VIENNA FROM WITHIN – MY DIARY OF COLORS, LIGHT, AND MUSIC

Of all the emotions that journeys awaken, I would single out above all the desire to be present, to truly be there, in that specific moment and place, fully aware, with awakened senses. Even when we wander, not knowing what lies around the corner or what our next step will be, we do not feel lost, not in the usual sense of the word. On the contrary, the more “lost” we are in space and time, the more present we become, more conscious of ourselves and of what truly makes us feel alive, like a raw encounter with one’s own being.

The unknown outside of us seems to draw out the familiar within us, and it is precisely through this paradox that we can feel a connection with people whose lives are centuries apart from our own, people of different stories, identities, nations, languages… and yet, the essence remains the same, to break free from various chains, to find meaning and the self in constraining circumstances, to overcome transience, immortalize beauty, and find salvation in art.

That’s why I want to share with you my impressions from recent travels, in particular, about the magnificent places in Vienna that I visited, which left a deep impression on me with their energy, beauty, and aesthetics. This list, of course, is not final as Vienna can hardly be exhausted, but perhaps it will serve you as a signpost or invitation to your own inner exploration, to rediscover those parts of yourself that sometimes get lost in routine and the monotony of everyday life.

1.   THE KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM (MUSEUM OF ART HISTORY)

If you long for an elegant, royal space where everything is devoted to beauty and art, if you are drawn to an academic, historical, artistic setting, to deep festive colors, strong contrasts, rose-red tones, to paintings of great masters and raw emotion, then this is the place for you.

Situated on the magnificent Maria Theresa Square, opposite the Natural History Museum, this temple of human genius and imagination exudes the spirit of past epochs and the eternal power of creativity.

The aesthetic of this place is absolutely flawless. The grand staircases that branch out at the entrance radiate the splendor of bygone eras. The thick golden frames and paintings of masters like Velázquez, Rubens, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian, Vermeer, Bruegel, Le Brun, and others will leave you breathless. You pass through countless epochs, feeling admiration, opulence, poverty, anger, struggle, fire and chill, the scent of earth, flowers, and blood, you feel part of what lies before you, though separated by centuries. The realism in these works is so vivid that you cannot help but wonder how the artist managed to paint every vein, every muscle, every pore, every facial spasm, every glimmer in the eye so clearly, so truthfully, so humanly, without a visible trace of the brushstroke. Everything is raw, powerful, dramatic, beautiful and sad, full of life and death at once.

At the heart of the museum is a charming, elegantly decorated café, a perfect spot to rest for a moment over coffee and a Viennese dessert, your gaze wandering toward the magnificent domed ceilings. This museum should top your list if you wish to be enthralled and to feel immersed in a cinematic, romantic, and at times dark, tragic, and religious energy that ultimately celebrates life and defies transience.

2.   ALBERTINA

For all art lovers, and especially for those enchanted by Impressionism like myself, the Albertina is a must-see. So much beauty is contained within its rooms—so many masterpieces that demand more than a glance. They ask for a moment of silence, contemplation, self-reflection. Every painting deserves at least five minutes of your attention—to absorb it so deeply that you can still see it when you close your eyes.

I always feel a slight pang of guilt if I pass by a painting too quickly, knowing how much labor, emotion, and essence of the artist’s soul have been poured into it. But to truly experience it all in one day is almost impossible. Perhaps the perfect way would be to visit the museum a little each day—choose three or five paintings, sit on a bench, and devote yourself to one cloud, one face, one dress and its layers.

Unlike the monumental and dramatic canvases of the previous museum, it seems to me that here the artist is closer, more present, more vulnerable, the brushstrokes are there, the colors breathe, and the paintings appear more vivid, lighter, more intimate, at least when it comes to the Impressionists and those who came after them. Among the great names that make up this museum are Dürer, da Vinci, Raphael, Rubens, Cézanne, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Picasso, Kandinsky, Matisse, Modigliani and many others. Yet, what left a particular impression on me were the colors and brushstrokes of Monet’s water lilies and his house in Giverny, hidden among the rose bushes, scenes that draw you in from afar with their layers, lightness, and elusive luminosity.

