A man with a fistful of tickets attracts a crowd in a Vienna square. He’s hawking seats for a nearly sold-out concert, one that’s drawing residents and visitors alike.

Nope, it’s not the Rolling Stones swinging through Vienna this evening. It’s a classical concert featuring the works of Mozart creating this buzz. And although this year marks the 250th birthday of the famous Austrian (born in Salzburg) who made Vienna his home, classical concerts are always a crowd favorite in a city that celebrates culture and art in every form.

It’s no surprise that this city whose name is linked to Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and Haydn is today a leader in the field of creative industries. Twenty-four percent of the businesses registered in Vienna fall into this category encompassing everything from fashion design and the arts to advertising and software engineering. True to the city’s long history as an arts center, creative industries are drawn to Vienna thanks to its highly educated workforce; one in every four workers has a postsecondary degree.

Information and communication technologies also are booming due to a Viennese program for technology and innovation that invested more than $500 million in the field since 1997. Today more than 8,000 IT companies employ 73,000 people, making Vienna an IT leader in Central and Eastern Europe. Other top areas include life sciences and the automotive industry. More than 300 international corporations make the city the headquarters for their Eastern European operations including Alcatel, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Siemens, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s.

This combination of modern and historic extends throughout Vienna, which reigned for 640 years as the capital of the Hapsburg Empire. The Hapsburg influence is still seen in the city’s grand buildings and palaces but today it’s the European Union that plays a guiding role. Within the ever-expanding E.U. borders, Austria now holds a prime position close to the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, bringing many business opportunities.

Vienna’s blend of historic elegance and modern sensibility creates a distinctive climate. Business travelers find a mood that’s slightly formal; titles rather than first names are the norm. The Viennese combine their love of restaurant dining with business, often meeting over long lunches and, increasingly, breakfast.

LODGING

GRAND HOTEL WIEN

Vienna’s oldest luxury hotel dates to 1870 and has long been a favorite with European royalty. Through the years, the hotel has evolved in purpose. It was the headquarters for the International Atomic Energy Agency before returning to its original role as a hotel. In 1989, the property underwent a major renovation including the addition of state-of-the-art technology.Today each of the 205 guestrooms includes a minimum of two direct-dial telephones, fax connection (machine available upon request), complimentary high-speed Internet service and trouser press; a 24-hour business center provides additional services. On the seventh floor, the hotel’s Le Ciel gourmet restaurant overlooks Vienna; terrace dining is available in the summer. $$$$
GRAND HOTEL WIEN
Korntner Ring 9
tel 43 1 515 800, fax 43 1 515 1310
http://www.grandhotelwien.com

RADISSON SAS PALAIS HOTEL

Since 1872, this palatial facility has been located on the Ringstrasse, not as one building but as two palaces, the Leiterberger and Henckel von Donnersmarck. Today the two palaces are joined to create one five-star hotel with 247 guestrooms and suites including some that face the Stadtpark. The elegant decor features antique furnishings in many guestrooms. Rooms combine traditional Viennese elements with modern business practicality including free broadband with wireless Internet access available throughout the hotel. Several dining options are located on-site including Sapori, a modern Italian gourmet restaurant, and Le Siécle, a gourmet restaurant showcasing Viennese and international specialties. The hotel is within walking distance of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the State Opera and the Imperial Hofburg. $$$
RADISSON SAS PALAIS HOTEL
Parkring 16
tel 43 1 515 170, fax 43 1 512 2216
http://www.radissonsas.com

HOTEL BRISTOL

With its location next to the State Opera, this historic hotel (named for the city of Bristol, England) has been a city favorite since 1892. The hotel’s Prince of Wales Suite is Austria’s largest, complete with its own library, dining room, office and fitness room, but all of the 140 rooms and suites are comfortable. Each features the Westin Heavenly Bed as well as business pluses including high-speed Internet access in all guestrooms. $$$$
HOTEL BRISTOL
Kaerntner Ring 1
tel 43 1 515 160, fax 43 1 515 16550
http://www.starwoodhotels.com

DINING

DO & CO STEPHANSPLATZ

The ultra-modern DO & CO hotel, located directly across from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, is the setting for the equally mod and stylish DO & CO Stephansplatz restaurant. Perched on the seventh story with floor-to-ceiling views of the cathedral and the surrounding square, the restaurant is decorated in calming tones with an emphasis both on the view and the chef’s stations. The menu features Viennese and international specialties as well as Asian dishes including sushi and sashimi. Look for deep-fried monkfish Viennese style on potato salad or saddle of lamb with mushroom risotto. Be sure to call ahead and reserve a window table. $$$
DO & CO STEPHANSPLATZ
DO & CO HOTEL VIENNA
Stephansplatz 12
tel 43 1 24 188, fax 43 1 24 188 444
http://www.doco.com

