Monumental edifices line the city centre, world-class museums burst with treasures, notorious orchestras and angelic choirboys perform in lavish concert halls, and white stallions parade their way down mirrored halls. Before traveling to Vienna, try to reserve tickets to the main attractions in advance, as ticket requests from outside of the country are given priority.

We suggest the Vienna State Opera, the Spanish Riding School with its famous Lipizzaner stallions, and the Vienna Boys Choir, which is predominantly moving. If tickets for the State Opera aren?t available try, the Volksoper, which features operettas, musicals, and ballets. If all else fails, the Gothic Rathaus (city hall) hosts a well-liked Christmas market in the winter and free concerts in the summer.

Vienna has an abundance of lower-brow delights too - splish-splashing high jinks on the river, walks in the woods, indulgent evenings in its well-known wine taverns and some enjoyable bar-hopping till dawn.

Across the river from the old city is Prater Park, an enjoyable emusement park that dates from the 18th century. The parks main tourist attraction is Riesenrad. The giant Ferris wheel seen in the film The Third Man (the film plays every summer in one of the theaters on ring), and the foolish statues scattered around the park, one of which shows a gigantic baby takings his miniature father for a walk.