Klosterneuburg – We are staying in Klosterneuburg, a suburb on the north side of Vienna, just over the hill from the house in Grinzing where we lived for four years. Like Illmitz in the previous post, Vienna appears to be weathering the recession well. There is obvious stimulus money being spent, as many of Vienna’s streets in the First District are torn up for improvements. The Austrians seem to have become Keynesian enough to target much of their stimulus package at infrastructure to get the money moving into the economy quickly. That said, there are other signs of the recession: shops that don’t seem quite as full as they were the last time we visited, and a marked reduction in the number of Turkish and Middle Eastern faces about the city. One assumes they were among the first to be let go.

Shopping on the Graben

Friends in Vienna tell me that, of course, Austria has felt the pain of countries further east because the Austrian banks were and are among the primary lenders in this part of the world. Others say that Austria’s industrial companies seem as busy as ever. One commented that real estate prices really haven’t dropped, especially among high-end properties. The city and the surrounding countryside seem as prosperous as ever. Perhaps income is down slightly, but past savings will keep this economy going for a long while to come.

Tourism note: Vienna itself has enough top sites to keep any visitor occupied, but give some thought to seeing the abbey at Klosterneuburg.  This abbey was founded in the 11th century by the Babenburgs and the Habsburgs added a palace.  The tours are fascinating.

Illmitz – Posts have been delayed thanks to computer problems. Thank you, Microsoft, for the updates that appear to have put me out of action for a few days.

Illmitz Parish Church

Illmitz is a small town near Austria’s Hungarian border by the shores of the Neusiedlersee. We have been coming here for years because of an old friend who makes some of the world’s best late-harvest wines. Willi Opitz makes all sorts of excellent wines, but his dessert wines have established his international reputation. His “Opitz One” red dessert wine has been described as one of the thousand best wines ever made, and I won’t dispute that. Willi’s client list includes British Airways, Prince Charles, Elton John, and the McLaren Formula One racing team. Not currently imported into the United States, you may see Opitz wines soon. For the moment, they are best purchased directly or through Harrod’s in London. If any of my readers know how to work with ATF to import wines, you might want to get in touch with Willi. His website is www.willi-opitz.at.

Willi and his family run a delightful guesthouse, organizing occasional special wine weekends, and his daughter Angela and her partner Iain do fantastic ten-course gourmet dinners in which each course is paired with the appropriate Opitz wine. As Michelin would say, this is worth the journey!

My theme in the last few posts has been the impact of the recession on central European countries. Frankly, I don’t see much of an impact in Illmitz. Not all the wineries are doing well, but many of them haven’t done well for a long time – allowing innovative vintners such as Willi to come to the fore. Tourism must be down, so I assume that the families that rely on it are hurting somewhat. Still, Illmitz appears to be a most prosperous community. And worth a visit.

On to Vienna.