Standing before Monet’s garden, or Van Gogh’s field, or Picasso’s line, you realize how powerful art is—how essential it is, not only for the creator but also for the observer, who leaves inspired, healed, awakened by colors and emotions that mirror his own search for meaning, aesthetics, and passion.

3.   THE AUSTRIAN NATIONAL LIBRARY (ÖSTERREICHISCHE NATIONALBIBLIOTHEK)

If as a child you dreamed of the Disney library that enchanted Belle, if you love the magic of halls steeped in history, mystery, and medieval wisdom—this visit is essential. To touch the walls of this place is to dive into a world of ancient knowledge, to step into a temple of light and secrets, and to feel that if magic exists anywhere, it must dwell here, in this endless ocean of books before you.

Amid baroque vaults and endless rows of volumes—where halls whisper of times gone by, of rulers long gone, of scholars and dreamers—you feel both small and infinite, connected, part of something greater and divine. Each gaze upward at the towering shelves filled with parchment and leather bindings renews faith in the power of knowledge, endurance, and the beauty of human creation. The library houses over 12 million books and documents, from ancient manuscripts and papyri to modern editions. Within this vast treasury, you feel the presence of all those who, centuries before us, sought meaning through words and wisdom.

And for those wishing to prolong the experience, the baroque reading room within the complex invites you to surrender to silence, the scent of paper, and the feeling that you are in a sacred sanctuary of knowledge. It is not merely a library, it is a magical world where time stands still, and man remembers why he began to create, dream and believe.

4.    THE EMPRESS ELISABETH (SISI) MUSEUM, HOFBURG

It might seem unusual to include this museum among artistically inspiring places, but for me, it makes perfect sense. You’ll understand once you learn about the life of this extraordinary empress, whose story, though royal and privileged, was profoundly human, poetic, and tragic—her ideals and struggles timeless and universal. Her beauty and melancholy, her gift for writing and drawing (revealed in the museum), testify once more to the power of art—the only true refuge and bond between all souls.

During our two-hour guided tour, we learned not only historical details but also about her artistic yearning—particularly after the devastating loss of her children. Though we have nothing in common with the 19th-century Empress of Austria, on a human level we can all feel that universal need to create, to transcend suffering, and to find meaning when no wealth or power brings solace.

Her constant travels were marked by restlessness and melancholy, yet through them shone an unquenchable thirst for freedom, a desire to learn languages, explore new cultures, see the world, feel the sea breeze and the infinity of the sky, to escape the constraints of aristocracy and her assigned role as a woman of her era, although one could easily argue that it is the role of women in every era. Perhaps the beauty she possessed, which she tried desperately to preserve through self-denial and discipline, became a kind of curse —an exhausting, lonely, and unreachable mission. Visitors will find excerpts from her poems, where she expresses rebellion against all that sought to confine her:

“I am a seagull — of no land,

I call no shore my home.

I am bound to no place,

I fly from wave to wave.”

Despite her melancholy, this museum is not a story of tragedy, but of love, resilience, and the eternal longing for freedom.

5. THE HUNDERTWASSER MUSEUM (KUNST HAUS WIEN)

I stepped into this museum almost unprepared, with only a few sparse bits of information about the artist, and left completely enchanted — not so much by the works themselves, but by his cosmopolitan, freedom-loving, and adventurous spirit that permeates every line, color, and idea. Friedensreich Hundertwasser (a name he gave himself, which could be translated as “man of a hundred waters”) was a visionary, a rebel, a man ahead of his time, who sought through art and architecture to reconnect humanity with nature.

His ideas, though unusual at first glance, stemmed from a deep awareness of the need for harmony between life, space, and the planet. His buildings and paintings have no straight lines as he believed the straight line was immoral, as he himself used to say, and everything in his art flows, breathes, and grows like nature itself.

“If we do not honor our past, we lose our future.

If we destroy our roots, we cannot grow.”

