Shoulda, Coulda, Wouldn't in Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Vienna is the grandest of the European capitals, offering so much exterior visual gratification that you may be wholly forgiven for never stepping inside any of its edifices, palaces, or museums. In fact, I feel that you can do Vienna justice with only a few major-time-investment stops. Conversely, if you decide to explore in depth every single point of interest and museum, you may require an uncommonly long stay in the Austrian capital.

It follows from the above that you should absolutely try to see at least from the outside as many of the city’s sights as possible. That means, first and foremost, walking all around the Innere Stadt (or, if you are so inclined, substituting some of the walking with the horse-driven carriage ride). The squares in the city center all offer visual delights: the bustling and opulent Graben; the somber and elegant Judenplatz; the regal Am Hof; the irregularly shaped Freyung; and a few others.

You should definitely take a stroll – alternating with riding a tram – around Ringstrasse. There is an incredible number of architectural highlights located along this leafy ring of boulevards. The most famous are: the soaring Rathaus; the magnificent Burgtheater; the classical Parliament; the imposing Staatsoper. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).