Historic Centre of Vienna

Stand at St. Stephen's and you're in the medieval core. By the time you reach the Ringstrasse, many of the big buildings around you date from the late 1800s. Franz Joseph ordered the city walls demolished in 1857. Over the next few decades, the new boulevard was lined with an opera house, parliament, university, museums, and City Hall. The architects used Gothic, Greek, and Renaissance styles, which is why the Ring looks older than it is.

Start at St. Stephen's, follow Graben to the Hofburg, then continue to the Ring. The whole route is walkable, with churches, cafes, monuments, and parks between the main buildings. Parts of the center feel almost too polished to me, but I like the change from narrow inner streets to the huge public buildings around the Ring.