Kursalon Vienna

Vienna’s most beautiful concert hall was completed in 1867 on the edge of the Stadtpark (City Park), close to the gilded statue of composer Johann Strauss, whose music is enjoyed there nightly. The Kursalon was designed by Austrian architect Johann Garben in Neo-Renaissance style and its original use was as a spa; just a year after it opened it was given over to music and became the meeting place of choice for Viennese high society.
Recently given a facelift, the Kursalon is now returned to its gleaming, romantic best and its halls once more drip with chandeliers and elegant stucco decoration. It is known for its nightly repertoire of favorites from Strauss, Schubert, Mozart and other Baroque musicians, played by the Salonorchestra 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.

Practical Info

The Kursalon music hall is at Johannesgasse 33 in Vienna’s Stadtpark (City Park) and opens every night at 7:45pm for concerts starting at 8:15pm. Concert ticket prices range from €40 to to €120 according to package and the dress code is smart. Get there by Metro U4 to Stadtpark or tram Lines 1 or 2 to Weihburggasse.