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 speciality 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.