The city lies on the eastern edge of theVienna Woods (Wienerwald), the northeasternmost foothills of theAlps, that separate Vienna from the more western parts of Austria, at the transition to thePannonian Basin. It sits on theDanube, and is traversed by the highly regulatedWienfluss (Vienna River). Vienna is completely surrounded byLower Austria, and lies around 50 km (31 mi) west ofSlovakia and its capitalBratislava, 60 km (37 mi) northwest ofHungary, and 60 km (37 mi) south ofMoravia (Czech Republic).
The Romans founded acastrum at Vienna, which they calledVindobona, in the 1st century, when the region belonged to the province ofPannonia. It was elevated to amunicipium with Roman city rights in 212. This was followed by a time in the sphere of influence of theLombards and later thePannonian Avars, whenSlavs formed the majority of the region's population.[a] From the 8th century on, the region was settled by theBaiuvarii. In 1155, Vienna became the seat of theBabenbergs, who ruled Austria from 976 to 1246. In 1221, Vienna was granted city rights. During the 16th century, theHabsburgs, who had succeeded the Babenbergs, established Vienna as the seat of theemperors of theHoly Roman Empire, a position it held until the empire's dissolution in 1806, with only a brief interruption. With the formation of theAustrian Empire in 1804, Vienna became the capital of it and all its successor states.
Throughout themodern era, Vienna has been among the largest German-speaking cities in the world. It was the largest in the 18th and 19th centuries, peaking at two million inhabitants before it was overtaken byBerlin at the beginning of the 20th century.[13][14][15] Vienna is host to many majorinternational organizations, including the United Nations,OPEC and theOSCE. In 2001, the city center was designated aUNESCO World Heritage Site. In July 2017, it was moved to the list ofWorld Heritage in Danger.[16]
Vienna is renowned for its rich musical heritage, having been home to many celebrated classical composers, includingBeethoven,Brahms,Bruckner,Haydn,Mahler,Mozart,Schoenberg,Schubert,Johann Strauss I, andJohann Strauss II.[17] It played a pivotal role as a leading European music center, from the age ofViennese Classicism through the early part of the 20th century. The city was home to the world's first psychoanalyst,Sigmund Freud.[18] The historic center of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque palaces and gardens, and the late-19th-centuryRingstraße, which is lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks.[19]
Vienna was known to the Romans asVindobona, a borrowing of aCeltic toponym meaning either "white place" or "place of Vindos" (a personal name).[20] This name disappeared from the record after the 6th century, occurring for the last time inJordanes'Getica. The German name for the city,Wien – of whichVienna is a Latinized form – is unrelated, deriving from theRiver Wien (compareSteyr,Enns, andKrems, which all take their names from the rivers whose mouths they lie at). It occurs for the first time in theSalzburg Annals, which notes that a battle was fought at a place namedWenia in the year 881. The name may ultimately mean "forest river", from Celtic *Vedunia.[21]
Bécs, the Hungarian name for Vienna (borrowed into Serbo-Croatian asBeč and into Ottoman Turkish asBeç), probably derives from a word meaning "kiln", and may date from a period in the 10th century when the region came under temporary Hungarian domination.[22][23] In Romanian, the city is now calledViena, but the archaic namesBeci andBeciu were used in chronicles. Romanian still hasbeci in use, a common noun meaning "cellar"; linguist Dan Alexe states both it and the aforementioned names of Vienna are believed to ultimately be derived from a word of theTurkic-speakingAvars, originally meaning "fortified place" or "treasury".[24][25]
In Slovene, the city is calledDunaj, which in other Slavic languages denotes the River Danube.
In theBavarian dialect of eastern Austria, the city is calledWean; however, this name is hardly used to any significant extent in the local city dialect (Viennese German) anymore.[26]
In the 1st century, theRomans set up themilitary camp ofVindobona inPannonia on the site of today's Vienna city center near the Danube with an adjoining civilian town to secure theborders of the Roman Empire. Construction of the legionary camp began around AD 97. At its peak, Vindobona had a population of around 15,000 people. It was a part of a trade and communications network across the Empire. Roman emperorMarcus Aurelius may have died here in AD 180 during a campaign against theMarcomanni.
After a Germanic invasion in the second century, the city was rebuilt. It served as a seat of the Roman government until the fifth century, when the population fled due to theHuns invasion of Pannonia. The city was abandoned for several centuries.
Evidence of the Romans in the city is plentiful. Remains of the military camp have been found under the city, as well as fragments of thecanal system and figurines.
