   #copyright

Vienna

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

   Coordinates: 48°12′31″N, 16°22′19″E
                     State Coat of Arms
          Coat of Arms of the city/state of Vienna
                     General Information
   Country:                         Austria
   State Capital:                   Vienna
   ISO 3166-2:                      AT-9
   Vehicle Registration:            W
   Community Identification Number: 90101 - 92301
   Postal codes:                    1010 - 1239, 1400, 1450
   Area code:                       01
   Homepage:                        www.wien.gv.at
                    State Flag of Vienna
           State Flag of the city/state of Vienna
                   Map: Vienna in Austria
                  Map of Austria (Vienna)
                   Name in other languages
   German                           Wien
               See "Vienna" in other languages
                          Politics
   Mayor and governor               Michael Häupl ( SPÖ)
   Governing Party                  SPÖ
   Seats in the Municipal Council
   (100 seats):                     SPÖ 55
                                    ÖVP 18
                                    Greens 14
                                    FPÖ 13
   Last Election:                   23 October 2005
   Next Election:                   October 2010
                         Population
   Population:                      1,651,437 (31.12.2005)
                                    2,165,357 metro area
   Population density:              3,931.3/km²
                          Geography
   Area:                            414.90 km²
   - percent land:                  395.51 km² (95,33%)
   - percent water:                 19.39 km² (4,67%)
   Location:                        48°13′N 16°22′E
   Dimensions:                      North-South: 22.4 km
                                    East-West: 29.2 km
   Highest Point:                   543 m
                                    ( Hermannskogel)
   Lowest Point:                    151 m
                                    ( Lobau)
                  Administrative Structure
   Districts:                       1 Statutarstadt
                                    23 Bezirke
                  Map: Districts of Vienna
                     Bezirke of Vienna
   Inhabitants according to official census figures: 1800 to 2005
   Enlarge
   Inhabitants according to official census figures: 1800 to 2005
   Vienna in 1858
   Enlarge
   Vienna in 1858

   Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]) is the capital of Austria, and also one of
   the nine States of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primate city; with a
   population of about 1.6 million (2.2 million within the metro area),
   Vienna is by far the largest city in Austria as well as its cultural,
   economic and political centre. Vienna lies in the south-eastern corner
   of Central Europe and is close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and
   Hungary. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World
   Heritage Site .

History

   Founded around 500 BC, Vienna was originally a Celtic settlement. In 15
   BC, Vienna became a Roman frontier city ("Vindobona") guarding the
   Roman Empire against Germanic tribes to the north.

   During the Middle Ages, Vienna was home of the Babenberg Dynasty and in
   1440 became residence city of the Habsburg dynasties from where Vienna
   eventually grew to become the secret capital of the Holy Roman Empire
   and a cultural centre for arts and science, music and fine cuisine. The
   Ottoman invasions of Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries were stopped
   twice just outside Vienna (see Siege of Vienna, 1529 and Battle of
   Vienna, 1683).

   In 1805, Vienna became capital of the Austrian Empire — the later
   Austro-Hungarian Empire — and played a major role in European and World
   politics, including hosting the 1815 Congress of Vienna. In 1918, after
   World War I, Vienna became capital of the First Austrian Republic.
   Between 1938 (Anschluß) and the end of the Second World War, Vienna
   lost its status as a capital to Berlin. After 1945, Vienna was divided
   into four zones by the Allies and became a hot-bed for international
   espionage between the Western and Eastern blocs.

Historical population

   Due to industrialisation and immigration from other parts of the
   Empire, the population of Vienna increased sharply during its time as
   capital of Austria-Hungary ( 1867- 1918). However, after World War I,
   many Czechs and Hungarians returned to their ancestral countries,
   resultin in a decline in the Viennese population. At the height of the
   immigration, about one third of the people living in Vienna were of
   Slavic or Hungarian descent.

   By 2001, only 16% of people living in Vienna had nationalities other
   than Austrian, nearly half of which were from the former Yugoslavia;
   the next most numerous nationalities in Vienna were Turkish (39,000 or
   2.5%), Polish (13,600 or 0.9%) and German (12,700 or 0.8%) .

