Vienna invites entire Scottish village to decide if Austrian capital is ‘dull’
Residents of Dull will receive royal treatment in January
An Austrian tourist board has invited the residents of a tiny Scottish village for a weekend in Vienna in a bid to prove the city “is not dull”.
On 29 November, representatives from the Vienna Tourist Board personally asked the entire Perthshire village of Dull to visit for free in January.
The tongue-in-cheek “cultural initiative” aims to settle whether the Austrian capital falls flat after Christmas festivities wrap up.
The Vienna Tourist Board said, “who better to judge whether Vienna is 'dull' than the citizens of Dull themselves?”
Dull, population around 100, has sheep-scattered hills and historic former monasteries just east of Loch Tay.
The village is best known for being paired with Boring, Oregon, in the US since 2012.
According to the tourism board, the new year in Vienna is the city’s “liveliest season”. It added that January brings balls, ice skating, Viennese coffee culture, sausage stands and wine taverns not seen in the Scottish countryside.
Every household in Dull received a hand-delivered wax-sealed invitation and Viennese goodie bags from the tourism board last weekend.
The Scottish residents will spend a weekend at Vienna’s renowned Hotel Imperial at the start of the city’s ball season to assess the city’s winter reputation.
“Tailor-made” itineraries feature dance lessons and styling sessions to attend the Vienna Ball of Sciences, exclusive museum and palace tours, opera evenings, visits to the Spanish Riding School and ice skating at the Vienna Ice Dream.
Norbert Kettner, CEO of the Vienna Tourist Board, said: “We’re proud of our museums, our concerts, our balls and our winter magic - but we also enjoy a good sense of humour. January is often considered the dullest month of the calendar, which is exactly why we wanted to bring Dull to Vienna. It’s the perfect opportunity to show how vibrant this season can truly be. We hope many residents will join us, and we’re eager to hear their expert judgment.”
He added: “With this initiative, the Vienna Tourist Board is calling on the residents of Dull to confirm: Vienna is not 'dull' - not even in January.”
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