Overview
Population: 1.6 million
Formerly Vindobona, one of the most important Roman settlements along the Danube. Grew into a city when the Babenberg family moved here from Bavaria and made it their seat—developed further under the Habsburgs, who lived in Vienna at the Hofburg Palace and outside the city at Schönbrunn.
- Twice besieged by the Ottoman Turks
- Former capital of Austro-Hungarian Empire, now Federal Capital of the Austrian Republic
- Great Congress of Vienna (1814) called together major European powers to divide Europe after Napoleon’s defeat—large territorial gains for Austria under Metternich
- Annexed to Germany during WWII, then occupied by Russians, later divided into American, British, French and Russian zones
- Post-war Vienna depicted in The Third Man
- Now an international conference centre: meeting point for Middle East factions, OPEC, and Cold War diplomacy
- Seat of UNIDO and IAEA
- First point of entry for East Germans fleeing in 1989
The Arts
Fabulous collection of museums:
- Kunsthistorisches Museum – Breughels, Rembrandts, Rubens, Velasquez
- Albertina – 1 million engravings; world’s largest collection of Dürer
- Belvedere – 19th & 20th C works; Jugendstil (Art Nouveau); Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka
- Museum of Applied Art – Tapestries, porcelain, oriental carpets
Performing arts:
- Opera – Works by Puccini, Strauss, Wagner, Donizetti, Verdi, Mozart, Bizet
- Famous Opera Ball during Carnival season
- Vienna Philharmonic – Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, Schönberg, Berg, Webern
- Home of the Vienna Boys’ Choir
- Major centre for German-language theatre
Birthplace of Psychoanalysis, based on Freud’s writings on dreams and sexuality.
Architecture
- Architectural unity after Turkish threat vanished; early 18th century prosperity brought Baroque churches and palaces
- Expansion along the Ring (1859–1888) on site of old fortifications; buildings by Otto Wagner
- Compact inner city with narrow lanes and passageways (Durchhäuser)
- Strict zoning laws; tall buildings not allowed to obstruct skyline
- Inner city embellished with beautiful façades
The Good Life
Restaurants
International and Viennese specialties:
- Tafelspitz (boiled beef) with Gerösteten (fried potatoes) and Apfelkren (apple-horseradish)
- Griessnockerl soup
- Wiener Schnitzel
Other establishments:
- Beisel – Snack restaurant
- Keller – Wine cellar
- Weinstuben – Equivalent of an English pub
- Heurigenschanken – Suburban wine taverns serving new wine (heuer = “this year”), cold cuts, music
The Café
Historic institution:
- First café opened in 1685 by Franz Georg Kolschitsky, using coffee beans abandoned by Turks
- Coffee became fashionable; 28 serving styles developed (e.g., Mokka, Brauner, Mazagran, Kaisermelange, Einspänner)
- Served with whipped cream (Schlag) and pastries
- Cafés offered newspapers, phone services, discreet meeting spots
- Waiters knew regulars’ preferences; coffee served with glass of water
- Coffee house seen as a Weltanschauung—a way of life
Sights
Wienerwald (Vienna Woods)
Encircles the city to the west; inspired composers like Beethoven and Strauss. Spa towns (e.g., Baden) and wine villages (e.g., Gumpoldskirchen) lie to the south.
Heiligenkreuz
Cistercian monastery founded in the 12th century; rebuilt after Turkish pillage. Romanesque and Gothic church with stained glass (c.1300) and Trinity Pillar.
Mayerling
Site of Crown Prince Rudolph’s tragic death with Maria Vetsera in 1889. The lodge was replaced by a memorial chapel and Carmelite convent; tiny museum preserves mementoes. The scandal inspired countless theories and romantic legends.