Central Cemetery (Zentralfriedhof)

Vienna's Central Cemetery, one of the largest in Europe, and the place where the city's composers are gathered in a single circle of honour.

It opened in 1874 on open land in Simmering, then far outside the city, and was planned from the start as a cemetery for all Viennese, with Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and later Muslim and other sections. To win over a public that considered it too remote, the city moved famous graves here: Beethoven and Schubert were brought from the Währing cemetery in 1888. Group 32A now holds them alongside Brahms, both Johann Strausses and a memorial to Mozart, whose actual grave in St. Marx is unmarked. Nearby lie architects, actors and writers, and in another section, the pop star Falco.

The Art Nouveau church at the centre, dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo, was built by Max Hegele in the early twentieth century and is one of the finest Jugendstil churches in Vienna. The old Jewish section by Gate 1 is haunting — many graves are overgrown because no family survived to tend them. A small Funeral Museum sits by Gate 2, underlining the Viennese fondness for a beautiful corpse.

Entry is free. Honest advice: it is huge, so go straight to Gate 2 on tram 71, pick up a map and head for Group 32A, then walk to the church. Allow two hours and wear comfortable shoes. Neighbourhood: Simmering; transport: getting around Vienna.