It remains a city of imperial grandeur and the occasional dirndl, but Vienna has also become a true international capital—in perfect time to celebrate the Year of Mozart

Straddling the banks of the Danube, Austria's capital is a city of contradiction. Historic locales such as Schönbrunn Palace and the classical musical heritage of Mozart, Schumann, and Beethoven reside alongside UNO City (the site of the UN headquarters) and the tallest bungee jump in the world (the 1,150-foot Danube Tower). The best way to experience Vienna's charms is on foot, wandering along narrow medieval alleyways and across imperial squares, walking in the footsteps of Emperor Franz Josef I and royal wife Sissi, and marveling at the majestic architecture along the Ringstrasse.

About one-fourth of the recommendations here appeared in the March issue of Condé Nast Traveler, in the "Places & Prices" section. But as we said, this year Vienna deserves the royal treatment. So here is an expanded, fully updated version of the best of Vienna in the Year of Mozart.

The country and city code for Vienna is 43-1. Prices quoted are for March 2006. The U.S. embassy is at 16 Boltzmanngasse (31-3390; usembassy.at).

Lodging
All the chains are here, from the budget Ibis and Mercure to the big names. While they may rank as luxury establishments, Vienna's branches of the Hilton (3 am Stadtpark; 717-000; hilton.com; doubles, $336), InterContinental (28 Johannesgasse; 711-220; vienna.intercontinental.com; doubles, $262–$428), and Marriott (12a Parkring; 515-180; marriott.com; doubles, $184–$323) are cookie-cutter generic and impersonal (the renovated Hilton promised a hot jazz club owned by the celebrated keyboardist Joe Zawinul but disappointed with a featureless white box that belittles the name Birdland).

But Vienna's smaller hotels have more character, and many of her great old classic hotels are true standouts. The first four below are on the Condé Nast Traveler 2006 Gold List:

As you walk through the public salons and grand staircases of the Hotel Imperial, it's impossible not to be awed by a sense of history. All visiting heads of state stay here. The second- and third-floor rooms are grandiose; the upper modernized rooms are identical, with little character but stunning views. The cozy bar and café attract locals as well as visitors. But beware—the attitude that greets tourists popping into the lobby for a gawk is one of disdain and hauteur, an affectation perfected by Viennese in the service industry (16 Kärntnerring; 501-100; luxurycollection.com; doubles, $402–$872).

Across the Ring is the Grand Hotel Wien, whose rooms are spacious, generously appointed, and drab enough for stuffy dignitaries. But it has great amenities: a gym with TV monitors at each machine; jovial staff; a lovely café and bar; and its crowning glory, the rooftop restaurant Le Ciel, consistently ranked as one of Vienna's best (9 Kärntnerring; 515-800; grandhotelwien.com; doubles, $450–$485).

The Hotel Sacher Wien merits legendary status even without its famous dessert. The rooms aren't huge, but this is the most authentically Viennese of the luxe properties. The public spaces, private dining rooms, restaurant, and bar give true glimpses of the Old World. A newly constructed roof level has a sports club and wellness/beauty facility (4 Philharmonikerstrasse; 514-56; sacher.com; doubles, $436–$637).

The stately 1892 Hotel Bristol occupies pride of place, across the Kärtnerstrasse from the Staatsoper, but it remains a place of quiet luxury. The sedate interior has an almost regal feeling (1 Kärntnerring; 515-160; starwood.com; doubles, $393–$647).

The exquisite, historic, park-enclosed hotel Palais Schwarzenberg is closed for renovations until the summer of 2007 (9 Schwarzenbergplatz; 798-4550; palais-schwarzenberg.com).

Residenz Palais Coburg, in a former private palace, is a well-kept secret so far. Neither of the two menus at its restaurant compares to the cost of dinner at the Sacher, for instance (4 Coburgbastei; 518-180; palais-coburg.com; doubles, $544–$864).

