There are lots of things that fascinates me in this city. But most of all magic is what attracts me to come back over and over again. Hardly I will explore this city completely even after few years of living in it. The magic starts from big white windmills near the first sign to the country called Österreich or as we used to call it Austria. It continues with street name tags made in gothic type and goes to popular Graben street. But it never stops.

This city is royal white, it has many rules we all have to follow, it is strict, very direct in everything, and you can’t just simply resist its charm. You may feel the freedom, standing inside smartly designed buildings, where everything has its place. It’s good for people who don’t know where is their place as well. Try Vienna, this city knows where you belong.

I was not fully prepared for my first meeting with Vienna several years ago. I was coming back from France to Ukraine, and I had only one day to visit Austria. I have not known about its magic back then. For God sake, I did not know even that they speak German and its original name Wien. Vienna, or as we call it in Ukraine – Viden, met me with rain. It was beautiful.

In my experience, rain suits only a few cities, all are my favorites. The rain seemed like a white wedding veil that covered all city. The veil of Elizabeth, the Empress Sisi, beloved empress of empire. I read somewhere that this proud beautiful woman did not love Vienna as much as Vienna did. The same feelings she had for her husband, Franz Joseph. But, the emperor and the city could not stop adoring her. Sisi’s spirit is everywhere here. Vienna is like one big monument to the woman like a once rejected man ready to love his woman no matter what. It still keeps Sisi’s smell, which you can find in perfume bottles in every souvenir shop, Sisi’s favorite sweets sugar violets, Sisi’s music, her hair brushes, and so on. You can find her portraits everywhere, staring at you from pins, pencils, and wallets to umbrellas and plates.

Another big love of Vienna is horses. And I can see they treat these animals like royals. You can also check it by yourself. Their horses live in stables inside the palace. There is a thin glass wall so everyone can observe them.

The magic spirit is everywhere, in its rich history, beautiful culture, classic music that you can hear from everywhere, tasty chocolate cake Zacher, coffee, and feel under your feet, walking on grey paving stones.