With its rambling palaces, winding cobbled lanes, elegant Kaffeehäuser (coffee houses) and cosy wood-panelled Beisln, Vienna is steeped in history. Yet it's also at the cutting edge of design, architecture, contemporary art, and new directions in drinking and dining.

Bratislava isn't pretty, but with it's mix of wild and urban, classic and contemporary it's worth a visit. It became capital of newly independent Slovakia only in 1993. It preserved spires and squares from its 18th-century heyday, mixed with socialist-era monuments.

Budapest is an amazing and fun city, but it's a 2 - 2.5 hour drive from the castle, so you need to be motivated to do this in a (long) day trip.

Local people call Lake Balaton, central Europe's largest fresh water lake, the Hungarian sea. There are lots of beaches, sailing, horse riding, golf and wine tasting. However, it's a ~1.5 hr. drive and it's likely to be crowded with Hungarian tourists.