Oh Vienna. This may have been a lyric from a song by the pop group Ultravox but the musical associations with the city of Vienna go back much further than the 1980s.
Music is at the heart of the Austrian capital and a key part of the city’s allure and attraction.
Nestling on the banks of the River Danube, Austria’s romantic capital is a music lovers’ paradise, especially Opera fans.
Vienna is to classical music what New Orleans is to jazz!
You simply can’t escape the classical music world in Vienna and nor would you want to.
Visitors to this opulent city can retrace the footsteps of some of Austria’s finest composers who lived, worked and played here, such as Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss, Brahms and of course Mozart.
The cultural metropolis of Vienna is just a delight to visit.
It’s genuinely beautiful and boasts stunning medieval and Baroque architecture and elegant gardens, as well as a fantastic year round calendar of events to enhance your visit.
Music may well be the food of love but when it comes to Viennese gastronomy, there’s plenty to shout about there too.
The term ‘café society’ could have been coined with Vienna in mind.
The city is teeming with beautiful cafes and restaurants serving decadent confectionery, bakery and tempting cuisine.
Hearty dishes such as spicy goulash is common as is Weiner Schnitzel (veal or pork fried in breadcrumbs), Kasnocken (cheese dumplings) and apple Strudel are just some of the culinary delights that are widely available and are just a feast for the taste buds.
Medieval lanes and cobbled streets play host to numerous cafes and taverns where you can stop and refuel.
Much of Vienna’s highlights can be found in and around the Ringstrasse – a magnificent boulevard that rings the historical city centre.
In the mid-19th century, the famous Ringstrasse boulevard replaced the old city wall around the inner city of Vienna.
There are scores of historic buildings to visit such as the Town Hall, Parliament, the Hofburg, the State Opera and the university.
Visitors can choose to see the city by foot, by tram or by taking an official tour on the ‘hop on/hop off’ bus tour guides – probably the best way of packing in as much as you can if you’re on a short break.
Spring, May in particular, is a great time to visit before it gets too crowded in the summer months and the weather is likely to be ideal for sight-seeing; pleasant and sunny but not a sweltering heat.
Why not treat yourself to a Viennese adventure and waltz off on a weekend break.
Now with direct flights from Edinburgh, it couldn’t be easier.
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