Subdivision

   Vienna is composed of 23 districts (Bezirke). Legally, they are not
   districts in the sense of administrative bodies with explicit powers
   (such as the districts in the other Austrian states), but mere
   subdivisions of the city administration. Elections on the district
   level give the representatives of the districts some political power in
   fields such as planning and traffic.

   The 23 districts are numbered for convenience in a roughly clockwise
   fashion starting in the city centre: 1. Innere Stadt, 2. Leopoldstadt,
   3. Landstraße, 4. Wieden, 5. Margareten, 6. Mariahilf, 7. Neubau, 8.
   Josefstadt, 9. Alsergrund, 10. Favoriten, 11. Simmering, 12. Meidling,
   13. Hietzing, 14. Penzing, 15. Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus, 16. Ottakring, 17.
   Hernals, 18. Währing, 19. Döbling, 20. Brigittenau, 21. Floridsdorf,
   22. Donaustadt, 23. Liesing.

   The heart and historical city of Vienna, the Innere Stadt, was once
   surrounded by walls and open fields in order to deny cover to potential
   attackers. The walls were razed in 1857, making it possible for the
   city to expand and eventually merge with the surrounding villages. In
   their place, a broad boulevard called the Ringstraße was built, along
   which imposing public and private buildings, monuments, and parks now
   lie. These buildings include the Rathaus (town hall), the Burgtheater,
   the University, the Parliament, the twin museums of natural history and
   fine art, and the Staatsoper. It is also the location of the Hofburg,
   the former imperial palace. The mainly Gothic Stephansdom is located at
   the centre of the city, on Stephansplatz. Beyond the Ringstraße, there
   was another wall called the Linienwall, which was torn down in the
   latter half of the 19th century to make room for expanding suburbs. It
   is now a ring road called Gürtel.

   Industries are located mostly in the southern and eastern districts.
   The Innere Stadt is situated away from the main flow of the Danube, but
   is bounded by the Donaukanal ("Danube canal"). Vienna's second and
   twentieth districts are located between the Donaukanal and the Danube
   River. Across the Danube are the newest districts, which include the
   location of the Vienna International Centre.

   Vienna's postal codes can be determined by the district where a given
   address is located; 1XXA - 1 denotes Vienna, XX the district number (if
   it is a single digit then with a leading zero), A is the number of the
   post office (irrelevant in this case, usually zero). Example: 1070 for
   Neubau. Exceptions include 1300 for the Vienna International Airport
   located in Lower Austria near Schwechat, 1400 for the UN Complex, 1450
   for the Austria Centre, and 1500 for the Austrian UN forces.

Politics

   Vienna is today considered the centre of social democracy in Austria.
   In memory of the First Republic (1918-1934), the name Rotes Wien ("Red
   Vienna") is also used. Since the end of the First World War, the city
   has mostly been governed by a social democratic party with absolute
   majority. Current mayor of Vienna is Michael Häupl. Before the World
   Wars, Viennese politics were shaped by the Christian Social Party, in
   particular long-term mayor Karl Lueger. An example of the city’s many
   social democratic policies is its low-cost residential estates called
   Gemeindebauten.

   Ever since Vienna obtained federal state (Bundesland) status of its own
   in 1921, the mayor has also had the role of the state governor
   (Landeshauptmann). The Rathaus accommodates the offices of the mayor
   and the state government (Landesregierung). The city is administered by
   a multitude of departments (Magistratsabteilungen).

Religions

   Stephansdom
   Enlarge
   Stephansdom

   Vienna is the seat of the Viennese Roman Catholic archdiocese, and its
   acting Archbishop is Cardinal Christoph Schönborn. The religions of the
   Viennese resident population is divided according to the 2001 census as
   follows :
   Roman Catholic               49.2%
   No religion                  25.7%
   Muslim                       7.8%
   Orthodox                     6.0%
   Protestant (mostly Lutheran) 4.7%
   Jewish                       0.5%
   Other or none indicated      6.3%

Culture

Music, theatre and opera

   Vienna State Opera
   Enlarge
   Vienna State Opera

          Translated from here

   Art and culture have a long tradition in Vienna, in the areas of
   theatre, opera, classical music and fine arts. Apart from the
   Burgtheater which, together with its branch, the Akademietheater, is
   considered one of the best theatres in the German-speaking world, the
   Volkstheater Wien and the Theatre in der Josefstadt also offer
   high-quality theatre entertainment. There is also a multitude of
   smaller theatres, often equal in quality to their larger counterparts
   and in many cases devoted to less mainstream forms of performing arts,
   such as modern, experimental plays or cabaret.

