Vienna is a superb and surprisingly varied weekend city break destination. Once the heart of a vast realm, the Habsburg Empire, Vienna is one of the most interesting and beautiful capital cities in the world.

The wealth of Vienna's music, art, and architecture as well as its other pleasures continues to delight visitors to Vienna today. Encircling the Inner City is a broad boulevard called the Ring. Amongst the treasures lining the Ring is the State Opera House. For many Viennese, the soul of Vienna resides within its elegant interior, and there are tickets to suit everyone's pocket.

There are innumerable museums in Vienna, but the greatest of them all is the Kunsthistorische Museum located further down the Ring. Its massive collections include a wealth of art by Rembrandt, Raphael, Bosch, Titian, Rubens, and Vermeer, as well as the largest collection of Brueghel in all the world. And competing with the richness of its art, the intricately designed marble halls of the museum are quite breathtaking.

You'd be mistaken however for thinking that culture in Vienna is limited to the Waltz and Old Masters. Wild clubbing, hot gigs, day-long street parties, and a profusion of cafes and places to hang out make up the pulsating, young face of this stately old city today.