Photo by oh_fluff!

Would you dare spend your Friday evening inside the church? For the third time in Austria, Christian factions are inviting the public to stay for a night of free exhibitions, shows, fairs, and concerts.

Lange Nacht der Kirchen, which takes places tonight, June 1, aims to lure the non-faithful back into the fold. This time, Salzburg, Graz, and Klagenfurt will join in the hoopla, opening their doors until midnight.

Currently, more than a quarter of the inhabitants without religion on their sleeves are living in Vienna. With Christianity slowly losing ground on the continent, religious groups would like attendees of the event to know more about their churches. Aside from the prominent Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern European Orthodox and the Anglican groups are also participating.

The purpose of the event is not necessarily to preach the Gospel, but to celebrate the beauty found in religion though arts and music. One of the highlights is the concert of Wiener Philharmoniker at the Hofburg Chapel that starts at 6 p.m. in the First District performing from Haydn to Beethoven.

Visit the website to know more about the event and to check out the whole program.

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Photo by netmyller

Centuries ago, when Vienna was the center of music and the best composers felt compelled to come to town, prodigies and wannabes set their eyes on the city and dreamed that one day, they, too, would be celebrated in the Austrian capital—and later, around the world.

Fast forwarded to today. Vienna’s days as the center of the music world are past. Happily, however, there’s the Haus der Musik on Seilerstätte Street 30 in the First District. The museum represents and documents Vienna’s musical traditions.

Aside from the regular exhibitions, concerts, press conferences, podium discussions, and special children’s programs, the Haus der Musik boasts a virtual Dirigentenpult (virtual conductor room) where visitors can pretend that they’re legendary Austrian Meisterdirigent Herbert von Karajan conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker.

Starting this month, the Haus der Musik also offers a yearly membership card for a price of €27 per person. Card owners gets a 10 percent discount at the Mozart House in Vienna and free entry to the monthly Haus der Musik concerts and other musical and culinary museum events.

Though budget-seekers might find the €10 entrance fee a bit pricey, the museum provides a great way to enjoy the music of the early masters. Discounts are available for students, seniors, and children under the age of 12 and almost free for kids under three.

Haus der Musik opens from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more info, call +43-1-516-48 or email info@hdm.at.

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