   Vienna also offers a great many opportunities for opera lovers: The
   Staatsoper and the Volksoper offer something for everyone, the latter
   being especially devoted to the typical Viennese operetta. Concerts of
   classical music are performed, among others, in the well known Wiener
   Musikverein, home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and in the
   Wiener Konzerthaus. In addition, various concert venues offer concerts
   aimed at visitors, featuring the best known highlights of Viennese
   music (particularly the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann
   Strauss).

   In recent years, the Theatre an der Wien has become widely known for
   hosting premieres of musicals, although it has recently devoted itself
   to the opera again. The most successful by far was "Elisabeth" which
   was afterwards translated into several foreign languages and performed
   all over the world. The Haus der Musik ("house of music") opened in
   2000.

   Finally, many Roman Catholic churches in central Vienna feature
   performances of religious or other music, including masses sung with
   classical music and organ.

   See also: Vienna State Opera Ballet

Museums

   The Museum moderner Kunst ("museum of modern art") is a part of the
   Museumsquartier
   Enlarge
   The Museum moderner Kunst ("museum of modern art") is a part of the
   Museumsquartier

          To be translated from here

   In the Hofburg, the Schatzkammer (treasury) holds the imperial jewels
   of the Hapsburg dynasty. The Sisi Museum (the museum of Queen Elisabeth
   Amalie Eugenie of Austria) allows visitors to see the Imperial
   apartments as well as the silver cabinet. Directly opposite the Hofburg
   is the Kunsthistorisches Museum that houses many paintings by the old
   masters and many ancient and classical artifacts.

   A number of museums are organised into the Museumsquartier, the former
   Imperial Stalls which were converted into a complex of museums in the
   1990s. This houses the Museum of Modern Art (Ludwig Foundation), the
   Leopold Museum (which primarily displays works of the Viennese
   Secession, Viennese Modernism and Austrian Expressionism), and
   additional halls with changing exhibitions as well as the Tanzquartier.
   The Liechtenstein Palace presents one of the world's largest private
   art collections. Additionally there are a multitude of other museums,
   from the Military History Museum to the Technical Museum, from the
   Vienna Clock Museum to the Burial Museum. The museums of Vienna's
   districts are not to be missed as they offer a view into the history of
   their respective districts.

Architecture

   Vienna's oldest church: the Ruprechtskirche
   Enlarge
   Vienna's oldest church: the Ruprechtskirche
   The Jugendstil Karlsplatz Stadtbahn Station by Otto Wagner
   Enlarge
   The Jugendstil Karlsplatz Stadtbahn Station by Otto Wagner

          Translated from here

   There are buildings of all architectural styles in Vienna, from the
   Romanesque Ruprechtskirche to the Baroque Karlskirche, and classicist
   buildings all the way through to modern architecture. Likewise, Art
   Nouveau left many architectural traces in Vienna. The Secession,
   Karlsplatz Stadtbahn Station, and the Kirche am Steinhof by Otto Wagner
   rank among the best known examples of Art Nouveau in the world.

   The Hundertwasserhaus by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, designed to
   counter the clinical look of modern architecture, is one of Vienna's
   most popular tourist attractions. Another example of unique
   architecture is the Wotrubakirche by sculptor Fritz Wotruba.

   In the 1990s, a number of quarters were adapted and extensive building
   projects were implemented in the areas around Donaustadt (north of the
   Danube) and Wienerberg (in southern Vienna). The 202  m-high Millennium
   Tower located at Handelskai is the highest building in Vienna since the
   time of its construction in 1999. In recent years, Vienna completed
   numerous architecture projects combining modern architecture elements
   with old buildings, like the remodelling and revitalisation of the old
   Gasometer in 2001.

