VIENNA
Area: Austria


Location:
NE corner of Austria. The city's international airport is 11 miles E at Schwechat.

Telephone code from UK:
43 1

Website:
http://www.info.wien.at

Position:
Located in N Austria, Vienna is encircled by the province of Lower Austria. The city is situated in a basin surrounded by the gentle hills on which the Vienna woods begin. In the S, W and NW the surrounding hills become part of the city, in the E and NE a flat plain extends beyond the city towards Hungary. The river Danube flows along the N side of Vienna.

Description:
Once capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (until 1918), Vienna is now the capital of the Republic of Austria, and one of Austria's nine provinces, a well preserved and maintained city. It is very much the political, economic, and cultural centre of Austria. The oldest and perhaps most beautiful buildings are to be found in the city centre which dates back to Roman times. As well as picturesque narrow streets and old buildings, the city contains many historic churches, the most famous of which are Stephansdom, the Gothic city cathedral, with its spectacular Austrian eagle tiled on the roof, and Karlskirche, a fine example of Austrian late Baroque architecture. The old Imperial Palace, the Hofburg, is also in the old centre, next door to the famous Spanish Riding School. The city centre is fairly compact and easily accessible to the pedestrian, with many squares and cafes in which to relax.

Suitability:
Vienna has something to offer all age groups, but an older person with an interest in culture, art and architecture, would probably appreciate it most.

Accommodation:
There is no shortage of tourist accommodation in Vienna, with 340 hotels and pensions, ranging from de luxe 5-star hotels to simple but pleasant pensions. Hotels are to be found in all parts of the city.

Shopping:
Vienna is a pleasant city to shop in, with all the main shops fairly close to one another. Small specialist shops and boutiques are typical; there are very few department stores. The main shopping streets are the Karntnerstrasse and the Graben in the centre, and the Mariahilferstrasse just outside the centre. Shops are closed on Saturday afternoons and on Sundays.

Entertainments:
As well as the world famous Vienna Opera House, the city boasts several renowned theatres, the famous Vienna Music Hall, and many art galleries and museums. Vienna does not have a particularly exciting nightlife but many bars and cafes do stay open until the early hours of the morning.

Eating:
There are plenty of restaurants of all types. Eating out is not necessarily expensive, and lunchtime menus are often particularly good value. Vienna is famous for its cafes, with their extensive selection of different types of coffee and cakes.

Public-transport:
Trams, buses and underground trains cover the city and its suburbs, although the city centre is small enough to walk around.

Local-excursions:
Budapest (long day); Salzburg (long day); Wachau and Danube Valley (full day); Puszta and Lake Neusiedl (full day); Vienna woods (half day) with Operetta; Vienna and its musicians (half day); City Tours (various) (half day).