1st District The centre of town and home to most of the city’s oldest and grandest buildings. Contains Stephansdom (the cathedral) and many of the great sights. It’s more of a tourist mecca than a business centre, although many well-established businesses still thrive here, as well as newer offices in the spectacular modernist Haas Haus complex on Stephansplatz. At one end of the pedestrianised Kärntnerstrasse is the cathedral, at the other is the Oper (opera house). 7th District Also now known as the Museumsquartier, thanks to a large cultural complex built on the site of the old imperial stables, this area is also home to Vienna’s longest shopping street Mariahilferstrasse. As a result of serious regeneration programmes, this is a very fashionable area with many offices and expensive real estate. Deeply trendy bars and restaurants abound, as do good hotels. A great place for a night out. Ringstrasse The boulevard area that follows the course of the old city walls and borders more than one district. Largely dominated by museums and the university, the Parliament is also here as well as the Rathaus (town hall). There are several parks and a number of cafés and restaurants. A good daytime place, but less to do at night except in summer, when the Rathaus and Volksgarten host concerts, outdoor films and other innovative events.

Naschmarkt (6th District) The home of Vienna’s best market. It’s open every day except Sunday and there is a huge choice of cheap eateries around here. Not a popular business district.

Hofburg (1st District) The old imperial palace is now used in many different guises, including as a conference centre, offices and a setting for grand balls.

It’s also home to the famed Spanish Riding School and many museums and galleries. The pedestrianised Graben (a former moat) holds an ornate Baroque monument to those who died from the devastating bubonic plague in the 17th century. The Kohlmarkt is one of Vienna’s most exclusive shopping addresses. 3rd District Many, although not all, of the foreign embassies are around the 3rd District, a picturesque area of the city. Also the fabulous Schwarzenberg Palace, now a hotel, which is a short walk from the Stadtpark (City Park) with its famous gold statue of Johann Strauss, composer of the Viennese waltz The Blue Danube. Karlsplatz (4th District) contains the impressive Karlskirche and many less salubrious areas, although they are quickly becoming more desirable. This district is undergoing regeneration and several trendsetting hotels, businesses and shops are moving in.

The Bermuda Triangle (1st District) A distinct section of the oldest part of town, laid out in cobbled stones around Vienna’s oldest church, Ruprechtskirche, and spanning Ruprechtsplatz to Schwedenplatz. A great place to find that perfect hairdresser (get your hotel to book an appointment) or quirky boutique. It earned its nickname from the many bars and confusing tiny streets. Good fun both day and night, but very touristy and studenty.

Hundertwasser Village (3rd District) The village itself is a touristy but must-see attraction, set around the famous Hundertwasser Haus (1985). Friedrich Hundertwasser (1928–2000) was a revolutionary architect and designer whose residential block of flats has become one of the funkiest addresses in Vienna. Now you can also visit the Kalke Village. Expect a large gaggle of tourists year round.

Schönbrunn (13th District) The former summer residence of the imperial family, the baroque Schönbrunn Palace is a must-see attraction, set in stunning grounds which can be visited all year round. It is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. You’re unlikely to visit this area for business as it’s quite far from the centre of town.

Grinzing The wine-growing region, a legacy left by the Romans, in the north-west of the city. From late spring to early autumn, visit for the Heuriger, wine taverns where you can eat and drink (and even buy) the local produce. Good for a relaxed lunch or a lively night out. A green branch placed over the door means the Heuriger is open for business.

GETTING AROUND

If you’ll only be making the occasional journey by public transport, buy single tickets on board a tram or bus (€2), or at a station (€1.50). But if you’ll be travelling a lot, the Vienna Card (€16.90) lasts for 72 hours and is accepted on the U-Bahn (underground railway), buses and trams. You can buy them from ticket offices, hotels and the tourist information office. The underground system or U-Bahn is made up of five lines, the U1, U2, U3, U4 and U6. It’s simple to navigate and very efficient. For travelling out of the centre, use buses or the overland trains called S-Bahn.

Get a taxi from your hotel or a rank—you can’t flag one down on the street. Taxis are metered, with a starting rate of €2.50. If you’re getting one outside the city limits, the fare isn’t regulated, so make sure you agree the price before setting off.

The trams or Strassenbahn are invaluable. Not as quick as the U-Bahn, but efficient and a pleasant, less claustrophobic way to travel. They also allow you to take in the sights while travelling to your meeting. Driving is best avoided and usually unnecessary. The city centre is full of confusing one-way systems, trams always have the right of way and most parking is in short-stay zones which are heavily patrolled and expensive.

Vienna is a fairly compact city and walking is often the best way to get around. Take a look at a street map to discover how close most places are—the U-Bahn map alone can be confusing when trying to work out distances.

SHOPPING

Shops tends to be open Monday-Friday 9am-6pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Some of the more trendy, specialist boutique-type shops have erratic opening hours, such as noon-7pm. Most shops are closed on Sundays and some may close on Saturday afternoons (usually local shops rather than those in the city centre).

The major shopping streets are Kärntner Strasse and Graben (both pedestrianised), perfect if you’re looking for gifts and nothing too unusual. Kohlmarkt is for those who have plenty of platinum plastic and love designer labels. Mariahilferstrasse, Vienna’s longest shopping street and far less expensive, is good for well known high-street names. It’s also undergoing a long-term change as the area around it is becoming more and more funky. Kettenbrückengasse in the 5th District is also becoming well known for its unique shops.

