Vienna

Palaces and Grand Boulevards

The sweeping Ringstrasse loops around the old town, lined with monumental museums, the State Opera and the neo gothic City Hall. At its centre stands the Hofburg, the emperors' winter residence, while the baroque palace of Schönbrunn spreads its gardens across the western edge of the city. Crowning it all is the soaring spire of St. Stephen's Cathedral.

A City of Music and Art

Few places have shaped music like Vienna, home to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and the waltzing Strauss family. The Musikverein and the State Opera fill the calendar with concerts, and every New Year the Philharmonic plays to the world. Art lovers can lose themselves in Klimt's golden masterpieces at the Belvedere or the sprawling galleries of the MuseumsQuartier.

Coffee, Cake and Green Escapes

Viennese life slows down in its grand coffee houses, where a Melange and a slice of Sachertorte can fill a whole afternoon. When the weather warms, locals head to the Prater with its famous Ferris wheel, or out to the leafy hills of the Vienna Woods. There, rustic wine taverns called Heuriger pour the season's young vintages well into the evening.