For the first time in my life, I’m starting the year abroad, in Vienna.
New Year’s Eve events throughout Vienna
On this day, there were many events for the New Year at the City Hall Square and Stephans Square. In the daytime, I went to the City Hall Square. There were a lot of food stalls where they were selling glühwein, beer, hotdogs and other drinks, and many people were drinking and chatting in the daytime.
After that, we moved to Stephansplatz by subway. There was a stage here, too, and a concert was held.
Countdown to the New Year at Stephansplatz
In the evening I went back to my apartment and slept for about 3 hours to prepare for the night. Then I went to Stephansplatz, the center of Vienna’s old town, after 11pm. The opera house was performing « Die Fledermaus » and the show was about to end. It was being broadcast live on the screen outside.
After watching the big bat circle for a bit, we headed to the square. It was very crowded and we could not go to the center.
We bought some sparkling wine in the square to celebrate the New Year. It was a beautiful day in Vienna on New Year’s Eve, and most importantly, it was warm! When it’s cold, you want to drink glühwein, but it was so warm that I didn’t feel like it, because sparkling wine is more like New Year. But it was too warm for that.
As the New Year approached, the excitement reached its peak, and about 5 minutes before the show, the stage was ready for the countdown. By this time, it was very difficult to move around.
And the countdown! Happy New Year, Progetto Noyer, was the call of the day.
Right after that, « The Beautiful Blue Danube » was played loudly. Sounds like Vienna! There were also some people dancing the waltz here and there. Of course there were couples, but there were also men dancing together.
Then we went back to our apartment on the Opera side, in the middle of a huge crowd.
Watch the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert Live at the Opera
After 25:00, I went back to my apartment and went to bed. We woke up around 7am and checked out of the apartment after 3 days. The location is great and the apartment is very comfortable. I wrote a review right away. This is the apartment we stayed in. I highly recommend it. We will definitely stay here again next time we are in Vienna.
Breakfast was a little luxurious at Hotel Sacher. However, I ate bread lightly. But after that, I ordered a Sacher Torte. The first breakfast of the new year was a Sacher Torte.
After that, I watched the live broadcast of the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert on the screen next to the Opera House. There were many spectators.
At this time, the ticket sellers who hang around in front of the opera house take a break from their work.
Since I had been to the preview concert two days before, I didn’t feel so excited, but was it my imagination that I felt that there were more people and more excitement two days before?
Still, there are so many Japanese people here that it’s incomparable to two days ago! Is this Japan? I felt like I was in Japan. I don’t know what to say, I’m Japanese too, but it was a bit abnormal. It was a complicated feeling.
Well, the New Year’s Concert at the Opera Screen is only the first part. The reason is that after the concert, we will go to Vienna Central Station and take the 1:10 p.m. train to Prague. From Karlsplatz station, where the opera house is located, to the Hauptbahnhof is two stops on the U1 subway line.
Then I went to Prague. On this night, we listen to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra’s New Year’s Concert. To be continued.
