A Viennese whirl

THERE are times during the grey Irish winter — especially coming up to Christmas — when you yearn for another kind of city, another kind of shopping experience.

Somewhere with fir trees and snow, with wonderful shops, tempting cafés, gorgeous restaurants. Oh and wonderful walks in the woods would be good, too.

Well it’s never been easier to get to Vienna, and if you’ve been there before you won’t need reminding of its legendary gemütlichkeit (rough translation: cosy goodwill). If not, then isn’t it time you discovered it?