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Vienna is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. She is by far the largest city in Austria as well as its cultural, economic and political centre. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded around 500 BC, Vienna was originally a Celtic settlement. In 15 BC, Vienna became a Roman frontier city guarding the Roman Empire against Germanic tribes to the north. In 1805, Vienna became capital of the Austrian Empire — and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire — and played a major role in European and World politics, including hosting the 1815 Congress of Vienna.

Vienna is today considered the centre of Social Democracy in Austria. Art and culture have a long tradition in Vienna, in the areas of theatre, opera, classical music and fine arts. Vienna possesses many park facilities and is one of the greenest cities in the world. The most famous parks and green areas are the Stadtpark, the Burggarten and Volksgarten, which belong to the Hofburg, the Schloßpark of Schloss Belvedere with the Vienna Botanic Gardens, the Donaupark, and the Schönbrunner Schlosspark.

Viennese cafés have an extremely long and distinguished history that dates back centuries, and the caffeine addictions of some famous historical patrons of the oldest are something of a local legend. Traditionally, the coffee comes with a glass of water. Viennese cafés claim to have invented the process of filtering coffee from the captured baggage after the second Turkish siege in 1683. Viennese cafés claim that when the invading Turks left Vienna that year, they abandoned hundreds of sacks of coffee beans. The Emperor gave Franz George Kolschitzky some of this coffee as a reward for providing information that allowed the Austrians to defeat the Turks. Kolschitzky then opened Vienna‘s first coffee shop.

The major tourist attractions include the imperial palaces of the Hofburg and Schönbrunn (which is also the location of the world‘s first zoo, Tiergarten Schönbrunn), along with a number of art galleries (including the Albertina, Belvedere, Museumsquartier, KunstHausWien and BA-CA Kunstforum. The views from the Riesenrad (ferris wheel), and the Donauturm also attract large numbers of visitors, as do several museums, including the museums in the Hofburg, the twin Kunsthistorisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum and the Technisches Museum. Each of these attractions receives more than 250,000 visits per year.

For centuries, Vienna has been synonymous with music and was home to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Johann Strauss. This outstanding musical heritage has been preserved right to the present day.

GO THERE FOR

Food & Wine - Everyone loves Austrian cuisine despite its high calorific value. Today, Austrian culinary trends are lighter and more creative with experimental variations of traditional dishes being cooked with local and organic ingredients. The Viennese are very proud of their Wiener Schnitzel and you really shouldn’t miss one of these super thin veal cutlets. The former Austrian emperor Franz Joseph favoured Tafelspitz, a boiled fillet of beef served with apple horseradish dip. The Viennese like to go out for dinner and they enjoy variation, so you will find restaurants from nearly every country in the world. Asian food is really popular, as well as Mediterranean and Oriental restaurants.

In former times, the Viennese stuck to traditional Viennese wines. However, today tasting is at the centre of Austrian wine culture. The winegrowers around Vienna specialise in white but they produce some great reds as well. Recommendable are the very charming wine taverns, called Heurige. Visit the Viennese countryside where they sell their own wine products accompanied by traditional dishes.

Tradition - When you take a ride through Vienna’s first district in a Fiaker (the typical horse-drawn carriage), you feel like you have gone back in time. In some places the monarchy still seems present. You can find shops with beautiful antiques at nearly every corner and the traditional food is, as afore mentioned, still very popular. The ball season in winter is one of Vienna’s highlights.

Art - Art is everywhere in this unofficial capital of culture. Vienna has 334 museums, but you don’t have to visit them all to appreciate its vast collection. The most important museums are concentrated in the inner city where you will find a perfect mixture of historical and modern art. Be sure to catch the works of Austrian artists Hundertwasser, Klimt, and Schiele with permanent exhibitions in the popular museums. Don’t miss the world’s most beautiful destructor station, designed by Hundertwasser.

Music - Though classical music is the bedrock of Viennese musical history, today you hear more and more electronica, DJ sets and young alternative bands. However, even if you are not that interested in classical music, you must give it a try. You won’t be disappointed by the stunning Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Chill out - Usually city trips are very stressful, but that is not the case with Vienna. The Viennese coffee house culture is a very old, yet still very popular tradition and lounging in a cafe is a large part of Viennese day to day life. Most cafés serve breakfast until 4pm and Sunday brunches are a very popular activity.

