{"id":335,"date":"2019-07-01T12:40:22","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T10:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.iacss.org\/~sportinformatik\/?page_id=335"},"modified":"2022-01-05T09:42:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T08:42:44","slug":"the-city-of-vienna","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wcpas2022.univie.ac.at\/about-the-congress-mh\/the-city-of-vienna\/","title":{"rendered":"The City of Vienna"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vienna \u2013 Something Old & Something New<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With its successful blend of imperial tradition and\ncontemporary creativity, the Austrian capital has established itself as a major\nplayer in the global tourism market. With 16.5 million overnight stays in 2018,\nbeating the previous record set in 2017 by 6.3 percent, the Viennese tourist\nindustry posted the best performance in its history. In 2018 the International\nCongress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranked Vienna in second place.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9 WienTourismus \/ Christian Stemper  
Legend:  Above the roofs of Vienna <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Vienna is not only the capital of Austria,\nbut also one of its nine federal states. St. Stephen\u2019s Cathedral, considered\nthe center of the city by its inhabitants, is located 16\u00ba 22\u2019 27\u2019\u2019 east of\nGreenwich at 48\u00ba 12\u2019 32\u2019\u2019 northern latitude, and 171 meters above sea level.\nThe city covers 415 square kilometers and is divided into 23 districts. With\nwoods, grassland, parks and gardens accounting for around half its area, Vienna\nis the city in Europe with the highest ratio of green space. \u201cUrban green\u201d such\nas Stadtpark (with one of the most frequently photographed sights in the city,\nthe golden Johann Strauss monument) is joined by the woods and grassland of\nPrater, the extensive Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace Gardens, sections of the Vienna Woods,\nvineyards, farmland and the wetlands of the legendary Danube River. During the\nsummer temperatures rarely rise above 30\u00ba C, and in winter they hardly ever\nfall below -5\u00ba C. Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace and its park were added to the UNESCO World\nCultural Heritage list in 1996, followed by the historic city center in 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Roman Camp to Capital of the Republic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a9 WienTourismus \/ Christian Stemper, Legend: Belvedere<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Vienna\u2019s history goes even farther back\nbut it made its first major breakthrough at around 15 B.C., when the Romans\nfounded the military camp Vindobona. The city of Vienna is mentioned in\ndocuments dating back to 1137. Around 1155 the Dukes of Babenberg chose it as\ntheir residence, and from 1278 it was where the Habsburgs reigned more than six\ncenturies. Today\u2019s cityscape is dominated by the Baroque and the reign of\nEmpress Maria Theresa. However, Emperor Franz Joseph I also made his mark on\nthe city when he leveled the city walls in 1857 and oversaw the completion of\nthe splendid Ring Boulevard. He died during World War I after reigning for 68\nyears. In 1918 Vienna became the capital of the Republic of Austria. Following\nthe annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938, Vienna was designated a\n\u201cReichsgau\u201d (an administrative district of the Third Reich). In 1945, it was\nagain proclaimed capital of the Republic of Austria. The city became one of\nfour United Nations headquarters alongside New York, Geneva and Nairobi, in\n1979 the UN complex at opened on the banks of the New Danube, and in 1995\nVienna joined the ranks of European Union capitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imperial Romance and World-Class Art<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vienna owes its universal appeal to the\nway it excitingly combines imperial nostalgia with a highly creative cultural\nscene, responsibly cultivating a precious heritage and charming traditions\nwhilst taking on board the latest trends. Architecture dating from imperial\ntimes has left an indelible mark on the city. Magnificent edifices,\npredominantly in baroque, historicism (\u201cRingstrasse\u201d) and art nouveau styles,\nand the city\u2019s grand scale cause you to forget that this is the capital of the\nsmall Republic of Austria with around 8.8 million inhabitants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9 WienTourismus \/ Paul Bauer, Legend: Upper Belvedere<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Yet it is not only the city\u2019s imperial\narchitecture that renders it a city of beauty. Vienna also boasts\nworld-renowned museums, art collections and works of art. The Kunsthistorisches\nMuseum Wien (Museum of Fine Arts) houses the world\u2019s largest collection of\npaintings by Bruegel, as well as the Kunstkammer, a unique collection of\nartifacts and oddities. Meanwhile numerous works by Gustav Klimt and Egon\nSchiele are exhibited at the Belvedere and the Leopold Museum in the\nMuseumsQuartier. This centrally located, world-class cultural complex is an\narchitecturally fascinating combination of baroque (the former Imperial\nStables) and future-oriented design by architects Ortner&Ortner. With\n60,000 square meters of usable floor space on eight different levels, it is one\nof the largest cultural complexes in the world, offering a unique mix of uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key