Swirl into the ball season in Vienna

Have you ever imagined yourself dressed in tails or a flowing gown with elbow-length gloves sweeping across the floor of a grand hall to the three-count beat of a waltz? Turn your fantasy to reality in Vienna, Austria, as the annual ball season begins on New Year’s Eve.

Breaking the ice that night is the glittering Imperial Ball in the Hofburg Imperial Palace. If you miss this one, there are still more than 300 balls scheduled through March. Each varies in price, atmosphere and formality. While an admission-alone ticket for the star-studded "strictly tails" Opera Ball in the city’s opera house in February costs 230 euros, a ticket for smaller balls, such as the "black suit or smoking jacket" Bon Bon Ball in the Viennese concert hall, costs 72 euros.

For a short description of the events, go to www.virtualvienna.net and click on "Ball Season" on the left. The Vienna Tourist Board has a partial list of the most famous balls at www.wien.info/en. Click on "Swirling into the Ball Season" on the home page for details.