Vienna is the capital of Austria and one of the country’s nine provinces. The city has an area of 415km2 and a population of about 1.7 million. The Vienna Region, which is one of Europe’s wealthiest regions and by far the strongest economic region in Central Europe, has a population of about 2.4 million. Vienna’s location in the heart of Europe and the combination of excellent transport links make the city the natural hub of Central Europe.

The high share of skilled and socially well-integrated migrants from Central and Eastern Europe as well as the fact that Vienna is one of the four United Nations Headquarters (in addition to Geneva, New York and Nairobi) considerably contribute to Vienna’s international orientation: Vienna ranks among the cities with the highest quality of living worldwide (see recent Mercer Study 2012).

The cityscape is dominated by rich historic architecture from the Middle Ages until today. The historic center of Vienna has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Vienna is also a very green city with many parks and gardens that make up nearly 50% of the city’s total area. 5% of the area is covered by water. The city is situated between the Vienna Woods in the north west at 542m above sea level to the Danube Floodplain National Park in the east at 151m above sea level. The Danube Island, which is 21.1km long, separates the River Danube from the new Danube.

Vienna has 23 districts. The official language is German but English is mainly used for business contacts with international companies. Many Viennese also speak at least one Central or Eastern European language. The highest temperatures in the summer months are around 30 degrees centigrade, the lowest temperatures in winter are usually around minus 6 degrees centigrade.

UNO City Heustadlwasser ©WTV Popp&Hackner

Belvedere ©WTV Popp&Hackner

Kaisermühlen ©WTV Popelka&Popelka