Vienna?

[NotQuiteCockney]

I'm wavering between skiing in the alps a bit, near Xmas (if there's snow?) or going to Vienna for a couple of days. I'll be with friends, one of whom is local.

What's Vienna like? (Also, what's the food like? I experienced Swiss food recently )

I can answer this one ...got to pop out now but promise full reply later.

Vienna is a great city, especially with all the Christmas Markets. To be honest if you are going to be with a local then you won't be needing much advice from me. Yes you can eat schnitzel, knodel (dumplings), strudel and sachertorte etc but nowdays you can find the whole range of contemporary style dishes.
If your alternative is skiing in the alps why not combine to two IYSWIM. Head for a resort close to Innsbruck or Salzburg and you can combine the Austrian Christmas market experience with a bit of skiing?

It'll be after Xmas, dunno if that makes a difference for the markets?

We were considering Innsbruck or Salzburg, but I think I'm only going for a few days, which makes skiing + Vienna perhaps complicated/expensive?

Thanks, anyway - I think I will do Vienna rather than skiing ...

Sorry, picked up on markets when you said Xmas. After Christmas it's the season of outdoor skating rinks if that's your thing, they start towards the end of Jan. Jan can be a bit grey and cold. Given enough snow you can ski in Vienna here www.wien.gv.at/freizeit/sportamt/sportstaetten/anlagen/hohewandwiese.html#P0....but only one slope! Alternatively you can easily have a days skiing just south of Vienna at Semmering (by train) www.noe.co.at/partner/hirschenkogel_e/default.asp?medium=ex_hke&sprache=e&tt=EX_HKE_R2 or Stuhleck www.stuhleck.at/

Oooh, that makes sense, maybe for an outing, thanks!