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Vienna
Vienna is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of
Austria. With a population of about 1.6 million (2.2 million within the
metro area), Vienna is the largest city in Austria as well as its
cultural economic and political center.
Vienna is one of Europe's finest cities and the long and rich history
give her a prominent place in Western Civilization and World Culture.
Situated both sides of the River Danube, and only 60 kilometers off
Austria's Eastern border, Vienna lies on the South East corner of
Central Europe and in close reach to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and
Hungary.
Vienna is seat to 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), and the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA).
History
Founded around 500 BC Vienna was originally a Celtic settlement:
"Uindobona" 'Fair Bottomland'.
In 15 BC, Vienna became a Roman frontier city ("Vindobona") guarding the
Roman Empire against German 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 center
for arts and science, music and fine cuisine. The Ottoman-Turkish
invasions of Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries were stopped twice
just outside Vienna. See the Siege of Vienna (1529) and the Battle of
Vienna (1683).
In 1804 Vienna became capital of the Austrian Empire - the later
Austro-Hungarian Empire, both played a major role in European and World
politics. (See Congress of Vienna, 1815)
In 1918 after World War I Vienna became capital of the First Austrian
Republic. After 1945 Vienna and neutral Austria was a hotbed for
international espionage between the Western and Eastern blocs (Cold
War). Since the end of the Cold War the city of Vienna is actively
rebuilding ties with its Eastern neighbors.
Music, theatre and opera
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 and the Theater in der Josefstadt also offer high-quality
theatre entertainment. Also, there is 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 Theater 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. With the opening of the Haus der Musik in 2000, Vienna
also has a "Museum of Sound" for all ages now.
Finally, many Roman Catholic churches in central Vienna feature
performances of religious or other music, including masses sung with
classical music and organ.
Museums
In the Hofburg, the Schatzkammer (treasury) holds the imperial jewels.
The Sisi Museum allows visitors to see the Imperial apartments as well
as the silver cabinet. Directly opposite the Hofburg is the
Kunsthistorisches Museum (opposite the Natural History Museum) that
houses multiple paintings by the old masters.
The group is completed by 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
Bezirke.
Architecture
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 Metropolitan Railway Station, and the Kirche am Steinhof by
Otto Wagner rank among the best known examples of Art Nouveau in the
world.
Nightlife
Vienna has a variety of nightlife options. Its low crime rate and
extensive public transportation network make going out at night safe and
convenient. Regular public transportation (subway, tram, and bus) runs
until approximately 12:30. After this, nighttime bus lines provide
service every half hour (fifteen minutes on some segments). Almost all
night lines circle the inner city before heading outbound. Most lines
are numerated the same as their corresponding daytime line. For example,
if you take the 60 tramline followed by the U4 subway into the city, you
can take the N60 bus directly from the city back out. At approximately 5
a.m. the daytime lines resume. Day and night lines now use the same
tickets.
Starting in the 1980s, the pedestrian zone between the St. Ruprecht's
Church (the oldest in Vienna) and the Bermuda Bräu microbrewery became
the now-popular "Bermuda Triangle". It is the one area of the inner city
district where relatively loud music and noise is tolerated. Many bars
and small clubs are located in this neighborhood, but drinks tend to be
more expensive than in the rest of the city.
The First District in general has an abundance of night life options for
any budget. There are many Irish pubs with pint prices starting at €2.
On the other side of the price-spectrum are bars such as Sky Bar and Do
& Co., which are frequented by the Austrian elite. Opening hours vary
essentially by neighborhood noise ordinance agreements. In the summer,
bars' outdoor seating often has to be vacated by 11 p.m. Generally there
is an abundance of establishments open until 4 a.m. or later, especially
on the weekend.
Larger nightclubs are generally located further out. Popular ones
include U4 Disco (which has closed in 2005), located on the U4 subway
line, two medium sized clubs in the wine-producing neighborhood of
Grinzing, and an ever-increasing amount of large clubs on the eastern
side of the Danube, often located in shopping malls and cinema
complexes. One popular club located near the center of the city is Flex,
which was built into an abandoned subway tunnel on the shores of the
Donaukanal, and, like U4 is also located on the U4 subway line. Flex
often features world-acclaimed dance music DJs.
In the summer, the eastern shore of the Danube is very popular. It is
called Copa Cagrana, which is a word-play of Copacabana and Kagran,
which is a sub-district nearby.
Starting in the late 1980s, the city undertook much effort to revitalize
the area around the Westgürtel (Western Beltway), which had become a
red-light district. Today, large portions of the Westgürtel have been
modernized, with many restaurants, bars, and mini-clubs now located
under the elevated tracks of the U6 subway line.
Recently the Freihausviertel, right outside the First District by
Karlsplatz has also gained some popularity for its restaurants. It
includes the Naschmarkt, the major market in Vienna.
Wikipedia.org
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