Vienna is the capital and also one of the nine States of Austria. 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.
Today Vienna is very popular with tourists. Art and culture have a long tradition in Vienna, in the areas of theatre, opera, classical music and fine arts. There are buildings of all architectural styles, from the Romanesque Ruprechtskirche to the Baroque Karlskirche, and classicist buildings all the way through to modern architecture.

	Country:	Austria
	Location:	East
	Country Code:	+43
	Population:	1,631,082
	Language:	German
	Currency:	Euro (€)
	Time Zone:	GMT+1
	Train Station:	West Station, South Station, Vienna Central
	Tourism:	Vienna Tourism

By Car The Westautobahn (A1) connects Vienna to Linz, Salzburg and Western Europe. The Südautobahn (A2) leads to Graz, Klagenfurt and the Italian border. The Ostautobahn (A4) passes the airport on its way to Bratislava and Budapest. The A22 connects the city to Prague, in the north.

By Coach Eurolines Austria offers coach services throughout Europe, departing from the Wien Mitte bus station, Landrasser Haupstrasse (on the U-Bahn Landstrasse/Wien Mitte). Coach services within Austria are operated in partnership with Blaguss Internationale Buslinien. National services are also provided by Postbus and a number of private operators.

By Train Intercity trains within Austria follow the main eastbound route from Bregenz to Vienna (journey time – 8-9 hours) via Innsbruck, Salzburg and Linz, or travel north from Graz (journey time – 2 hours 30 minutes) or Klagenfurt (journey time – 4 hours 30 minutes), via Bruck an der Mur. There are departures to the major cities at least once every two hours. Domestic rail services pass through breathtaking Alpine scenery but unfortunately this is bypassed by the majority of international services.

By Air The national carrier is Austrian Airlines. Other Austrian airlines serving the airport include Lauda Air and Niki. There are over 70 international carriers including American Airlines, Air France, British Airways, British Midlands, CSA, Iberia, KLM, LOT and Lufthansa.

• Imperial Palace
• Lipizzaner Museum
• St Stephen’s Cathedral
• Schönbrunn Palace
• Oberes Belvedere

The Imperial Palace until 1918, the Hofburg is almost a city in itself. Today, it houses the office of the Austrian president, an international conference centre, a number of museums, the chapel where the Vienna Boys’ Choir sings and the hall in which the Lipizzan stallions perform. The Lipizzaner Museum Wien (situated at the stables) traces the history of these renowned performing horses and offers the opportunity to see into the animals’ quarters. The imposing St Stephen’s Cathedral marks Graben’s eastern end and is easily spotted, due to its brightly coloured roof tiles, from more distant viewpoints. Schönbrunn Palace is Vienna’s answer to Versailles and was used as the summer residence of the Habsburgs from the 18th century until 1918. Of the 1,411 rooms in the palace and its adjacent buildings, 40 state rooms are open to the public. The Oberes Belvedere (Upper Belvedere Palace), which was built in 1721–23, for Prince Eugene of Savoy, offers terrific views across the gardens to the Unteres Belvedere (Lower Belvedere) and the city beyond.