   However, Vienna is not a city of skyscrapers. Currently (early 2006)
   around 100 buildings are taller than 40 m. The number of high-rise
   buildings is kept low by building legislation to preserve areas of
   unspoiled nature and to preserve city districts declared as world
   cultural heritage. Therefore strong rules apply to planning,
   authorisation and construction of high-rise buildings, and as a
   consequence, some parts of Vienna, in particular the inner districts,
   are declared as high-rise free zones.

Education

   Vienna is also Austria's main centre of education and home to many
   universities, professional colleges and gymnasiums.

Universities

     * Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
     * Austrian Diplomatic Academy
     * Medical University of Vienna
     * PEF Private University of Management Vienna
     * University of Applied Arts Vienna
     * University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna
     * University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna
     * University of Vienna
     * University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
     * Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration
     * Vienna University of Technology
     * Webster University Vienna

International schools

     * American International School Vienna
     * Danube International School
     * Vienna Christian School
     * Vienna International School

Transportation

   Twelve bridges cross the Danube in the city, which is divided by the
   Danube and its branch, the Neue Donau ("new Danube").

Public transportation

   The ULF tram stock, designed by Porsche and built by Siemens boasts an
   entry height of 180 mm (7 in), the lowest in the world. Of these
   vehicles, by 2003 some 150 were in use by the municipal Wiener Linien,
   along with around 400 older high-floor models (substitution
   proceeding).
   Enlarge
   The ULF tram stock, designed by Porsche and built by Siemens boasts an
   entry height of 180  mm (7  in), the lowest in the world. Of these
   vehicles, by 2003 some 150 were in use by the municipal Wiener Linien,
   along with around 400 older high-floor models (substitution
   proceeding).

   Vienna has a large public transportation network.
     * Vienna S-Bahn
     * Vienna U-Bahn
     * Local Railways (Lokalbahn Wien-Baden)
     * Wiener Linien (= Vienna Lines, municipal company operating U-Bahn,
       trams, and most bus routes)

   Vienna has an extensive tram and bus network - the tram network being
   third largest in the world. In the most populated areas of Vienna,
   transportation systems are run so frequently (even during off-peak
   hours), that any familiarity with departure timetables is virtually
   unnecessary. The convenience and flexibility of the public transport is
   therefore reflected through its popularity. During night hours, public
   transportation is continued by the Nightline buses operating on the
   more important routes, most of them every thirty minutes. They are
   increasingly utilised by younger night-owls vitalising the atmosphere,
   most of whom mingle with the many workplace commuters and fatigued
   shopping tourers at daytimes.

   Within the town's boundaries, prices, except for pre-defined
   short-distance hops, are independent of the ride's length (including
   commutation tickets, varying between 24h and a year, valid also for
   Nightline). In (approximately) one direction, with a single ticket you
   may change as often as necessary but must not interrupt remarkably.
   With a commutation ticket (incl. those for one day's shopping [time]
   rides, or for certain events - 2 hour before to 6 hours after), you may
   ride anytime anywhere, long as its specific validity lasts. And there
   are more combination offers, for tourists as well as for residents.

   The Viennese public transport services are incorporated into a larger,
   widely concentrical structured system of travel zones, the VOR
   (Verkehrsverbund Ostregion = eastern region traffic association). It
   includes railway and bus lines operating 50 kilometers into the
   surrounding countryside, ticket prices resulting from the number of
   zones you pass. Here, commuting tickets so far pay off mainly for
   residents and (very-)long-run-guests.

   Vienna uses an "honour system." There are no turnstile gates or ticket
   checks when boarding transit lines, yet onboard you may be checked
   unexpectedly by undercover employees. If you are caught at
   "Schwarzfahren" (dodging the fare), you could incur a hefty citation
   or, at the very least, be forced to leave at the next stop. At any
   rate, it's undesirable to get "controlled". Hint: a ticket, also from a
   station's automat, like stampable pre-paid ones, must then be inserted
   into a stamper (on bus & tram vehicles, but for subways - don't miss
   before entering a station - on entrance zones' open gate bars). Onboard
   automat tickets come out stamped.