Middle Ages
Irish Benedictines established monastic settlements in the 12th century; evidence of these connections includes theSchottenstift ("Scots Abbey") in Vienna, originally home to a community of Irish monks.In 976,Leopold I of Babenberg was appointedMargrave of the Eastern March, a frontier district ofBavaria centered along the Danube. This march gradually expanded eastward under successive Babenberg rulers, eventually evolving into theDuchy of Austria and incorporating Vienna and its surrounding areas. In 1155,Henry II, Duke of Austria, relocated the Babenberg residence fromKlosterneuburg in Lower Austria to Vienna, coinciding with the founding of the Schottenstift.[27] Following this relocation, Vienna became the permanent residence of the Babenberg dynasty.[28] The city was occupied byHungarian forces between 1485 and 1490. Around the beginning of the 16th century, Vienna became the seat of theAulic Council, the central advisory body to the Holy Roman Emperor[29]. Vienna served as the residence of the Habsburg emperors during their reigns from 1611 to 1740 and again from 1745 until the dissolution of theHoly Roman Empire in 1806.[30]
In the 16th and 17th centuries,Ottoman forces advanced toward Vienna on two notable occasions: theSiege of Vienna in 1529 and theBattle of Vienna in 1683, both of which resulted in the city's successful defense. In 1679, Vienna was severely affected by theGreat Plague, which is estimated to have claimed the lives of nearly one-third of its inhabitants.[31]
The city of Vienna became the center ofsocialist politics from 1919 to 1934, a period referred to asRed Vienna (Das rote Wien). After a new breed of socialist politicians won the local elections, they engaged in a brief but ambitious municipal experiment.[32] Social democrats had won an absolute majority in the May 1919 municipal election and commanded the city council with 100 of the 165 seats.Jakob Reumann was appointed by the city council as city mayor.[33] The theoretical foundations of so-calledAustromarxism were established byOtto Bauer,Karl Renner, andMax Adler.[34]
Red Vienna is perhaps most well known for itsGemeindebauten, public housing buildings. Between 1925 and 1934, over 60,000 new apartments were built in the Gemeindebauten. Apartments were assigned based on a point system favoring families and less affluent citizens.[35]
July Revolt and Civil War
The Palace of Justice burning, 1927
InJuly 1927, after three nationalist far-right paramilitary members were acquitted of the killing of two social democraticRepublikanischer Schutzbund members, a riot broke out in the city. The protestors, enraged by the decision, set thePalace of Justice ablaze. The police attempted to end the revolt with force and killed at least 84 protestors, with 5 policemen also dying.[36] In 1933, right-wing ChancellorEngelbert Dollfussdissolved the parliament, essentially letting him run the country as adictatorship, banned theCommunist Party and severely limited the influence of theSocial Democratic Party. This led to acivil war between the right-wing government and socialist forces the following year, which started inLinz and quickly spread to Vienna. Socialist members of theRepublikanischer Schutzbund barricaded themselves inside the housing estates and exchanged fire with the police and paramilitary groups. The fighting in Vienna ended after theAustrian Armed Forces shelled theKarl-Marx-Hof, a civilian housing estate, and theSchutzbund surrendered.[37]
On 15 March 1938, three days after German troops first entered Austria,Adolf Hitler arrived in Vienna. 200,000 Austrians greeted him at theHeldenplatz, where he delivered a speech from a balcony of theNeue Burg, announcing that Austria would be absorbed intoNazi Germany. The persecution ofJews began almost immediately: Viennese Jews were harassed and hounded, and their homes and businesses plundered. Some were forced to scrub pro-independence slogans off the streets. This culminated in theKristallnacht, a nationwidepogrom against Jews carried out by theSchutzstaffel and theSturmabteilung, with the support of theHitler Youth and German civilians. Allsynagogues and prayer houses in the city were destroyed, except for theStadttempel, due to its proximity to residential buildings.[38][39] Vienna lost its status as a capital toBerlin, as Austria had ceased to exist. The fewresistors in the city were arrested.
Adolf Eichmann held office in the expropriatedPalais Rothschild and organised the expropriation and persecution of Jews. Of the almost 200,000 Jews in Vienna, around 120,000 were driven to emigrate, and approximately 65,000 were killed. After the war, Vienna's Jewish population was only about 5,000.[40][41][42][43]
In 1942, the city suffered its firstair raid, carried out by theSoviet air force. Only after theAllies had taken Italy did the next raids commence. From 17 March 1944, a total of 51 air raids were carried out in Vienna. Targets of the bombings were primarily the city'soil refineries. However, around a third of the city centre was destroyed, and culturally important buildings such as the State Opera and the Burgtheater were burned, and the Albertina was heavily damaged. These air raids lasted until March 1945, just before the Soviet troops started theVienna Offensive.
TheRed Army, which had previouslymarched through Hungary, first entered Vienna on 6 April. Initially, they attacked the eastern and southern suburbs before advancing to the western suburbs. By the 8th, they had surrounded the city centre. The following day, the Soviets started with the infiltration of the city centre. Fighting continued for a few more days until theSoviet Navy’sDanube Flotilla naval force arrived with reinforcements. The remaining defending soldiers surrendered that same day.
After the war, Vienna was part ofSoviet-occupied Eastern Austria until September 1945. That month, Vienna was divided into sectors by the four powers: the US, the UK, France, and theSoviet Union and supervised by anAllied Commission. The four-power occupation of Vienna differed in one key respect from that of Berlin: the central area of the city, known as the first district, constituted aninternational zone in which the four powers alternated control every month. The city was policed by the four powers on a day-to-day basis using the "four soldiers in a jeep" method, which had one soldier from each nation sitting together. The four powers all had separate headquarters: the Soviets inPalais Epstein next to the Parliament, the French in Hotel Kummer on Mariahilferstraße, the Americans in theNational Bank, and the British inSchönnbrunn Palace. The division of the city was not comparable to that ofBerlin. Although the borders between the sectors were marked, travel between them was freely possible.