Das Triest remains the first and best of Vienna's modern hotels. Several rooms share grassy terraces. The public spaces and meeting rooms are comfortable and funky. The Silverbar and in-house restaurant Collio are musts even if you stay elsewhere (12 Wiednerhauptstrasse; 589-180; dastriest.at; doubles, $258).

At a cost of $125 million, a landmark building was renovated to create the 294-room Le Meridien, but it has failed to make any significant statements of style or quality: Its pretentious bar is uncomfortable, its rooms are small and indistinct, and for the price of the yoga classes on the roof, they should provide each participant with his/her own swami. There is a state-of-the-art fitness center with a resort-sized pool, a whirlpool, a steam room, and a sauna (13 Opernring; 588-900; lemeridien.com; doubles, $317–$458).

It's too early to tell if the unfortunately named Style Hotel can get itself on track or if its mistakes are irrevocable. It's in a huge landmark Jugendstil building opposite the famous Café Central. A lack of doors anywhere on the lobby floor creates a sense of openness; a small gym, sauna, and steam room are open around the clock. In the rooms, though, some of the furnishings are already starting to show wear, but each has a flat-screen TV and a DVD player (12 Herrengasse; 227-800; stylehotel.at; doubles, $198–$276).

The immensely likable Hotel Kärntnerhof is set among the city's most beautiful backstreets and passageways. A classic Schönbrunner-yellow facade hides a family-run hotel where the elegance has an appealing touch of "faded." The fiercely loyal clientele may be due to the concierge services and a breakfast buffet worth getting up for (4 Grashofgasse; 512-1923; karntnerhof.com; doubles, $105–$170).

Just across the Danube Canal, the 300-year-old Hotel Stefanie was named for the wife of Crown Prince Rudolf. Guest rooms have every amenity, including luxurious draw curtains that divide the sleeping and entertaining spaces. The dining room is elegant but pricey; alternatively, try the offbeat Cádiz Tapas Bar, on nearby Karmeliterplatz (12 Taborstrasse; 211-500; schick-hotels.com; doubles, $200–$230).

A perennial favorite, the 37-room Hotel Altstadt is a small masterpiece of Vienna Modern, its sleek, quirky decor set in masterful relief against statuesque 19th-century proportions. The art is from the owner's collection—like staying with a friend who has very good taste. It is in the pleasant Spittelberg neighborhood (41 Kirchengasse; 522-6666; altstadt.at; doubles, $153–$200). The nearby König von Ungarn, at 10 Schulerstrasse, also provides excellent quality for a reasonable price (515-840; kvu.at; doubles, $235).

Within the Ring, the quaint standby is the comfortable, affordable Hotel Römischer Kaiser, a Best Western in an 18th-century palace, half a block from the shops on the Kärntnerstrasse (16 Annagasse; 512-77510; bestwestern.at; doubles, $144–$192). On the same street, the Mailberger Hof is a favorite of opera singers who like the modestly priced suites with kitchens (7 Annagasse; 512-0641; mailbergerhof.at; doubles, $183–$278).

Several pensiones are tucked into pleasant corners in and around the Old City (1st district). Top marks go to the Pension Pertschy, in a former palace steps from the Hofburg and the elegant shops and cafés on the Graben. Balconies wrap around a charming 18th-century courtyard, leading to gracious public areas and beautifully appointed, one-of-a-kind guest rooms (5 Habsburgergasse; 534-490; pertschy.com; doubles, $125–$170). Nearby is one of three sister pensiones, the 17-room Aviano, with fine rooftop views (1 Marco-d'Avianogasse; 512-8330; doubles, $115–$135).

Dining
Emboldened by a group of chefs known as Die Jungen Wilden (The Young Wild Ones), Austrian cooks are streamlining and reinventing traditional Austrian cuisine. Italian food is probably the second best-represented, French isn't currently in vogue, and Asian is hot (excluding Chinese, which tends to be generic and mediocre).

Plachutta has the best Tafelspitz in Vienna, served in individual pots with liver dumplings or pancake slices. This place is a shrine to the mighty steer. Menus feature a detailed chart showing where each cut of beef comes from and giving its proper name. The youngest member of the Plachutta family reigns supreme at the Wollzeile location. The other Plachuttas in outlying districts have more standard approaches to old-fashioned Viennese cuisine (38 Wollzeile; 512-1577; plachutta.at; entrées, $17–$27).

