Imperial Inklings

If you8217;re through with Europe8217;s dazzlers8212; Paris, London and Rome8212;try Vienna. Littered with palaces and crammed with culture, it will takeyou by surprise

It is not a country that features eagerly in papers or on television. It8217;s snug enough in its European cocoon: smothered in beauty and smacking of history. Yet, unlike its jazzier counterparts8212;England, France, Italy8212;that figure insistently on must-do destinations, Austria is content with its insular image. Which doesn8217;t mean it can or should be glossed over; on the contrary. Take an unrushed trip through this tiny landlocked country, in particular its capital city, Vienna, and be prepared to be knocked over.

Located on the banks of the Danube, Vienna is littered with palaces, museums and culture, reasons enough to cast an irrevocable spell on the passing tourist. The city one sees today owes most of its character to the Habsburg monarchy, which ruled Austria and parts of present day Hungary, Italy and Germany from 1526 to 1918. The easiest place to get a feel of the culture and grandeur is within the Ring Road, or Ringstrasse, the 4-km boulevard that houses stunning buildings like the Hofburg, or the Imperial Palace, and the Museumsquartier, a 60,000 sq m cultural complex rated by many among the top 10 in the world. It comprises a variety of museums dedicated to art, music, dance and philosophy.

While London8217;s Buckingham Palace is far better known, it pales in comparison to the Schonbrunn Palace in southeast Vienna. With more than 1,400 rooms in the main palace8212;it once served as summer residence for the Habsburg rulers8212;it is indeed fit for an emperor. With only 40 rooms open to the public, the palace can be done easily in half a day. You can spend the rest of the time going through the Palace grounds, which include gardens, fountains, a public maze and the Tiergarten zoo, which was founded in 1752 and is reputed to be the oldest single-location zoo in the world.

You will need more than a day, however, to do justice to the collection of art and antiques by the Habsburg dynasty at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, or the Museum of Art History, as it is known. Completed in 1891, this large, imposing structure houses antiques from Egypt, Greece and Rome, paintings from the medieval period and the splendid Renaissance and Baroque collections, including works by masters such as Rubens and Raphael.

To really soak in the culture, it8217;s important not to rush your stay and take time to attend one of the many opera and orchestra performances that are a regular feature. Vienna has been home to renowned music composers and writers for centuries, including Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Johann Strauss. This outstanding musical heritage carries on to the present day. However, ironically enough, it8217;s Salzburg, where the 1960s8217; hit musical, The Sound of Music, was made, that most people link to Austria.

Another appetising way to imbibe centuries of history and culture is to sit at a cafe, sip a coffee8212;and just eat. Not only is it one of the most leisurely occupations, but the cafeacute;s that dot most neighbourhoods give you the chance to sample some great food. A popular dish is the veal cutlet Wiener Schnitzel, which is a slice of veal coated with breadcrumbs and fried. Not an ideal choice if you are trying to control your cholesterol, but it8217;s not to be missed. Those with a sweet tooth will find an array of cakes and desserts, a must-try being the hot apple strudel Apfelstrudel.

And if you begin to think beer drinking is a national pastime, you wouldn8217;t be too far off the mark. Austria ranks fifth in the world in per capita consumption of beer, with over 100 litres consumed every year. While beer is reasonably good, a better choice would be one of the fine Austrian white wines, many of which are grown in vineyards within the city.

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It8217;s easy to think of Austrians as being a bit xenophobic, but this has more to do with an inward looking culture and a matter-of-fact conversation style. They are willing to help if asked, but don8217;t expect long, personal conversations. The common language in Austria is German, but most people speak English, and road signs are in both languages.

Travelling around Vienna is easy as it has a well developed, reliable and clean public transport network. Buses, trains, trams and underground lines will take you almost anywhere in the city in no time, and the 72-hour Vienna pass is a convenient and cost-effective way to get around. Getting to Vienna from Delhi is also easy, with direct daily flights that can get you there in just over eight hours. As with most countries in continental Europe, Euro is the official currency and traffic drives on the right.

If you are looking for a holiday in Alpine settings, you would be better placed going to the Austrian cities of Salzburg and Innsbruck. But if you want charm and imperial flair representing a bygone era, Vienna is certainly the city for you.