The low-lying Danube plain in and around what is now Vienna has had a human population since at least the late Paleolithic (see Prehistoric Europe); one of the city's most famous artifacts, the 24,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf, now in Vienna's Natural History Museum, was found nearby. Vienna's own recorded history began with the Romans, who founded it in the 1st century CE as Vindobona, one of a line of Roman defensive outposts against Germanic tribes. Vindobona's central garrison was on the site of what is now the Hoher Markt (the "High Market" so-called because of its relative height over the Danube), and you can still see astounding excavations of its foundations there today.

Given its prestige, Vienna hosted the Habsburg court for several centuries, first as the Imperial seat of the Holy Roman Empire, then the capital of the Austrian Empire, and later of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which finally fell in 1918 with the abdication of the last Emperor Karl I. The court tremendously influenced the culture that exists here even today: Vienna's residents are often overly formal, with small doses of courtliness, polite forms of address, and formal dress attire. One distinguishable paradox of the quirky city is that its residents can be equally modern and progressive as they are extremely old-fashioned.

The empires also served to make Vienna a very metropolitan city at an early time, and especially so through the years of industrialization and fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the turn of the 20th century. Imperial Austria and Austro-Hungary were multilingual, multi-ethnic empires and although the German speakers normally played the dominant role in Vienna there has long been ethnic and linguistic diversity in the city. Proof of Jews in the city dates back to 10th century. After World War II many of the city's minorities had been exiled or killed and much of the city lay in ruin. When Austria was given sovereignty after the post World War II occupation, it was eventually established that Austria would be neutral and not join the Eastern Bloc. So the city became more isolated from its previous ties to its Slavic and Hungarian neighbors; the east of Austria was surrounded by the Iron Curtain. Vienna had gone from being the well-established metropolitan city of Central Europe to the capital of a small, predominately German-speaking nation of states with strong regional identities. But when the Iron Curtain came down in the early 1990s an influx of immigrants and Yugoslav refugees came to Vienna. In 1995 Austria joined the EU and her neighbors to the east joined in 2004. In addition, Vienna became a business hub between Eastern and Western Europe due to its imperial past and location, with many multinational companies having offices and facilities in the city and many Austrian companies investing in Eastern Europe. These series of events helped the city rise from the ashes. Vienna once more sits at the heart rather than at the edge of Central Europe, with connections that had been severed for decades slowly but surely being re-established.

Since the formation of the first Austrian Republic and the first mayoral election 1919, the Social Democratic Party of Austria has had the majority of representatives on the common council and controlled the mayoral seat. During the early years, the socialist Red Vienna ("Rote Wien") revolutionized the city, improving the extreme conditions that the industrial revolution and rapid urbanization had created. Most famously the city built many housing projects (housing estates or "Gemeindebauten"), and they also began to offer many social services and made improvements across the board in quality of life. The public housing that was built at that time is now famous for its distinctive style. To this day the city continues to build public housing and about a third of the city's residents live in it, some 600,000 people! Through this high percentage, the quality, and the integration of public housing across the city have kept it from becoming as stigmatized as in most cities. The Viennese are used to having the city government in their lives, and of course have a love-hate relationship with it. Vienna functions on its own as a federal state in the Austrian system (along with 8 other states) and the sense of local pride and home is more of being Viennese than being Austrian, many say.

Vienna was the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest, Europe's largest live televised event, in May 2015.

Traditional Vienna is but one of the many façades of this city; the historic center, a UNESCO world heritage site, is sometimes begrudgingly compared to an open-air museum. But Vienna is also a dynamic young city, famous for its (electronic) music scene with independent labels, cult-status underground record stores, a vibrant Monday through Sunday club scene, multitudes of street performers, and a government that seems overly obsessed with complicated paperwork. However, people are willing to go out of their way or bend the rules a little if they feel they can do someone a favor.

The Viennese have a singular fascination with death, hence the popularity of the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery), where there are more graves than living residents in Vienna, as a strolling location and of Schrammelmusik - highly sentimental music with lyrics pertaining to death. Old-fashioned Sterbevereine (funeral insurance societies-literally translated "death clubs") provide members with the opportunity to save up for a nice funeral throughout the course of their lives. This service does not exist solely to save their children the hassle and expense - it is considered absolutely mandatory to provide for an adequate burial. Vienna even has the "Bestattungsmuseum", a museum devoted to coffins and mortuary science. The country’s morbid obsession may be correlated with its higher suicide rate when compared with the rest of Europe. Here too, the socialist Vienna has its hand, the city also offers a socialized undertaking service, with hearses branded in the same department of public works logo as the subway cars, and a link to the transit-planner on their website.

Vienna is also famous for its coffee culture. "Let's have a coffee" is a very commonly heard phrase, because despite incursions by Starbucks and Italian-style espresso bars, the Kaffeehauskultur is still the traditional way to drink a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, meet friends, or fall in love.