attractions include: the Leopold\nMuseum (mentioned above) with the world\u2019s largest collection of Schieles and\nworks by renowned modern Austrian artists such as Klimt, Kokoschka and Gerstl;\nthe mumok \u2013 museum moderner kunst stiftung ludwig wien, Architekturzentrum\nWien, and Kunsthalle Wien. Two festival halls are used for high-profile events\nsuch as the Vienna Festival, the ImPulsTanz dance festival and even for pop\nconcerts. A children\u2019s museum, a children\u2019s theater, an information center for\nyoungsters, and a number of attractive restaurants, caf\u00e9s and shops complement\nthe rich array of cultural offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9 WienTourismus \/ Paul Bauer Legend: Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum): Kunstkammer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Close to the State Opera House, the\nAlbertina houses one of the world\u2019s largest and most important collections of\ngraphic art, spanning 50,000 drawings and watercolors, and around 900,000 prints.\nThe Belvedere palaces and formal gardens make up one of Europe\u2019s most attractive\nBaroque ensembles. The Upper Belvedere is home to one of the nation\u2019s most\nvaluable art collections, which features key works by Gustav Klimt, Egon\nSchiele and Oscar Kokoschka. Among the absolute highlights is the world\u2019s\nlargest collection of oil paintings by Gustav Klimt including his best-known\ncomposition, The Kiss. By contrast, the Lower Belvedere and the Orangery host a\nconstantly changing line-up of seasonal exhibitions. A short distance from the\nUpper Belvedere is Belvedere 21, the former Austrian pavilion from the 1958\nWorld Exhibition, which was given a new lease on life as Vienna\u2019s modern art\nmuseum from 1962 to 2001 under the name \u201c20er Haus\u201d. Today, this adapted\narchitectural gem presents Austrian art from 1945 to the present day in its international\ncontext. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 24, 2004 \u2013 150 years after the\nmarriage of Empress Elisabeth (1837\u20131898) and Emperor Franz Joseph I\n(1830-1916) \u2013 the Sisi Museum opened at Hofburg palace. The exhibits on show\ninclude a number of Elisabeth\u2019s personal belongings including a replica of the\ndress she wore on the eve of her wedding, her morning coat, and the monarch\u2019s\nparasol, fans and gloves. A walk-in reconstruction of the luxury state railway\ncarriage used by the travel-mad empress can also be viewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

City of Music \u2013 Traditional & Modern<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vienna has traditionally accorded the arts\ngreat respect, and over the centuries has never ceased to foster creativity and\nattract people from all over the world. Vienna boasts 50 theaters, including\nfour opera houses and several stage musical theaters, more than 100 museums,\nnumerous galleries, and renowned drama, music and dance festivals. All this\nensures an extraordinarily rich cultural program throughout the year, making\nthe city one of Europe\u2019s leading cultural centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9WienTourismus \/ Paul Bauer, Legend:  Kunsthistorisches Museum: Collection of Historic Musical <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Vienna, as a city of music, enjoys a\nparamount reputation around the world. No other city has been home to so many\ncomposers of international renown. Some, such as Schubert, Strauss, Schoenberg\nand Berg were born there, others, such as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms and\nMahler chose to live there. It boasts one of the world\u2019s finest orchestras \u2013\nthe Vienna Philharmonic \u2013 as well as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and several\nother orchestras and ensembles of note. The Vienna State Opera is one of the\nworld\u2019s leading opera houses, and is joined by three more in the city (Theater\nan der Wien, Volksoper, Kammeroper).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Vienna Boys\u2019 Choir enchants music\nlovers the world over. The choir\u2019s new state-of-the-art concert hall, MuTh, is\nlocated next to the boys\u2019 school and residences in the Augarten park, opened in\n2012. In addition to classical music, Vienna has also made its mark as a city\nof musicals, and recent successes in electronic music show that the avant-garde\nis also taken seriously in Vienna. A very special way to enjoy music is\npresented at the House of Music \u2013 a unique high-tech voyage of discovery into\nthe phenomenon of music \u2013 where sounds become visible, organ pipes may be\nwalked on and visitors can become virtual conductors and composers, all on an area\nof 2,000 square meters. A further attraction is the Mozarthaus Vienna, located in\nhis former residence at Domgasse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lifestyle: Imperial Nostalgia &\nContemporary Trends<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The juxtaposition of what is traditional \u2013\ncoffeehouses and wine taverns with typical Viennese congeniality \u2013 and what is\nmodern \u2013 events such as the Life Ball and the Festival of Electronic Music \u2013\nconveys a lifestyle that appeals to the modern tourist. A choice between\nrelaxation and serenity, or action and stimulation that can be made depending\non your mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9WienTourismus \/ Paul Bauer Legend: Wiener Schnitzel<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Naschmarkt, Vienna\u2019s multinational\nfruit and vegetable market which also