Viennese spend hours in a café on one “kleiner Brauner” (espresso with milk), eating Apfelstrudel and reading newspapers. You can find dozens of traditional cafés in Vienna’s Old City. Here are some notable ones: Visit the legendary Café Central, which counted Arthur Schnitzler, Peter Altenberg and Adolf Loos among its regulars (and hence is viewed by some as too touristy) or try the sweet creations at Gerstner K&K Hofzuckerbäcker. The famous Café Hawelka is a Viennese institution and so are Café Bräunerhof (Peter Polak’s favourite!) or Café Sperl (where pool tables add to the atmosphere). Hawelka was the hotspot of the avant-garde in the 60s and is one of the most famous cafés in Vienna. The interior and nicotine coloured walls are still reminders of that time, go there after midnight for a Bohemian desert “Buchteln” in vanilla sauce, unforgettable! 

As high as it gets! The DC Tower at the Donauplatte, ten walking minutes from the IBA conference center and right next to the river Danube, is presently Austria’s highest building (Cocktailbar at the 58th floor). With its 250 metres it shapes the city’s skyline – all in glass. The structure features an elegant cascading facade that reflects the neighbouring danube river both literally and metaphorically. French superstar architect Dominique Perrault is the man behind Vienna's new landmark. The viewing platform at a height of 207 meters is open daily from 10.00 am to 5.30 pm. Enjoy the view!

Classy Viennese Palais hotels would include the famous Sacher, Imperial and Bristol, all breathtaking and very high standard. At the Sacher you will find old world charm, tradition and refinement. Whether or not you choose to stay here, stop by the cafe for the world famous Sacher Torte. If you want opulence and be treated like an Emperor, go for the Imperial Hotel. It is where the Queen of England stays when she is in town. If you want it more modern and international the Ritz-Carlton, Steigenberger Herrenhof or Le Méridien would be the right choice. Unusual and less business oriented hotels with lots of charme are Hollmann’s Beletage and The Guesthouse, both located in the city center and both feel like a home rather than a hotel.

Simply turn on the tap and enjoy mountain spring water? It's possible in Vienna. Vienna’s water flows from the mountain springs in the Styrian/Lower Austrian Alps, reaching the Austrian capital city 36 hours later, without pumps and under the strictest regulations. It’s not for nothing that Vienna is the best city in the world to live in!

It has been nominated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is indeed an remarkable experience. Built in the 17th and 18th century it is one of Europe’s oldest zoos, converted into a modern facility with surprising tricks, eg the visitors will enter what used to be the lion’s den and view from inside the lions running freely around on the outside, a magic reversal of roles…

Along with the historic complexes  of Schönbrunn castle, the summer residence of the Habsburgs, that are nearby  you can discover this most beautiful zoo in a unique setting where culture and nature blend; and if  animals are not your thing, why don’t you enter the park of the castle  early in the morning for a one of a kind jogging experience between national monuments and roaring elephants? (www.zoovienna.at)