is a year of musical jubilees in Vienna, a city with a rich musical heritage and a thriving modern scene. In addition to 150 years of the Blue Danube waltz, 175 years of the Vienna Philharmonic upcoming musical milestones include the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Vienna Boys’ Choir’s MuTh concert hall, 200 years of the University of Music and Performing Arts. There is also an imperial jubilee in 2017, the 300th anniversary of Empress Maria Theresa’s birth.

How To Get There
Air India offers a thrice-a-week direct flight from Delhi from Vienna and back. For those embarking from Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore leading Airlines — Air India, British Airways,Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa,Swiss, and Turkish — offer connections with just a small stop en route.