<p>Vienna stands imperiously in the Danube Valley, with the rolling hills of the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) undulating beyond the suburbs in the north and west. The Danube River divides the city into two, with the old city centre and most tourist sights southwest of the river. The Danube Canal (Donaukanal) branches off from the main river and wends a sinewy course south, forming one of the borders of the historic centre, known as the Innere Stadt. The rest of the old centre is encircled by the Ringstrasse, or Ring, a series of broad roads sporting sturdy public buildings. Beyond the Ring is a larger traffic artery, the G&#252;rtel (literally meaning 'belt'), which is fed by the flow of vehicles from the outlying motorways. The city's principal landmark is the distinctively slender spire of Stephansdom in the heart of the Innere Stadt. The majority of hotels, pensions, restaurants and bars are in the Innere Stadt and west of the centre between the G&#252;rtel and the Ringstrasse.</P>

<p>Vienna has a comprehensive and unified public transport network that is one of the most efficient in Europe. Flat-fare tickets are valid for trains, trams, buses, the underground (U-Bahn) and the S-Bahn regional trains. Services are frequent, and you rarely have to wait more than five or 10 minutes.</p><p>A popular mode of transport in Vienna is cycling. Over 700km of cycle tracks criss-cross the city, which means you're often more concerned about running into pedestrians than being run over by cars and buses.</p><p>When it comes to thoughts of driving, you're better off using public transport. The streets are a complex system of one-way streets, the Viennese are particularly impatient drivers and parking is difficult and/or expensive in the centre.</P>