CAFÈ SACHER WIEN

Vienna’s most famous coffeehouse, located at the Hotel Sacher, serves traditional Austrian specialties ranging from beef goulash to beef cutlet with fried onions. The cafe, however, isn’t known for its entrees, but for its desserts. One dessert — the Sacher-Torte — is well-known throughout Austria and dates to 1832. More than just a chocolate cake, this ultra-rich pastry, produced at the in-house bakery, delivers a thin layer of apricot jam. $-$$
CAFÈ SACHER WIEN
Hotel Sacher Wien
Philarmonikerstrasse 4
tel 43 1 514 560, fax 43 1 514 56 810
http://www.sacher.com

DREI HUSAREN

Housed in a 17th century monastery, this dining venue dates to the 1930s and is considered one of the city’s oldest luxury restaurants. Antique Viennese furnishings with a decidedly Hapsburg touch set the tone for an elegant evening. An elegant menu, starting with appetizers such as Osietra caviar with buckwheat blinis or lobster risotto with mussels, supports the stylish surroundings. Although entree options range from venison to lamb to fish, the “classical Drei Hussaren” dishes include Viennese veal escalope with parsley potatoes and braised sirloin with cabbage pasta in red wine sauce. $$$$
DREI HUSAREN
Weihburggasse 4
tel 43 1 512 10 92 0, fax 43 1 512 10 92 18
http://www.drei-husaren.at

DIVERSIONS

Mozart enjoys pop-star status in Vienna, and this year the city is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. The city sports extensive renovations completed last year in anticipation of the citywide celebration. which includes numerous concerts. Through Dec. 15, the Mozart Information Center (Korntner Strasse next to the State Opera, http://www.wien.info) has ticket information on city concerts.

Even if you don’t make it to Vienna this year, you will find Mozart (as well as Haydn) concerts most nights in the city. At Schoenbrunn Palace (http://www.imagevienna.com/english/), the renovated Orangery Schoenbrunn serves as the setting for concerts featuring the works of Mozart and Strauss. Concerts are held at night but be sure to save most of an entire day to tour Schoenbrunn (schoenbrunn.at/en), the Hapsburgs’ summer palace and one of Europe’s largest palaces. Many rooms can be seen on self-guided tours; outside, extensive gardens and the world’s oldest zoo await exploration.

The city is also well-known as the home of the Vienna Boys Choir (http://www.wsk.at). The group, whose members range in age from 10 to 14, performs many concerts throughout the year (taking a break in July and August). Since 1498, they have provided the music for the Sunday Mass in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel.

Downtown Vienna is home to the lion’s share of the city’s attractions including the symbol of the city, St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansplatz 1, tel 43 1 515 523 767, http://www.stephansdom.at). The soaring landmark is easily spotted because of its tiled roof and pointed Gothic towers. Inside the church’s catacombs, the internal organs of the Hapsburgs rest in urns. Their hearts, however, literally remain at Hofburg (http://www.hofburg.com), the downtown palace that served as the Imperial Palace until 1918. Today the complex is home to the office of the Austrian president as well as numerous museums open to the public, the Imperial Apartments, the Lipizzaner Museum and the Lipizzaner Stallions. The chapel where the Vienna Boys Choir performs also is located here.

No visit to Vienna would be complete without a visit to the Museums Quartier Wein (Museumplatz 1, tel 43 1 515 523 5881,www.mqw.at). The museum complex is one of the 10 largest cultural centers in the world and is home to the Leopold Museum, which showcases Austrian art, and the MUMOK (Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation Vienna), a collection of modern and contemporary art.

A pleasant evening outing is a visit to Vienna’s wine gardens; the most visited area is Grinzing, a suburb about half an hour from the city center. Here many wine gardens offer outdoor seating, traditional music, and homemade wine. For nightlife a little closer to the city, stop by the Bermuda Triangle. This area, tucked north of the cathedral, is home to many pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs.

INFO TO GO

The Vienna International Airport (VIE) is located about 11 miles east of the city center.The airport processed 7.9 million passengers during the first half of 2006. Soon the growing numbers will find additional facilities at the airport including an expansion of the Skylink Terminal planned for the last quarter of 2008.

From the airport, passengers can transfer to the City Air Terminal aboard the City Airport Train (tel 43 1 515 25 250; http://www.cityairporttrain.at). The service, which runs daily from 5:38 a.m. to 11:35 p.m., takes 16 minutes.Taxi service runs about 30 minutes to the city center and costs $45 to $50.

Getting around Vienna is easy thanks to its large public transit system including an extensive tram system, one of the world’s largest. A single fare covers U-bahn, bus and tram rides; tickets can be purchased at Wiener Linien ticket offices as well as tobacco stores and vending machines.The Vienna Card covers 72 hours of transit and also offers discounts at some city attractions and restaurants.