Vienna, Austria

Vienna is perhaps the most comfortable major European capital for the seasoned traveller \u2014 compact, impeccably clean, extraordinarily safe, with a caf\u00e9 culture that positively encourages sitting for three hours over a single Melange. The city built by the Habsburgs for the glory of empire now dedicates itself entirely to the pleasure of its visitors.

Best months: May\u2013June and September\u2013October. Viennese spring is glorious. Autumn brings the new opera and concert season. December is a legitimate choice \u2014 Vienna\u2019s Christmas markets are among Europe\u2019s finest. July\u2013August is warm and busy but manageable.

Most major attractions lie within or just outside the Ringstrasse \u2014 the city is excellent for walking. The U-Bahn is clean and efficient. Vienna Airport: CAT train to Wien Mitte, 16 minutes, highly recommended.

The 1st district (Innere Stadt) puts you walking distance from the State Opera and Kunsthistorisches Museum. The 7th and 8th districts offer a more local Vienna with excellent restaurants. The Naschmarkt area is excellent for those wanting to be near Vienna\u2019s finest market.

Kunsthistorisches Museum: One of the greatest art museums in the world \u2014 Vel\u00e1zquez, Vermeer, Bruegel \u2014 in a palace that is itself a work of art.
Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace: The gardens are free and superb. The Grand Tour of the Imperial apartments is extraordinary.
Vienna State Opera standing tickets: \u20ac3\u201310 for world-class opera, available 80 minutes before performance.
The Naschmarkt: 120 stalls of Austrian and international produce. Saturday morning is most vibrant.
Belvedere Palace: Houses Klimt\u2019s The Kiss \u2014 see it in the gallery designed for its purpose.

Vienna\u2019s coffee house tradition (Kaffeehauskultur) is UNESCO-listed \u2014 Caf\u00e9 Central, Caf\u00e9 Hawelka and Caf\u00e9 Landtmann are all historic and excellent. The proper Viennese breakfast is one of Europe\u2019s great simple pleasures. For dinner: Gasthaus P\u00f6schl (1st) for classical Viennese cooking; Steirereck for Austria\u2019s finest contemporary cuisine.

Vienna is exceptionally well-suited to visitors with mobility considerations. The historic centre is largely flat; trams and U-Bahn have excellent accessibility; major museums have lifts throughout. The pace of Viennese life is naturally unhurried \u2014 no one will rush you out of a coffee house.

Vienna is consistently rated one of the safest and most liveable cities in the world. Crime affecting tourists is extremely rare. Emergency: 112.

The Michaelergruft beneath the Michaelerkirche is haunting and little-visited \u2014 the preserved remains of the Habsburg court, including Mozart\u2019s patron.
Prater park\u2019s Hauptallee \u2014 an enormous chestnut-lined avenue, entirely free, best at dusk.
A Mozart concert at a Baroque church costs \u20ac30\u201345 and is one of Vienna\u2019s most authentic pleasures.