During the ten years of the four-power occupation, Vienna was a hotbed for international espionage between theWestern andEastern Blocs, which deeply distrusted each other. The city experienced an economic upturn due to theMarshall Plan. The atmosphere of four-power Vienna is the background forGraham Greene's screenplay for the filmThe Third Man (1949). The film'stheme music was composed and performed by Viennese musicianAnton Karas using azither. Later, he adapted the screenplay as a novel and published it.
The four-power control of Vienna lasted until theAustrian State Treaty was signed in May 1955 and came into force on 27 July 1955. By October, all soldiers had left the country. That year, after years of reconstruction and restoration, theState Opera and theBurgtheater, both on theRingstraße reopened to the public.
In 1972, the construction of theDonauinsel and the excavation of theNew Danube began. In the same decade,Austrian ChancellorBruno Kreisky inaugurated theVienna International Centre, a new area of the city created to host international institutions. Vienna has regained much of its former international stature by hosting international organisations, such as the United Nations.
Because of the industrialization and migration from other parts of the Empire, the population of Vienna increased sharply during its time as the capital ofAustria-Hungary (1867–1918). In 1910, Vienna had more than two million inhabitants and was the thirdlargest city in Europe after London and Paris.[46] Around the start of the 20th century, Vienna was the city with the second-largestCzech population in the world (afterPrague).[47] After World War I, manyCzechs andHungarians returned to their ancestral countries, resulting in a decline in the Viennese population. After World War II, the Soviets used force to repatriate key workers of Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian origins to return to their ethnic homelands to further the Soviet bloc economy.[citation needed] The population of Vienna generally stagnated or declined through the remainder of the 20th century, not demonstrating significant growth again until the census of 2000. In 2020, Vienna's population remained significantly below its reported peak in 1916.
Under the Nazi regime, 65,000Jews were deported and murdered in concentration camps by Nazi forces; approximately 130,000 fled.[48]
By 2001, 16% of people living in Austria had nationalities other than Austrian, nearly half of whom were from formerYugoslavia;[49][50] the next most numerous nationalities in Vienna wereTurks (39,000; 2.5%),Poles (13,600; 0.9%) and Germans (12,700; 0.8%).
As of 2012[update], an official report from Statistics Austria showed that more than 660,000 (38.8%) of the Viennese population have full or partial migrant background, mostly from Ex-Yugoslavia, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Romania and Hungary.[11][51]
From 2005 to 2015, the city's population grew by 10.1%.[52] According toUN-Habitat, Vienna could be the fastest growing city out of 17 European metropolitan areas until 2025 with an increase of 4.65% of its population, compared to 2010.[53]
According to the 2021 census, 49.0% of Viennese were Christian. Among them, 31.8% wereCatholic, 11.2% wereEastern Orthodox, and 3.7% wereProtestant, mostlyLutheran, 34.1% had no religious affiliation, 14.8% wereMuslim, and 2% were of other religions, including Jewish.[56] One sources estimates that Vienna's Jewish community is of 8,000 members meanwhile another suggest 15,000.[57][58]
Based on information provided to city officials by various religious organizations about their membership, Vienna's Statistical Yearbook 2019 reports in 2018 an estimated 610,269 Roman Catholics, or 32.3% of the population, and 200,000 (10.4%) Muslims, 70,298 (3.7%) Orthodox, 57,502 (3.0%) other Christians, and 9,504 (0.5%) other religions.[59] A study conducted by theVienna Institute of Demography estimated the 2018 proportions to be 34% Catholic, 30% unaffiliated, 15% Muslim, 10% Orthodox, 4% Protestant, and 6% other religions.[60][61]
As of the spring of 2014, Muslims made up 30% of the total proportion of schoolchildren in Vienna.[62][63]
Vienna is located in northeastern Austria, at the easternmost extension of theAlps in theVienna Basin. The earliest settlement, at the location of today'sinner city, was south of the meandering Danube, while the city now spans both sides of the river. Elevation ranges from 151 to 542 m (495 to 1,778 ft). The city has a total area of 414.78 square kilometers (160.1 sq mi), making it the largest city in Austria by area.
Climate
Whereas the higher elevated north/western edges of Vienna have a borderlineoceanic (Köppen:Cfb) andhumid continental climate (Köppen:Dfb), most parts of the urban core are warm enough for ahumid subtropical (Köppen:Cfa) classification with dozens of days exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) and night temperatures not dropping below 20 °C (68 °F).
The city has warm to hot showery summers, with average high temperatures ranging between 27 and 32 °C (81 and 90 °F) and a record maximum exceeding 38 °C (100 °F). Winters are relatively dry and cool to cold with daily mean temperatures at or well above freezing point. Spring is variable and autumn is cool, with a chance of snow in or after November. Snowfall and frequent frost have become rare, though in the last decades, with snow cover mostly ranging from zero to a few inches for a short period of time.
Precipitation is generally moderate throughout the year, averaging around 600 mm (23.6 in) annually, with considerable local variations, the Vienna Woods region in the west being the wettest part (700 to 800 mm (28 to 31 in) annually) and the flat plains in the east being the driest part (500 to 550 mm (20 to 22 in) annually). Snow in winter is not common anymore and not so frequent compared to the mostly alpine Western and Southern regions of Austria.