Vienna is also known for relatively elaborate LGBT+ culture ranging from alternative/contemporary queer-feminist programs to casual and mainstreamed gay pop culture of clubs and bars. City is working strong to present itself friendly and attractive internationally, so in 2019 it hosted one of the biggest EuroPrides and in 2024 a big EuroGames - annual LGBT+ multi-sport championship.

Addresses in the Vienna articles are written with the street name following the district name. Badgasse 26, Alsergrund is Badgasse #26 in the 9th district. One can always tell what district you are in by the first number on street signs. Districts can also be made into a postal code by substituting the XX in 1XX0 Vienna (0X for districts below 10), for instance 1090 Vienna for the 9th district and 1200 the 20th, and are sometimes referred to as such.

Common points of reference are often used in Vienna in addition to districts, most notably public transportation stops. Reference to U1/U4 Schwedenplatz or Schwedenplatz (U1, U4) means that something is near to the Schwedenplatz stop on the underground lines U1 and U4. Normally if the place is not directly at the subway stop you can ask around and find it easily.

The Vienna Tourist Board operates information and booking booths at the airport Arrival Hall, 07:00-23:00 and the 48.20449316.3693211 Tourist-Info in the centre at 1., Albertinaplatz/Maysedergasse (09:00-19:00). Information and free maps are also available from the ÖBB InfoPoints and offices at train stations.

The city has a very centralized layout radiating from the historic first district with the Stephansdom and Stephansplatz at the centre of a bullseye. It is encircled by the Ringstraße (Ring Road), a grand boulevard. Districts 2-9 are considered the core districts and are gathered within the Gürtel (Belt Road), which encircles the core districts as an outer ring concentric to the Ring around the first district, with the notable exception of Leopoldstadt (2). The outer 14 districts are largely less urban but are equally as diverse.

Spring starts sometime in late March, normally it is very brief and summer-like weather sets in before the trees have had time to grow back their leaves.

Summer in Vienna is usually warm. Weather in June is moderate and sunny with a light summer windy breeze. In July and August, there are some hot and humid days where it reaches 35°C (95°F), but overall, summer in Vienna is pleasant.

Autumn starts around September, although an "Indian Summer" with warm and sunny days often occurs that month and it gets colder as it approaches November. A main disadvantage of the Viennese climate is that it is rather windy and usually overcast during these months.

Winter in Vienna can be just above 0°C (32°F) and drizzling for days on end, or just below with dustings of snow that manage to melt again quickly. There is the occasional cold snap where it will stay below freezing for a week or two at a time. Due to Vienna's relative easterly position in the Central European Time Zone its daylight hours (if it's not too gray outside entirely) are relatively early during the winter.

The vast majority of shops, restaurants, and cafes are closed on Sunday. The main exceptions are shops and restaurants located in train stations, flea markets, a few small family-run outfits, and tourist oriented souvenir shops. Many museums and other attractions are also closed, and the public transportation system runs less frequently and keeps different hours. If you plan to visit anything on Sunday, be sure to check if it will be open. Besides visiting museums and churches, a stroll through the Prater or a hike in the Wienerwald are good Sunday activities.

The station names of all stops in Vienna start with its German name "Wien". This is internationally recognized and helpful for buying tickets. The railways are managed by the Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB. Read more about train travel within Austria and reaching Austria by train.

The city's main railway stations include:

• 48.18516.3777783 Wien Hauptbahnhof (Wien Hbf). The city's main train station, where most international and long-distance domestic services call. Like Paris or London, Vienna had inherited several rail terminals from the 19th century unlike the former and similar to Berlin the situation was addressed in the 21st century with most trains now serving Hauptbahnhof which is as impressive as you'd think if a newer building. All ÖBB long-distance services have been moved to this station.
  
  The ÖBB lounge, on the second level, is worth the time to visit. Coffee and snacks are available, in a quiet atmosphere. (updated Jun 2019)
• 48.17516.3352784 Wien Meidling. Where all services stop arriving from the west and the south towards the Hauptbahnhof. If your final destination is in the west or northwest of the city, you can save significant time if you alight in Meidling instead of Hauptbahnhof and continue with the Metro U6.  
• 48.19666716.3377785 Wien Westbahnhof. The services from Salzburg run by the private company WestBahn terminate here. Apart from it, only regional trains serve the Westbahnhof. Westbahn also serves a few other otherwise regional stations such as Wien Mitte and Wien Praterstern.  

All of those stations are also served by the Wiener S-Bahn and are connected to U-Bahn stations.

