36 hours in Luxurious Vienna

The capital of high living is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its famed boulevard, the Ringstrasse.

Not quite a century ago, Vienna was downgraded from being the glorious capital of a sprawling empire to the capital of just one country, Austria. What remains undiminished is the city's reputation as a capital of high living.

Virtually any activity you might undertake in the city - strolling through a museum, sipping coffee or shopping for shoes - will leave you feeling pampered and a little envious of the indulgent style to which the Viennese seem so accustomed. This is, after all, the city where chocolate cake and sparkling wine are an appropriate snack at any hour, where the Wiener schnitzel is typically bigger than the plate on which it's served, and where residents all know how to waltz.