Climate data for Vienna (Hohe Warte) 1991–2020, extremes 1775–present
Vienna is divided into 23 districts. The district numbers are displayed on every street sign before the street name (e.g., 16, Thaliastraße). They also serve as the second and third digits of the postcode (1010 for the 1st district to 1230 for the 23rd district).
TheRathaus (City Hall), the seat of the local government.
In the provinces represented in theImperial Council, men had enjoyed universalsuffrage at the national level since 1907. However, MayorKarl Lueger of theChristian Social Party prevented the adoption of this right to vote in municipal council elections, effectively excluding many working-class people. The first elections in whichall adult men and women were entitled to vote took place in 1919, after the end of the monarchy. Since 1919, theSocial Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) has consistently provided the mayor in all free elections, and the Vienna City Council (the city parliament) has maintained a Social Democratic majority.
On 10 November 1920, theFederal Constitution of Austria came into force. This constitution defined Vienna as a separatestate, enabling its separation fromLower Austria. Since then, themayor of Vienna has also served as the governor of the state, the city senate has functioned as the state government, and the municipal council the state parliament. Vienna continued to serve as the seat of the Lower Austrian government until 1997, when it relocated toSt. Pölten.
From 1934 to 1945, during theAustrofascist andNazi periods, no democratic elections were held, and the city was governed under adictatorship. During this time, the SPÖ was banned, and many of its members were imprisoned. Vienna's city constitution was reinstated in 1945.
The city has enacted numerous social democratic policies. One notable example is theGemeindebauten,social housing assets that are well-integrated into the city's architecture outside the inner district. These low-cost rentals provide comfortable accommodation and good access to city amenities. Many of the projects were built after World War II on vacant lots left by bombings during the war, with a strong emphasis on high construction standards. Today, Vienna's social housing accommodates over 500,000 people.[70]
In the 1996 City Council election, theSPÖ lost its overall majority in the 100-seat chamber, winning 43 seats and 39.15% of the vote. The SPÖ had previously held an outright majority in every free municipal election since 1919. In the same election, theFreedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) won 29 seats, an increase from 21 in 1991, and surpassed theÖVP, which finished in third place for the second consecutive election. From 1996 to 2001, the SPÖ governed Vienna in acoalition with the ÖVP.
In2001, the SPÖ regained its overall majority with 52 seats and 46.91% of the vote. In2005, this majority increased further to 55 seats (49.09%). However, in the2010 elections, the SPÖ lost its overall majority again and subsequently formed a coalition with theGreen Party – the first SPÖ/Green coalition in Austria. This coalition remained in place following the2015 election. After the2020 election, the SPÖ formed a coalition withNEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum. This coalition continued after the2025 election.
Messe Wien Congress CenterAustria Center Vienna (ACV)
Vienna generates 25.1% of Austria's GDP, making it the highest performingregional economy of the country. It has a GDP per capita of €56,600€ as of 2024. The unemployment rate in Vienna is 9.6% as of 2022, which is the highest of all the states.[71] The private service sector provides 75% of all jobs.[72] The city improved its position from 2012 on the ranking of the most economically powerful cities, reaching number nine on the list in 2015.[73][74] Of the top 500 Austrian firms measured byturnover, 203 are headquartered in Vienna.[72] As of 2015, 175 international firms maintained offices in Vienna.[75]
Bioscience is a major research and development sector in Vienna. The Vienna Life Science Cluster is Austria's major hub for life science research, education, and business. Throughout Vienna, five universities and several basic research institutes form the academic core of the hub with more than 12,600 employees and 34,700 students. Here, more than 480 medical devices,biotechnology andpharmaceutical companies with almost 23,000 employees generate around 12 billion euros in revenue (2017). This corresponds to more than 50% of the revenue generated by life science companies in Austria (22.4 billion euros).[77][78][needs update]
The Viennese sector for information and communication technologies is comparable in size with those ofHelsinki, Milan, orMunich, and ranks among Europe's largest locations for information technology. In 2012, 8,962 information technology businesses with a workforce of 64,223 were located in the Vienna region. Among the biggest IT firms in Vienna areKapsch,Beko Engineering & Informatics,Frequentis,Cisco Systems Austria,Microsoft Austria,IBM Austria andSamsung Electronics Austria.[81][82]
Conferences
In 2022, theInternational Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranked Vienna 1st in the world for association meetings.[83] The Union of International Associations (UIA) ranked Vienna 5th in the world for 2019 with 306 international meetings, behind Singapore, Brussels, Seoul and Paris.[84] The city's largest conference center, the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) has a total capacity for around 22,800 people and is situated next to theUnited Nations Office at Vienna.[85] Other centers are the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center (up to 3,000 people) and the Hofburg Palace (up to 4,900 people).
Tourism
There were 17.3 million overnight stays in Vienna in 2023. The top ten incoming markets in 2023 were Germany, the rest ofAustria, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, France,Poland,Switzerland, andRomania.[86]
Vienna has a long-standing tradition of art and culture, encompassing theater, opera, classical music, and fine arts. TheBurgtheater is considered one of the premier theaters in the German-speaking world alongside its branch, theAkademietheater. TheVolkstheater and theTheater in der Josefstadt also enjoy good reputations. There is also a multitude of smaller theaters, in many cases devoted to less mainstream forms of the performing arts, such as modern or experimental plays, as well ascabaret.