Located in a whimsical landmark building designed by painter Arik Brauer, the unpretentious, reasonably priced Bauernbräu serves hearty fare from Styria, a state in southeast Austria that loves pumpkin and the Styrian delicacy pumpkinseed oil. There are plenty of pumpkinless choices on the menu, too, but Kürbiscremesuppe (pumpkin cream soup) is mandatory (134-136 Gumpendorferstrasse; 595-3838; entrées, $11–$14).

Prinz Ferdinand is a charming, traditional 19th-century Gasthaus in a quiet part of the 8th district. It has a standard, nicely prepared menu. Sitting in the tree-lined garden out front, sipping a tart Grüner Veltliner, is like taking a minivacation on a hot summer day (2 Bennoplatz; 402-9417; entrées, $14–$26).

If you've got an unlimited expense account, check out Steirereck in Stadtpark. The food is sublime: cèpe mushrooms with fresh herbs, lake perch with potato puree, and, in season, venison with leeks and mushrooms. Said to be the best restaurant in Vienna, it serves a multi-course prix fixe dinner accompanied by Austrian wines for $175 per person. Lunch is cheaper, and there is a new take-out café (2a am Heumarkt; 713-3168; entrées, $17–$24).

For traditional, reasonably priced local food, try the Stadtbeisl in the Naglergasse (533-3323; entrées, $10–$18).

Voted the best restaurant in Vienna in 2005, Le Ciel, the Grand Hotel Wien's canary-yellow rooftop gem, is aptly named (9 Kärntnerring; 515-809-100; prix fixe, $47–$71).

In the newly renovated Palais Coburg, Restaurant Coburg is one of the top three kitchens in Vienna, according to the popular newspaper Falter. But it's easily $180 per person for dinner (4 Coburgbastei; 518-180; prix fixe, $80–$105).

The Albertina Museum encloses the second Do & Co, where you dine beneath larger-than-life reproductions of portraits by Egon Schiele. A sample of the ambitious dishes: a sublime sautéed goose liver with pineapple carpaccio, arugula, and port wine reduction; a ravishing risotto of pumpkin and grilled oyster mushrooms; and a chocolate soufflé with warm chocolate sauce, lemongrass parfait, and fresh strawberries that rivals the art. Opt for a terrace table in the summer (532-9669; entrées, $17–$22).

When the Museumsquartier opened its funky jumble of buildings, it became one of Europe's biggest cultural centers and the home of Café Restaurant Halle, one of Vienna's premier restaurants, which mixes original Baroque interiors with postmodern architecture. The menu has artful salads (themselves dazzling structures) and entrées such as salmon fillet with silver beets (1523-7001; entrées, $6–$16).

From art to stage: Burgtheater, one of the great landmarks of Ring architecture, is home to Vestibül, occupying what was once Franz Josef's private entrance hall. Suitably grand and regal, the fin de siècle decor is an apt backdrop for the sophisticated fare prepared by Marcus Radauer, who trained at Steirereck. Leek risotto, mushroom-filled dumplings, lamb with olives, and the celery gratin are highly recommended. The dessert choice for adventurous diners is the sweet-and-sour ewe's milk cheese and tomato mousse (532-4999; entrées, $13–$26).

The food is good, but for atmosphere, the Palmenhaus-Café is untouchable. The former imperial palm house (behind the Hofburg, next door to the imperial butterfly house) occupies a spectacular glass conservatory, home to dozens of ancient and gargantuan palms. Linger over coffee, pastry, and a newspaper—no one will rush you. The portions are generous, and the prices reasonable. Full lunch and dinner menus are available, and later, the place becomes part of the nightlife scene with parties and DJs (Burggarten; 533-1033; entrées, $17–$26).

