Arriving at Vienna International Airport in Vienna puts regional highlights within easy reach. Vienna is the old imperial capital of the Habsburgs, a city of palaces, concert halls, and coffeehouses where lingering over a single cup for hours is a protected tradition. It is elegant without being stiff, with wine taverns on the city's edge, a sprawling market, and a classical music scene that still sets the global standard.

Standout experiences in Vienna: - Tour Schonbrunn Palace and climb to the Gloriette for the view - See Klimt's The Kiss at the Belvedere - Walk the Ringstrasse past the opera, the parliament, and the Hofburg - Order a melange and a slice of Sachertorte in a classic coffeehouse - Graze through the stalls of the Naschmarkt on a Saturday - Ride the Giant Ferris Wheel at the Prater - Drink young wine at a heuriger tavern in Grinzing or Nussdorf - Spend an afternoon in the MuseumsQuartier - Hear the Vienna Boys Choir or the Philharmonic in their home halls

Vienna sits in the far east of Austria, so two countries and a famous wine valley are all within reach. Bratislava, the Slovak capital, is barely an hour down the Danube. The Wachau Valley, with the abbey at Melk, terraced vineyards, and the town of Krems, is about an hour west. Baden bei Wien, a spa town with Beethoven connections, is 30 minutes south, and the shallow Neusiedler See draws cyclists and sailors an hour southeast. A proper Wiener Schnitzel, pounded thin and fried in butter, is the right way to end any day here.