Vienna 7-day itinerary

Start at Stephansdom — climb the South Tower for panoramic views (€6) or descend into the catacombs (€6.50). Walk the Graben and Kohlmarkt past baroque facades. Coffee at Cafe Central (Wiener Melange, €6.50) — where Freud, Trotsky, and Stefan Zweig were regulars in a marble-columned hall that defines Viennese elegance.

The Hofburg — Habsburg winter palace complex. Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, and Silver Collection (€18 combined). Don't miss the Schatzkammer (€14) — Habsburg Crown Jewels, the Holy Lance, and the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire. Lunch at Bitzinger Würstelstand outside the Albertina — Vienna's most famous sausage stand (käsekrainer, €5).

Walk to Naschmarkt for evening tapas-style dining — Turkish mezes, Vietnamese pho, Austrian wine bars along the 1.5km market strip. Then head to the Bermuda Triangle (Bermuda Dreieck) near Schwedenplatz — a cluster of bars and clubs around Rabensteig and Seitenstettengasse. Krah Krah has 50+ beers, Jazzland is Vienna's oldest jazz club.

Tram D to the Upper Belvedere (€16.70). Klimt's "The Kiss" glows in person — the gold leaf catches light differently every hour. The palace also holds Schiele, Kokoschka, and French Impressionists. Walk the sculpted Baroque gardens between Upper and Lower Belvedere — free and stunning with the city skyline behind.

Walk to the Secession Building (€9.50) — the temple of Vienna's Art Nouveau movement, topped by its golden cabbage dome. The basement houses Klimt's Beethoven Frieze. Cross to Karlsplatz to see the Karlskirche (€8, includes elevator to dome) and the Wien Museum (€8). Lunch at Cafe Museum on Operngasse — Adolf Loos designed the interior.

The MuseumsQuartier courtyard fills with young Viennese on the coloured Enzis with drinks as the sun sets. Browse MUMOK (modern art, €14) or Leopold Museum (Schiele, €16). Dinner in the Spittelberg quarter — cobblestoned lanes with candlelit restaurants. Amerlingbeisl's garden courtyard is magical (mains €12–17). Glacis Beisl is also excellent.

U4 to Schönbrunn — the magnificent Habsburg summer palace (UNESCO). The Imperial Tour (€22, 22 rooms) reveals Maria Theresa's opulent court. Walk the vast gardens to the Gloriette hilltop pavilion for sweeping views. The Orangery and the Privy Garden are particularly beautiful in spring and summer.

Schönbrunn's Tiergarten (€26) is the world's oldest zoo (1752) and surprisingly good — pandas, elephants, and Arctic wolves in baroque-era enclosures. Or skip the zoo and explore Hietzing — a graceful residential district with Jugendstil villas. Lunch at Cafe Dommayer (Tafelspitz, €16) where Johann Strauss II premiered his waltzes. The Sachertorte here rivals Hotel Sacher.

The 6th district (Mariahilf) around Gumpendorfer Strasse is Vienna's most creative neighbourhood. Dinner at Heuer am Karlsplatz or the OMK on Gumpendorfer Strasse. Bars like Cafe Jelinek (traditional), Dachboden at the 25hours Hotel (rooftop views), and Phil (cafe-bar-furniture store hybrid) make this the city's best nightlife strip.

U1 to Praterstern for the Prater — Vienna's legendary park and amusement grounds. Ride the Riesenrad (€13.50) — the giant Ferris wheel immortalised in "The Third Man." The surrounding park is massive — rent a bike (€5/hour from stations) and ride along the 4.4km Hauptallee, a dead-straight tree-lined boulevard that's been Vienna's green lung since 1766.

Explore Leopoldstadt (2nd district) — Vienna's rapidly gentrifying creative quarter. Karmelitermarkt is a local food market with excellent falafel at Maschu Maschu (€8), organic stands, and a weekend brunch scene. Browse the vintage shops and galleries on Praterstrasse and Taborstrasse. Lunch at Skopik & Lohn (ceiling covered in wild black drawings, mains €14–20).

Walk the Donaukanal (Danube Canal) — the urban stretch covered in street art, with bars, restaurants, and summer beach clubs lining both banks. Strandbar Herrmann and Badeschiff are floating bars on the canal. Dinner at Motto am Fluss (modern Austrian, overlooking the canal). For clubbing, Flex is Vienna's legendary techno club right on the canal wall.

Take the train from Wien Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof to Krems an der Donau (€17.40, 1 hour). The Wachau Valley — a UNESCO-listed stretch of the Danube — is Austria's most beautiful wine region. Bus to Dürnstein (20 minutes), where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned. Climb to the ruined castle for spectacular views over the Danube winding through terraced vineyards.

Walk or cycle the Danube bike path between Dürnstein and Weissenkirchen (5km, flat, stunning). Stop at Weingut Domäne Wachau or Nikolaihof (Austria's oldest wine estate, founded in 985 AD) for a tasting — Grüner Veltliner and Riesling flights from €12. Lunch at a Heuriger in Weissenkirchen — Brettljause (cold cuts, cheese, bread) and local wine for €12–18.

Bus or cycle to Melk to see the magnificent Benedictine abbey (€13.50) — perched on a cliff above the Danube, its golden Baroque interior is breathtaking. The library alone is worth the visit. Train back to Vienna from Melk (€17.40, 1 hour). Dinner in Vienna at Figlmüller on Wollzeile — famous for its plate-sized Wiener Schnitzel (€17.90, cash only).

Walk through the 9th district (Alsergrund) to the Freud Museum at Berggasse 19 (€14). Freud lived and practiced here for 47 years — the apartment preserves his waiting room and study. Explore the charming Servitenviertel quarter nearby — cobblestoned streets, boutique shops, and Cafe Wundebar for specialty coffee and pastries.

Take U6 to Josefstädter Strasse for the Brunnenmarkt — Vienna's longest street market, running through the multicultural 16th district. Turkish, Balkan, and Middle Eastern food stalls offer the city's most affordable and authentic eats — lahmacun (€3), burek (€2.50), fresh pomegranate juice (€3). Yppenplatz at the top has craft beer bars and hip brunch spots.

Bus 35A from Schottentor to Neustift am Walde for a Heuriger evening. Fuhrgassl-Huber has a huge garden with Danube views. Sirbu is more intimate, carved into a hillside. Order a Grüner Veltliner (€3.50), a Brettljause platter (€10–14), and sit under chestnut trees as the sun sets over Vienna. Budget €15–25 for a full evening of food and wine.

Tram 71 to the Zentralfriedhof — one of the world's largest and most beautiful cemeteries. Over 3 million buried here, including Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Johann Strauss II, and a honorary grave for Mozart. The Art Nouveau church of St. Charles Borromeo at the centre is stunning. Austrians treat it like a park — joggers, cyclists, and deer roam the grounds.

Back in the city for final shopping on Mariahilfer Strasse — Vienna's main shopping boulevard. For souvenirs, buy Manner Schnitten wafers (pink packaging, from any supermarket, €2), or a bottle of Grüner Veltliner (€8–12 at a wine shop). End with Sachertorte at Hotel Sacher (€9.50, worth it once) or Demel (€7.90 and arguably better).

Farewell dinner at a traditional Beisl (Viennese pub-restaurant). Try Zum Schwarzen Kameel on Bognergasse (Tafelspitz, €22) or Gasthaus Wild on Radetzkystrasse (schnitzel, €14). End with drinks at the Albertina Passage — a hidden bar beneath the opera house with Vienna's best cocktails (€12–15). Toast to Wiener Gemütlichkeit — that untranslatable Viennese cosiness.