Vienna has tons of Italian restaurants, mostly serving overpriced pasta. But several are a cut above: In the Hotel Das Triest, Collio is a lovely room with an adventurous, ever-changing menu that's Tuscan-inspired. It serves one of the best moderately priced dinners in the city (12 Wiednerhauptstrasse; 589-1800; entrées, $25–$28). Inside the Haas Haus shopping complex, Aioli is an uncontested favorite among young professionals. The menu headlines regional Italian pasta dishes and entrées, but many patrons come for the antipasti. In fair weather, a small terrace has a prize view of the cathedral (532-0373; entrées, $5–$14). Sapori, in the Style Hotel, is inviting but only serves set meals (518-180; prix fixe, $80–$105). Ristorante Arcadia, a 9th district trattoria, has great daily fish specials. Split an order of fresh-made pasta as a starter (74 Währingerstrasse; 319-1330; entrées, $12–$17). I Ragazzi is a newcomer, but it's developing a huge following due to its excellent pizza (6-8 Burggasse; 522-6325; entrées, $7–$13). After the opera, dine just across the street at the handy San Carlo on the pedestrianized Mahlerstrasse (513-8984; entrées, $13–$28).

Kim Kocht means "Kim Cooks," and boy does she ever! The problem is that the space is tiny and reservations are hard to come by. Either plan ahead or visit Kim's adjoining lunch café and retail shop. The spot is conveniently located across the street from the Volksoper, but a meal at Kim's is theater enough for one night (6 Lustkandlgasse; 319-0242; prix fixe, $50–$55).

One of the first—and still best—reasonably priced Southeast Asian restaurants in Vienna, Mr. Lee is in a no-frills glass box in the Naschmarkt close to Theater an der Wien. Quarters are cramped indoors, so take an outside table and enjoy one of the many wok-cooked seafood specialties (Stand 278-280, Naschmarkt; 581-4560; entrées, $6–$9).

Considered one of the best restaurants in the 6th district, Ra'mien noodle shop is packed every night (reservations are a must). The large, attractive minimalist dining room features an open kitchen, and a quick glance will answer the question, "What are flying noodles?" Sadly, the succulent gyoza are only available during lunch hours. Downstairs is a bar and dance club for the terminally hip (9 Gumpendorferstrasse; 585-4798; entrées, $7–$12).

Overall, Indian is not a very successful cuisine in Vienna, but the Indian Pavilion is a delightful, spicy exception (Stand 74-75, Naschmarkt; 587-8561; entrées, $24–$17).

Aux Gazelles, a Middle Eastern hammam with a beauty spa, a café, a restaurant, and a club, is an experience on its own (5 Rahlgasse; 585-6645; entrées, $12–$22).

Vienna's Turkish population has grown steadily in the past years. At Kent, a sprawling, down-to-earth restaurant and bar in the 16th district, the food is abundant and cheap; the atmosphere is fun and a bit raucous, especially if there's a soccer game on TV (67 Brunnengasse; 405-9173; entrées, $7–$10).

While most restaurants do offer at least one dish that doesn't come from an animal, few serve strict vegetarian menus, especially ones with a bit of imagination. The venerable Wrenkh, long the gold standard of Viennese vegetarian restaurants, has added meat, poultry, and fish to the menu at its flagship location in the 1st district (10 Bauernmarkt; 533-1526; entrées, $12–$16).

For purists, Nice Rice, a tiny, charming room in the courtyard of an 18th-century building—the birthplace of Viennese playwright Ferdinand Raimund—serves strict vegetarian cuisine with Asian influences and has a small garden (45 Mariahilferstrasse/49 Raimundhof; 586-2839; prix fixe, $10).

Cafés
Escape the tourist haunts of the 1st district and see where the Viennese—especially musicians—go to linger over their kleiner Brauners and strudel. Café Sperl remains gloriously unrenovated, the service is typically feisty, and in the winter it's still the best place to curl up on an overstuffed banquette with a steaming, restorative bowl of Kürbiscremesuppe (pumpkin cream soup). The regular menu has standard café fare including a knockout pork goulash (11 Gumpendorferstrasse; 586-4158; cafesperl.at; entrées, $8–$12).

