Still optimistic that somewhere in the Vienna environs a satisfying swim awaited us, we boarded the U-Bahn yesterday heading west for the Wienerwald.
Our first stop, after a short bus connection, was the lovely wine-making village of Heiligenstadt. Since the 1780s it's been known for its medicinal springs. Beethoven came here repeatedly, so we spent some time in one of his apartments. In 1802 he arrived in hopes of restoring some of his hearing. When those hopes were dashed, he wrote his private (and posthumously famous) "Heiligenstadt Testament" -- a heartbreaker. It wasn't all despair, however. He also finished his second symphony here.
Another brief bus-ride took us up to the village of Kahlenberg, and some breathtaking views over the city and the surrounding Wienerwald hills and vineyards.
Finally, we stopped off at Krapenwaldlbad, for a first-hand experience of those mineral baths. We found a facility from the 1920s, complete with pool-side sculptures, cafes, more astonishing vistas, and a family-friendly atmosphere -- all at very little expense. We decided that it pretty well serves as a definition of the term "Quality of Life."
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