Coffee may not have been invented in Vienna, but café culture was certainly perfected here, and numerous coffeehouses carry on the low-key, enjoyable tradition of a long morning or afternoon spent over the newspaper and a melange (a distinctive Viennese coffee drink, served with a small glass of water.)

Vienna's glorious past can also be witnessed in the city's tradition of opera and other performing arts. Just when you've convinced yourself that Vienna is merely a city of the past, you discover a modern Vienna, epitomized by the playful art and architecture of Friedrich Hundertwasser and the vibrant internationalism spilling over from the city's UN community.