When Mature Times posed its readers the question: “Where do you want to go for a holiday” my answer was immediate: ‘Vienna’, the capital city of Austria.

Since 1997 when my partner and I first visited this lovely place we have been in love with Vienna. There is an old Richard Tauber song - I’m in love with Vienna - and we are now suffering withdrawal symptoms, having not been there for a while.

There are so many reasons to be happy here. Even if one is not into music (and it does help if one is, as it is wonderful to walk around areas and see houses where Beethoven, Schubert, Franz Lehar etc walked and lived).

There is the more leisurely way of life to appreciate: the world-famous cafes with splendid pastries and unique coffee, the magnificent Baroque architecture, visits to the Hofburg (the old imperial palace in the centre of the city) and the legendary “Schonbrunn” palace just outside Vienna, trips to the Vienna woods, and so much more.

Readers would very much appreciate the civility and courteousness found here, both in restaurants, shops, and even in the street if help is needed. There is far more of an air of gracious living here than in certain other capital cities.

I suppose Vienna could be likened to a very large village where everyone has time for one another. We discovered on our first visit a “pension” (B&B) in the Ninth District and have been going back there ever since. It must be one of the cheapest in Vienna, yet is clean, the breakfast is good, and it is quite central.

For my partner and I, a trip to Vienna would be incomplete without a visit to our favourite cafe, The Braunerhof in Stallburggasse, quite near the Hofburg palace. Go there on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, the only times when you can enjoy the lovely sounds of the Braunerhof String Trio playing in the background. Here you can relax whilst enjoying afternoon tea with apfelstrudel and sip a viertal (25cl measure) of the famous Gruner Veltliner white wine. You can stay in the cafe as long as you want - there is never that feeling that you have to make way for the next visitors.

The waiters, as is usually the case elsewhere, are in black and white, everything is served correctly and with great care. And the music, for us anyway, is enchanting. Old Viennese airs, fragments from operetta, Robert Stolz, Strauss etc. Actually the whole experience takes one back with nostalgia to the 50s , the days of the Lyons corner houses, with their little orchestras entertaining one over food. For anyone whose appetites will have been whetted the Vienna Tourist Board number is 0043 - 1 - 24 555.

You can email: info@vienna.info or log onto www.vienna.info Hopefully we will be going back sooner rather than later to our dream city.

Relevant links

• Vienna Tourist Board (Opens a new window)