Spittelberg, Vienna

Few areas in the Vorstädte (once the suburbs, but now part of the city center) have managed to preserve their original 18th- or 19th-century appearance. The exception is the Spittelberg quarter, a district consisting of half a dozen narrow, cobbled streets between Siebensterngasse and Burggasse. In decline since the late 19th century, the area was saved from demolition in the 1970s. Its baroque and Biedermeier houses were carefully restored and many of the streets pedestrianised. The district makes for a charming walk, particularly on Saturdays when a little craft market is held in the streets around Spittelberggasse. Spittelberg also boasts one of the city's densest concentrations of bars, cafes and restaurants.