Vienna Translates Gold into Sound for World Sleep Day

This World Sleep Day, Vienna brings its destination’s soundtrack to help address sleep deprivation. With Vienna Gold Noise, the Vienna Tourist Board together with Jung von Matt DONAU scientifically transforms the shimmering gold of Vienna’s most iconic landmarks into immersive sleep soundscapes. The playlist is now available on Spotify in the lead-up to World Sleep Day on March 13.

A recent University of Pennsylvania study suggests popular “pink noise” found on many apps is actually detrimental for sleep, but Vienna’s newest playlist offers effective “gold noise” backed by research to lull individuals to dreamland.

This warm, human-centered audio experience is rooted in art, science, and centuries of cultural heritage.

From Light to Sound: Making Vienna’s Gold Audible
The idea builds on the global boom in sleep and relaxation audio. But instead of relying on generic sound loops and potentially harmful “pink noise,” Vienna’s approach is precise and poetic.

Scientists from the TU Wien (Research Group “Novel Electronic Materials and Concepts”) measured the reflective light frequencies of gold surfaces of four iconic Viennese landmarks using high-resolution spectrometry. In short, by translating the frequency of light reflected from these surfaces into audible sound waves, they sonified the gold for human ears.

Vienna Gold Noise allows listeners to hear the “sounds” of golden edifices and works, including:
Vienna State Opera
Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” (Belvedere Museum)
The Imperial Crown (Imperial Treasury)
Otto Wagner’s Church at Steinhof

Norbert Kettner, CEO of the Vienna Tourist Board, explains: “Rest has become a new luxury good. Especially when we travel, we seek experiences that enrich us, not exhaust us. Vienna Gold Noise positions Vienna as a city of deceleration and cultural depth, meeting a global wellness trend with authenticity and innovation. With Vienna Gold Noise, Vienna does not just invite travelers to see the city. It invites them to hear it — and fall asleep to its gold.”
Stefan Bauernberger, Creative Director at Jung von Matt DONAU adds: “By using Vienna's golden treasures as instruments, we're offering the world an unheard-of perspective that will potentially enrich people's lives. From a creative's perspective, this is the work we live for.”

Designed for Deep Rest
Across four five-minute tracks, the golden frequencies are combined with a uniquely Viennese layer: newly recorded humming passages performed by the Vienna Boys Choir and Vienna Girls Choir. Their slowed, wordless interpretation of Brahms’ Lullaby is woven in, accompanied by gentle breathing and subtle human textures.

Composer and university music professor, Walter Werzowa, founder of HealthTunes, said: “Every gold surface has a unique spectral signature. By translating those light frequencies into audible sound, we’re allowing people to hear what they normally only see, turning Vienna’s cultural icons into an immersive sonic experience.”

Launch & Availability
Vienna Gold Noise went live on Spotify on March 5, 2026, supported by Spotify and Instagram video placements and timed around U.S. daylight saving changes and World Sleep Day on March 13th. Visitors can access the Spotify playlist here.

In addition, select Viennese luxury hotels will be integrating the playlist directly into in-room systems, digital guest folders, turndown rituals, and pillow menus, extending the experience from headphones to hospitality. One luxury hotel in Vienna, the ALMANAC Palais Vienna, has even created a dedicated Sleep Sanctuary Package that combines relaxation rituals, aromatherapy, and the ‘Vienna Gold Noise’ sleep soundscape to support deeper, more restorative sleep.

At Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), ‘Vienna Gold Noise’ has been integrated into the Railnet system on all Nightjet services and is accessible via QR code, while it will also be available through the onboard service of Austrian Airlines starting in June.