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Austria : Vienna - February 2010

Country Code: Dial for Austria

People used to say that, like a punctilious grandma who’s stuck in her ways, Vienna would never change. But over the last few years granny has got a new spring in her step, regaining the cosmopolitan flourish that once made her so vibrant. February provides a fine excuse to sample some of the city’s mulled wine, after trying some Torvill and Dean moves at the open-air Ice Dream in front of the Rathhaus. Nick Hodge straps on his skates

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

You won’t meet many vehicles in the Innere Stadt (inner city), save for those of the horse-drawn variety. The historic heart of Vienna is largely unaltered since its heyday.

Sleep soundly – For a dash of contemporary cool, try the informal boutique hotel Hollmann Beletage (6 Köllnerhofgasse, tel. , hollmann-beletage.at, doubles from €140). Or for some full-on fin-de-siècle flamboyance, the Hotel Imperial (16 Kärntner Ring, 1100, hotelimperialvienna.com, rooms from €360) is just the ticket.

Culture vultures – Dip into the Habsburgs’ jewellery box at the Schatzkammer (Hofburg), a dazzling imperial treasury. And the Ethnology Museum (Neue Burg) has just emerged from a major revamp, complete with a headdress of the last Aztec emperor – so the legend goes...

Must eat – Vienna is a paradise for foodies. Try the century-old Trzesniewski (1 Dorotheergasse, tel. ) for superlative sandwiches, or Walter Bauer (17 Sonnenfelsgasse, tel. ) for the full monty.

Must drink – The sleek First Floor (5 Seitenstettengasse) should get your vote if you’re after an expertly mixed cocktail. For a more hearty affair, head for the Esterhazykeller (1 Haarhof).

Dance the night away – For late-night fun and frolics in the old city, Flex (1 Augartenbrücke) remains the flagship venue for dedicated clubbers.

Shop til you drop – Vienna’s answer to Fortnum & Mason is Meinl am Graben (19 Graben), an unrivalled one-stop shop.

2ND DISTRICT

Fanning out east from the centre, Leopoldstadt takes in Vienna’s vast amusement park, the Prater, made famous by Orson Welles in The Third Man, and the baroque pleasure gardens of Augarten. Football fans should head straight for the Ernst Happel Stadium.

Sleep soundly – The well-placed Hotel City Central (8 Taborstrasse, 1050, city-central.schickhotels. com, rooms from €60) offers good value and traditional Viennese style.

Culture vultures – The Filmarchiv (1 Obere Augartenstrasse) is a treasure trove for film buffs. There are regular exhibitions, so take the weight off and enjoy what’s on offer.

Must eat – Grab a taste of Trieste at Schuppich (2 Rotensterngasse, tel. ), which has won a loyal following for its Adriatic flourish.

Dance the night away – The runaway winner in this neck of the woods is Fluc (5 Praterstern), a double-decker playpen that champions both live bands and electro DJs.

6TH DISTRICT

Nudging up against the hip Naschmarkt (imagine a sort of Viennese Jeu de Balle square), the 6th may not be big on historic landmarks, but it offers plenty of other diversions.

Sleep soundly – The cheery Das Tyrol (15 Mariahilfer Strasse, tel. , das-tyrol.at, rooms from €120) has proved a reliable retreat, with some quirky details.

Culture vultures – After stopping by at the Secession pavillion (12 Friedrichstrasse), art nouveau aficionados should check out the vibrant Otto Wagner Houses (38 and 40 Linke Wienzeile). Musos, meanwhile, might want to call in at the Haydn House museum (19 Haydngasse) , where the composer once lived.

Must eat – The gargantuan Aux Gazelles (5 Rahlgasse, tel. ) brings a lavish slice of Morocco to Vienna, with a club attached.

Must drink – For coffee, don’t miss timeless Café Sperl (11 Gumpendorfer Strasse). Hipsters, however, might kick off an evening at ice-cool minimalist hangout Electro Gönner (101 Mariahilfer Strasse), before rounding things off at Tanzcafé Jenseits (3 Nelkengasse), a former brothel that has maintained its sexy décor.

Compiled by Nick Hodge