Several years and a few thousand working hours ago, I remember speaking with a group of colleagues about our favorite vacation destinations. Someone in the room had recently returned from a trip to Vienna, Austria, and I was sold. There was romance in her voice when she described the scenery and the city … more than I’d ever heard anyone talk about a European destination before.

A bit swept away and obviously not caring to keep my thoughts to myself, I remember uttering aloud, “I want to go there.” However, I didn’t give it much thought afterwards. Instead, somewhere in the back of my mind I simply knew I would see Vienna one day.

My opportunity came near the end of last year when a friend and I booked a KLM business-class flight from Washington Dulles to Amsterdam. Although we’d planned time to see the canals, visit the Anne Frank House, and otherwise enjoy the city, we also decided to sneak in a second flight from Amsterdam to Vienna on KLM to extend the trip.

I must say, this turned out to be a brilliant decision.

Not only is Vienna’s city center lovely to the eye with its charming architecture and magnificent layout, its people are warm and welcoming as well.

So many incredible memories were made within the four days we enjoyed together. By accident we caught a mid-week Catholic Mass at St. Stephens Cathedral after hearing the bells toll and wandering inside. We snagged tickets to the ballet and saw a moving performance of Die Kameliendame at the State Opera House. We enjoyed lunch in the ornate rotunda of the Nature and History Museum, toured the Schönbrunn Palace, snacked on late-night schnitzel from an outdoor restaurant patio, and marveled at the luxuriously modern Royal Penthouse Suite inside Park Hyatt Vienna.

Everywhere I turned, there was something exquisite for the eye to see.

Vienna is as enchanting as it is elegant. Even the simplest of coffee houses are lavishly decorated if only for the satisfaction of creating and enjoying something beautiful. I’m certain I’ll continue to write about it several more times before the year is through.

In closing, if you have a place on your bucket list that’s been sitting in the back of your mind, might this be your encouraging nudge to move closer to making that dream a reality today.

Most especially if that bucket-list dream involves a trip to Vienna.

— Carrie Cox, account executive