When traveling by train in central Europe, it's hard not to transit through Vienna, and the city is well worth a visit for the architecture and culture. This is the season for balls in Vienna, but when I visited the city with my siblings in the fall of 2003, we were off-season. Nevertheless, the tour of the baroque Hofburg Palace downtown was fascinating, and I enjoyed the opulent rooms and the variety of art and artifacts on display. Anchoring Stephansplatz, the gothic Stephansdom cathedral with its elaborate tiled roof and soaring bell tower was one of the most memorable sites in the city, and the interior was almost as beautiful. Also memorable was the baroque Karlkirche, with its elegant dome. Vienna is a city of music, with a long list of composers who at one time were employed there. Accordingly, we made pilgrimages to renowed performance halls which we had heard about, including the Muzikverein, the Konzerthaus, and the Staatsoper. Although the weather was a bit rainy when we visited, Vienna exceeded our expectations, and I would love to go back some day.

Logistics: The Historic Centre of Vienna has excellent public transportation, with a well-developed network of buses, trams, and U-bahn and S-bahn rail lines.