Up until 2005, the Theater an der Wien hosted premieres of musicals, but since 2006 (a year dedicated to the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth), it has devoted itself to opera again, becoming a stagione opera house offering one new production each month. Since 2012, Theater an der Wien has taken over the Wiener Kammeroper, a historically small theater in the first district of Vienna, seating 300 spectators, turning it into its second venue for smaller-sized productions and chamber operas created by the young ensemble of Theater an der Wien (JET). Before 2005, the most successful musical wasElisabeth, which was later translated into several languages and performed around the world. TheWiener Taschenoper is dedicated to stage music of the 20th and 21st centuries. TheHaus der Musik museum ("House of Music") opened in 2000.
Founded in 1963 and located inJosefstadt, theVienna’s English Theatre (VET) is the oldest English-language theater in continental Europe.
TheWienerlied is a unique song genre from Vienna. They are sung inViennese dialect and often center around the city. There are approximately 60,000 – 70,000 Wienerlieder.
Vienna's cinemas include the Apollo Kino andCineplexx Donauzentrum and manyEnglish language cinemas, including the Haydn Kino, Artis International and the Burg Kino, which screensThe Third Man, a 1949 film set in Vienna, three times a week.
Every October since 1960, the city has staged theViennale, an international film festival which screens several differentgenres of films and manypremieres.
Naturhistorisches Museum: A natural history museum with 30 million objects in its collection, of which 100,000 are on display. A notable exhibit is theVenus of Willendorf, a 25,000-year-old statue found in Austria.
TheÖsterreichische Galerie Belvedere at theBelvedere presents art from Austria from theMiddle Ages through theBaroque to the early 20th century, includingThe Kiss, Gustav Klimt's most famous work. It also houses the Baroque Museum withFranz Xaver Messerschmidt's famous character heads. In 2011, Belvedere 21 (formerly 21er Haus) was reopened in its immediate vicinity as a branch of contemporary art.
TheVienna Museum documents the history of Vienna with a permanent presentation and temporary exhibitions and presents the memorials to Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, and Johann Strauss. Other branches of the museum include theHermesvilla in theLainzer Tiergarten, the Vienna Clock Museum, the Roman Museum, and the Prater Museum.
The former imperial summer residence atSchönbrunn Palace, Vienna's most visited attraction, is set up as a museum with the palace's showrooms and theImperial Carriage Museum.
In the 1990s, several quarters were adapted and extensive building projects were implemented in the areas aroundDonaustadt andWienerberg. Vienna has seen numerous architectural projects completed, which combine modern architectural elements with old buildings, such as the remodeling and revitalization of the oldGasometer in 2001.
Gasometer in Simmering.
TheDC Towers are located on the northern bank of the Danube and were completed in 2013.[89][90]
Places of worship
St. Rupert's Church, the oldest in Vienna.
Due to the prevalence of Christianity in the city, most places of worship are churches andcathedrals. Most notable are:
The firstballs in Vienna were held in the 18th century. The ball season takes place annually duringCarnival, running from 11 November toShrove Tuesday. Many balls are held in theHofburg,Rathaus andMusikverein. Guests adhere to a strict dress code; men are required to wearblack orwhite tie, while women must wearball gowns. Debutants of the ball wear white.[94]
The balls are opened with dances, traditionally including a Viennese waltz, at around 22:00, and close at about 05:00 the next morning. Food served at the balls includes sausages with bread, andgoulash.
The Wiener Akademikerball in the Hofburg has attracted lots of controversy for being a gathering forfar-right politicians and groups. The ball is hosted by theFPÖ, the right-wing populist party of Austria, and has attracted multiple right-wing and far-right personalities, such asMartin Sellner andMarine Le Pen. Since 2008, annual demonstrations organized by various groups have protested against the event. Former leader of the FPÖHeinz-Christian Strache comparedanti-fascist protesters to aNazi mob, alleging that the ball attendees were being treated as "new Jews".[95][96]
Language
Vienna is part of theAustro-Bavarian language area, in particularCentral Bavarian (Mittelbairisch).[97] The Viennese dialect takes many loanword from languages of the former Habsburg Monarchy, especially Czech. The dialect differs from the west of Austria in its pronunciation and grammar. Features typical of Viennese German includeMonophthongization, the transformation of adiphthong into amonophthong (Germanheiß (hot) into Viennesehaas) and the lengthening of vowels (Heeaasd, i bin do ned bleeed, wooos waaasn ii, wea des woooa (Standard GermanHörst du, ich bin doch nicht blöd, was weiß denn ich, wer das war): "Listen, I'm not stupid; what do I know, who that was?"). Speakers of the dialect tend to avoid thegenitive case.[98]
LGBT
Vienna Pride 2021
Vienna is regarded as the center ofLGBTQ+life in Austria.[99] The city has implemented an action plan againsthomophobic discrimination and has maintained an anti-discrimination unit within its administration since 1998.[100] The city has several cafés, bars, and clubs frequented by theLGBTQ+ community, including theCafé Savoy, a traditional coffee house established in 1896. In 2015, ahead of hosting theEurovision Song Contest, Vienna introduced traffic lights featuring same-sex couples, attracting international media attention.[101] Multiplerainbow crossings are dotted around the city.Vienna's Pride Parade is held everyJune. In 2019, when the parade hostedEuropride, it attracted around 500,000 visitors.[102]