The excellent Volksoper, the oft-overlooked cousin of the dominant Staatsoper, has the disadvantage of being located on the edge of the 9th and 19th districts, not near much of anything. A bright spot is Café-Restaurant Weimar, which on occasion serves as the Volksoper's living room for informal meet-the-artist talks, previews of new productions, and CD release parties. The fare is tasty but unoriginal. The staff, however, are unusually courteous and gracious to non-German speakers. Unobtrusive, pleasant live piano plays every evening (68 Währingerstrasse; 317-1206; cafeweimar.at; entrées, $10–$18).

Dating back to 1875, Café Diglas is one of the city's loveliest traditional coffeehouses. Skip the adventurous dishes; stick to the hearty Gulaschsuppe, followed by a wedge of something chocolaty. Diglas has a retail outlet for its pastries at 16 Fleischmarkt (10 Wollzeile; 512-5765; diglas.at; entrées, $10–$18).

Phil is regarded as a café, but basically, it's a high-class thrift shop cum living room in which everything is for sale except the staff and the coffee machine. Furniture, toys, clothing, books, plants, the LPs and CDs which are playing, you name it—everything has a price tag. Order an Italian coffee or a Czech beer, start reading a book, maybe even buy it (10-12 Gumpendorferstrasse; 581-0489; phil.info).

Another high-concept café, Das Möbel (The Furniture) is just what it sounds like: a showroom for original, one-of-a-kind tables and chairs, all of which are for sale. Drinks and light fare—quiche and pastries—are available, and the furnishings are constantly changing (10 Burggasse; 524-9497; dasmoebel.at).

Bars and Wine Bars
The laid-back atmosphere at Vinissimo is somewhere between rustic Tuscan barn and vineyard tasting room. Dozens of wines are available by the glass, along with scrumptious antipasti (ask which snacks best complement the wines). You can buy wines by the bottle or case, and stock up on cheeses, olive oils, and balsamic vinegars. The place is small and informal, but call ahead, as it is frequently used for private functions (20 Windmühlgasse; 586-4888; vinissimo.at).

One of Vienna's most popular after-work spots, Meinl's Weinbar gets crowded in the late afternoons and early evenings. Order one of the daily wine specials, peruse the glassed-in cases of the best wines in the world, and have a waiter saw off a chunk from the huge wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 Naglergasse; 532-3334-6100; meinlamgraben.at).

At the Naschmarkt location of Wein & Co, you can buy a bottle and drink it on the spot for no extra charge at the comfortable, trendy bar (1 Getreidemarkt; 5857-25713).

Tucked in the back of the ground floor of the slightly seedy Hotel Fürst Metternich is the oasis called Barfly's, a local favorite. The candlelit main room has a copper-topped bar, a few highly coveted tables, and glass cases with what must be the largest whiskey collection on the planet—more than 500 are on the menu, broken down by geographic origin. Cocktails are made to perfection, Ella Fitzgerald and Rat Pack CDs add to the ambience, and the selection of cigars includes Cubans. Avoid tables in the dark, noisy entrance room; instead, register your presence and wait for the main room (33 Esterhazygasse; 586-0825).

Santo Spirito, a wine bar behind St. Stephan's Cathedral, specializes in classical music—mostly recorded but frequently live on weekends. The whitewashed walls and wooden plank floors make it look like a place where Mozart might have knocked back a few. The place is a favorite of the music crowd, so don't be surprised to find yourself sitting next to a singer from the Staatsoper (7 Kumpfgasse; 512-9998).

In the Museumsquartier, the café called Halle has fast become one of Vienna's coolest places, thanks to its warm-weather outdoor bar, conceived to serve the patrons of the Wiener Festwochen and the summertime KlangBogen Festival. Sprawl on one of the white leather sofas at the top of the central staircase for an early evening cocktail—they concoct the best Cosmopolitans in town—and stay until 2 a.m. (523-7001; www.diehalle.at).

