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Austria : Vienna - September 2009

Country Code: Dial for Austria

Vienna is a leafy capital, so September is a good time to make the most of its golden hues with a stroll around the parks. Also apt is the Wien Museum’s new exhibition Light and Shade – Painting of the Viennese Biedermeier (10 September – 17 January), but the season’s biggest draw is next month’s Viennale, the international film festival (22 October – 4 November). Nick Hodge gets an eyeful

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

Missing this district is like visiting Cairo and skipping the pyramids. Touristy it may be, but Innere Stadt (Inner City) is still home to the lion’s share of the city’s attractions.

Sleep soundly – For old-world elegance without the razzmatazz of a grand hotel (or the rip-off prices), try Pension Nossek (17 Graben, tel. , pension-nossek.at, rooms from €62). You won’t find a finer location and, if you can’t resist spoiling yourself, book a suite overlooking the Graben boulevard – a steal at €150.

Culture vultures – The showstopper here is the Hofburg (Innerer Burghof Kaisertor), for centuries the epicentre of Habsburg power and now a labyrinth of lavish museums. For a less obvious excursion, bookworms will be in heaven at Nationalbibliothek (Jozefsplatz), which is open to visitors for a small fee.

Must eat – The Viennese take immense pride in their gastronomic tradition. For a dash of old-school charm, Zum Schwarzen Kameel (5 Bognergasse, tel. ), offers nibbles in the wine bar as well as full-blown feasts in the adjoining restaurant.

Must drink – Owned by actor Hanno Poschl, the low-key Kleines Café (3 Franziskanerplatz) has made its home on one of the city’s most picturesque squares. Understated in style, it draws a laid-back crowd.

Dance the night away – For dedicated clubbers, Flex (Augartenbrucke) remains top of its class, hosting drum’n’bass and big beat nights.

Shop til you drop – If you’re looking for a one-stop shop, you’d be hardpressed to do better than Julius Meinl am Graben (19 Graben), where you can pick up wine, chocolates, truffles, cheese and ham.

11TH DISTRICT

South-east of the city centre, Simmering has been used as the setting for some iconic film scenes.

Sleep soundly – Expect sleek, unfussy style and gratifyingly reasonable prices at Roomz Vienna (1 Paragonstrasse, tel. , roomz-hotels.com, rooms from €69).

Culture vultures – Zentralfriedhof (230-244 Simmering Hauptstrasse) is one of the grandest cemeteries in Europe and the resting place of Brahms, Beethoven, Salieri and a string of Strausses. And of course, it was here that Carol Reed shot the famous closing scene of The Third Man. Meanwhile, fans of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise should check out Friedhof der Namenlosen (Alberner Hafen), or Cemetery of the Nameless.

Must eat – Schloss Concordia (283 Simmeringer Hauptstrasse, tel. ), opposite the cemetery, is delightfully eccentric – like a lost manor house from pre-war Lithuania, serving well-priced, hearty food.

Shop til you drop – Gasometer (11 Guglgasse) is a vast post-industrial project that has wowed architectural critics. Besides shopping malls, there’s also a cinema here.

13TH DISTRICT

Full of art-nouveau villas, Hietzing is a relatively hushed, residential district with several aces up its sleeve.

Sleep soundly – Hotel Altwienerhof (6 Herklotzgasse, tel. , altwienerhof.at, rooms from €99) is a longstanding favourite that’s brimming with 19th-century nostalgia.

Culture vultures – See the palace itself, or just mill around the gardens at Schönbrunn (Schönbrunner Schlossstrasse). Tiergarten, located within the grounds, is Europe’s oldest and most fanciful zoo.

Must eat – A Viennese institution that’s popular with lone gourmets and lively families alike, Plachutta Hietzing (1 Auhofstrasse, tel. ) is famous for its beef dishes.

Must drink – For a dash of nostalgia, try Café Dommayer (2 Auhofstrasse), one of the grande dames of the café scene. Expect pastries galore.

Compiled by Nick Hodge