Whether it’s hopping the cafes and Christmas markets or living through history in the palaces and museums, you can’t go wrong in Vienna, probably the best city in Central Europe (each entitled to their own opinion, of course). I always felt safe and comfortable in this pedestrian-friendly, clean, welcoming place. The city center is larger than your Bruges or Salzburg, but that’s because Vienna really packs a punch for its size. Yet even while feeling sprawling, you still get this small-town charm that is missing in the likes of Lisbon or Amsterdam. I don’t know how to describe it.