The Ambassador may be just another unremarkable conservative hotel, but its second-floor Atriumbar is a haven from throngs on Kärntnerstrasse and the overcrowded, overpriced, overrated places like Sky Bar. The setting is one of quiet luxury and elegance. A great place for drinks before or after a performance at the Staatsoper. Call ahead to reserve a table (22 Kärntnerstrasse; 961-610; ambassador.at).

Just a stone's throw from the Staatsoper, Hotel Das Triest's fabulous Silverbar has a narrow alley of wood-paneled booths with black onyx tables perfect for intimate conversation (although you can play voyeur thanks to strategically tilted mirrors on the opposing wall). The extensive drinks menu has standard cocktails and some surprising new creations (589-18133; dastriest.at).

H12 in the Style Hotel has a fireplace, big cushy sofas, and a heck of a lot of things going on, like red lighting and ambient video (227-800).

At the Shambala Bar in Le Meridien hotel, a DJ spins house music and young things toss back Austrian pear brandy on the rocks. This slick lounge has curvy red-leather stools and couches in the retro Courrèges-style bar (588-900).

As gay bars go, Felixx is particularly civilized and draws a mixed crowd. The cozy bar's main room, painted a flattering shade of coral, is dominated by an elephantine crystal chandelier. The black lacquered bar takes up only a small part of the room, with seating at tables and comfortable sofas. Attractive, multilingual staff serve standard cocktails and more than a dozen wines by the glass. A rarity in Vienna, Felixx serves a buffet brunch on Sundays for $12 (5 Gumpendorferstrasse; 920-4714; felixx-bar.at).

Vienna's gay and lesbian community center, the Rosa Lila Villa houses Café Willendorf, a surprisingly good restaurant with a charming rose garden. While the menu changes daily, the focus is on fresh vegetables with a Thai influence. Reservations are suggested, especially for garden seating (102 Linke Wienzeile; 587-1789; www.villa.at/willendorf).

Shopping
The Kärntnerstrasse's pedestrian stretch begins on the other side of the Walfischgasse. Its many shops sell everything from shoes to sausages to funny hats with feathers. Look especially for fine Austrian boutiques like Swarovski and Fürnkranz.

A long square (actually a filled-in medieval moat), the animated Graben comprises boutiques, fountains, the Pestsäule (commemorating the city's deliverance from the plague), and parades of people carrying orange bags from the fabled Meinl am Graben, a gourmet grocery store that serves anything edible, from fresh Perigord truffles to North American maple syrup (532-3334).

Mariahilferstrasse, beginning at the Museumsquartier, is Vienna's longest shopping street—not a must but certainly worth a look.

As the demographics of Vienna change – each year the city becomes younger and more ethnically diverse with the expansion of the EU-—so does the Naschmarkt, a huge outdoor market that extends from Getreidemarkt to Kettenbrückengasse between the Rechte Wienzeile and the Linke Wienzeile. More than 100 shops and stalls sell their wares, and dozens of cafés, bars, and restaurants maintain shoppers' energy. The basics are always there (fresh produce from the surrounding countryside), but creeping globalization keeps the locals on their toes. For example, Mrs. Gruber, on whom ganz Wien depended for fish, is now challenged by a smaller operation run by a Balkan family directly opposite hers.

At the Naschmarkt location of the retail chain Wein & Co, you can take your pick from the terrific salads, crostini, and tramezzini. The store is open seven days a week until midnight, and as an extra bonus, after paying at the bar, you receive a coupon for ten percent of your total purchase, which can be applied toward a bottle of wine until closing time that day (1 Getreidemarkt; 5857-25713; weinco.at).

On Saturdays, the parking lot at Kettenbrückengasse is home to a huge morning flea market. The possibilities for finding the perfect gift are endless; bargain hunters should arrive around closing time, 1 p.m., as that's when shopkeepers are likely to make deals rather than haul products back to storage.

