My perfect day in Vienna would start at The Breakfast Club, a small café, which looks amazingly inconspicuous in relation to the rich selection offered. It takes a while to decide what to order, but somehow I always end up getting the same thing.

As a famous Austrian saying goes: “Nach dem Essen soll man ruhen oder tausend Schritte tun,” which basically means you should either rest or go for a long walk after being pumped up with food. So I’d accept the second advice and check out some galleries located on Schleifmühlgasse, Galerie Georg Kargl being my favourite one.

After that I’d stroll through the Naschmarkt where the aromas of herbs, nuts, and fresh bread fill the air throughout the year. If I still had room in my tummy, I’d get a snack here, or a coffee at one of the nice cafés in the area like Café Sperl or Phil.

I’d continue my walk past the Secession with its golden laurel cupola, and the Karlskirche, the famous baroque church designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in the 1720s. Both buildings are very impressive from the inside also, the latter because of its typically overcrowded plastering and illusionary ceiling paintings, and the former because of its simplicity and purity, which can be associated with the white cube and therefore comes as no surprise that it hosts the most amazing contemporary art shows.

Getting hungry for more art and food, I’d walk along Getreidemarkt and head towards the Museumsquartier (MQ), a hidden courtyard between the big shopping street Maria Hilferstrasse and the more alternative Burggasse with its nice bars and restaurants (Möbel, Wirr). The MQ houses three different museums (MumoK, Kunsthalle, Leopold Museum) and the Tanzquartier (contemporary dance studios) as well as a bunch of nice restaurants, bars and bookstores. I’d hop into Kantine for a carrot ginger soup and browse the art books and magazines next door at Prachner.

After dragging myself out of the bookstore I’d cross the big Museumstrasse, pass Kunsthistorisches Museum (museum of art history) and Naturhistorisches Museum (museum of natural history) and head towards the city center. The nicest way to get there is via Heldenplatz, which is lined with distinctive old buildings like the Hofburg, the Albertina, and the Filmmuseum, as well as traditional Viennese Cafés such as Café Hawelka and Bräunerhof. I’d gaze up at the Stephansdom, known as “Steffl” by the locals, as I strolled on by. The area around the dome is a shopping-addict’s paradise but the crowds can be a burden so I’d walk behind the church through peaceful little passages like Wollzeile, Köllnerhofgasse, and Fleischmarkt.

At the end of Wollzeile, another nice shopping area, I’d take a break at Café Prückl before crossing the street to visit Vienna’s Museum für Angewandte Kunst (MAK; Museum of Applied Arts), which usually shows solo exhibitions by famous contemporary artists alongside old antiques. The museum is impressive, and hosts quite a few events (MAK night on Tuesdays). After my visit, perhaps I’d take a little walk in Stadtpark just across the street.

As my hunger starts to grow I’d jump onto the next tram. Just a few stations from MAK I’d get off at Schwedenplatz, cross the Marienbrücke and walk along Lilienbrunngasse to get the best pizza in town at Fuchs & Schaden where I can not only chose what I want on my pizza, but also the size and type of grain (try Dinkel!).

Now it would be about time to head for a bar. My favorites are located near Wollzeile. Perhaps I’d stop into Café Alt Wien on Bäckerstrasse, or KixBar for the best cocktails in town. Most likely I’d venture to a tiny hidden spot called Wunderbar on Schönlaternstrasse, where I’d settle in with a good glass of wine among the nice people and homey atmosphere.

If I felt like dancing I’d check www.falter.at to see what’s going on, or I’d simply head to a one of my favorite spots like Leopold Café, Tanzcafè Jenseits, or SoulSugar which hardly ever disappoint. Or perhaps a concert at WUK, Flex, or Porgy & Bess would be better. And if there’s enough time for a pub crawl Lerchenfelder Gürtel is the right place to be. Bars and clubs fill the area underneath the drawbridge.

Since the underground system stops at 12:30 a.m. I always try make sure there’s a night bus close by, or at least a city bike that will bring me home safely.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}