My last post, Ball Season in Vienna, mentioned that my husband and I were going to attend the second largest ball in Vienna on Friday.
Let me tell you. Austrians know how to throw a party. The ball was fabulous!
We got dressed in our formal wear, grabbed a taxi, and headed on over to the Hofburg where the ball was hosted. The Hofburg is the palace where the old Imperial family once upon a time worked and lived. It’s a must for any tourist and you can check out the website here www.hofburg-wien.at
Hofburg Vienna
So yes, the ball we attended was hosted in an Imperial palace! Below is a photo of the entrance hall.
Enterance-hall-hofburg-vienna
We entered and then went up the pretty staircase and were immediately served champagne. Paul got a coffee that was so beautifully prepared it was amazing, and tasted good too. We hung out a bit and watched the people walk around in their formal wear. People were friendly and strangers were open to chatting with one another.
The doors to the main room were opened then and everyone poured in. Paul and I followed the crowd and ended up getting lucky. We got a spot where we could see all the action. The opening ceremony was ready to begin. First the committee of the ball entered. Then ambassadors from all over the world entered. Then debutantes came in. Speeches were made blah blah blah.
What was a real treat for me was that the famous Vienna Boys Choir came to perform in the opening ceremony. They sang like angels. An opera singer came in and sang like a bird. Dancers came in and performed. Then the debutantes performed the Vienna Waltz with their partners. That was the end of the opening ceremony and it was party time.
Opening Ceremony
We walked through the Hofburg because during the ball, a lot of rooms are open to the guests that are not normally open. The rooms are so beautiful. We got to dance in all of them including the main room, but the ceremony room was the most exquisite for me.
Ceremony Hall
At 2am Paul and I gave up the good fight and went home, even though the party was still in full swing. It was so much fun, and we definitely intend to go again.
Now this blog is titled Op-Expat because it stands for “Opinion Expatriate.” Here is my opinion of the whole affair. Don’t go to a ball in anything less than a tuxedo or a floor length gown. Spend the extra money and go the extra length to look as good as possible.
The men did well. There was not a single man without a tuxedo on. Some even wore white gloves and tails. Even when it was hot in the rooms from all the dancing bodies, no man took off his coat. I was very impressed.
The women. Where to begin here? Well, let me start by being fair. Those few who made the extra effort were put together to perfection. Some of the older ladies were put together so beautifully I could have wept in appreciation for the effort they had gone through to look fabulous. As it should me in my opinion. Don’t half-ass the attendance of a ball.
I’m sad to report though, that the majority of women looked as if they dragged things out of their closet, slapped a few accessories on, pinned their hair up any which way, and attended the ball. It was painful to see a beautiful dress with an ugly shawl or shoes or hair that had not been done.
It’s easy to be a critic though. Here is a photo of Paul and me together. Hopefully I did well with my appearance.
Paul and Britta at Ball
Okay, enough of fashion. On to more interesting things. I was very impressed with the atmosphere of the ball. This was a party, not a stuffy event. Music was not only classical music but the bands played fun hip music too. If you don’t know ballroom dancing who cares! You don’t have to dance ballroom to go to a ball in Vienna. Groove any which way you want.
Snacks were available for breaks between dancing. It was very casual food like sausages and bread. Be forewarned though. Food and drink is extremely expensive at balls. Eat dinner first, then go.
The Viennese are very enthusiastic about their balls and I now understand why. It is a lot of fun to attend and the atmosphere is like nothing else. But beware. There were a few downsides too.
First, there were 5,000 guests at this ball. It was a crush! There were so many bodies moving that sometimes you had to stand in line to get from one room to another. Of course there were idiots who got impatient and shoved their way through, making others like myself, cranky. The dance floors were also very crowded and Austrians aren’t like Americans. They have no problem ramming into one another. Paul is pretty bad about this and he’ll spin me right into another dancing couple. To me this is the height of rudeness and I asked that he not do it. This of course didn’t stop others from doing the same to us. Dancing wasn’t too much fun for me.
Due to the crowds I would forewarn ladies in their dress attire. Don’t make yourself miserable by choosing an overly big skirt or a dress with a train. I saw a few women make this mistake and they were constantly struggling with the crowd and were unhappy.
Overall though, Paul and I really enjoyed ourselves. I would encourage anyone who has a chance to attend a ball in Vienna to do so. It won’t ever be something like you’ve seen in the United States.
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