Vienna is the Habsburgs' gift to the world — a city of gilded opera houses, palaces-turned-museums and coffee houses where time has pleasantly slowed to the pace of a second Sachertorte. The Kunsthistorisches Museum houses one of the world's great art collections under a ceiling by Klimt's teacher, while the Belvedere's golden rooms hold the most famous kiss in the history of paint. A subscription to the Vienna Philharmonic is impossible; a standing-room ticket to the Staatsoper is not, and the experience is unforgettable. Stay in the Innere Stadt and walk between the Ringstrasse's parade of monuments, pausing at Café Central for Viennese coffee and a slice of strudel that has been made the same way since 1876.
- Suggested duration: 4–5 days
- Best time to visit: May to June for warmth and the concert season; December for Christmas markets beneath the Rathaus lights.