| Having lived in Vienna for the good part of a | | | | performances daily. |
| year, I'd say it's safe to say I've accrued a | | | | The Naschmarkt and Prater and easily accessible |
| certain amount of local knowledge. I lived for eight | | | | (as most sights) by the Vienna U-Bahn, the |
| months in the north of the city - that strange | | | | underground system. Since they are a bit further |
| area that resembles a ghost town full of beautiful | | | | off centre, it's worth taking the underground to |
| houses, rather than part of a capital city. The | | | | reach them - Schönbrunn too, unless you're |
| period of time I stayed meant that I was always | | | | a keen walker. The Naschmarkt boasts a |
| somewhat in between a tourist and a local, which | | | | mouth-watering array of local and exotic |
| leaves me in the elevated position of being able to | | | | delicacies, tiny, charming bistros, market stalls and |
| guide you, the reader, through the labyrinth of | | | | bric-a-brac. This is a great place to stop and have |
| mesmerising Gassen (Viennese for lane or street) | | | | a bite to eat, although I'll expand more on eating |
| and hidden treasures of the city, without losing | | | | out in Vienna in part two of this article. |
| sight of the main tourist attractions, which are of | | | | Heading on from here, Prater Park is another |
| course not to be missed! | | | | great option if you have children. While it is, |
| Vienna is a great city for a weekend or | | | | indeed, a large park, packed with locals and |
| mini-break and can be adapted to many budgets. | | | | tourists on warm days, it also doubles as a theme |
| It can be done on a shoestring, or you can go | | | | park. The rides do tend to be rather expensive, |
| all-out. There is a sprawl of hotels and hostels | | | | so those on a budget may want to limit |
| throughout the city, ranging from the luxurious | | | | themselves, but there are often no queues, which |
| Hilton to the humble Jugendherbergen (youth | | | | is always a bonus. |
| hostels), which appear frequently in the outer | | | | For those of you more interested in art and |
| districts. | | | | architecture, don't miss Friedensreich |
| Depending on your preference, the 'main sights' of | | | | Hundertwasser's Hundertwasserhaus, built an an |
| the city can be done over one or two days. If | | | | entirely differerent architectural plane (literally - |
| you're lucky - and you often are during the | | | | watch your step!). Mismatching, multicoloured |
| Viennese summer - you should be able to walk all | | | | panels form an extraordinary fassade that |
| the way around what the locals like to call 'the | | | | captures the collective imagination of thousands of |
| Ring'. This is the large, uneven loop of streets that | | | | visitors each day in Vienna. The Kunsthaus Wien |
| encircle the first district in the centre of the city. | | | | on the Untere Weissgerberstrasse contains |
| It matters little which way you walk and where | | | | further designs from the eccentric artist. You |
| you start or finish, since at every point along the | | | | may love it or hate it - most people have a |
| way there's something to see. You will pass, | | | | strong reaction to it - just don't miss it. Both of |
| among others, the University of Vienna, the | | | | these sights are just a short walk away from the |
| Burggarten, the Rathaus (town hall), the | | | | Prater Park, but are less easily accessible by |
| Operahouse, the Volkstheater, the Natural History | | | | U-Bahn. |
| and Art History Museums, along with the | | | | Finally, the Viennese Palaces. It's mostly based on |
| Museums Quarter itself. | | | | personal taste, but I consider the Belvedere the |
| At any point, it's just a few minutes walk into the | | | | most attractive of the two, although |
| town centre itself. The focal point of the city is St | | | | Schönbrunn is arguably far more impressive. |
| Stephen's Cathedral, with its impressive gothic | | | | Both Palaces house exhibits - the Belvedere |
| architecture. Those of you who are particularly | | | | focuses mainly on art, often by Art Nouveau |
| interested in history can even take a trip down to | | | | painters or sculptors, with Gustav Klimt as a firm |
| its catacombs. The building you see today was | | | | favourite and permanent exhibit. If you're a |
| completed in the early years of the sixteenth | | | | history buff, take a guided tour through |
| century. Two older churches occupied the present | | | | Schönbrunn and possibly take the longer, |
| site and before there is evidence of an ancient | | | | extended tour too, if you have time, as it is very |
| cemetery dating back to Roman times. | | | | informative. |
| From here, you can either head south-east | | | | So! While many of you might argue that there are |
| towards the Naschmarkt, south towards the | | | | other sights I've missed out, there are the main |
| Palaces of Belvedere and Schönbrunn or | | | | ones. If you have no interest in extended visits |
| south-west towards the Hundertwasser Haus or | | | | and tours, they can be easily done in one rather |
| Prater Park, all of which are worth a visit. For | | | | action-packed day. Still, by this point, you'll |
| those of you travelling with children, | | | | probably be wanting a good meal, maybe a |
| Schönbrunn boasts an impressive zoo and a | | | | strong coffee, which leads me on to park two, |
| hedge maze. Equine enthusiasts will also enjoy a | | | | where we will be looking at the lesser-seen side |
| trip to the Spanish Riding School, which stages | | | | of the city... |