Imperial palaces, Europe's oldest round-the-world trip, and musical geniuses: 48 hours in Vienna

" The streets of Vienna are paved with culture; those of other cities are paved with asphalt ," Austrian writer and playwright Karl Kraus once summed up, masterfully summarizing the centuries of history and cultural development of the Austrian capital , which was once the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the center of power of the Habsburgs , one of the most powerful and influential royal houses in Europe.

Dotted with impressive imperial palaces and Baroque monuments, Vienna is also the capital of music, thanks to the great geniuses who made it their home, from Beethoven to Mozart , from Haydn to Schubert and, of course, Johann Strauss , the “favorite son” of musical Vienna, the most famous composer of waltzes, a rhythm that with him rose from traditional peasant music to the center of imperial balls.

With its monumental architecture , the capital of Austria stands out for its imposing beauty and recalls the splendor of the Middle Ages, the Baroque period and its past as an imperial center .

With its cafes and restaurants, perhaps presided over by the majestic Cafe Central, Vienna—voted more than once as the best city to live in —is a city to walk and walk. And while it's large, most of its historical heritage is concentrated in the historic center , which is an invitation to enjoy it on foot.

Here is a two-day plan to discover the essentials of the Austrian capital, 2 hours 20 minutes by train from Budapest (Hungary), 4 hours from Prague (Czech Republic) and Munich (Germany) and 5 hours from Ljubljana ( Slovenia ) and Zagreb (Croatia).

8:30. Declared a “ World Heritage Site ” by UNESCO for its architectural and urban richness, the city’s historic center is the best place to start. A tour. Near the Herrengasse metro station, and set in large gardens, is the Hofburg Palace , which was a castle in the 13th century and later became the main residence of the Habsburg family for over 600 years.

Among the buildings on display are the majestic Imperial Apartments, the neo-Rococo Audience Chamber, and the Spanish Riding School.

There is also the Sisi Museum (admission 20 euros), which delves into the fascinating twists and turns of Empress Elizabeth's life, from how she grew from a simple young woman into a much-loved and ahead-of-her-time empress , who rebelled against rigid court life and championed causes such as self-expression and mental health.

10:00. If you leave the Hofburg through the Burggarten park—with its Mozart monument—you'll pass the Albertina Museum (admission, €19.90), a key center for modern art that exhibits works by Monet, Renoir, and Picasso, among others.

On the next block you will see the Vienna State Opera , and next to it, the Ringstrasse avenue , which surrounds the entire historic city center following the route of the old 13th-century wall.

On this avenue today are the University and the Votive Church, Vienna City Hall, the Natural History and Art History Museums , the Parliament and the Old War Ministry, among other emblematic buildings.

12:00. You might want to hurry a bit, because it's a 12-minute walk to Hoher Markt , the city's oldest square. Its main attraction every lunchtime is the Anker Clock , decorated with 12 period figures that "come out" together to parade with Viennese music every lunchtime. The show lasts less than 15 minutes.

12:30. A four-minute walk from the clock on Wollzeile, the Figlmüeller restaurant has been serving what it claims is the “ world’s most famous schnitzel ” for over 100 years.

Taste the largest Milanese made in Europe, and even better if you pair it with potato salad and a glass of Austrian wine . The country's most emblematic variety is Grüner Veltliner (white), but if you prefer a red, you can order varieties like Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, or Sankt Laurent.

14:00. From Figlmüeller, it's a three-minute walk to St. Stephen's Cathedral , one of the city's most iconic buildings, built in the Gothic style and crowned by a 136-meter-high spire.

After a difficult climb up the spiral staircase, from the viewing platform at the top you get fantastic views of the center and the back of the Cathedral and its Tile Roof, with more than 250,000 tiles restored after the bombs that destroyed it in World War II .

You can visit the interior and the catacombs with guided tours or audio guides (7 euros for each section). Note: concerts are also held in the central nave ; they are well worth the visit.

15:00. Leave the Cathedral and head south. Turn right to enter Graben Street , one of the most important streets in the Innere Stadt, or city center.

It is a wide, elegant pedestrian shopping street , with shops, cafes and restaurants with tables on the sidewalk, and in the center, the Lepolodo Fountain and the Plague Column, a baroque statue built to celebrate the end of the plague and honor its victims.

At the end of Graben - 300 meters away - you will find Kohlmarkt , the "luxury street" , with jewelry stores, high-end shops and international fashion brands.

4:00 PM. You can return via Graben and turn onto Spiegelgasse to reach Tegetthoffstraße 2, where the Imperial Crypt of Vienna, or Capuchin Crypt, is located beneath the church of the same name.

With an entrance fee of 13 euros, you can see 150 sarcophagi, works of art , in which most of the Habsburg family rests, including Franz Joseph I, Prince Rudolf, and Empress Sisi.

17:00. Time to enjoy one of Vienna's most famous specialties: the Sacher Torte , a chocolate cake created in 1832 by the then apprentice pastry chef Franz Sacher, who worked at the Demel pastry shop and later founded the Sacher Hotel .

And those are the two options for savoring it; after a legal dispute over the name, the hotel was authorized to sell it as the "Original Sacher-Torte," and the Demel bakery, as the "Eduar Sacher Torte." Choose one or go back and forth between them to decide which one suits you best.

