Austria

Opened in 2000, the House of Music is a fantastic hands-on museum celebrating the art form for which Vienna is so famous.The home of Mozart and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Austrian capital is the obvious choice for a museum of this type.It hosts seven floors over 2,000 sq m, with highlights including a virtual orchestra which visitors can conduct, complete with applause if the tempo is correct, as well as the chance to try composition and playing after learning how a musical instrument works.One floor in the almost fully digitalised museum is dedicated to learning about the history of famous composers with the help of computers.Other attractions include the 'mind forest', where it is possible to create music with the use of hands, voice and body through the 'future music blender'.There is also the chance to hear the first sounds that a baby hears in the womb.Located in the heart of Vienna, while in the First District visitors can view St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Vienna State Opera, which are a stone's throw away.

Osterreicher im MAK specialises in traditional and modern Viennese cuisine in a range of environments found under one roof.Linked with the Museum of Applied Art (MAK) to which it is adjacent, this eatery is an attempt to update a traditional Austrian inn and the eating facilities have been split into three to accommodate all moods.A less formal tap room or bar gives way to a smarter dining room and the eatery also has a glass pavilion in the garden, separated into booths, for a more intimate and romantic atmosphere.The bar menu offers snacks such as frankfurters with mustard, horseradish and goulash gravy.Helmut Osterreicher is the cook and creates the culinary concepts of his restaurant, which includes "a commitment to freshness and exceptional agricultural produce" according to its website.Frommers describes Mr Osterreicher as "a chef who has helped to redefine the tenets of modern Viennese cuisine" and goes onto recommend the "utterly delicious" and "artfully presented" roasted chicken in a creamy paprika sauce with small creamed dumplings, among others.Other restaurants in Vienna include the Halle and Do & Co.

As if finding the right New Year's Eve entertainment was not puzzling enough for single people, how about thinking about how to keep the entire family happy? Mums and dads may want a break from creating the perfect entertainment at home for Christmas, so going away for New Year might be ideal. There are plenty of resorts with activities for the kids and relaxation for the grown ups.The Observer provides a run down of the best places for families to see in the New Year whether that be experiencing some of the snow-packed activities in Kitzbuhel, Austria, seeing Santa at Sweden's own version of Lapland or watching panto or Disney performances in the UK or from the best hotels in Paris. Cornwall is child and grandparent friendly with activities from spas and golf to watching the fireworks and ice skating.Disneyland, ParisIf there is one place there will be fireworks, Disneyland Paris is the best bet. Book into one of the best hotels in Paris for New Year celebrations and you could see Santa Claus's Village, Minnie's Jolly Holidays Show and Mickey's Winter Wonderland. Local people flock to the Champs Elysees to watch the light show over the tower on December 31st. Disneyland Paris rivals the event with a Time Square dinner buffet party with characters from the shows.Pantomime in YorkshireReserve a hotel in Yorkshire for New Year and buy a ticket for the panto. Peter Pan is on at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. There is plenty of affordable accommodation in Leeds to choose from, including the Village Hotel and Leisure Club Leeds, which sports an indoor pool, squash courts, full gym, sauna, spa and solarium as well as The Verve Bar and Grill and Victory Pub and Kitchen.Skate in CornwallMany Cornish retreats offer cycling, golf and spas for visitors before the festivities begin. Check out Read More

Ski champions take to the slopes by Salzburg this October to battle it out in the first leg of the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup.Men and women compete in two separate races in Solden, which is accessible by road from the best hotels in Salzburg, in the giant slalom.Points attained from this race will be added to those for downhill, slalom, super G and combined at other premier slopes to create competitors' final scores.Solden has 39 km of ski runs, including 24 km of blue, eight km of red and six km of black.Ten chair lifts can take up to 20,000 people an hour up Rettenbach Glacier, which hosts international snow boarding championships, and Tiefenback Glacier.Both glaciers reach up to 3,250 metres above sea level and are connected by a 1.7 metre-long ski tunnel at the top!Restaurants on the mountains seat more than 1,000 people combined.There are also ski schools and shops, selling the latest cold weather gear comma as well as parking for cars and buses.The FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup giant slalom takes place from October 25th to 26th.