Vienna: The City of Music and History

Vienna is a city that wears its imperial past with an effortless elegance. The Ringstraße boulevard, commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph in the 1860s, links the Opera House, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Parliament, and the City Hall in a single grand sweep — a statement of power that still impresses 150 years later.

For music lovers, Vienna is a pilgrimage. Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, and Mahler all lived and worked here. The Vienna Philharmonic performs at the Musikverein, which has one of the greatest acoustic concert halls in the world. Standing tickets for regular season concerts are available for just €6 — one of the great cultural bargains in Europe.

Beyond the grand boulevards, Vienna rewards slow exploration. The Naschmarkt is a 1.5-kilometre open-air market selling everything from Austrian cheeses and smoked meats to Middle Eastern spices and Japanese street food. Saturday morning is the best time to visit, when the antique flea market at the far end adds another dimension.

The Viennese coffee house is an institution unto itself. Unlike a modern café, these are places where you can sit for three hours over a single Melange, reading a newspaper from the wooden rack on the wall, without anyone asking you to leave. Café Central and Café Hawelka are the most famous; Café Prückel in the 1st district is the most authentic.