Vienna holidays

Although Vienna is landlocked, it’s not without its fair share of sunbathing spots. Instead of making the five-hour-drive to Croatia’s coast, you can lay down a towel on the sands of Danube Island, or head to a bathing complex. When the sun’s shining, the lounger-lined lidos are the place to be.

Europe’s second longest river, the Danube, runs right through the city. And in it, you’ll find Danube Island. It’s fringed with over 25 miles of beaches and is ideally placed just a few minutes from the city centre on the U1 subway line. Here, you can throw down a towel and wiggle your toes in the sand, or even take a dip in the water. Plus, if you’re visiting in June you might catch the annual Danube Island festival – the biggest free open-air party in Europe.

Vienna isn’t brimming with beaches, but there’s a water-filled sanctuary just outside the city centre in the form of Oberlaa’s Therme Wien. You can get there using the trains and trams, or it’s a half an hour drive away, but it’s definitely worth the journey. You’ll find 26 warm water baths, 23 saunas and steam baths as well as spa facilities, restaurants and a gym. It’s open all year round apart from December 24th and makes the ideal escape from the city.

Head to the Flohmarkt at Naschmarkt on a Saturday. This huge flea market is considered to be one of the best in Europe, and it’s ideal for scouting out something unique to take home. Stalls sell everything from antiques and clothes, to vinyl records and books – often at bargain prices. Plus, the market is edged by Art Nouveau buildings, so you can shop with pretty surroundings.

Mariahilfer Straße is your go to for shopping in Vienna – it’s the longest shopping street in the city and easily has enough shops to keep you busy for an afternoon. You’ll find big department stores, little boutiques and plenty of places to stop off for a coffee break.

For high end stores, look no further than the Goldenes Quartier – AKA the golden quarter – in Vienna’s old town. Think Bond Street, Austrian style. It’s set upon some of the oldest streets in the city, and has been pedestrianised, so you can window shop without worrying about the traffic. It’s become something of a designer haven, with brands like Tiffany, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Alexander McQueen setting up shop here.

You don’t have to party until the early hours to have a good night in Vienna. There are plenty of chic cocktail bars to sample, and the coffee houses stay open late so you can kick back with a kaffee after dark. Alternatively, take a horse-drawn carriage ride along the cobbled streets from Stephansplatz or Albertinaplatz. You’ll get to see the city in a new light, as lots of the sights are lit up at night.

This calm, pretty city is a bit of a dark horse when it comes to its nightlife. Techno and electro music are big here, and the best party scene can be found on the Gürtel ring road. Here, new music venues have set up camp under the old subway arches. The Danube Canal is also a popular spot, and in the summer, the clubbing scene gets taken al fresco, as pop-up beach bars join the line-up.

The apple strudel has made its way into the pastry cases of bakeries and cafés all across the world, but nowhere makes it like they do in Vienna. It is, after all, their most famous dessert. And with good reason – this roll of flaky, buttery pastry hides layers of apple, raisins, sugar and cinnamon. It’s like Granny’s apple pie, with a twist.

This recipe forms one of Austria’s national dishes. It’s made by boiling beef in a broth of aromatic spices and is served with root vegetables, crispy potatoes and lashings of the soup. It often comes with sauces like apple-horseradish, and a white sauce made from sour cream and chives, so you can dip as you please.

This cake is so imbedded in Austrian culture that there’s a National Day dedicated to it on December 5th each year. And it tastes as impressive as it looks. This decadent chocolate cake has a layer of apricot jam in the middle and is iced with a thick chocolate glaze. It’s served with a compulsory mound of whipped cream – delicious.

This dish has been gracing the pages of Vienna’s restaurant menus since the 18th century. It’s traditionally made with a thin cut of veal that’s coated with egg and rolled in breadcrumbs, before being fried and plated up with a wedge of lemon.

It doesn’t get much better than a piping hot mug of rich chocolaty goodness, and the Viennese people have got the recipe for this classic beverage down to a T. They keep things simple, melting grated dark chocolate into warm milk, and sweetening it with sugar. A dollop of cream on the top is the perfect finishing touch.