Originally Posted by
Thunderroad
FWIW, the things we like best about visiting cities are simply walking around, getting off the beaten track, day trips out of town, exploring historical sites, learning about the history/society/politics, hanging out at cafes, taking rides along rivers, seeing street performers, dining out at places that are short of exhorbitant (which I realize is a growing list in these days of the declining dollar), checking out the local beer/wine and pubs, and visiting places that are unique to a city. (E.g., while I've been to Budapest before, I've never been to the famous baths there, and we might want to check out those).
We were in VIE last year for the first time. It has a lot of what you like:
cafes: a dozen classic places where you can sit all day and sip coffee or beer, read the newspaper and listen in on the conversations at the surrounding tables.
food: not cheap most places, but an interesting variety of foods from the sausages sold on the street to the schnitzels and goulash.
beer & wine: all wonderful, and truly affordable. Watch out for any wines that are under 2 euros a bottle.
history & architecture: everywhere. very walkable city and you don't have to enter a single building to appreciate them.
street performers: you've got me there. I saw fewer than most cities half that size.
rivers: Danube of course. There are boats, some that can even take you someplace. plus there are bicycle rentals along the river.
I'm looking forward to a return visit.