Jun 11, 2002 11:01 AM
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(Updated Jun 27, 2002 06:09 PM)
“Nowhere else in the world is as easy-going & friendly as Vienna,” say the Viennese with a charming smile. Hospitality is important in Vienna. Where else but in a Viennese café can you sit in peace for 8 hours, drinking a cup of coffee – just one – and still be treated like a king? Once the leading city in Central Europe, today’s Vienna is a modern city robed in 18th-century charm & 19th-century grandeur. The Old World ambience of the city is determined as much by attitude as architecture: The Viennese invented cafe society, and they continue to perfect the art of sophisticated relaxation. Nowhere else in Europe are you so aware of a sense of warmth & friendly comfort. This feeling is so prized by the Viennese that they refer to it by name – gemutlichkeit (literally, coziness). To get the true sense of the word, it is worth spending some time in the cafes, where you’ll see the residents lingering over newspapers, chatting with friends & relaxing over a whipped-cream confection & a rich cup of coffee.