   There are also two miniature railways which run through parks: the
   Liliputbahn in the Wiener Prater and the Donauparkbahn in the
   Donaupark.

Railways

   Wien Nord-Praterstern, one of the main railway stations in Vienna
   Enlarge
   Wien Nord-Praterstern, one of the main railway stations in Vienna

   Historically, all traffic facilities were oriented towards the main
   capitals and residential cities of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy
   consequently, Vienna has several train stations that form the beginning
   of several train lines:
     * Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof is the starting point of the Franz
       Josefs Railway
     * Vienna Westbahnhof is starting point of the West Railway
     * Vienna Südbahnhof (Former South and East Station) for the South
       Railway and the East Railway

   as well as several through train stations:
     * Vienna Hütteldorf on the West Railway
     * Vienna Heiligenstadt on the Franz Josefs Railway
     * Wien Nord-Praterstern on the North Railway. The convenient
       Nordbahnhof was destroyed in World War II and was not built again
       until after the decay of the Danube monarchy, especially when the
       Iron Curtain closed almost all passenger traffic to the north.
       Since World War II, a smaller station called "Praterstern" and
       later "Wien Nord" has served as a transit station between the
       S-Bahn, the U1 underground ("U-Bahn") line, trams, and buses. In
       2004 it was essentially completely torn down and is being rebuilt.
       In 2008 the extended U2 will also stop here.
     * Vienna Meidling (Philadelphiabrücke) - South Railway. This is
       Vienna's most frequented transit station.
     * Wien Mitte ( Landstraße)

   Between these, there are still many smaller stations that are
   particularly important for local passenger traffic. Since the mid
   1990s, the West and South stations have handled all long-distance
   travel. Many trains stop at Hütteldorf or Meidling, especially when
   inbound.

   In order to bundle all long-distance traffic it has become necessary to
   build a tunnel, colloquially known as the Wildschweintunnel ("boar
   tunnel"), underneath Lainzer Tiergarten linking the West Railway to the
   South Railway. The new bundled train line will connect to a new train
   station called Wien Hauptbahnhof that will be constructed between
   today's Südbahnhof and Ostbahnhof.

Road traffic

   River Danube, Brigittenauer Brücke (bridge) and Millennium Tower in
   Vienna (view from Donauturm)
   Enlarge
   River Danube, Brigittenauer Brücke (bridge) and Millennium Tower in
   Vienna (view from Donauturm)

          To be translated from here

   Like the train lines, Bundesstraßen leave the city in a star-shaped
   pattern. Some are designated after their historical final destination
   (Prager Straße - to Prague, Linzer Straße — to Linz, Triester Straße —
   to Trieste and Brünner Straße - to Brno). Bundesstraßen can be compared
   to Federal Highways in the United States, being two-lane in rural areas
   and multi-lane in urban areas.

   Three national autobahns leave Vienna in the westerly ( A1), southernly
   (A2), and easterly directions (A4). Similar to the rail lines, they are
   commonly referred to after their exit direction ( Westautobahn,
   Südautobahn, and Ostautobahn). In addition, several spur and branch
   autobahns circle around the southern and eastern areas of the city. The
   western and northern areas were left mostly untouched because of the
   Wienerwald protected forest.

Air traffic

   Southeast of Vienna is Vienna International Airport. In 2005, there
   were over 230,900 separate flights departing or arriving, and the
   airport was used by 15.86 million passengers. After a several year long
   negotiation with surrounding communities it was decided to enlarge the
   capacity of with the addition of a third runway. Currently the airport
   is undergoing a major enlargement (construction of several new
   buildings) to prepare for an expected increase in passengers.

Water transportation

          To be translated from here

   Vienna is connected to water by the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal via the
   port in Rotterdam and its nearby German Industrial areas, as well as
   Eastern European countries up to the Black Sea. The planned Danube-Oder
   canal remains unfinished.

