Vienna, Austria

Vienna is a place that will stop you in your tracks from the moment you arrive. It’s unlike any other European city I’ve before to before. In fact, unlike any other city I’ve ever been to…ever. The deep rooted history seeps in the pores of the arched doorways and bright hues of colors subtly splashed on the buildings. It’s thriving and bustling with hip neighborhoods and old landmarks and museums. It’s stunning.

To add to Vienna’s beauty, the city is green. As in, waste reducing, environmentally conscious, green thumb friendly. And it’s a huge part of who Vienna is.

Once considered an oxymoron, luxury and eco-friendly practices can coexist. Hotel Topazz and Hotel Lameè of the LENIKUS Hotel Collection Group are proof that the two can seamlessly combine. Hotel Topazz in particular prides itself in having Vienna’s first green luxury boutique hotel.

Located directly in front of the historic St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the lavishly designed Hotel Topazz situates itself perfectly. The hotel was built using all renewable resources and green materials wherever, whenever possible. The hotel group also only uses locally sourced food in their sister hotel and restaurant across the street Cafe Bar Bloom at Hotel Lameé. Their innovative thinking and green thumb prints makes LENIKUS impressively ahead of the game. As a perfect place to unwind from the excitement of Vienna’s city vibes, you can rest assure knowing you’re in a green (and luxurious) space.

Another big game changer happening in Vienna is their food scene. Once known for serving up plates of schnitzels and mouth-watering baked desserts (and still are), are now being replaced. Think: plates of farm to table, sustainable dishes.

Chefs from around the world are re-establishing themselves to Vienna as the restaurant scene continues to grow. As more and more people become curious about what’s in their food and where it comes from, eco- conscious places are opening on the regular. Enter, Labstelle.

This fine dining restaurant is another example that luxury and good-for-you practices can coexist. Head chef Kristijan Bacvanin and his team are believers in creating everything from scratch. You’ll find everything from their own baked bread, hand-made syrups, pickled vegetables all home-made. Their meats are also all handled in the belief of “slow food.” That meaning, sustainability through short transport routes, as well as having all of their meats cured in their own smokehouse. Their menu states everything is just a stone’s throw away from the cellar- and literally, it’s just that.

With green spaces throughout the city, wherever you do end up finding yourself in Vienna, one thing is for sure- this city is truly magical. And as the city continues to go through this transformation of becoming a pioneer in the green market, luxury hotels and fine-dining restaurants are in no sign of slowing down. So as we see major publications such as USA Today and Forbes boasting the top reasons why you should go, do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself.