There's no need to hire a car

The legendary Cafe Hawelka. Photo: Along cobblestone streets, Robert Upe enjoys smoky coffee houses and the sweet cakes of this European city. The surly waiter wears a bow-tie and has a white handkerchief neatly pointing out of the top pocket of his black jacket as he circles the tables bearing a silver tray of coffee and tap water. He is a big man and his fingers are thick, like over-boiled frankfurts; they look like mitts better suited to a carpenter nailing an A-frame on a new Tyrolean house than handling strudels in one of Vienna's most intriguing cafes. The service is brisk at Cafe Hawelka but I am here to linger, despite the cigarette fumes, in one of Vienna's few remaining coffee houses in ''original'' condition. Entering Cafe Hawelka is like stepping into a sepia movie. Humphrey Bogart would be at home at this time-worn coffee house that opened in 1906 and survived the bombings of World War II without a broken window pane. Advertisement: Story continues below The ageing owner is Guenter Hawelka and in between helping his surly main man he tells me that much of the furniture, and dust, in the dark wood-panelled cafe is from 1906. I don't think he is joking. Guenter's father, Leopold, 99, bought the cafe in 1939 and he is also front of house: not serving but keeping an eye on comings and goings from his favourite seat. He wears a suit and bow-tie and is a picture of Austrian formality and grace as he patiently sits while tourists take his photo. Cafe Hawelka is legendary as a meeting place of writers, artists, actors and musicians and, more lately, tourists. Despite the increasing number of travellers arriving for coffee, it is still an authentic Austrian experience. Visit any time but it is liveliest between 11pm and 1am. The house speciality is buchteln, a jam-filled and sugar-topped bun made by Guenter to a secret family recipe and served from the oven at 10pm. Cafe Hawelka, Dorotheergasse 6, 1010 Vienna, open Mon-Sat 8am-2am, Sun 10am-2pm, closed Tue. Buchteln 1.40 ($2), coffee 3.60; 8am Breakfast at Hotel Rathaus is a feast of European food: dark ryes, fresh butter and homemade jam, pickled herring, prosciutto, cheeses, continental sausages and pastries. Rathaus does not sound appealing in English. However, it means city hall and this Rosetta Stone software wine-themed boutique hotel in a converted four-storey townhouse is centrally located and admired for its funky character and a rattling wrought-iron lift. Each of the 39 rooms is unique but think of wooden floors, ultra-modern furniture, mood lighting, open-plan bathrooms and pleasurable rain showers. Each room is dedicated to an Austrian winemaker with an image and name emblazoned on the door and corresponding wines in the minibar. In my room, 308, Krutzler wines are 19-29 a bottle and there are black-and-white photos of wine bottles and vineyards on the walls. The Austrian wine industry was scandalised in 1985 when some winemakers added the chemical diethylene glycol to their wines to make them taste better. Following the destruction of about 36 million bottles of wine, the industry bounced back and is known for its quality rather than quantity, with the peppery gruener veltliner dry white wine style particularly lauded. Hotel Rathaus Wine and Design, Lange Gasse 13, 1080 Vienna; rooms from 118, breakfast 15; Hotel Bristol is also recommended for its character; rooms from Or try Schweizer Pension on a budget, from 44 a night; 10am Before exploring, it's helpful to know Vienna is divided into 23 districts. The first district, also called the Innere Stadt, comprises Vienna's historic centre with cobblestone streets and a concentration of museums, galleries and shops. Districts 2-9 surround the Innere Stadt and are good locations to stay. For a range of city maps see vienna.info. There's no need to hire a car. The underground train system, trams and buses are easy to use, punctual and feel safe. The 72-hour Vienna Card (18.50, from hotels and some train stations) provides unlimited access to public transport plus discounts to 210 attractions and is the most economical way to get around for tourists. Use the card for a discount on the yellow tourist Ring Tram, which clatters around a 25-minute Innere Stadt route and provides glimpses of Vienna's landmarks, such as the State Opera and Hofburg Imperial Palace. There are headphones on the tram and running commentary in several languages.

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