On a first trip to Vienna, visit the majestic Hofburg palace, Romanesque-Gothic St Stephen's Cathedral and Old Masters at the Museum of Art History. Return to the Austrian capital for fancy boutique shopping on Graben and a colour explosion at modern art museum KunstHaus Wien. And if you need a break from sightseeing, you can always stop for cake in a Viennese coffee house.
Vienna is split into 23 Bezirke districts which spiral clockwise from its historic core, the Innere Stadt. You'll find most attractions clustering in the centre's pedestrianised lanes and squares, including the Hofburg Imperial Palace and the 12th- to 15th-century St Stephen's Cathedral. The Innere Stadt is encircled by the Ringstrasse boulevard, casually known as the Ring. Look out for its 19th-century Neoclassical landmarks like the Vienna State Opera. To the west lies the Neubau district, home of the MuseumsQuartier's world-class galleries and Spittelberg's pulsating bars. In the east you'll find the Leopoldstadt district where the Prater park borders the River Danube.
Get up early to buy picnic snacks at the bustling Naschmarkt market. Or wake up Viennese-style with newspapers, strong espresso coffee and crumbly pastries in an Innere Stadt coffee house. Wander through the cobbled streets to the vast Hofburg palace complex, the heart of the Hapsburg Empire for 600 years. Then head over to the Renaissance-style Museum of Art History for Rembrandt and Caravaggio masterpieces. The Volksgarten's rose gardens offer respite for museum-weary feet. As night falls, dine on crispy Wiener Schnitzel veal steak in a low-beamed Beisl tavern or dress up for the world-acclaimed Vienna State Opera.
Beat the crowds to MuseumsQuartier where the lava-stone MUMOK showcases Warhol artworks and the Leopold Museum Klimt masterpieces. Relax in the tropical Burggarten's Butterfly House or cruise gently along the Danube Canal. If you're an art lover be inspired by Austrian artist Hundertwasser's clashing colours and wonky angles at KunstHaus Wien. Save time to go shopping and splash out on designer fashions in Graben's swish boutiques or hunt down the latest high-street styles on Mariahilferstrasse.
Around 20 million passengers will pass through Vienna International Airport each year. The City Airport Train travels the 16 km (10 miles) northwest into Vienna in just 16 minutes.