   Nearly all of Vienna's drinking water is brought to the city via two
   large water pipelines, built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
   and stretching 120  km (75  miles) and 200 km (124 miles),
   respectively, from the Alps to the city's Hietzing district. The Alpine
   sources are pristine enough that their water does not have to be
   treated.

Leisure activities

Viennese parks and gardens

   View of Vienna from Leopoldsberg
   Enlarge
   View of Vienna from Leopoldsberg

   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, the Schönbrunner Schlosspark, the Prater, the Augarten, the
   Rathauspark, the Lainzer Tiergarten, the Dehnepark, the Resselpark, the
   Votivpark, the Kurpark Oberlaa, the Auer-Welsbach-Park and the
   Türkenschanzpark, Laaer-Berg with the Bohemian Prater and the foothills
   of the Wienerwald, which reaches into the outer areas of the city.
   Small parks, known by the Viennese as Beserlparks, are everywhere in
   the inner-city areas.

   Many of Vienna's famous parks include monuments, such as the Stadtpark
   with its statue of Johann Strauss II, and the gardens of the baroque
   palace, where the State Treaty was signed. The principal park of Vienna
   is the Prater which contains the Riesenrad, a ferris wheel. Schönbrunn,
   the beautiful Imperial Summer Palace, has an 18th century park which
   includes the world's oldest zoo, founded in 1752.

Sport

   Steffen Hofmann, playing for Rapid Wien
   Enlarge
   Steffen Hofmann, playing for Rapid Wien

   Vienna has become a popular host of many different sporting events
   including the Vienna City Marathon, which attracts more than 10,000
   participants every year and normally takes place in May. In 2005 the
   Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Austria, the final was
   played in Vienna. After already being the stage of four Champions
   League (originally European Champion Clubs' Cup) finals ( 1964, 1987,
   1990, 1995) the final of Euro 2008, the European Football
   Championships, will take place in Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium.

   Austria's capital is also the home of numerous sports teams. The best
   known of them are the local football clubs SK Rapid Wien (31 time
   Austrian national champions), FK Austria Wien (23 time Austrian
   national champions and record 25-time cup-winners) and the oldest of
   all, First Vienna FC. Important other sport clubs are the Chrysler
   Vikings Vienna (American Football), who won the Eurobowl title as
   Europe's best American Football team in 2004, the Vienna Hot Volleys,
   one of Europe's premier Volleyball-organisations, and the Vienna
   Capitals ( Ice Hockey). Vienna submitted a bid for the 1964 Olympic
   Games.

Culinary specialities

Food

   Sachertorte
   Enlarge
   Sachertorte

   In winter small stands on bustling street corners sell hot chestnuts
   and potato fritters. Sausages are also well loved and available almost
   everywhere. The sausage known in the USA and Germany as Wiener (German
   for "Viennese") is called a Frankfurter here. However other varieties
   are more popular at Vienna's sausage stands, such as Burenwurst, a
   coarse, usually boiled, beef and pork sausage or Käsekrainer, spicy
   pork with small chunks of cheese within it. Hot dogs are also very
   common, whereas due to regional food legislation the Bosner or Bosna as
   the Austrian equivalent of a hot dog (filled with a fried Bratwurst
   sausage, onions and spices) can seldom be found at the typical Viennese
   Würstelstand.

   Vienna is also well known for Wiener schnitzel, a cutlet of veal that
   is pounded flat, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried in
   clarified butter. It is available in almost every eatery that serves
   Viennese cuisine. Other examples of Viennese cuisine include
   "Tafelspitz" (very lean boiled beef), which is traditionally served
   with "Gerösteten Kartoffeln" (boiled potatoes mashed with a fork and
   subsequently fried), "Apfelkren" (a mixture of horseradish, cream and
   apple) and "Schnittlauchsauce" (a "sauce of chives" based on mayonnaise
   and old bread).

   Vienna has a long tradition of cakes and desserts. These include
   Apfelstrudel (hot apple strudel), Palatschinken (sweet pancakes), and
   Knödel (dumplings) often filled with fruit such as apricots
   (Marillenknödel). Sachertorte, a chocolate cake from the Sacher Hotel,
   is world famous.

