How invites to Vienna brightened up a Dull weekend
It is a tiny Scots village that shot to fame due to its unusual name.
But for villagers in Dull, the weekend was far from boring as they welcomed Austrian delegates bearing gifts and the invitation of a lifetime.
Viennese officials descended on the tiny Perthshire village yesterday to hand-deliver invitations to their home city and woo residents with slices of Austrian cake.
The entire village of around 100 people was asked to travel out to Vienna in January in a bid to prove that the capital city is anything but dull.
Each resident was offered a wax-sealed invitation offering flights, a personalised activity schedule, and lodging in a hotel that has hosted everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to The Rolling Stones.
The document read: ‘It has come to our attention that some people have called Vienna Dull especially in the first few weeks of the year.
‘Though we are sure that we have a lot in common, such as beautiful surroundings, historic buildings and friendly people, we are not quite sure how anyone could get two such unique places mixed up.
‘That’s why we need you to answer this simple question and settle the debate for us: is Vienna anything like Dull?’
Officials from the Vienna Tourist Board hand out their official invitations to the residents of Dull in Perthshire
Dull shot to unlikely fame due to its unusual name, pairing itself with a US town called Boring
Vienna in Austria is a treasure trove of cultural and architectural wonders
Locals were also treated to a goody bag containing a map of the city, a travel kit, and a copy of local magazine, Vienna, Intl.
Dull resident Colin Smith said: ‘The whole village is buzzing – in a very polite, Scottish, not too noisy way – about this Vienna opportunity. We are all hoping the Viennese will not find us overwhelmingly Dull, just the right amount of Dull to be charming.’
The village is a perfect fit for the light-hearted experiment, having previously paired with Boring in Oregon, USA, and Bland in New South Wales, Australia, in a nod to their unfortunate names.
The three areas formed an informal partnership called the League of Extraordinary Communities, and created a special ‘Bland, Dull & Boring Day’ which is celebrated on August 9. Mr Smith joked: ‘Both Bland and Boring came to Dull but Dull hasn’t managed to get a trip of its own yet, so to be invited out all together is really exciting.’
Isabella Graf, campaign manager at Vienna Tourist Board who helped deliver the invitations, added: ‘The people of Dull are wonderfully friendly and welcoming. Everyone is thrilled about the trip to Vienna – especially the children.’
