Vienna is a vibrant and lively city that proudly displays its grandeur and glamour. As Austria’s capital and most populous city, the area draws in millions of visitors and tourists each year. People come from all over the world to see its impressive palaces, explore its landmarks, and attend concerts in its historic concert halls, as well as learn about centuries of culture and history that gives context to each place. However, what many don’t seem to realize is that right behind the picturesque sites, there is a complete other side of the city–a whole different world that not many seem to know about. This world is quieter, greener, and surprisingly unknown, even to people who venture to Vienna often. Personally, while exploring the many popular attractions of the city, I would have never stumbled upon the other side of Vienna without the help of a friend who calls Austria his home.
Mio Moser, a sixteen year old living just outside of Vienna, attends the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. I met Mio years ago, when he used to live in upstate New York and attended the same music program as I did. When I received the opportunity to travel to Vienna to perform in its famous hall, the Musikverein, I reached out to him to be my pianist. He offered to show me around the lesser known parts of the city while I was there, and explain how each spot connected to the deep history of music in Austria. One morning, he had me take a bus down and meet him near the edge of the city–“we’re going hiking!”, he said, taking me into a small path veiled by towering green trees.
The air was chilly and crisp as we walked into the path, which seemed to lead into the middle of nowhere. At first glance, the scenery would seem unremarkable, just some grass and trees and squirrels like you could find if you traveled just an hour or two outside of New York City. But within just a few minutes of walking up a steep incline, the noise of the traffic from just a mile away faded out and was replaced by the birds’ singing and the trickling of a river. In just a few minutes, Mio had led me to an entirely different Vienna.
As we continued along, going farther up the hill and deeper into the slim path, I took in the sights and sounds around me, noticing the canopy of leaves hanging down from the tall European beech trees, casting shadows that shifted and danced over the ground. According to Moser, we were venturing into “Wienerwald,” or the Vienna Woods–a huge, outstretching expanse of beautiful green forest that stretches all around the edge of the west side of the city.
The cool breeze whistled through the tree limbs, and the feeling of being in such a quiet, perfect place just a few bus stops away from the bustling Ringstrasse boulevard was surreal. Here, there were no crowds, no artificial sounds, and no cameras, just a few locals running or walking their dogs that Mio politely greeted as we passed. He told me to do the same, and while being acknowledged nicely by another hiker, I appreciated the differences between New York City and Vienna even more.
Moving forward on our walk, Moser began to explain how these woods, an often forgotten but beautiful part of the city, are deeply connected to Vienna’s musical history as well. As the home of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Schubert, and countless other famous composers, Vienna has always been one of the greatest cities for musicians. “A lot of composers and musicians went into the woods or mountains to gain musical inspiration and flee the bustling cities. Many would increase their stay in Vienna by months, and they would choose to rent cottages in alpine villages, to deliberately seek out the peace and freedom of life in the countryside.”
As we paused to look down at the view, Moser mentioned that “even Beethoven took long, calming walks out here when he needed some inspiration. He even worked on his symphonies right after wandering through places just like this.” I was surprised, imagining Beethoven meandering through the same places I was standing an entire two centuries ago. “Out here?”
Moser nodded. Through my first walk in the outskirts of the beautiful but busy city of Vienna, I learned that the rich musical history of Austria was not just in concert halls like the Musikverein, or gift shops selling wind-up Mozart music boxes. The music of Vienna is in the forests, in the rhythm of your footsteps, and in the wind whistling through the trees.
The Vienna Woods, or Wienerwald, may not come up in many of the top tourist guides seen online, but they still remain one of the most defining, beautiful, and yet overlooked features of the busy and famous city. Just a short ride from the middle of the city, these serene and outstretching forests offer both a natural retreat from city life and a significant and powerful connection to Austria’s cultural history. Stretching across the entirety of the western edge of the city, the unassuming woods are woven with walking paths, hidden benches, color changing leaves, and flowing rivers.
The woods are a dramatic contrast to the grandeur and formality of the capital’s imperial architecture. “Some of the buildings are so harsh… So I come up here when I need a break. A lot less tourists than you would think are ever able to discover the woods, and even then they usually don’t know its history,” Moser said, “but I come up here when I want to feel the most connected to Austria.”
Few visitors of the city realize that some of history’s most famous and renowned composers took inspiration from spending time in the woods, despite visiting specifically for the culture of Austria, which is heavily influenced by its history of classical music. Johannes Brahms famously spent time thinking in Bad Ischl, and Ludwig van Beethoven in Heiligenstadt. These moments in nature were essential to their creative processes when drafting the famous works we listen to today. The fresh air, singing of birds, and whispers of trees would have served as inspiration, and the landscapes would become intertwined with their music itself. In this way, walking through the Vienna woods, one can feel a connection to both nature and music from its history.
These days, both locals and tourists alike undertake countless treks in search of inspiration, creativity, or simply quality time, if tourists are able to find their way into these reclusive trails. Moser said that, “I’ve heard that if they are able to find them, many tourists find out that this is one of the greatest parts of Vienna.” Ever since their connection to rail networks from the 1850s onward, the mountains have served as a source of inspiration for anyone that is lucky enough to come across them.
Today, the Wienerwald still serves as a place of reflection, contemplation, and calm for a lot of local residents. Joggers, dog walkers, and musicians alike all visit the trails often, making them an incredibly special part of the city where people can relax, connect, and ultimately just enjoy nature. As the seasons change and the forest’s colors shift, the constant music in the forest serves as a reminder of the deep history in Vienna and the hidden beauty of its hiking trails.
Through my first walk in the outskirts of the beautiful but busy city of Vienna, I learned that the rich musical history of Austria was not just in concert halls like the Musikverein, or gift shops selling wind-up Mozart music boxes. The music of Vienna is in the forests, in the rhythm of your footsteps, and in the wind whistling through the trees.
Through my first walk in the outskirts of the beautiful but busy city of Vienna, I learned that the rich musical history of Austria was not just in concert halls like the Musikverein, or gift shops selling wind-up Mozart music boxes. The music of Vienna is in the forests, in the rhythm of your footsteps, and in the wind whistling through the trees.