features a flea market every Saturday,\nhas witnessed the emergence of an extraordinarily diverse gastronomic scene in\nits vicinity over the past years. Mariahilfer Strasse, a street linking the\nhistoric center with Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace, has been transformed into the city\u2019s\nlargest shopping street since the completion of the U3 underground line. The\nmajority of it is a popular pedestrianized zone. During the summer, Viennese\nand tourists alike make a beeline for the Prater park with the famous Giant\nFerris Wheel, as well as the banks of the Danube, particularly in June for the\nDanube Island Festival, which is Europe\u2019s largest free open-air party. Beach\natmosphere can also be soaked up at the numerous riverside bathing areas along\nthe Danube Canal where summer sun is accompanied by cool drinks. And the wine\ntavern districts on the gentle hillsides of the Vienna Woods extend an\ninvitation to seriously \u201cstudy\u201d Vienna and its wines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Service: from Vienna City Cards to Tourist\nInfo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Vienna Tourist Board offers a wide range\nof services for visitors to the capital. City maps and brochures are available\nfree of charge by calling +43-1-24 555 or sending an email to info@vienna.info<\/em>.  The website www.vienna.info\/en <\/em>features\nan extensive database of events and a host of useful tips for visitors in 13\nlanguages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Vienna City Card (VCC) is the perfect\ncompanion for getting around the city. Valid for various durations, it offers\nunlimited travel on the Wiener Linien public transportation network (24, 48 or\n72 hours for \u20ac17, \u20ac25 or \u20ac29). The VCC also offers numerous ways to see the\ncity\u2019s sights and make the most of all the card\u2019s discounts and special\nconditions:  out sightseeing, at a museum\nor gallery, at concerts and events, on a guided city walk, when buying\nsouvenirs or at restaurants \u2013 all available for the duration of the stay (max.\n7 days). Discounts at more than 210 attractions in the city deliver savings of\nup to 50 percent. One child aged 14 or under travels for free per VCC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Optional add-ons make the VCC even more\nversatile. Vienna City Card TRANSFER (+ \u20ac17) holders can choose which of the\noptions they want to use to travel from Vienna International Airport into the\ncity and back: City Airport Train (CAT), \u00d6BB Railjet, S7 Schnellbahn rail\nservice or Vienna Airport Lines bus. The airport transfer is redeemable for two\nseparate journeys in a 7-day period and includes use of the City Check-In at\nWien Mitte station. It also includes free airport transfers for two children\naged 14 or under.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Vienna City Card TOUR (+ \u20ac26) includes a\nhop-on hop-off tour with Big Bus Vienna (red and blue routes). This add-on can\nbe used once in a 7-day period and includes a guided city walk. It also\nincludes free transfers for one child aged 15 or under. The Vienna City Card\nTRANSFER+TOUR (+ \u20ac43) combines the airport transfer and hop-on hop-off tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Vienna City Card is available from\nhotels, Tourist Info Vienna on Albertinaplatz (open daily 9am-7pm), Tourist\nInfo at Hauptbahnhof (7am-7pm daily), Tourist Info at Vienna International\nAirport (7am-10pm), Wiener Linien Info and Ticket Offices (e.g. Stephansplatz,\nKarlsplatz, Westbahnhof, Landstrasse\/Wien Mitte), and online\n(www.viennacitycard.at).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The capital\u2019s main Tourist Info \u2013 which\nwelcomes more than 450,000 visitors each year \u2013 is located just behind the\nVienna State Opera on Albertinaplatz (corner of Maysedergasse, 1010 Vienna).\nVisitors to the capital can make the most of the expert advice on offer from\nthe Vienna Tourist Board employees on site. Tourist Info Vienna, open daily\nfrom 9am to 7pm, offers room reservations, free brochures, the Vienna City\nCard, free WiFi and a host of information on sightseeing, events and day trips.\nAn info desk and ticket counter are fitted with an inductive system for the\nhard of hearing. Wheelchair users can access a roll-under service point, which\nis equipped with a tablet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jirsa theater ticket box office offers\nlast-minute tickets at the Tourist Info on Albertinaplatz between 2pm and 5pm\nfor performances the same night. Discounted tickets must be paid for in cash.\nThe handling fee is EUR 3.50 per ticket. It is not possible to book last-minute\ntickets by telephone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional tourist information offices can\nbe found at Vienna Main station (Hauptbahnhof, 9am-7pm daily) and Vienna\nInternational Airport (7am-10pm daily).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.vienna.info<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The rights to the use of this text are owned by WienTourismus (Vienna Tourist Board). The text may be reproduced in its entirety, partially and in edited form free of charge until further notice. Please forward sample copy to: Vienna Tourist Board, Media Management, Invalidenstrasse 6, 1030 Wien; press@vienna.info. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy of the information contained in the text.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last updated: May 2019<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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