The Kursalon (Kursalon Wien) was designed by Austrian architect Johann Garben in neo-Renaissance style and was originally intended to be used as a spa; just a year after it opened, the hall was given over to music and became the meeting place of choice for Viennese high society. It is known for its nightly repertoire of favorites by Strauss, Schubert, Mozart, and other baroque musicians, played by the Salonorchester Alt Wien, which was founded in 1994. Its concerts—all performed in traditional smock coats and crinolines—are smart affairs and offer a romp through the golden age of Vienna’s classical music tradition in the early 19th century, with waltzes by Strauss accompanied by opera singers and ballet dancers as they perform to much-loved classics such as “The Blue Danube”.
A choice of night-time entertainment packages at the Kursalon includes cocktails or a gastronomic blow-out at the concert hall’s Restaurant Johann before the music starts; in summer open-air concerts take place on the terrace overlooking the Stadtpark. You can also take in the Kursalon’s architecture by joining a Vienna hop-on-hop-off bus tour that includes a stop at the landmark concert hall.
Kursalon Vienna (Kursalon Wien) is located adjacent to the Stadtpark and can be reached from the city center via metro line U4 (Stadtpark stop) and tram lines 1 or 2 (Weihburggasse stop).
The outside of the concert hall can be viewed all day, but to see the interiors you will need to take in an evening concert.
Vienna's other landmark music hall is the Vienna Musikverein (Wiener Musikverein), home to the renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and considered to have among the best acoustics in the world. Designed by Danish architect Theophil Hansen in 1870, the concert hall can seat almost 3,000 spectators in its ornate Golden Hall.
