DOWN BY THE RIVER

posted by James Reel

    Jessica Duchen goes to Vienna for New Year’s and reports that “the strangest thing is that you can spend a happy holiday in Vienna without setting eyes on that famous river even once. If you want to see the Beautiful Blue Danube at its finest, go to Budapest.” Yes, it’s strange but true, and not just because the Danube cuts through a part of the city at some distance from the old walled town and the equally touristed Ringstrasse. Because of a combination of geography (Vienna is built on low rolling hills that obscure the view of the river below), topography (trees galore as you approach the Danube!) and architecture (the buildings are just barely tall enough to block any view that might otherwise be available), you can’t even see the Danube well from a cabin atop the giant ferris wheel at the Prater. The good news is that you can see the Vienna Woods from all over the city, since the hills gain elevation as they head toward the Alps.
    In Budapest, in contrast, the Danube flows right through a heavily trafficked part of the city (formerly three towns, two of which were separated by the river, which for centuries was crossed only with some difficulty). But note: The Danube is not a beautiful blue; it’s more a greenish gray. So much for the romance of Johann Strauss Jr.