Vienna Holiday

Traditions and culture in Vienna

The city has long been a centre for art and culture, with theatre, opera and music all still widely in evidence.

The Burgtheater, for instance, is considered to be one of the finest around, while the Volkstheater Wien and the Theater in der Josefstadt are also particularly impressive.

The Volksoper opera house pays tribute to the standard Viennese operetta, while classical concerts are also popular, with many directed at tourists by featuring the work of Mozart and Strauss.

Anyone looking to book flights to the city will no doubt be aware of the Vienna balls, held around 200 times a year in beautiful palaces and featuring as many as nine live orchestras.

Things to do in Vienna

The Habsburg legacy is undoubtedly a fabulous draw for anyone contemplating taking their summer holiday in Vienna this year.

The city centre is lined with impressive Art Nouveau edifices, while there are a number of excellent museums, in addition to the range of lavish concert halls alluded to above.

Travellers looking for a quieter, more physically active break will not be disappointed, as the city is home to a number of parks of varying sizes.

Naturally, the world-famous Danube forms a major part of outdoor life in Vienna, with plenty of opportunities to swim, take a boat ride, cycle alongside it or skim along its surface.

In addition, walking in the woods is a classic Viennese pastime, while the Wienerwald contains a number of marked trails which are ideal for hiking and feature tour guides on hand to educate about the city's rich heritage.

Weather in Vienna

Vienna has a moderate continental climate, featuring chilly winters and pleasantly warm summers, while rain is not a huge threat and is generally spread thinly across the year.

Indeed, the city experiences around 2,000 hours of sunshine per year on average and some summer days can be particularly hot.

The best times to come to Vienna are perhaps in spring, the start of summer and during autumn, when a decent value hotel should be available.

Destination checklist for Vienna

Vienna has a population of around 1,600,000.

The city is one hour ahead of BST time.

The official currency is the euro.

German is the official language spoken.

Vienna's international dialling code is +43.