Vienna 3-day itinerary

Start at Stephansdom — climb the South Tower for panoramic rooftop views (€6) or descend into the catacombs (€6.50, guided tour). Walk the Graben and Kohlmarkt, Vienna's grandest pedestrian streets, past baroque facades and luxury boutiques. Coffee at Cafe Central on Herrengasse (Wiener Melange, €6.50) — Freud, Trotsky, and Stefan Zweig were all regulars in this marble-columned hall.

Explore the Hofburg — the vast Habsburg winter palace complex. The Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, and Silver Collection (€18 combined) tell the story of Austria's most powerful dynasty. Don't miss the Imperial Treasury (Schatzkammer, €14) housing the Habsburg Crown Jewels and the Holy Lance. Lunch at Bitzinger Würstelstand outside the Albertina — Vienna's best standing sausage stand (€5–7).

Walk to Naschmarkt — Vienna's iconic food market stretching 1.5km along the Wienzeile. Try Turkish mezes (€4–8), Vietnamese banh mi (€6), and Austrian cheese. The restaurant terraces come alive in the evening. Finish at a Bermuda Triangle pub — the area around Rabensteig near Schwedenplatz with Irish pubs, cocktail bars, and late-night pizza.

Tram D to the Upper Belvedere (€16.70). Stand before Klimt's "The Kiss" — the gold leaf shimmer is something no reproduction captures. The palace also holds Schiele, Kokoschka, and a superb Baroque collection. Walk through the sculpted gardens (free) between the Upper and Lower Belvedere with the Vienna skyline as a backdrop.

U4 to Schönbrunn — the Habsburg summer palace and UNESCO site. The Imperial Tour (€22, 22 rooms) reveals the opulence of Maria Theresa's court. The free gardens are enormous — climb the hill to the Gloriette for sweeping views over the palace and city. The Orangery is charming. Grab a palatschinke (Austrian crepe, €4) from the garden cafe.

Head to the MuseumsQuartier — one of the world's largest cultural complexes. The courtyard fills with young Viennese lounging on the coloured Enzis (giant foam furniture) with drinks. Browse MUMOK (modern art, €14) or Leopold Museum (Schiele, €16). Dinner in the Spittelberg quarter — cobblestoned lanes with cozy restaurants. Try Amerlingbeisl's garden courtyard (mains €12–17).

U1 to Praterstern for the Prater — Vienna's legendary amusement park. Ride the Riesenrad (giant Ferris wheel, €13.50) for views immortalised in "The Third Man." The Prater park itself is free — a huge green space perfect for running or cycling. Then U1 to Donauinsel (Danube Island) — a 21km island with free beaches, cycling paths, and the Copa Cagrana bar strip.

Walk through the 9th district (Alsergrund) — Vienna's intellectual heartland. Visit the Sigmund Freud Museum at Berggasse 19 (€14) where he lived and worked for 47 years. Then explore the neighbourhood — Servitenviertel is a charming quarter with cobblestones, boutiques, and Cafe Wundebar for specialty coffee. Lunch at Stomach on Seegasse (Austrian-Mediterranean fusion, mains €14–19).

Take bus 35A from Schottentor to Neustift am Walde for a traditional Heuriger evening. These family-run wine taverns serve their own vintage with cold buffets (Brettljause — cured meats, cheeses, bread, spreads) in lantern-lit gardens. Try Grüner Veltliner (€3.50/glass) and Gemischter Satz (€4). Fuhrgassl-Huber and Sirbu are excellent choices. Budget €15–25 for a full evening.