A Viennese whirl

Bridget takes coffee with Freud and Dietrich (sort of), enjoys Strauss, samples the festive markets and follows in the footsteps of The Third Man in Austria’s capital city

Ichallenge any bah humbug Scrooge-types out there not to soak up some Christmas spirit during a wintry trip to Vienna. All the mulled wine, hot chocolate, spicy gingerbread, powdery snow, Christmas stalls, outdoor skating, frosty spires, twinkling fairy lights, street decorations and roasting chestnuts – well, how can it not give you an exciting festive frisson?

This is despite the fact that the Austrian capital may be known more for inventing the snow globe (there is a dedicated museum) than for Santa Claus flying around on a sleigh popping pressies down chimneys.

In such a multicultural society, there are lots of different faiths, but traditionally in Austria, it’s the Christkind (a childlike or angelic representation of Jesus) who magically appears during Christmas Eve to decorate the tree and leave gifts.

It may be too late to arrive in time for the myriad Christmas markets this year, but by next week there will be New Year markets in place. They stay open even into the early hours of New Year’s Day for any revellers who get the Bratwurst munchies or fancy another mug of hot punch.

New Year’s Eve is a lively affair as the historic centre turns into a giant party zone from 2pm until 2am. As the clock strikes midnight, prepare for fireworks, music and dancing in the streets. The New Year’s Eve Trail in the Old Town is the highlight, with gala dinners, concerts, operas and crowded cafes and bars.

I’m pleased to say that stopping off at a Coffee House for whatever calorific cake takes your fancy is almost obligatory. We chose Café Landtmann, established in 1873, and a favourite haunt of such famous former customers as Sigmund Freud and Marlene Dietrich. The smart waiter in bow tie and apron advised that a Melange is the local coffee of choice, perhaps with a Viennese Whirl?

If you want to whirl on to the dance floor, head to Graben during the afternoon of Hogmanay for a crash dance course on waltzing as the area is turned into an open air ballroom.

Vienna has a lot of balls – around 450 during the winter season – and the New Year’s Eve Balls at the Imperial Palace, City Hall and leading hotels offer some of the hottest tickets in town.

Even the beautiful white Lippizzaner horses know how to dance better than me. If the magical evening performances are all booked up at the Spanish Riding School, you may be able to catch a morning training session, as I did, mesmerised by riders and their steeds pirouetting to music as elegantly as ballerinas.

The annual New Year’s Eve performance of Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss at the Vienna State Opera is also likely to be a sold-out event, but you can catch it live on the outdoor screen.

Rather than a bottle of Irn-Bru, Vienna’s version of a hangover cure is much more sophisticated – brunch in front of the City Hall, listening to the Vienna Philharmonic’s annual New Year’s Day concert.

If you haven’t visited Vienna before, a hurl on the Ringstrasse tram or even a ’fiaker’ (horse-drawn carriage), is a good way to get your bearings. Many important buildings – such as the National Theatre, City Hall, Stock Exchange, Imperial Palace and Parliament – still stand on this elegant boulevard first opened in 1865.

I recommend the Hilton Vienna Plaza as a good hotel to stay at, not just because it happens to be on Schottenring (Scottish Ring) but

In Austria it’s the Christkind... who magically appears during Christmas Eve to decorate the tree and leave gifts