The Vienna Tourist Board has invited the entire Scottish village of Dull to visit the Austrian capital for a weekend in January, aiming to prove that Vienna is not dull. On 29 November, representatives personally delivered wax-sealed invitations and Viennese goodie bags to every household in the Perthshire village, which has a population of around 100.
The tongue-in-cheek initiative seeks to settle whether Vienna falls flat after the Christmas festivities. 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.'
Dull, located east of Loch Tay, is best known for being twinned with Boring, Oregon, in the United States since 2012. The tourism board noted that January in Vienna brings balls, ice skating, coffee culture, sausage stands and wine taverns not seen in the Scottish countryside.
The residents will stay at the Hotel Imperial and follow a tailor-made itinerary including dance lessons, styling sessions for the Vienna Ball of Sciences, museum and palace tours, opera evenings, a visit to the Spanish Riding School and ice skating at the Vienna Ice Dream. Kettner added: 'We hope many residents will join us, and we’re eager to hear their expert judgment.'
