Vienna for The Solo Traveller: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

Ride to the top and stand where Sobieski's relief army came down on the Turks in 1683; the whole Danube plain and the city below.

Forty minutes on foot through Riesling rows and along the brook where Beethoven walked out the Pastoral.

A Nussdorf wine tavern since 1787: buffet by weight, their own Gemischter Satz in a quarter-litre mug, a bench shared with strangers.

An hour west, then thirty-five flat kilometres on the Danube cycle path past Spitz and the apricot orchards, with the Melk abbey at your back.

Climb to the Kuenringer castle where Richard the Lionheart was held for ransom, then cross the river on the cable ferry at Spitz for the quiet bank.

Back in the Leopoldstadt, a plain Beisl with the biggest Schnitzel in the district and a counter where nobody asks why you are alone.

Twenty-one kilometres of flood-relief island with no cars, a WienMobil bike from the rack, the early swimmers at the Copa Beach and the Alte Donau boats.

Vienna's floodplain forest inside the city limits: swim at the Dechantlacke, find the Napoleon stone, listen for beavers in the backwaters.

A lakeside inn at the top of the Alte Donau, fried fish and a Spritzer at a counter seat as the sailing boats come in.

343 steps up the Steffl at opening, the watchman's room at the top and an empty city of roofs below.

Run or walk the 4.4 km chestnut avenue, Riesenrad at your back, to the Lusthaus pavilion and the Sunday-morning quiet of a Monday.

Käsekrainer with sweet mustard and a Pfiff at the sausage stand before the S7 to the airport.