Heurige
A Heurige is essentially a no-frills tavern on a vineyard, operated by the winemaker and his family. The word is derived from heurig, an adjective meaning "this year's." In this case, it refers to this year's wine, meant to be drunk "young" before it turns "old" on St. Martin's Day (November 11). Authentic Heurige sell only wine made on the premises, and they have buffets of various degrees of complexity. Beware the inner-city establishment calling itself a Stadtheurige, as "city Heurige" is oxymoronic: It will most likely be a place tarted up to look like a rustic winery, but not nearly as authentic.

Going to a real Heurige involves traveling to the outskirts of Vienna or beyond. Usually, the harder to access, the better it will be. Some Heurige with spectacular views overlooking the city from the northwestern hills of the Wienerwald have shoddy service and deliver indifferent food to hordes of tourists at cramped tables. To get to a Heurige frequented by the Viennese, you may need to drive and hike a bit, but it's worth it.

Weinbau Zawodsky is high up in the hills of the chic 19th district. You can drive or take a tram and walk for 20 minutes. Once there, it's like being at a family gathering alongside neat, endless rows of grapevines in full bloom. On a sultry summer evening, sit at a picnic table in the shade of an apple tree and befriend people on the neighboring benches. Sip a young Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Weissburgunder, or the special house mix and watch the sun set over Vienna as kids play in the grass, dogs bark, and crickets chirp. On summer weekends, Zawodsky sets up a huge grill and has steaks from organic beef and spare ribs. The house buffet is well-stocked and plates are piled until you say "when," then each dish is weighed and you pay by the dekagram. A hearty meal for two with ten different dishes, two glasses of wine, and a large bottle of mineral water costs about $40 (3 Reinischgasse; 320-7978; zawodsky.at).

As Vienna's most altitudinous Heurige, Sirbu undoubtedly has the best views. Avoid weekends and the experience will be far more pleasant. The place is huge, but its remote location seems to deter tourists. It lacks the charm and intimacy of Zawodsky, but catch it in the right weather and light and it is magical. It's also a gold medal–winning winery, noted especially for its Nussdorfer Riesling (210 Kahlenbergerstrasse; 320-5928).

Live in Vienna: Magnificence on Stage
Mozart's great interpreters are set to thrill in the city's top venues

In a year filled with performances of Mozart's music, 17 stellar concerts deserve particular attention. Dates listed are for the premieres; for additional performances, visit mozart2006.net.

STAATSOPER (2 Opernring; 513-1513; staatsoper.at). A busy company with 49 operas in its 2005–06 repertory, the Staatsoper has a reputation for mounting revivals with little rehearsal—so as to attract big-name artists who think their time is better spent sleeping and eating. It doesn't really matter what's onstage, given the spectacular interior and the lavishly catered intermissions:
April 2 Bastien and Bastienne, with a rooftop staging aimed at attracting children.
December 5 Mozart's Requiem, with German deity Christian Thielemann conducting.

THEATER AN DER WIEN (6 Linke Wienzeile; 588-30660; theater-wien.at, in German): March 4 Lucio Silla, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, with his period instrument pit band, the Concentus Musicus Wien.
March 26 La Clemenza di Tito, with stylish tenor Kurt Streit.
April 12 The Obligation of the First Commandment, an obscurity penned by Mozart when he was 11, with Harnoncourt on the podium and his son Philipp directing.
May 13 Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Daniel Harding, a young maestro recently out of short pants.
June 13 Così Fan Tutte, with French theater genius Patrice Chéreau directing.
July 20 The annual KlangBogen festival opens with Gerald Finley as Don Giovanni.
August 7 Flammen ("Flames"), by Erwin Schulhoff, a composer hated by the Nazis. The central character is Don Giovanni, who finds Hell unexpectedly unentertaining.
September 15 Mozart's Requiem, reconceived as a dance piece by Wisconsin-born choreographer John Neumeier.
November 8 Odio Mozart ("I Hate Mozart"), an amusing—or so we hope—piece by Bernhard Lang and Michael Sturminger, with the Klang-forum Wien ensemble.
December 5 Simon Rattle leads the Vienna Philharmonic in the composer's last three symphonies.

