The editors’ selection

Along the Danube River about an hour northwest of Vienna, the Wachau Valley is a parade of castles and ruins. Towns including Melk, Krems and Dürnstein display beautiful medieval and baroque architecture and plenty of prandial pleasures into the bargain; in Dürnstein, Austrian Duke Leopold V famously imprisoned Richard the Lionheart as the King of England returned home from the Third Crusade. Expect a plethora of historical facts as well as world-class wines and marmalades made with the area’s EU-protected succulent apricots.

Vienna is home to more city vineyards than anywhere else in the world and the Viennese know how to enjoy their produce better than most. Dotted throughout the city centre are Heuriger, traditional Austrian taverns for wine lovers, but you’ll find the best of them skirting the edges of town. Take a short trip up to Nussdorfer Weinberge and sit outside at Sirbu, where you can enjoy a fine local riesling and a breathtaking view over the city.

Sweet tooth? Well, even if the answer is no, Vienna will soon change your mind. Austrian Mehlspeisen (think tortes, pastries, cakes) are a staple of city life in the nation’s capital. While the rest of the world is ditching dairy, giving up gluten, shunning sugar and watching its waistline, little has changed here since the high old Habsburg days. A good thing too. The storied Café Central on Herrengasse draws the crowds but the sweet treats from Café Diglas on Wollzeile are a Monocle favourite.