Vienna enchants in Autumn 2019

From walks and hikes in the Autumnal Vienna Woods, visits to wine taverns and music events, to a magical world of lights at the Vienna Christmas World on Rathausplatz – that's how diverse the city on the Danube can be in Autumn and early winter. Exhibitions, festivals and Advent markets do what they know best to thrill bon vivants in Vienna.

September and October are high season for Viennese wine. The harvest is over, and the "Junge Wiener" of the current vintage is poured in the simple 'Buschenschenken' wine taverns of the wine growing towns on the edge of the city, as is the "Wiener Gemischter Satz". This specialty, which was even awarded the DAC seal of quality in 2013, involves growing the grapes of at least three different white wine varieties and pressing them together. The delicious wines can normally be enjoyed in a wine tavern with hearty home-made food from the buffet. Just as hearty is the food at the Wiener Wiesn-Fest, which runs right next to the Giant Ferris Wheel (September/October) – with beer tent and lively dance music.

At the Albertina, the focus has been on a comprehensive shows of the work of Albrecht Dürer as well as the Austrian painters Maria Lassnig and Arnulf Rainer. The Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna focuses on the brilliant Renaissance artists Caravaggio and Bernini (from mid-October). The Leopold Museum presents Richard Gerstl from the end of September and German ism from mid-November. At the Bank Austria Kunstforum, the focus is on the work of Pierre Bonnard in “The Color of Memory” (“Die Farbe der Erinnerung”) (from mid-October) And the MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art presents Otto Prutscher as “Universal designer of Vienna Modernism” (“Allgestalter der Wiener Moderne”) (from mid-November) as well as “Thonet and modern furniture design” in “Bentwood, versatile” (“Bugholz, vielschichtig”) (from mid-December).

The Vienna Art Week in November turns Vienna into a magnet for art fans with exhibitions, presentations and studio visits (November 18-24). The domestic creative scene presents itself during Vienna Design Week and the Blickfang design fair in October.

Above all, Autumn in Vienna is rich in festivals: Contemporary classical music in all its sophisticated facets can be heard during "Wien Modern". The Vienna Jazzfloor Festival declares November the "Month of Jazz & Blues", while Voice Mania offers outstanding vocal acrobatics. Shortly before Christmas, the classical concert "Christmas in Vienna" creates a romantic mood. At the end of October/beginning of November, Vienna's Viennale film festival is highly acclaimed by cinema-goers from around the world.

People who are drawn outdoors on sunny Autumn days will find many promising spots on a walk in the Lainz Game Reserve or on one of the city hiking trails in the Vienna Woods on the edge of the city. From mid-November, a skating rink and light installations in the adjacent park set the mood for the Vienna Christmas World at Rathausplatz. Thousands of lights create an atmospheric ambience as Christmas decorations in Vienna's Old City and shopping streets. Romance and enjoyment come together at the Advent markets. The biggest of these is the traditional Christmas Market during the Vienna Christmas World. The Christmas markets in front of Schönbrunn Palace and the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna enchant against an imperial backdrop, while the market on Spittelberg derives its charm from the ambience of the old Biedermeier district.