Social infrastructure
Schools
Gymnasium Rosasgasse, Meidling
As of the 2022/2023 school year, there were 457 compulsory education schools in Vienna, including 303 primary schools and 140 middle schools. Additionally, there are 98 high schools, 90 of which also include middle school education. Around 250,000 children are enrolled in the Viennese school system, which is staffed by almost 29,000 teachers.[45]
Beyond its public libraries, Vienna hosts several academic andresearch libraries. TheAustrian National Library, situated in the Hofburg, is the largest in the country and holds extensive historical and cultural collections.[106] Other institutions include the Vienna University Library, the Vienna City Library in the Rathaus, and the libraries of major universities such as the University of Economics and Business, the Technical University, and the Medical University.[107] Additionally, the city is home to specialized libraries, including the Social Science Study Library of theChamber of Labour and the Parliamentary Library, which cater to specific fields of research and policy.[108]
Healthcare
The AKH
In 2020, Vienna had 729.3 hospital beds and 696.8 doctors per 100,000 inhabitants. TheGeneral Hospital (Allgemeines Krankenhaus, known as AKH) inAlsergrund is the largest hospital in Austria and serves as theteaching hospital for theMedical University of Vienna.[109] The city is home to 7 public hospitals and 8 care homes managed by the municipality, in addition to 17 privately operated non-profit hospitals and numerous private healthcare facilities.[110]
Social institutions
The first social institutions in Vienna were established in the early 20th century. Due to widespread poverty,homeless shelters and men's hostels were built, such as the one opened in 1905 onMeldemannstraße, where the young Adolf Hitler lived from 1910 to 1913.[111] Today, approximately 200,000 people in Vienna live below thepoverty line. Non-profit organizations such asVolkshilfe andCaritas provide support.[112]Caritas operates the homeless shelter "Die Gruft" inMariahilf, which has been in existence since 1986.[113] Streetwork services are offered to young people, and theWiener Sozialdienste (Vienna Social Services) carry out a range of charitable tasks.
Gemeindebauten arepublic housing complexes owned by the city, primarily constructed during the period ofRed Vienna in the early 20th century, as part of a large-scale social housing program aimed at providing affordable homes to working-class families. Famous examples includeKarl-Marx-Hof. As symbols ofsocialism, these buildings are often named after socialist orsocial-democratic politicians such asFriedrich Engels,Ferdinand Lassalle,Olof Palme, andVictor Adler. Additionally, some are named after other notable figures, includingGeorge Marshall,Dag Hammarskjöld, andGeorge Washington. TheGemeindebauten often featured additional community facilities, such as municipal libraries, daycare centers, laundromats, indoor pools, and shopping centers. The classicGemeindebauten from theinterwar period are typically designed in block perimeter development, with a large entrance gate leading to an inner courtyard, featuring a green space with playgrounds. They continue to serve as affordable housing to this day.[114][115]
The remaining half of the socialised housing stock in Vienna islimited-profit housing associations [de] (LPHAs), a kind of housing which can be established either as a private company, or ahousing cooperative,[116] which are only allowed to charge cost-covering rents.[117]
Vienna today has some of the most affordable housing and cheapest rents in Europe.[118][119][120]
Nature
Parks
The Burggarten, facing the back of the Hofburg.
On the southeastern outer border of the Ringstraße lies theStadtpark. The park covers an area of about 28 acres and is split in half by the riverWien. It contains monuments to various Viennese artists, most notably thegildedbronze monument ofJohann Strauß II.[121] On the other side of the Ring is theBurggarten, just behind the Hofburg, which features amonument to Mozart as well as agreenhouse. On the other side of the Hofburg is theVolksgarten, home to a small-scale replica of theTemple of Hephaestus and a cultivated flower garden. On the other side of the road, in front of the Rathaus, is theRathauspark, which hosts the Christmas Christkindlmarkt.
The grounds of the imperialSchönbrunn Palace contain an 18th-century park which includes theSchönbrunn Zoo, which was founded in 1752, making it the world's oldest zoo still in operation.[129] The zoo is one of the few to housegiant pandas.[130] The park also features thePalmenhaus Schönbrunn, a largegreenhouse with around 4,500 plant species.
A flak tower in the Augarten
TheAugarten inLeopoldstadt, on the border ofBrigittenau, is a 129-acre French Baroque-style public park open during the day. The park is home to flower gardens and multiple tree-lined avenues. The park was opened in 1775 byJoseph II and is surrounded by a wall with five gates, which are shut at night. ThebaroquePalais Augarten, in the south of the park, is home to theVienna Boys' Choir. Towering over the park are twoanti-aircraftflak towers, built by the Nazis in 1944. After the war, the towers were unable to be destroyed, so they were left standing. They now stand empty and serve no function, though various other such towers in the city were repurposed, such as theHaus des Meeres in Esterhazy Park.
Vienna is thelargest city on theDanube, which flows from the north and exits to the southeast.
