How should we spend our midwinter break in Vienna?

Q We've booked a short package to Vienna on 15 December for four nights. With so much to see - palaces, museums, glorious coffee houses and markets - it's more about setting priorities across four full days with a mixture of all the above. I have sights on the Museum Quarter. Other than that, we have an open canvas. Your suggestions?

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A Visiting the Austrian capital in the deep midwinter should be a dream trip. Vienna takes Christmas seriously, with lights and colour everywhere - and no fewer than seven festive markets. My favourite is the big one at the Rathaus (City Hall). Culturally and architecturally, Vienna is remarkable for possessing so much grandeur from its imperial past. Four days should be enough to do it justice. I spent a long weekend there last December, and these were the highlights.