His life was as fascinating as his work. He fulfilled his childhood dream of sailing the world as captain of his own hand-designed ship, Regentag (“Rainy Day”), where he painted and lived—and he ended his journey in New Zealand, which he called both the end of the world and his spiritual home.

“The line I trace with my feet walking to the museum

Is more important and more beautiful

Than the line I find there hung up on the walls.”

Hundertwasser believed that art has healing power—that colors and shapes can restore balance to humanity and the world. Thus, his Vienna museum is not merely a gallery, but living architecture: walls that breathe, floors that ripple, rooms that speak of freedom and our return to nature.

6.   BELVEDERE PALACE

For most art lovers, the first reason to visit Belvedere is to see Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”—the golden canvas that became synonymous with Viennese romance and the symbol of eternal love. Indeed, all eyes are rightly drawn to this painting, controversial for the many interpretations of its intimacy, from romantic to tragic, even violent—adding depth and intrigue to its beauty. Alongside it stands his striking Judith and Holofernes, her triumphant, enigmatic gaze exuding the strength of a femme fatale. Like all of Klimt’s female figures, she is powerful, centrally positioned, undoubtedly taking on the leading role on the canvas.

And when we speak of power, it is impossible to overlook Jacques Louis David’s painting “Napoleon Crossing the Alps”, which you certainly will not pass by without stopping to admire. Napoleon, elevated above the rocks and clouds, exudes a strength that seems to promise he could conquer the entire world; everything about the painting feels defiant, victorious, and precise. In another corner, no less powerful, is Schiele’s “Death and the Maiden”, in stark contrast to Klimt’s golden glow of life and love, it conveys a strong symbolism of the inevitability of death and its shadow that follows us in tension and grip. And of course, there is Kokoschka’s “Tiger-Lion” (in German, Tigerlöwe — a blend of tiger and lion), created as an expression of fear in response to a terrifying and powerful scene he witnessed at the zoo, once seen, it lingers in your mind. Of course, there are also numerous other remarkable works.

Between those grand walls, amid contrast of opulence and silence, I unexpectedly came upon Monet’s Garden in Giverny—a luminous canvas I had admired in France just months before. The world from the painting seemed to flow into reality—through imagination, through light, or perhaps through something even greater. Amid the grandeur of baroque halls, Monet’s works appear ethereal, dissolving matter into sun, mist, and color—a meditation on the fleeting, fragile beauty of existence.

Don’t forget to look up—the art of Belvedere lives not only on its walls but also in its baroque frescoes and architectural rhythm. From the upper palace windows, the perfectly symmetrical gardens stretch toward the city—a view worthy of the finest cinematic scene. Belvedere is, in that sense, more than a museum—it is a dialogue between eras, between the splendor of past empires and the luminous poetry of Impressionism, all intertwined within this magnificent palace.

7.   THE ORIGIN OF LIGHT – LIGHT SHOW AT THE VOTIVKIRCHE

Check out short clips from this spectacle on my Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/ninasekulovicmne/

Whether you are an artist, a believer, or simply an aesthete longing for color and new experiences, you must not miss this spectacle if you find yourself in Vienna. The Origin of Light is a breathtaking harmony of color and music that transforms the neo-Gothic church into a radiant temple of modern, therapeutic, and ecstatic experience.

If you love bold contrasts, colorful stained glass, and energy that unites art and spirituality, be sure to book your tickets in advance for this 30-minute immersion in light and sound. The Votivkirche (Votive Church), in all its neo-Gothic elegance, becomes a canvas where light awakens emotions—from silent contemplation to pure ecstasy.

Surrounded by a kaleidoscope of beams and sound waves, you feel everything disappear, time, space, thought, until only the feeling of pure presence remains. Each color has its own frequency, each note its own resonance, and together they create an experience that feels like meditation. If I lived in Vienna, I would probably attend this event every week, as it awakens a sense of connection, peace, and testifies to divine and artistic power.

Of course, these are only some of Vienna’s countless places worth mentioning. I would love to hear about yours—especially those where you felt harmony, music, peace—places that inspired you, made you reflect, or radiated that unique creative and healing energy.

Until my next travel diary.✨