Why go to Vienna? The 10 good reasons to go Vienna

Most of Vienna's museums are open every day. Some have a weekly closing day, usually Monday or Tuesday. Opening times vary from museum to museum, but generally speaking, they are open from 10am to 5pm. Some larger museums are also open one evening a week until 8 or 9 pm.

Please note that reservations are essential for guided tours of the vineyards. Similarly, to attend morning training sessions at the Hofburg Spanish Riding School, you need to reserve your seats in advance. And of course, if you buy your tickets for certain popular exhibitions or shows on the Internet, you'll avoid finding a closed door. And of course, during the ball season, the most prestigious balls require reservations well in advance.

Buy your tickets on the Internet to avoid queuing at ticket offices, and you'll often benefit from a 5-10% discount, especially for Schönbrunn Palace, the country's most popular tourist attraction.

Opt for a Vienna City Card (www.viennacitycard.at), which quickly pays for itself and gives you unlimited access to public transport and numerous discounts for attractions, museums and stores (from €17 for 24 hours).

The Vienna Pass (www.viennapass.de/en), meanwhile, gives access to public transport and over 60 Vienna attractions, including Schönbrunn Palace, the Hofburg and the Belvedere (from €80 adult for 1 day, €42 per child).

Several museums are free for under-19s and on the^1st Sunday of each month.

Some museums offer advantageous coupled tickets or theme tickets, such as the "Sisi ticket" combining Schönbrunn Palace, the Sissi Museum at the Hofburg and the Vienna Furniture Museum, or the ticket combining the houses where famous composers lived. Please note that this ticket does not include the Mozart House.

Among the city's not-to-be-missed events, in addition to the dance season:

Danube Island Festival with a dozen musical stages, last weekend in June (free admission).

Musical Film Festival, on Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, with international food stalls and giant screen projections, every evening in July and August (free admission).

Vienna's6 Easter markets, combining chocolate and music (April).

Vienna Pride with the rainbow parade on the Ring (first half of June).

Viennacontemporary, international contemporary art fair (late September/early October).

Christmas markets (mid-November to Christmas).

Vienna is a tourist city. The tourist documentation is rich (especially in English), and the tourist guides are very competent, especially in French. A panoramic bus with commentary goes around the Ring. Several sites are particularly worth a guided tour: the city of the UN, the Vienna Opera and its backstage, the Schlumberger cellars, the oldest sparkling wine cellars in Austria, the Augarten porcelain factory, the Burgtheater, the Parliament, the Gegenbauer vinegar brewery. Depending on the health conditions, as an alternative to an in-person visit, you can enjoy a virtual tour of some of the collections and buildings of the Viennese institutions such as the Albertina, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace, etc.

Exit the Austrian exception at the end of 2019. Smoking is banned in Austrian bars and restaurants following the passage of a restrictive anti-smoking law that outlaws smoking in establishments smaller than 50^m2, which until now could be entirely smoke-free. Smoking areas in cafés and restaurants have been abolished. Smoking is now restricted to terraces. Smoking is also banned in all public spaces and on public transport.

Relax, let your guard down, there are few tourist scams in this destination. No fake guides waiting for the naive tourist. Everything is well-regulated, respected, organized, official... This is Austria!

In Vienna, people still dress up to go to the opera and, what's more, to the ball. Women and men alike. Elegance is the order of the day, and here's an opportunity to take out - or rent - long dresses and tuxedos. Generally speaking, proper attire is a must when dining out, at least in the evening. But you can cross the avenue in a bathing suit to take a dip in the Danube Canal!