VOLKSOPER, the Staatsoper's country cousin (78 Währingerstrasse; 513-1513; volksoper.at):
March 13 A double bill of Rimsky-Korsakov's Mozart and Salieri and Mozart's Der Schau-spieldirektor gets three unstaged concert performances. It's part of a larger repertory that includes La Clemenza di Tito and a German-language production of The Marriage of Figaro.

JUGENDSTILTHEATER (1 Baumgartner Höhe; 589-2222; festwochen.at):
May 21 Zaide, a faintly charming early work, has been retitled The Seraglio by Peter Sellars. It will premiere at this small Art Nouveau theater high above the city, part of a still-functioning sanatorium designed by Otto Wagner. The production precedes the New Crowned Hope Festival of Mozart-inspired events, presided over by Sellars (Nov. 14–Dec. 11).

MUSIKVEREIN (12 Bösendorferstrasse; 505-8190; musikverein.at):
May 4 Cecilia Bartoli touts her new album, Opera Proibita, in a program featuring Salieri and Mozart.

May 7 and June 18 Strong-fingered virtuoso Rudolf Buchbinder plays two sets of Mozart piano concerti (six in all) with the Vienna Philharmonic in one day.
May 15 Zubin Mehta conducts the Prague Symphony and Mahler's Fourth.

The Top 10 So Far
Music critic Manuela Hoelterhoff selects the best movies and recordings

Many of music's greatest artists have immortalized their interpretations of Mozart—the man and his works:
1. Based on Peter Shaffer's enormously clever play, Milos Forman's film Amadeus is a sumptuous evocation of Mozart's era. A two-disc DVD of the director's cut further illuminates the tortured relationship of Mozart and Salieri ($27). The play will be performed on the Lake Stage in Seeham, outside Salzburg, starting June 30 (43-664-27-65-605; seebuehneseeham.at).

2. Joseph Losey's incantatory 1979 film of Don Giovanni has a great cast—Ruggero Raimondi and Kiri Te Kanawa—and a fantastic Italian setting: Palladio's Villa Rotonda, in Vicenza ($30).

3. On CD, I recommend a legendary 1955 recording of Don Giovanni with Cesare Siepi—one of the few basses who could wear tights—in the title role and Lisa Della Casa as Donna Elvira ($40).

4. Ingmar Bergman's 1975 film of The Magic Flute is the perfect opera introduction for children as well as adults. Sung in Swedish, with English subtitles ($30).

5. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, a stylish soprano of the postwar era, shows off her celebrated portrait of the melancholy countess on a 1959 recording of The Marriage of Figaro, led by the equally elegant Carlo Maria Giulini ($22).

6. La Clemenza di Tito, written for his beloved Prague in 1791, features a notably forgiving king (even after his best friend incinerates his capital). The music is sublime, although it's written in an old-fashioned style. The stunning film, directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and set in the Roman Forum, seems lamentably unavailable—unlike Nicholas Hytner's minimalist production for Glyndebourne.

7. The other opera seria that has recently returned to favor is Idomeneo. Look for the video with Luciano Pavarotti as the spooked Cretan king in the Metropolitan Opera's original 1982 production ($25). Plácido Domingo is equally impressive in a 1996 CD embellished by Cecilia Bartoli and Bryn Terfel ($51).

8. Così Fan Tutte contains the most ravishing phrases Mozart ever composed for the human voice—as the two wistful sisters watch their soldier boys depart for war. Look for the 1996 set featuring Renée Fleming and Anne Sofie von Otter ($51), or the 1974 recording with Montserrat Caballé and Janet Baker ($39).

9. Symphony Nos. 38, 39, 40, and 41—Mozart's last symphonies—are his grandest, and they've attracted the greatest conductors. Track down recordings with Bruno Walter, Leonard Bernstein, and Herbert von Karajan.

10. Daniel Barenboim, Andras Schiff, and Alfred Brendel are today's grand interpreters of Mozart's piano concertos. I still own one of my first recordings of Concerto No. 21, performed by Géza Anda and used in the cheerfully suicidal 1967 Swedish film Elvira Madigan.