With the noisy carnival season in full swing, where in Vienna do lovers go for some intimate, quiet Valentine's Day bliss?

Those in need for some relaxation and decadence can treat themselves to a unique chocolate massage at the world-famous Hotel Sacher. The birthplace of Sacher Tore is also home to a spa  that offers "Time To Chocolate" treatments for two.

For couples who enjoy the outdoors, t...

Beethoven fans: This year, all of Vienna is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the great composer's birth. Over the coming months, the city will be home to a dazzling array of music events, exhibitions, and tours. There will be piano recitals at Beethoven's former residence and favorite wine tavern, grand symphonies at the Konzerthaus, and a resplendent open air concert at Heldenplatz in May.

M...

With twenty different Christmas markets hosting more than a thousand booths, it can be difficult to choose the best spots to visit during the holiday season in Vienna. When it comes to punch, nothing beats the booth by Demmers Teehaus at Altwiener Christkindlmarkt on Freyung Square. Their orange punch has more flavor and less sugar than most other punch vendors. Apart from that, the booth is quite...

It's always a White Christmas in the miniature worlds depicted within the glass containers of a Viennese snow globe. Perfected in Austria in the late 19th-century by Edwin Percy, a mechanic specializing in surgical equipment, authentic snow globes are available for sale at all of Vienna's world famous Christmas Markets. In fact, Erwin Percy's family business continues to thrive, producing 200,000...

For the last few weeks, Vienna's vintners have been busy harvesting grapes in the Northwestern and Southern outskirts of the city. Unlike in many industrialized vineyards, Viennese grapes are still picked by hand. Whole families can be seen in the fields working throughout the harvest weeks. This is why few vintners have time to arrange public wine tastings (as I keep experiencing).

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