The plan for the regulation
Until 1870, the Danube in Vienna remained unregulated, with the river flowing through multiple branching side arms, making the area highly susceptible to flooding. The first majorDanube regulation project involved cutting a new, straight main channel to improve flood control and navigation. As part of the project, the arm that ran closer to the city center was preserved and is now known as theDonaukanal (Danube Canal). Additionally, another former arm north of the river was transformed into anoxbow lake, today called theAlte Donau (Old Danube).[138]
Despite these measures, Vienna remained vulnerable toflooding. To further mitigate flood risks, a second Danube regulation was undertaken starting in the 1970s. This project involved the construction of a parallelflood relief channel, theNeue Donau (New Danube), designed to divert excess water during high discharge periods. The excavated material from this project was used to create the Donauinsel (Danube Island), a long, narrow artificial island situated between the New Danube and the regulated main river. The effectiveness of these flood protection measures was demonstrated during the2024 European floods, when Vienna remained largely unaffected.[139]
The four parts of the Danube:
The main Danube is the widest of the river’s branches and serves as the primary route for shipping.
TheNeue Donau (New Danube) is a side channel located to the east of the main river, running for approximately 21 kilometers. The water flows more slowly than in the main Danube, making it ideal for water sports such as swimming, rowing, and sailing. Motorboats are prohibited in this section.
TheAlte Donau (Old Danube) is a lake situated to the east of the New Danube, which effectively separatesKaisermühlen from the rest of the city. This lake is a popular recreational area for swimming, with freely accessible piers and beaches. Motorboats and pedalos are permitted on the lake and can be rented from nearby vendors.
TheDonaukanal (Danube Canal) branches off from the main river and re-enters close to the southern and northern edges of the city. Unlike the main river, it flows through the city center. While primarily used by boats, the paths along both sides of the canal are popular among pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists.
The New Danube in the front, the main Danube in the back, with the Donauinsel in-between.
The Old Danube
The Donaukanal by Schwedenplatz at night
Wien
The Wien in the Stadtpark
The riverWien (die Wien orWienfluss) is a 34-kilometer-longtributary of the Danube, with approximately half of its course flowing through Vienna. It originates in theVienna Woods (Wienerwald) and flows eastward through the city, ultimately joining the Donaukanal. Historically, the river was prone to flooding, which prompted several regulatory measures and modifications, including the canalisation of its course in the 19th century. Today, much of the river Wien is contained within underground channels in the urban area. It enters Vienna inPenzing, flowing above ground past Schönbrunn before being covered by theNaschmarkt. The river reemerges in the Stadtpark in the 1st district, before flowing into the Donaukanal.[140]
In addition to team sports, Vienna offers a wide range of individual sports. The paths in the Prater or along the Donauinsel are popular running routes. TheVienna City Marathon, which attracts more than 10,000 participants annually, typically takes place in May. Cyclists can choose from over 1,000 kilometers of cycle paths and numerous mountain bike trails in the Vienna mountains.Golf courses are available on theWienerberg and in the Prater. TheVienna Open tennis tournament has taken place in the city since 1974. The matches are played on indoorhard courts in theWiener Stadthalle. The City of Vienna also operates twoski slopes, one on the Hohe-Wand-Wiese and another on the Dollwiese.
Vienna is well known forWiener schnitzel, a cutlet ofveal(Kalbsschnitzel), sometimes also made with pork (Schweinsschnitzel) or chicken (Hühnerschnitzel), that is pounded flat, coated in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and fried inclarified butter. It is available in almost every restaurant that servesViennese cuisine and can be eaten hot or cold. Other examples of Viennese cuisine includeTafelspitz (very lean boiled beef), which is traditionally served withGeröstete Erdäpfel (boiled potatoes that are sliced and pan-fried) and horseradish sauce,Apfelkren (a mixture of horseradish, cream and apple) andSchnittlauchsauce (a chives sauce made with mayonnaise and stale bread).
Vienna has a long tradition of producing cakes and desserts. These includeApfelstrudel (hot apple strudel),Milchrahmstrudel (milk-cream strudel),Palatschinken (sweet pancakes), andKnödel (dumplings) often filled with fruit such as apricots (Marillenknödel).Sachertorte, a delicately moist chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam and a chocolate glaze, created by theSacher Hotel, is world-famous.
In winter, small street stands sell traditionalMaroni (hot chestnuts) andpotato fritters.
Sausages are popular and available from street vendors (Würstelstand) throughout the day and into the night. The sausage known asWiener (German for Viennese) in the U.S. and in Germany is called aFrankfurter in Vienna. Other popular sausages areBurenwurst (a coarse beef and pork sausage, generally boiled),Käsekrainer (spicy pork with small chunks of cheese), andBratwurst (a white pork sausage). These sausages either come with sliced bread or as ahot dog.Mustard is the traditional condiment and usually offered in two varieties: "süß" (sweet) or "scharf" (spicy).
Vienna ranked 10th in vegan-friendly European cities in a study by Alternative Traveler in 2020.[142]
TheNaschmarkt is a permanent market for fruit, vegetables, spices, fish, and meat, as well as a popular spot for international cuisine, with numerous small restaurants and food stalls offering dishes from around the world.