18:30. If you chose the Café Sacher, you'll be right in front of the Vienna State Opera , one of the world's leading opera companies . You can explore the opera with a guided tour (40 minutes, 15 euros) or attend a performance. Prices range from around 5 euros in the upper section to 250 euros or more for those in the front rows of the stalls ( www.wiener-staatsoper.at ).

8:30 PM. If the Sachertorte didn't fill you up for dinner, an interesting alternative is to end the day with a good goulash or other typical Viennese dish in a characteristic restaurant like Gasthaus Poschl (Weihburggasse 17), which is located in the Inner City and is usually full of locals, not just tourists.

8:30. Time to get out of the city center and take the U4 metro or trams 60 or 10 to reach Schönbrunn Palace , also known as the "Viennese Versailles," the summer residence of the imperial family .

To explore the spectacular Rococo interior, there are various tickets; you can opt for general admission for 40 euros or visit only the impressive gardens (free admission), featuring Greco-Roman statues, the Neptune Fountain, and a gazebo with a magnificent view.

There's also a labyrinth, the world's oldest zoo, and a carriage museum (several areas have a paid entrance fee; a 15-euro ticket covers everything in the gardens).

11:00. Return to the center, to Seilerstätte 30, because Vienna is the "music capital of the world." Then you must visit the House of Music (Haus Der Musik, admission 17 euros), an interactive museum that invites you to discover the world of music in an innovative and unconventional way: to experiment, explore, and directly create your own music , on the four floors of what was once Archduke Charles's palace in the Old Town.

A musical journey that unites the great composers of the past (from Strauss to Mozart) with the most outstanding musicians of the present and a glimpse into the future of digital music and virtual reality.

1:00 PM. Near the Kettenbrückengasse subway station, a 12-minute walk from the House of Music, the Naschmarkt is a great option for lunch.

Although there are other more ethnic and alternative markets, such as Brunnenmarkt in Yppenplatz, Naschmarkt is the most famous and popular for its selection of spices, teas, nuts, fresh fish and seafood, all kinds of sandwiches, falafel, and wraps, which go very well with local beers like Murauer, Stiegl Puntigamer, or Gösser, served at the various stalls. Lunch there costs between €15 and €30; in restaurants, €30 to €50; and in high-end restaurants, from €50 to €60 per person.

14:30. This may be a controversial proposition, but if you're a music lover, you'll enjoy a visit to the Central Cemetery (45 minutes from Naschmarkt on the U4 metro or S7 train, free admission), where you'll find the graves of great composers such as Gluck, Beethoven, Schubert, Hugo Wolf, Johann Strauss (father and son), Lanner, Brahms, Schoenberg, and many more.

The monuments to Beethoven and Strauss in particular are places of remembrance for music lovers from around the world. The Mozart monument is also a must-see , although his body is buried in another cemetery, St. Marx Cemetery. The tour also allows you to see other areas of the city, far from the city center.

4:30 PM. It takes 35 minutes on the S7 to reach Stadtpark , the city's oldest park , with peaceful, picturesque walks among statues and various plant species, especially attractive in summer. There are also several bridges connecting the two parts of the park by crossing the Wien River, and a large monument to Johann Strauss playing the violin.

18:00. Walk 20 minutes to Hundertwasserhaus , on the banks of the Danube, a curious and colorful residential complex built in the 1980s by the painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Nestled between brick and more modern buildings, these meandering houses, with trees peeking out from their windows , are true works of modern art.

19:00. Option A: It's an 18-minute walk, 12 minutes by public transport, or 10 minutes by car from Hundertwasserhaus to the Prater , the city's former and popular amusement park, which opened in 1895 and has over 250 rides for all ages, in a very lively atmosphere.

In addition to a green area ideal for rest and relaxation, you can find adrenaline rushes on roller coasters, simulators, and horror games. And don't miss the giant Ferris wheel (round-the-world ride) , a symbol of Vienna since its opening in 1897, with magnificent views from its 60-meter height . Admission to the park is free, and you pay per ride (the Ferris wheel costs 12 euros). The Prater also offers dinners that include shows , such as Strauss concerts.

7:00 PM. Option B: If you prefer, instead of visiting the Prater Park, you can choose a dinner cruise on the Danube River , perhaps the most famous and romantic in all of Europe. There are several, such as the one offered by Schifffahrt Wien, which lasts three hours and costs 45 euros per person.

Departing from Schwedenplatz Square, it passes by iconic landmarks such as the Urania Observatory and the Hundertwasser District Heating Plant. For an additional fee, you can upgrade your dinner to a three-course meal with a sparkling wine as an aperitif.

Both the Prater and the Danube cruise are undoubtedly great experiences to round off your visit to this exceptional city at one of its iconic sites.

• Via Iberia, via Madrid, US$1,760 round trip. Lufthansa + Austrian Airlines, via Frankfurt, from US$1,630.

• The best option is the historic center, where most of the attractions are. Other good options are Josefstadt, very close by; Leopoldstadt, a cool and trendy neighborhood; and Neubau, the "museum district."

Examples: at the Ibis Wien Hauptbahnhof, near the train station, from 148 euros for a double room. At the City Central (4*), in Leopoldstadt, it's 195 euros.

• Meals: €5 to €12 per person in fast food; €30 to €40 in standard restaurants; and over €50 in high-end establishments. On the street, kebabs start at €4 or hot dog and beer for €10.

• Subway ticket, 2.40 euros; 24-hour transport pass, 8 euros; Vienna Card (for 48 hours), 25 euros.