Vienna's ball season kicks off the New Year in style

The chandeliers are bright with stars. Church bells ring in the new year and fireworks can be seen in the sky through the windows.

Thousands of red and white rose blooms stand in huge vases alongside the dance floor and the orchestra strikes up as the first fat flakes of snow fall outside.

Don't spend another New Year's holiday in 2008 bored at home, get a group of friends together and dance the night away at Vienna's Kaiser Ball.

You cannot imagine a grander or more beautiful setting for a party than the imperial state rooms of the Hofburg palace.

Recreating a New Year's Eve ball of the 18th-century Habsburg Empire, actors take the part of Emperor Franz Josef, Empress Elisabeth and their entourage. Together we raise our glasses and shout "Prosit Neujahr!"

The stars of the Viennese opera and ballet then take to the stage to entertain the grand ball room but if opera is not your thing you can slip away to the ballroom with the jazz band, or the swing band, or the piano quartet.

In fact there are so many gorgeously decorated rooms for dancing it is easy to get lost. It's not necessary to be a good dancer but the dance school is right next door if you want to improve your footwork during your New Year holiday.

Wiener Blut (meaning Viennese blood or Viennese spirit) was the theme this year after a special piece of dance music composed by the 'waltz king' Johann Strauss for the wedding of the emperor's daughter to the prince of Bavaria.

Visitors from 33 countries attended the Kaiser Ball this year, according to organiser Regina Macho.

This spectacular event not only ushered us into 2008 in style; it is the beginning of a whole season of ball festivities in Vienna. Over 400 will be held in January and February.

This year there is a special Moscow Ball on January 24th, attended by the mayor of Moscow. The famous Vienna Philharmonic orchestra throws its annual party on the same night.

The Opera Ball is surely the climax of the season on January 31st. Famous past attendees have included Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson. Strictly white tie, this is a chance to see the State Opera House in all its glory.

For the sweet-toothed among us the Bonbon Ball with its celebrating confectioners is not to be missed on February 1st.

So you could dance your way through until spring without even noticing the winter outside.

If you drink too much champagne, many of Vienna's famous coffee-houses offer hangover breakfasts for the morning after. The traditional cure is goulash soup and a small beer; a little bit of the hair of the dog.

Natasha von Geldern