Drinks
Ottakringer Helles
Vienna is one of the few remaining world capitals with its own vineyards.[143] The wine is served in small Viennese pubs known asHeuriger. The wine is often enjoyed as a Spritzer ("G'spritzter") with sparkling water. TheGrüner Veltliner, a dry white wine, is the most widely cultivated wine in Austria.[144] Another wine typical of the region is "Gemischter Satz", which is usually a blend of different grape varieties harvested from the same vineyard.[145]
Beer is second in importance to wine. Vienna has a single large brewery,Ottakringer, and more than tenmicrobreweries. Ottakringer's most popular product is theOttakringer Helles, a beer with analcohol content of 5.2%. Vienna is home to manyBeisln, small traditional Austrian pubs.
Localsoft drinks, such asAlmdudler, are popular across the country as an alternative to alcoholic beverages, ranking them among the top choices alongside American brands likeCoca-Cola in terms of market share. Other popular drinks includeSpezi, a mix between cola and orange lemonade, andFrucade, a German carbonated orange drink.
Vienna has an extensive public transportation network. It consists predominantly of theWiener Linien network (subway, tram, and bus lines) and theS-Bahn lines belonging to theAustrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). As of 2023, 32% of the population of the city uses public transit as their main mode of transit.[150]
Vienna U-Bahn network
U-Bahn
TheVienna metro system consists of five lines (U1,U2,U3,U4,U6) with theU5 currently under construction. The metro currently serves98 stations and covers a distance of 83.5 kilometers.[151]The services run from 05:00 to about 01:00 with intervals of two to five minutes during the day and up to eight minutes after 20:00. On Friday and Saturday evenings and on evenings before a public holiday they operate a 24-hour service at 15-minute intervals.[152]
Buses were first introduced to the city in 1907. Currently, 117 bus lines operate in Vienna during the day. 47 of these are run by the Wiener Linien, who also set the routes and timetables, the rest by subcontractors such asDr Richard,Gschwindl andBlaguss. The Wiener Linien also operates 20 night buses.[153]
Trams
The 62 tram, an A1 model, in Hietzing
TheViennese tram network has existed since 1865; the first line was electrified in 1897. There are currently 28 lines with 1071 stops that operate on a network of 176,9 km. The trams move at about 15 km/h. The fleet consists of bothhigh-floor andlow-floor vehicles; however, the high-floor models, which are not air-conditioned, are in the process of being replaced by more modern, accessible trams. The modern models are air-conditioned and suitable for disabled users.[154][155]
The cycling network in the city spans 1,721 kilometers. However, this figure counts bidirectionalbike paths twice and includes on-road cycle-lanes, which are also shared with motor vehicles.[156] The network is constantly being expanded and upgraded, especially in the outer areas, such as Donaustadt.[157] Bike use in the city has been rising, from just 3% in 1993 to 11% in 2024.[158]
The city also operates abicycle-sharing system calledWienMobil Radverleih, which offers over 3,000 bikes across 185 stations, available at all times. The bikes are 7-speedcity bikes with an adjustable saddle.
Airport
Vienna International Airport
Vienna is served byVienna International Airport, located 18 km southeast of the city center near the town ofSchwechat. The airport handled approximately 29.5 million passengers in 2023.[159] Following lengthy negotiations with surrounding communities, the airport is set to be expanded to increase its capacity by adding a third runway. The airport is undergoing a major expansion, including a new terminal building that opened in 2012 to accommodate the growing number of passengers. Another option for travelers is to useBratislava Airport, Slovakia, located approximately 60 km away.
UN complex, with the Austria Center Vienna in front, taken from theDanube Tower in the nearby Donaupark before the extensive building work
In 1980, Vienna became a UN headquarters city, alongside New York City andGeneva, and was later joined byNairobi. The city hosts numerous international organizations, many of which are located in theVienna International Centre inDonaustadt, including:
FRA – European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
UNSCEAR – United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation
OPEC Secretariat in the Innere Stadt
In addition, theUniversity of Vienna hosts the annualWillem C. Vis Moot, an international commercial arbitration competition for law students from around the world.
Alongside international and intergovernmental organizations, there are dozens of charitable organizations based in Vienna. One such organization is the network ofSOS Children's Villages, founded byHermann Gmeiner in 1949. Today, SOS Children's Villages is active in 132 countries and territories worldwide. Others includeHelp Afghan School Children Organization (HASCO).
International city co-operations
The general policy of the City of Vienna is not to sign anytwin town agreements with other cities. Instead, the city cooperates with a handful of cities on specific issues.[160]
In addition, individual Viennese districts have international partnerships all over the world. A detailed list is published on the website of the City of Vienna.[161]
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^Spielman, John Philip (1993).The city & the crown: Vienna and the imperial court, 1600–1740. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press. p. 141.ISBN1-55753-021-1.
^Richard Cockett (2023).Vienna: How the City of Ideas Created the Modern World. Yale University Press. p. 71.ISBN9780300266535.
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^Statistisches Jahrbuch der Stadt Wien 2019 [Statistical Yearbook of the City of Vienna 2019](PDF) (Report) (in German). Magistrat der Stadt Wienn – Stadt Wien Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Statistik. November 2019. p. 174. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 1 July 2020. Retrieved29 June 2020.
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