#911 Vienna, Austria

Literally and historically the heart of Europe, Vienna is a fantastic place, with palaces, museums, churches, galleries, architectural wonders, and amazing food and nightlife. With one of the lowest price indexes in all of the EU, it's reasonable and easy to visit.

1. The first amazing thing to see is Stephansdom, the enormous gothic church that dominates central Vienna. With it's gorgeous zigzag roof, majestic interior and spooky bone-filled crypt, it awakens every medieval dream and nightmare. The views from it's tower are super.

2. Ruling most of Europe for centuries, the Hapsburgs had their main base here, and the Hofburg palace is just one relic of their glory. The beautiful Belvidere gardens and a majestic timeless palace  buildings that could have fallen out of a fairy tale -- except their ultimate ending was far from happily ever after. The Museums here are never ending!

Heldenplatz - part of the Hofburg complex (Neue Burg)

Roman ruins on Michaelerplatz

3. Hundertwasser, the Austrian architect with fanciful curves, bright colors and a hodge podge of design has his famous Hundertwasser Haus in Vienna and other glorious and colorful designs with flowing rolling lines and divided fragments mixed with greenery.

3. Another of the things I loved about Vienna is the Ringstrasse -- a wide tree lined boulevard encircling the inner city along the lines of the old city walls. Parks!!

So order a coffee, sit on the grass, enjoy some sausages and good beer and enjoy this cultural hub!

Source: Lonely Planet Vienna 4th Edition