Vienna Historic Center: The UNESCO World Heritage Innere Stadt (1st district) is Vienna's heart - pedestrian-friendly zone filled with imperial architecture, churches, palaces, museums. Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) dominates Stephansplatz - Gothic masterpiece with stunning roof tiles, south tower climb (343 steps, panoramic views), catacombs. Hofburg Palace (Imperial Palace) was Habsburg residence for 600 years - now houses museums (Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection), Spanish Riding School (Lipizzaner stallions), Austrian National Library. Ringstrasse boulevard circles Innere Stadt - built 1857-1865 replacing medieval walls, lined with grand buildings (Opera, Parliament, City Hall, Burgtheater, museums). Historic center is compact, walkable - allow 2-3 days exploring thoroughly. Vienna combines imperial grandeur with modern livability - consistently ranked world's most livable city.

Schönbrunn Palace: This magnificent Baroque palace (6km southwest of center, U4 metro) was Habsburgs' summer residence - 1,441 rooms, gardens, Gloriette monument, zoo (world's oldest, 1752). Imperial Tour (40 rooms) or Grand Tour (additional private apartments) showcase opulent interiors - gold leaf, chandeliers, frescoes. Maria Theresa (1717-1780, Habsburg empress) made Schönbrunn her principal residence - 'Schönbrunn Yellow' color scheme throughout. Gardens are free - formal French-style parterres, Neptune Fountain, Palm House, maze. Gloriette (hilltop monument) offers palace views, café. Schönbrunn is Vienna's most-visited attraction - arrive early or late afternoon avoiding midday tour groups. Allow 3-4 hours for palace and grounds. Essential Vienna experience - rivals Versailles for splendor.

Museums and Art: Vienna has exceptional museums. Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) ranks among world's finest - Habsburg art collection including Bruegel, Vermeer, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, stunning building with marble, gold, frescoed ceilings, café under dome. Albertina houses drawings/prints collection (Dürer, Michelangelo, Klimt) plus modern art. Belvedere Palace (Prince Eugene's Baroque palace) displays Austrian art including Klimt's 'The Kiss' - iconic golden masterpiece. MuseumsQuartier (former imperial stables) contains Leopold Museum (Egon Schiele collection), MUMOK (modern art), Kunsthalle. Natural History Museum faces Art History Museum - identical twin buildings, dinosaurs, Venus of Willendorf. Vienna was art capital - Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka worked here. Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture throughout - Secession Building with golden dome, Otto Wagner buildings.

Classical Music and Opera: Vienna is music capital - Mozart composed here, Beethoven lived here, Strauss waltzed here. Vienna State Opera (Staatsoper) is world's leading opera house - performances nearly daily September-June, standing room tickets €10-15 available day-of (arrive 80 minutes before for good spots), building tours available. Musikverein (concert hall) hosts Vienna Philharmonic - gold-and-white hall with perfect acoustics, New Year's Concert broadcast globally. Classical concerts throughout city - Karlskirche, Schönbrunn, Mozart House, touristy but quality variable. Street musicians often excellent. Vienna Boys' Choir performs Sundays at Hofburg Chapel (book ahead). Summer brings outdoor concerts, opera on giant screens at City Hall square. Music is Vienna's soul - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Mahler, Strauss family all worked here.

Coffeehouse Culture: Viennese coffeehouse (Kaffeehaus) is UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage - institution for socializing, reading newspapers, lingering over coffee and cake. Historic coffeehouses: Café Central (grand 1876 café, vaulted ceilings, Trotsky and Freud frequented), Café Sacher (original Sachertorte - chocolate cake with apricot jam, whipped cream), Café Demel (imperial pastry shop, ornate interior, watch pastry chefs through window), Café Hawelka (bohemian, artists' hangout since 1939). Order Wiener Melange (Viennese coffee - similar to cappuccino), Einspänner (coffee with whipped cream in glass), Sachertorte, Apfelstrudel. Coffeehouses serve light meals - schnitzel, goulash. Expect to linger - service intentionally slow, newspapers provided, no pressure to leave. Coffeehouse culture is quintessentially Viennese - intellectual, refined, timeless.

Naschmarkt and Food: Vienna's largest market (1.5km long near Karlsplatz) offers produce, spices, prepared foods, restaurants - multicultural, vibrant, Saturday flea market. Viennese cuisine: Wiener Schnitzel (breaded veal cutlet - enormous, traditional with potato salad), Tafelspitz (boiled beef with horseradish, apple sauce - Emperor Franz Joseph's favorite), Gulasch (Hungarian influence), Sachertorte and Apfelstrudel (desserts). Heurigen (wine taverns) in Vienna Woods serve new wine, cold buffet, garden seating. Würstelstand (sausage stands) offer Käsekrainer (cheese-filled sausage) - local fast food. Vienna blends Austrian, Hungarian, Czech, Italian influences - former empire's culinary diversity. Food is hearty, traditional, generous portions.

Practical Vienna: Vienna is safe, clean, efficient - excellent public transport (U-Bahn metro, trams, buses - 24/72-hour passes good value), English widely spoken, walkable center. Euro currency. Peak season April-October, Christmas markets November-December. Summer can be hot (30°C+). Winter cold (0°C) but magical - Christmas markets, opera season, coffeehouses cozy. Vienna Card offers transport and museum discounts. Dress smartly for opera/classical concerts. Museums often closed Mondays. Sunday morning markets. Austrians formal - address as Herr/Frau, shake hands. Vienna expensive by Central European standards but reasonable compared to Paris/London. Allow minimum 3 days - 5+ days ideal for thorough exploration including day trips (Wachau Valley, Bratislava 1 hour by train).