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Austria : Vienna - May 2008

Country Code: Dial for Austria

Home of the Vienna State Opera, a thriving café culture and some of the best cakes on the continent, the Austrian capital’s cold-weather comforts will get you through the bleakest winter. But in May, the city reawakens, throwing open its doors onto busy streets and blooming parks. Maggie Childs heads outside

Getting around

Vienna International Airport

Bus: A bus will take you to the city centre in 20 minutes, leaving every 30 minutes, with a return fare of €11.
Train: The City Airport Train (CAT) takes 16 minutes to reach the centre and leaves every 30 minutes. Return tickets cost €16. The regular municipal railway SBahn goes every 30 minutes and takes 24 minutes to reach the city centre. Single tickets cost €3.
Taxi: A trip to the city from the airport costs a standard fee of €31.
Tourist information: Vienna Tourist Office is at 38 Untere Augartenstraße and 1 Albertinaplatz (555, www.wien.info).

1ST DISTRICT

The city centre is great for shopping, strolling or simply sipping Vienna’s famous coffee. You’ll also find many of its oldest cultural sights here.

Sleep soundly – A new addition to Vienna’s five-star scene, The Ring Hotel is luxurious but laid back. The restaurant menu is full of seasonal delicacies and the service is impeccable.

Culture vultures – Famous for its rare collections, the Museum of Ethnology (Heldenplatz) in the Hofburg palace is a well-kept secret.

Must eat – A newbie on Vienna’s stylish culinary circuit, Little Buddha (4 Lugeck, tel. ) is a restaurant, sushi bar and cocktail lounge. Huth (5 Schellinggasse, tel. ) serves traditional schnitzel (veal coated in breadcrumbs).

Must drink – The Chill Out Lounge (6 Salvatorgasse) – all wicker chairs, charming service and delectable cocktails – is a good choice if you want to get away from the crowds but stay downtown.

13TH DISTRICT

The area around Hietzing has some of the best views in the city. There are lovely parks and gardens here and a few of Vienna’s most prized palaces.

Sleep soundly – Only a short walk from Schönbrunn, the Hotel Cortina is pleasant and cosy. The hotel has been in the same family for 20 years.

Culture vultures – The legendary Schloss Schönbrunn (47 Schlossstraße) takes its visitors back to the time of the Habsburgs. The palace and gardens are known as Vienna’s Versailles and are worth spending a whole day on. Don’t miss the imperial menagerie, either.

Must eat – Just by the palace, the Plachutta family’s original restaurant Plachutta (1 Auhofstraße, tel. ) serves modern Viennese cuisine. Try the braised beef and onions.

Must drink – The Gloriette (on the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace) is pricey for dinner. Better to order a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and savour the vista over the imperial gardens.

18TH DISTRICT

One of Vienna’s quieter districts, Währing is punctuated by beautiful parks and glorious private villas.

Sleep soundly – Just 15 minutes from the centre, stately hotel Thüringerhof is still run by the same family who lived in the building 100 years ago.

Culture vultures – Built in 1808, the Geymüllerschlössel’s (102 Pötzleinsdorferstraße) blend of Gothic, Indian and Arabic architecture is worth a look. Tours are given on Sundays.

Must eat – Komarek (13 Edelhofgasse, tel. ) serves innovative but unpretentious Mediterranean cuisine. Later, drop in at Zum alten Gersthofer (106 Gersthoferstraße, tel. ), a classic heuriger (wine tavern).

MUSEUMSQUARTIER

The recently renovated royal stables are now to house to a clutch of museums, shops, cafés and restaurants.

Culture vultures – Vienna’s Museum of Modern Art, or MUMOK (1 Museumsplatz), is the largest of its kind in Austria. From pop art to nouveau réalisme, there’s a fascinating cross-section of 20th-century work on display.

Must eat – The legendary Glacis Beisl (1 Museumsplatz, tel. ) is a must. Head here for a modern take on traditional Viennese dishes. Or try Halle (1 Museumsplatz, tel. ) for a more relaxed atmosphere.

Dance the night away – The glass-enclosed Café Leopold (1 Museumsplatz) seems to emerge from the side of the adjacent Leopold Museum. Known for good coffee and excellent lunches by day, it’s filled with rolling bass and Brazilian beats by night.

Shop til you drop – Head to the Electric Avenue mall in the quartier21 complex for cheap records, digital equipment, clothing and design pieces.

Compiled by Maggie Childs