This past season marked a significant milestone: the first official session of The Good Life Abroad in Vienna, Austria. For participants ready to live more than “just a vacation,” this inaugural gathering offered a graceful blend of cultural immersion, community building, and exploration in one of Europe’s most beloved capitals.

A City Perfect for Slow, Meaningful Travel

Vienna—or “Wien” to its locals—offers a beguiling mix of imperial elegance, musical legacy, and a café culture that invites lingering conversation. In this first month, our group settled into life as temporary Viennese: strolling along Ringstrasse boulevards, pausing for a slice of Sachertorte with coffee, and slipping into the rhythm of local markets and hidden courtyards.

The Good Life Abroad’s Vienna program positions itself not as a tourist pass-through but as an invitation to live like a local. Over the month, participants had the time to savor quieter corners of the city, from serene gardens and Danube walks to off-beat alleys that tourists often miss.

Homes Away From Home

One of the hallmarks of the Vienna session was its accommodations. Each Community Member had their own independent apartment. Due to a construction delay, apartments were scattered through the city center. But in 2026 we're back on track to have everyone living in only two buildings.

Each apartment was fully furnished, with modern conveniences like full kitchens, high-speed internet, weekly cleaning, and elevator access. The goal: ease, comfort, and the ability to feel rooted in Vienna, rather than displaced or like a tourist.

The People, the Program, the Pulse

At the heart of this experience was the Community Manager, a local guide, friend and connector who orchestrated events, arranged hidden-gem excursions, and bridged participants to authentic Viennese life. In this first session, that role was filled by Markus, a native Viennese whose background in tourism and hospitality gave him an eye for thoughtful curation.

For the residents, the schedule struck a balance between group gatherings and individual flexibility. Among the experiences:

• A Welcome Reception where introductions and expectations were shared
• A Tuesday Lunch Club, rotating through local restaurants to sample Viennese classics
• Happy (To Be 55+) Hour — weekly social gathering over wine or light fare
• A historical walking tour through Vienna’s core, exploring palaces, hidden courtyards, and streets steeped in centuries of culture
• A waltz lesson, a light nod to the city’s musical legacy
• A cooking workshop to explore Austrian cuisine (think schnitzel, tafelspitz, and desserts)
• A wine tasting session, introducing participants to local Austrian vintage

Such programming allowed participants to dig deeper than surface sightseeing—combining learning, cultural exchange, and play in a way that respected personal pace.

Moments That Mattered

What made this inaugural session truly stand out weren’t the checklist items—they were the small, resonant moments.

• Two travelers struck up a spontaneous friendship over Viennese pastry recipes and now plan to travel together next year.
• A mid-month stroll along the Danube at dusk became an impromptu photo walk, laughter echoing as members compared vantage points.
• During a wine tasting, locals joined the group—bridging worlds, swapping stories, and showing that connection can form over glasses of Grüner Veltliner.
• Participants lingered in cafés after “official” events, continuing conversations about art, life, and the joys of living abroad.

These unscripted connections are exactly what the program aims to catalyze.

Reflections & Future Paths

By the session’s end, members spoke not only of Vienna’s beauty, but of the deeper bonds formed, the newfound confidence in navigating European life, and a renewed sense of possibility. Many expressed surprise that a month could feel both long enough to settle in and fleeting in its passing.

Vienna’s inaugural session sets a compelling precedent. It demonstrated that for older, curious travelers, it’s possible to pace travel with depth, to fuse community with independence, and to live—not just visit—another way of life.

If you’re intrigued by the possibility of living abroad in community, Vienna showed one possible path: elegant, human, culturally rich—and overflowing with possibility.

Andrew Motiwalla

Andrew is the Founder of The Good Life Abroad and has worked in the travel industry for over 30 years. His first experience living abroad was as a Peace Corps volunteer. He is also the Founder of Discover Corps, a company specializing in meaningful vacations for families. Learn More about Andrew Motiwalla