In winter don’t miss the famous Christmas Markets, which spring up almost anywhere there’s an open space, such as the Rathausplatz and Stephansplatz. At other times of the year you may well find outdoor markets here too. The biggest market in Vienna is Naschmarkt, but there are also a load of smaller food markets stocking products from all over the world as well as from the local farmers. Their locations vary, so ask at the tourist office for an up-to-date list. Vienna’s big shopping mall is the Gasometer (closed in Sundays), which has its own stop on the U3 line.

For chocolates and cake, try Café Sacher (Philharmonikerstrasse 4), Demel (Kohlmarkt 14), Xocolat (Freyung 2) or Confiserie Heindl (Rotenturmstrasse 16). Steeped in history, a traditional Kaffeehaus (coffee house) like Demel will even sell its own brand of coffee— expensive but exquisite.

For unique designer jewellery, go to Anton Heldwein (Graben 15) or, for a more traditional Viennese slant, try M Frey Wille (Lobkowitzplatz 1&6). A more unusual gift can be found at Milk & Honey (Zollergasse 16, Tel: 923 9399, www.milkandhoney. at). It sells 'nothing but colours’, making a stand against greyness and monotony. Here you can buy an eclectic assortment, from holographic postcards and rubber stamps to achingly sharp clothes, bags and designer shoes. Open Monday-Friday until 7pm.

Buy almost anything you can think of made from felt at the quirky Filzfactor (Neubaugassse 11, Tel: 944 6655, www. filzfactor.at). It has an incredible selection of clothes, shoes, gifts and accessories. See it to believe it. Open until 7pm on Fridays.

Fancy taking home your very own piece of historic Vienna? Try Bananas (Kettenbrückengasse 15, Tel: 664 312 9449) for retro “furniture and happy stuff”, including ornaments, clothing and accessories from the 1950s to 80s.

THINGS TO DO

In 2006 Vienna is going Mozart mad, with a year-long celebration of the composer’s 250th birthday. The house Mozart lived in on Domgasse, in the heart of the 1st District, has been restored and a new exhibition unveiled. The Opera House, Theater an der Wien and a plethora of concert venues are taking part, as is the Albertina art gallery. There’s also a Mozart-inspired film festival. Find out more at www.mozart2006.net, or talk to the tourist board about the timetable for guided walks and the New Crowned Hope festival.

Be sure to visit the palaces, such as the Hofburg, the Belvedere and Schönbrunn, as well as the many museums including the Secession (home to Gustav Klimt’s Beethoven frieze), the Kunsthistorisches Museum (art history museum), the Jewish Museum, the Freud Museum (in the apartment where Sigmund Freud once lived) and the stunning complex of museums that makes up the Museumsquartier.

You mustn’t miss out on coffee house culture—for the people-watching as much as for the coffee, hot chocolate and cakes. Among the best are Central (Herrengasse), Hawelka (Dorotheergasse
6), Landtmann (Dr Karl Lueger Ring 4) and Imperial (Kärntner Ring 16).

Ride on the trams, particularly those that circle the ring road and allow great sightseeing opportunities. Make sure you get to a concert—there are scores of great venues to choose from. If you can’t get tickets to the Opera House, try the Volksoper (Wahringer Strasse 78).

EXCURSIONS

Salzburg is a must in 2006 as, in conjunction with Vienna, it’s celebrating 250 years since Mozart’s birth. For once, the city’s associations with The Sound of Music will pale into insignificance, as Salzburg gets Mozart fever. Find out more at www.mozart2006.net. For more general information about Salzburg, go to www. salzburg.info. The journey from Vienna takes about 2.5 hours by train (each way) and services are frequent. Heiligenkreuz in the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) is home to Austria’s second oldest Cistercian monastery, which dates back to 1133. It’s a charming touristy town, with beautiful architecture and plenty of opportunities for hiking or biking in the nearby woods. Take a guided tour of the town—the Vienna tourist office can arrange one for you in advance. Heiligenkreuz is approx 28kms from the centre of Vienna. There are buses, but they’re intermittent. This is one day trip you may want to hire a car for.

Spend a day surrounded by the ochrecoloured splendour of Schönbrunn, onetime summer palace of the Habsburgs. This is Vienna’s Verseilles, with enough to keep you amused for hours. The guided tour is fascinating and all encompassing and you can walk in the grounds for hours without getting bored. In summer, be savvy and take a picnic from Vienna’s best delis to eat in the palace’s park. On colder days, fill up on hot chocolate and apple strudel in the café.

Baden, famed since Roman times for its therapeutic spa waters, is 26kms from Vienna and easy to get to. Several buses go from the centre of town, you can take a tram from Karlsplatz or a train from Südbahnhof. It’s in the southern part of the Vienna Woods and famous for its Beiedermeyer architecture, for the fact that Beethoven was a patient here and for its beautiful park. Book a spa treatment in advance via www.baden.at.

The excellent, English-speaking Vienna Tourist Board is at Obere Augartenstrasse 40 (Tel: 211 14, www.info.wien.at).

TOURIST TRAPS

Avoid the Prater, the vast public park and amusement park on an island in the Danube—the view from the historic ferris wheel isn’t that great. The costume-themed concerts, with their Mozart-dressed sellers ever eager to pounce, aren’t worth the money. And with so many unique and much better Konditorei to visit, give the chain Konditorei Aida a miss. Also avoid the themed Bierkeller and restaurants, unless a toughened-up Wienerschnitzel and cheap beer is your idea of a great night out.

CONVENTION CENTRES

Hofburg Congress Centre & Redoutensäle on Heldenplatz (Tel: 587 3666, www.hofburg.com, Email: hofburg. kongresszentrum@hofburg.com) is inside the old Imperial Palace in the centre of the city.

The Vienna Convention Bureau is at Obere Augartenstrasse 41, 1025 Vienna (Tel: 211 14 ext. 521 529, www.vienna. convention.at).