Vienna
As the former HQ of the Hapsburg Empire, the Austrian capital has a flabbergasting stash of cultural and art treasures – more than you could ever hope to see in a lifetime. But with 48 hours on your hands, you can easily take in some of the city’s trophy sights: baroque palaces bejewelled with Klimt’s golden wonders, grand concert halls, and contemporary art in the born-again imperial stables.
Fringed by enchanting woods and vineyards, Vienna is renowned as one of the greenest cities in the world. Half of the entire Austrian capital is given over to green space, with some spectacular places to explore – over a quarter of its 2000 parks are former imperial parks and gardens.
Savvy culture lovers know that one can gallery hop for weeks in Vienna and barely scratch the (gilded, painted or carved) surface. Even after decades of visits, it’s possible to stumble across new collections that intrigue and excite.
The once hallowed seat of the Habsburg Empire, Vienna spoils travelers rotten with baroque palaces, fabled coffee houses and plenty of cultural pizzazz.
Year after year Vienna comes top of the class in quality of living surveys and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why.
With its lavish whirl of Hapsburg palaces, neoclassical concert halls, posh coffee houses and galleries stuffed with Old Master paintings, Vienna can seem overwhelmingly grand. So it might come as a surprise to know that with a little careful planning you can see a heck of a lot of the Austrian capital without spending a single cent.
