Featured destination: Vienna

Located in North-eastern Austria at the edge of the Alps, Austria’s capital is said to offer some of the highest quality of living in the world. Vienna has been and remains a cultural centre for science, art, music and cuisine since the fifteenth century, and evidence of this illustrious history can be seen all around.

Straddling the Danube River, the city boasts an impressive display of baroque, Romanesque and classical structures, as well as some of the best examples of art nouveau architecture in the world There is even a reminder of the city’s Roman past in the ruins at Michaelerplatz. The whole of the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

As the creative home of such prolific figures as Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss and Schubert, Vienna has an unbeatable reputation for classical music. Nowadays, the maestros come alive at venues including the Wiener Konzerthaus and the Wiener Musikverein, home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Opera can be enjoyed at the Theater an der Wien, the Staatsoper and the Volksoper, and those interested in theatre should head to the Burgtheater or the Akadamietheater.

Key tourist attractions in Vienna include the Hofburg and Schönbrunn imperial palaces, the United Nations Headquarters, the impressive Stephansdom gothic cathedral and the Wurstelprater amusement park in Wiener Prater. Visitors can glimpse the stunning imperial jewels of the Habsburg dynasty at the Hofburg Museum, and there is an impressive showcase of classical and contemporary art at the Museumsquartier.

Of course on a sunny day you may not want to be inside, so it’s just as well that over half of the city expanse is dedicated parkland, with beautiful green spaces including the Stadtpark, the Vienna Botanic Gardens and the wooded foothills of the Wienerwald.

And if you need a rest, where better than one of Vienna’s famous cafés for a cup of coffee and a tasty treat? One of the city’s most famous food items is the wiener schnitzel (veal coated in batter and fried in butter), but where Austria’s gastronomy really shines is in its delicious cakes and desserts. Choose between apfelstrudel (apple strudel) palatschinken (sweet pancakes) and sachertorte, a chocolate cake with a filling of apricot jam.

Have we whet your appetite for all things Viennese? Find a Vienna Bed and Breakfast at BedandBreakfastworld.com, with prices starting from just €15 a night.

Are you a Vienna veteran? Leave us a comment below and let us know your advice and recommendations for first-time visitors.