   The Naschmarkt is a permanent market for fruit, vegetables, spices,
   fish, meat and much more. The city centre has many specialty food
   stores, such as those part of the Julius Meinl chain.

Drink

   Vienna is the world's only capital city with its own vineyards
   (although Paris also retains a single vineyard). The wine is served in
   small Viennese pubs known as Heuriger, which are especially numerous in
   the wine growing areas of Döbling ( Grinzing, Neustift am Walde,
   Nußdorf, Salmannsdorf, Sievering) and Floridsdorf ( Stammersdorf,
   Strebersdorf). The wine is often drunk as a spritzer ("G'spritzter")
   with sparkling water. The Grüner Veltliner, a white wine, is the most
   widely cultivated wine in Austria.

   Beer is next in importance to wine. Vienna has a single large brewery,
   Ottakringer, and more than ten microbreweries. A "Beisl" is a typical
   small Austrian pub, of which Vienna has many.

Viennese cafés

   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.

Tourist attractions

   The Riesenrad in the Wiener Prater
   Enlarge
   The Riesenrad in the Wiener Prater

   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 . Sites associated with the many composers who
   lived in Vienna have become sites of pilgrimage, such as Beethoven's
   various residences and St. Marx cemetery, Mozart's final resting place.
   Vienna's many fine churches also draw large crowds, the most famous of
   which are the Deutschordenskirche, the Jesuitenkirche, the Karlskirche,
   the Peterskirche, Maria am Gestade, the Minoritenkirche, the
   Ruprechtskirche, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Schottenkirche and the
   Votivkirche. More modern attractions are also present, in the form of
   the Gasometer, Millennium Tower, Karl-Marx-Hof, Hundertwasserhaus and
   UNO-City. Cultural highlights include the Burgtheater and the Wiener
   Staatsoper, the Lipizzaner horses of the Spanish Riding School and the
   Vienna Boys' Choir.

   Hundertwasserhaus

                    Albertina

                             The Secession building

                                                   The Gloriette at Schönbrunn

International organisations in Vienna

   Vienna is the seat of a number of United Nations offices and various
   international institutions and companies, including the United Nations
   Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Organization of
   Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the International Atomic Energy
   Agency (IAEA), the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive
   Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and the Organization for
   Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Furthermore, the 1980
   Diplomatic Conference was held in Vienna that led to the adoption of
   the United Nations Convention of Contracts for the International Sale
   of Goods. Additionally, Vienna is the seat of the United Nations
   Commission on International Trade Law's secretariat (UNCITRAL).

Charitable organisations in Vienna

   Alongside the international and intergovernmental organisations, there
   are dozens of charitable organisations based in Vienna; these
   organisations provide relief goods and assistance to tens of thousands
   of disadvantaged children and needy people in developing countries.

   One such organisation is the network of SOS Children's Villages,
   founded by Hermann Gmeiner in 1949. Today, SOS Children's Villages are
   active in 132 countries and territories worldwide. Others include HASCO
   and the Childrens Bridge of Hope.

Twin cities

   The Hermesvilla, in rural Hietzing
   Enlarge
   The Hermesvilla, in rural Hietzing

   Vienna is twinned with the following cities:
     * Serbia Belgrade, Serbia (since 2003)
     * Slovakia Bratislava, Slovakia
     * Hungary Budapest, Hungary
     * Slovenia Ljubljana, Slovenia
     * Israel Tel Aviv, Israel (since 2005)
     * Poland Warsaw, Poland
     * Croatia Zagreb, Croatia
     * Ukraine Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine

   In addition, individual Viennese districts are twinned with Japanese
   cities/ districts:
     * Alsergrund with Takarazuka, Hyogo. Since 1994.
     * Döbling with Setagaya, Tokyo. Since 1985.
     * Donaustadt with Arakawa, Tokyo. Since 1996.
     * Floridsdorf (with Katsushika, Tokyo. Since 1987
     * Hernals with Fuchu, Tokyo. Since 1992.
     * Hietzing with Habikino, Osaka. Since 1995.
     * Innere Stadt with Taito, Tokyo. Since 1989.
     * Meidling with Gifu, Gifu. Since 1992.

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