Eternity is a mere moment, just long enough for a joke,” says Hermann Hesse’s Mozart in the novel Steppenwolf. Though the real Mozart uncouth, immature, yet god-like in his gift as a composer died at 35 writing the haunting Requiem Mass, his spirit is very much alive in his native country, and nowhere more than Vienna.

A fascinating blend of Renaissance and modern Europe, Vienna is charming because it’s real. The mechanization and absolute, deadly order that has plagued other modern-day European cities has not touched this perfect gem. And, like Mozart himself, the people of Vienna, with their noticeable capacity for laughter, are always ready to offer help with a smile

The first gift I received when I stepped into Vienna’s airport was a Mozart Kugeln, a delicious multi-layered chocolate ball with marzipan filling and a picture of Mozart on the wrapper. That set the tone: Everywhere you walk in this city you come face to face with elements from its rich history. In 1156, Duke Heinrich II a descendent of the Babenbergs, a noble Bavarian family, was the first to make Vienna his permanent residence. Many wars later, in 1282, the Holy Roman Empire’s newly elected king Rudolph von Habsburg invested his two sons with the Duchies of Austria and Styria, laying the foundation for the family dynasty that would last 600 years.

Popular as a conference venue, Vienna was ranked second after Paris in the mid-1990s as a tourist destination and has a target of 10 million overnights by 2010. With its spectacular architecture paying tribute to every major era in Western culture, a wealth of museums, art galleries and palaces, the Danube metropolis is very likely to hit its target.

(Incidentally, there’s nothing at all ‘blue’ about the Danube. Strauss must have been drunk when he came up with that.)

But it’s the music that the country is most known for. If you don’t have the chance to take in a performance, a tour of the State Opera is a must. This mammoth, highly ornate building, originally the Court Opera House built in 1869, was severely damaged during the Second World War, but it reopened in 1955 after a complete overhaul based on the original plans. Although the performance hall is less opulent than the rest of the building, the stage is designed with an unparalleled mechanical ingenuity. Swift set changes make it possible to execute a cycle of rehearsals and performances 300 of them year round, with only the month of August off. There’s a different show each night no wonder the schedule is planned roughly seven years in advance.

Roessl Room at the Schonbrunne Palace

If your sense of direction leaves much to be desired, you’ll still be safe in Vienna. Easy to navigate, courtesy of an extensive-yet-easy-to-understand underground network, you’ll find it both possible and inexpensive to take in the city’s cultural treasures.

Karlsplatz U Bahn (pronounced “oo-ban,” meaning underground train) takes you straight to the first district (out of 23 districts forming the circle-within-circle plan of the capital). The Opernsquare exit leads to the State Opera. For 50 eurocents, you can use the station’s public bathroom and take your pick from selections of Mozart, Strauss, Hayden or Beethoven for the duration of your stay. Attendants are dressed in period costumes, wigs and all.

Karntner Strasse is the heart of Vienna’s poshest shopping area. Designer boutiques line this pedestrian zone on both sides and in the summer, more so than in winter, the music doesn’t stop. A string quartet here, a guitarist there Mozart’s tunes fall on your ears on practically every street corner, wafting over from Mostly Mozart shops selling those ethereal chocolates and Mozart memorabilia.

And there’s no chance of going hungry: Every few paces you find a café, restaurant or hotel. The local Aida Café chain is decorated with a mosaic mural of our very own Nubian princess, immortalized by Verdi. Their Sachertorte (a succulent dark concoction of chocolate cake and apricot jam), traditional apple strudel and cappuccino are to die for.

A less kitschy tribute to our ancient heritage can be seen at the phenomenal Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts). Built in 1891, it boasts one of the largest displays of Egyptian artifacts in the world. Audio guides take you through the stories of countless statues, sarcophagi and a giant granite foot. It would take you at least two days to take in the painting collection, which features works by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Durer, Raphael, Titian and Velazquez.

Detail of the Gloriette, Schonbrunne Palace

In Vienna, there’s a museum for just about everything under the sun: Sigmund Freud, military history, glass, a kinder museum for children, the imperial furniture collection, crime, secular and ecclesiastical treasuries. The list is endless, but most of them are within walking distance of each other. Some are in the Hofburg Imperial Palace complex, which also includes the National Library.

Rather offbeat is Emperor Franz Joseph’s Hat Museum. Attached to the Piaristenkirche (Church of the Piarist Order), a Baroque basilica renowned for its frescoes and harmonious organ, the museum is part of the historic Piaristenkeller restaurant. It features authentic Austrian cuisine against a background of traditional music, and guests can model antique feathered hats of all shapes and sizes or visit the ancient vaulted wine cellar. Mozart was allegedly one of their regulars.

Not all of Vienna’s 360 churches are made famous by a wine cellar. The most spectacular is St. Stephen’s Cathedral commonly referred to as The Dome. A remarkable example of Gothic architecture, it is located in Stephensplatz in Vienna’s first district. One after the other, the high arches seem to go on for miles, transporting you back to the labyrinthine edifices of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, complete with narrow spiral staircases, catacombs, gargoyles and cherubs. Guided tours yield more treasures, including the red marble tomb of Emperor Friedrich II and a winged Gothic altar dating back to 1447.

Fast-forward a few centuries to the MuseumsQuartier, the world’s largest cultural quarter for contemporary art. The internationally ranked Leopold Museum houses the biggest collection of paintings by Egon Schiele. Works by Gustav Klimt, Anton Kolig and Richard Gerstl are also among the private collection of Rudolf and Elizabeth Leopold.

A trip to Vienna would be incomplete without a visit to the Schonbrunn Palace. This masterpiece of Baroque architecture was built in 1713 and was the Habsburg’s summer residence. Franz Joseph, the last emperor of Austria, and his stunning wife Elizabeth (known as Sisi) spent their last days here. He died in 1916 and two years later the palace became the property of the new republic. Out of a total of 1,141 rooms, 40 are open to visitors. For 10.50 you get a taste of life at court during those glamorous days of the monarchy. Once more, audio guides take you through room-by-room. In the main ballroom, with its hand-painted frescos, you can almost hear the rustle of the silk gowns and smell the pipe tobacco. The table is all set at the imperial dining room the way it was almost a century ago.

I looked up at one of the huge paintings depicting a royal wedding ceremony and wasn’t surprised to see, of all people, a five-year-old Mozart.  et