Welcome to Vienna Unscripted
by Donna Eacho
Vienna Unscripted is an interview series led by guest columnist Donna Eacho, whose years living in Vienna and continuing ties to the city provide the foundation for conversations with people who know Vienna from the inside. The column features some of Vienna’s most notable personalities, moving from museums, concert halls, and private salons to boutiques, family enterprises, and the hospitality sector. Their stories offer a deeper look at Vienna’s traditions, institutions, neighborhoods, cultural life, and contemporary identity.
This isn’t another “ten things locals recommend” list. It’s an opportunity to listen to local voices. What do people who live, work, and run businesses in Vienna understand about the city that a casual visitor might miss? Which traditions still matter? What’s changed? And what do they wish travelers understood better about the city and the people who call it home?
Donna Eacho on Diplomatic Life, Friendship, and Vienna Unscripted
Interview published on October 6, 2026
In this introductory conversation with The Traveler’s Triptych founder Catherine Barnes, Donna Eacho steps out from behind the interviewer’s chair to reflect on the four years she spent living in Vienna during her husband’s posting as U.S. Ambassador to Austria, the friendships and experiences that keep drawing her back, and the inspiration for Vienna Unscripted.
Dr. Sabine Haag on Vienna’s Museums and Cultural Life
Interview published on October 6, 2026
Former Kunsthistorisches Museum Director General Sabine Haag reflects on Vienna’s extraordinary museums, imperial collections, and cultural traditions, drawing on decades spent among the Habsburg artistic legacy. She also shares the places and experiences she believes can help visitors engage more deeply with the city’s art, history, and everyday cultural life.
Photo: Regine Hendrich, courtesy of Sabine Haag
Herwig Kempinger on the Vienna Secession and Vienna 1900
Interview forthcoming on November 13, 2026
Artist and former Vienna Secession president Herwig Kempinger reflects on the movement’s legacy, Vienna’s modernist architecture, and the newly reimagined Vienna 1900 galleries at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). He also shares the museums, buildings, and cultural landmarks he believes reveal the city most clearly to visitors interested in art, design, and the ideas that shaped modern Vienna.
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