Vienna’s many parks and greenery also make it ideal for a relaxing holiday. Much like its enumerable cafes, the beautiful gardens and parks invite you to pause and enjoy your time in the midst of a bustling city. The Donauinsel, an artificial isle in Danube, is perfect for leisure time and recreation. The famous Viennese Forest, located on the outskirts of Vienna, is great for walking and hiking. Just an hour's drive outside the city is Neusiedlersee, Austria’s biggest lake. This is a wonderful kite, surf and sail spot. Here, you will also find a huge nature reserve with breeding areas for more than 150 species of bird. Also recommended is Wachua. This beautiful landscape at Danube was titled a World Heritage Site in the year 2000.

DON'T MISS

Coffee and Cake - You have to visit one of the old traditional coffee houses and be sure to order a coffee and a Sachertorte. If you are not a big chocolate fan, you can try any other torte as they are all delicious. You might be confused by the different types of coffee. Generally, their names correspond to their colour. Also, keep in mind that the coffee in Austria has a very potent flavour.

MQ - The MuseumsQuartier brings everything the Viennese love to a singular and stunning place. Located in the inner city, the MQ is one of the ten largest cultural complexes in the world. The spectrum ranges from large art museums like the Leopold Museum and the MUMOK to contemporary exhibition spaces like the Kunsthalle Wien. The Wiener Festwochen, an annual summer event, also takes place there. But the MQ offers more than just cultural events and there are many terrace cafes, bars, shops and bookstores.

Naschmarkt - At Vienna’s biggest everyday market, you can experience the diversity of the city. It’s dominated by Turkish and Italian delicatessen stands but fruit, vegetables, spices, cheese, fish or meat are available in surplus as well. This market has the quality of a colourful oriental bazaar, with the best food from local and international sources. It’s great to pause in one of the alternative cafes or upper class fish restaurants and watch the crowd walking by.

Schönbrunn - We know it’s not an insider tip, but you should really take the time to visit this wonderful royal palace. Schloss Schönbrunn seems to be cut out of a Disney film, a little girl's dream or a wonderful fairytale. Beautiful simply doesn’t suffice to describe the magical palace and garden. Don’t miss a breakfast at the Gloriette or a Grand Tour of the palace grounds. This tour will give you a sense of the different stylistic eras of the imperial monarchy and the lives of the palace´s inhabitants. You will see the state rooms and private apartments of Franz Joseph and Sisi.

An Opera at the Vienna State Opera - The Vienna State Opera is without question one of the most famous operas in the world. Great conductors and composers like Johan Strauss, Gustav Mahler and Herbert von Karajan were former directors there. The stunning baroque building, offers 50 different performances every year and a varied programme of concerts and ballet performances. Next season’s highlights include Lucia di Lammermoor with the gorgeous Anna Netrebko and Werther with star singer Rolando Villazón. Watching an opera at the Vienna State Opera is a must-see for classical music fans. During summer recesses the Vienna State Opera hosts performances organized by the Vienna Jazz Festival.

WHEN TO GO

Spring and fall are the perfect seasons for a trip to Vienna when the weather is sunny with temperatures around 20 degrees. The parks are light green and colourful and the climate is ideal for sitting outside at the cafés.

It’s also very nice to visit Vienna at Christmas time. There are several Christmas markets during this time of year. The biggest ones are in front of the illuminated guildhall and the decorated Schönbrunn palace. Usually snow has already fallen at this time of year and Vienna seems to wear a wonderful white coat. Christmas time in Austria is magic.

BASICS
Telephone - Country code: +43
Currency: Euro (EUR)

GETTING AROUND

From The Airport...
The Vienna International Airport is located 18 kilometres outside the city. The very modern and well marked City Airport Train (CAT) takes approximately 16 minutes nonstop from the airport to Wien-Mitte station. For more comfortable travelling, check-in at the City Air Terminal in the "Wien-Mitte" railway station.
You could also go by S-Bahn or by Bus (Vienna Airport Lines: From/to Schwedenplatz/ Morzinplatz), but it takes approx. 25 – 35 minutes travel time. Going by car or taxi takes at minimum 25 minutes depending on the traffic situation.

Around Town...
Vienna has a really good public transport network. During the day Metro and Tram depart every 3-5 minutes. Additionally, there is a Bus and S-Bahn system. In downtown Vienna you can reach everything by Metro or Tram. It is recommended to go by foot through the first district. The distances are closer than they appear on a map. At night, on hot days or with bigger luggage you should definitely take Taxis.