ienna (German: Wien [vi?n]) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austria’s nine federal states (Bundesland Wien). Situated on both sides of the river Danube, Vienna is 40 kilometres from the Slovakian border, and 50 kilometres from the Slovakian capital, Bratislava. Vienna is surrounded by the Austrian federal state of Lower Austria. With a population of about 1.6 million, Vienna is the largest city and the cultural and political centre of Austria.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as other United Nations Offices and many international institutions and companies, are located in Vienna.
History
Main article: History of Vienna
Vienna was originally a Celtic city founded around 500 BC. In 15 BC, it became a frontier city (“Vindobona”) guarding the Roman Empire against the German tribes to the north. In the Middle Ages, it became the home of the Babenberg and, later, the Habsburg dynasties and through the latter the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Ottoman Turkish invasions of Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries were stopped two times in total at Vienna. See the Battle of Vienna (1683). In 1815, Vienna was the site of the Congress of Vienna which redrew national boundaries in Europe after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Waterloo.
During the Cold War, Vienna was a hotbed of international espionage owning to its location in neutral Austria, between the Western and Eastern blocs.
Other famous Viennese features include the Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School, the Vienna Boys’ Choir (Wiener Sngerknaben), Wiener Schnitzel, Sachertorte, and various pastries. Viennese cafes claim to have invented the process of filtering coffee from the captured baggage after the second Turkish siege of 1683.
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Related Travel Information
Austria Overview
The opening words of Austria’s national anthem are “Land of Mountains…” and that’s exactly what country is. According to one traveller, John Gunther, said “The chief crop of provincial Austria is the scenery.” And that’s stand true now. Austria is Europe’s highest earner for the tourist industry. The year-round tourist industry accounts for the largest slice of national economy.
The Austria, once the undisputed cultural centre of Europe, still bears the signs of its glory days: majestic architecture, a haven of Western musical tradition (from waltzes, to classical music, to operatic creations), and museums dedicated to its artistic heritage.
Baden bei Wien, a city in Lower Austria, 26 kilometres South of Vienna. Population (2002) 31,000.
It is beautifully situated at the mouth of the romantic Helenental, on the banks of the Schwechat, and used to be the principal summer resort of the wealthy inhabitants of the neighbouring capital. It possesses a Kurhaus, fifteen bathing-establishments, a parish church in late Gothic style, and a town-hall, which contains interesting archives. The warm baths, which gave name to the town, are thirteen in number, with a temperature of from 22° C (72° F). to 36° C (97° F), and contain, as chief ingredient,
Klosterneuburg is a city in Lower Austria with a population of 24,442.
It is located on the Danube, immediately north of Vienna, from which it is separated by the Kahlenberg and the Leopoldsberg. It has been separated by its twin city of Korneuburg on the other side of the Danube since the river changed its course during the middle ages.
Klosterneuburg was founded by Margrave Leopold III and developed in conjunction with its famous monastery. Leopold III and later Leopold VI (the latter only during part of his reign) had their residences there. From 1938 to 1954, it constituted the 26th district
B?eclav (German Lundenburg) is a town in the Czech Republic, southeast of Brno. It is located at the border to Lower Austria on the Thaya River. The next larger town on Austrian territory is Hohenau an der March.
History
Up to World War II B?eclav had a substantial German-speaking population. In 1880, it had 5681 inhabitants.
Traffic
B?eclav is an important hub in the railroad network. It is located at the intersection of the routes to and from Brno - Prague, Ostrava - Kraków/Katowice (Poland), Kúty - Bratislava (Slovakia) and Hohenau - Vienna (Austria).
Bad Ischl is a town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of the state of Upper Austria, in the area known as the Salzkammergut. The town has a population of 14,133 (2001) and an area of 162.85 km˛.
During the Austro-Hungarian Empire the town was the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph.
