Vienna

Filled with stately palaces, baroque façades and Jugendstil (art nouveau) architecture, Vienna is a city of grandeur.

Once the centre of the sprawling Habsburg Empire, the Austrian capital has long been a nexus of trade and diplomatic clout. Some of the world’s heftiest supranational organisations – the UN, the OSCE, Opec – all keep an address here. But there’s more to Vienna than its gilded past. It boasts some of the world’s finest art, music and cultural institutions; while the clatter of its workshops supports a new generation of designers, architects and makers. The fact that Vienna is easily navigable – by foot, bicycle and public transport – is why the city is considered one of Europe’s most handsome and liveable places to hang your hat. You’re also spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation. International hotels rub shoulders with Austrian establishments trading on time-tested charm. Retail is no slouch either, as venerable family firms – many stretching back generations – coexist, and often collaborate, with entrepreneurial upstarts. In this, as in so much else, Vienna strikes an enviable balance between old and new. Shall we explore?

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