Life in Vienna

The world's #1 place to live

Vienna is the capital of Austria and the economic, cultural, and educational centre of the country. Vienna combines the amenities of a big city with close proximity to the beautiful landscape of the Wienerwald (Vienna Forests) and the Danube River. The city’s affordable and convenient public transport services, outdoor restaurants and markets together with a large international community make it a great place to live.

Sport

Physical activities

Ever experienced the feeling of going through the roof? Why not trying the roof of a flak tower to calm yourself down. Six of these defensive buildings from World War II still remain in the city centre, but you can vanquish one of them through a climbing wall during summer and spring.

Haus des Meeres, Kletterwand

Haus des Meeres Sportkletterwand

Vienna City Marathon 2015, Reichsbrücke

You might want to jump off each third Friday of the month though, when the critical masses reclaim the streets. If you don't happen to have a bike yet, simply borrow one or check out the occasional workshop for racing and vintage bikes!

Donauinsel

Outdoor Activities

Nature & recreation

Vienna offers many recreational opportunities. You will notice the number of traditional parks, green areas and hiking trails – but you might be surprised to see benches and plants in a parking space in the middle of a road. One might even detect flowers growing out of ashtrays in the subway! Vienna's proximity to nature make it a very livable city.

Music

Opera, classical music, and music festivals

Thinking of Vienna and music, what comes to your mind? - The Strauss Family and waltz? Falco? The opera? If you walk from the classical Ringstraßen building towards the Karlsplatz in the beginning of May, you will probably happen to be part of an annual public pop festival and find out about contemporary musicians from Austria.

Popfest in front of Karslkirche

O-Töne at MuseumsQuartier

Also, the city hosts one of Europe's most important audio-visual festivals, celebrating the alliance of image and sound, combining cutting-edge techniques, theory, art and eclectic music throughout

Donauinselfest

Fashion & Shopping

Mariahilfer Straße and around

Do you know the feeling of strolling through a metropole, but people seem to look like everywhere else, because the clothes they are wearing are exactly the same you can buy in any other capital? If you walk off the beaten catwalk in Vienna, you will come across unique pop-up stores, you will meet passionate people who collect the past to make it your future wardrobe. Also, the Viennese are eager to provide the city's apparel with a distinctive cloth label these days, you can find out about it at the annual fashion fair.

Have you ever bought a record and fresh organic cheese at the same time? You want to cook dinner with an asian appetizer, african main and indian dessert? You are craving a can of Mountain Dew to get an extra kick for working on your projects? Actually, you will be surprised how fun it is to do groceries in Vienna. Even when you are shopping with the masses on Neubaugasse – struggling with your companions for the best deal on cool stuff.

Mariahilferstraße, Shopping Street

Culture & Art

Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Otto Wagner...

Vienna is truly a place to spend hours and days with art and culture, there are big names and institutions waiting for you to come and visit. But make sure you are aware of the small names and offspaces, too: If you wander through the MuseumsQuarter, you will find a series of freely accessible outdoor exhibition spaces in the shadow of the other museums. Seeing the city's beautiful architecture from a specific perspective is made possible by touring with other locals each Sunday. And if you weren't lucky catching a seat for the famous Burgtheater, then simply try one of the small contemporary performance stages!

StadtLesen at MuseumsQuartier

»Ringelspiel« in front of Burgtheater

Nightview from DC Tower

Entertainment

Nightlife

At some point during nighttime, you will probably see the famous and significant shape of Vienna's Ferris wheel on the horizon. You will look at it and think of all the children who usually go there during the day. You spontaneously decide to take the next night tram to Praterstern, and catch a ride on the Ferris wheel to watch the city from above. When you enter one of the red gondolas, you will see one of your favourite local Djs playing, and by the end of a night dancing, you will have made a good bunch of new friends – with whom you will most likely spend the following day blowing soap bubbles in a park and drinking mimosas in the sunshine. This is just one of the options for you to “go out and about” in Vienna!