It is best to check the schedules online. The ÖBB connection search allows to specify the exact train, subway or tram stop you are going to/departing from. Ticket offices are normally open during all departure hours at Wien Hauptbahnhof, Wien Meidling and Wien West (around 05:00-23:00). The automatic ticket machines have English input and allow cash or card payment (Visa, Maestro, etc.)

There are very frequent trains for all neighboring regions and countries. Night trains and quicker Euro-City trains arrive from virtually every city in Central Europe. High-speed ICE and RailJet trains arrive from places like Munich, Budapest and Zurich. There are frequent (at least hourly) regional trains to Czech, Slovak and Hungarian border regions. The special fare is named Sparschiene and must be booked quite in advance. It is available for high-speed trains.

When buying tickets, consider two domestic tickets instead of one international one, as it is often cheaper. Tickets can normally still be purchased to the border and from there to your destination in another country. In combination, they will have you covered for the entire international route without the need to change trains. Sometimes you can buy both tickets before departure, otherwise see with the ticket agents if the conductor will be able to issue you with a domestic ticket once you cross the border to Austria.

Only one in two Viennese households has a car and fewer than 1/3 of the trips taken within the city are by car. However, since parking space is scarce in the inner districts and parking fees apply to all inner and include many outer districts too, it is usually a good idea for visitors to leave their car parked somewhere in the periphery and use the city's excellent subway & tram system to get to the center. The Park and Ride is available at some subway stations in the city periphery for €3 per day. The weekly rates come with a discount if you add a subway/tram ticket.

For using the Austrian highway system, you will need a toll sticker ("Autobahnvignette"), which you can buy at gas stations and rest stops. There are stickers for 10 days, 2 months and 1 year. In Vienna, avoid the A23 Südosttangente at rush hour. Traffic jams are almost guaranteed there and throughout the city streets at rush hour.

Parking anywhere within districts 1-10, 12, 14-17, 20, and in specially marked areas is restricted to 120 minutes (M-F, from 09:00 and 22:00) (12:00, 14:00-17:00, 09:00-19:00) and subject to a fee of €2.10 per hour unless you have a resident permit. The municipality provides detailed information on parking on their website in English. If you're unsure whether fees apply to the place you're in there's a free Android app that can help you. Payment is made by marking the time of arrival on a ticket ("Parkschein"), which can be bought at tobacco shops. If you have an Austrian cell number, you can pay by text or using a smartphone app. Commercial car parks ("Parkhaus", "Parkgarage") are available throughout the city, but these can be very expensive (for instance, €32 per day in the Parkgarage Freyung).

Parking-tickets are not available at machines. You can buy parking-tickets at following places:

• Trafik (tobacco-stores)
• Ticket-machines and ticket-shops in the metro-stations
• Post offices
• Gas-stations
• Car-mobile clubs (ÖAMTC and ARBÖ)

There is a slew of international bus services coming into Vienna daily. It is safe to assume that discounts are available (about 10% from Eurolines affiliates, about 15% on independent carriers) for those under 26 and over 60 on walk-up fares but not on discounted advanced purchase ("promo") tickets.

Eurolines Austria, is the largest operator. Euroline's own vehicles have assured quality, but this is not the case of all of their international partners. Confusingly Eurolines Austria is doesn't always cooperate with an inbound Eurolines affiliate from another country, for instance there are two competing Eurolines services (Slovak and Austria) to Bratislava departing from separate stops. Always check the webpages of both the arrival and departure countries' Eurolines affiliated operator for the best price as well as checking for non-affiliated carriers.

There are two main bus stations in Vienna, and other locations where national and international services deposit passengers.

• Vienna International Busterminal (VIB)^{[dead link]} located adjacent to the subway stop Erdberg (U3) is overseen by the local Eurolines affiliate Blaguss, who publish timetables^{[dead link]}.
• Waldmanngründe on the southwest corner of Südtiroler Platz(U1, S-Bahn) is a stop with an office only for services to Bratislava, other operators have offices in the nearby streets or just operate curbside services.
• Praterstern on the (U1, U2 and S-Bahn) has two main bus stops, one in Lasallestraße for Tourbus services from the Czech Republic and one in Nordbahnstraße for Orangeways service to Hungary.
• Busstation Westbahnhof-Felberstraße/Europaplatz^{[dead link]} Felberstraße, 1150 Wien, stop of long distance-busses at the trainstation Westbahnhof.
• Busterminal Vienna/Stadioncenter^{[dead link]} on the east (Address: Engerthstraße 242-244, 1020 Vienna, near the metro station U2 Stadion) is a stop of the yellow Student Agency coaches.
• Vienna International Airport is served by nearly all buses to Bratislava, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, in addition to each bus line's city stop.

Riverboats on the Danube include connections with Linz, Bratislava and Budapest, but are slower and more expensive than other options.

• LOD. Run a fast hydrofoil between Vienna and Bratislava May–October with up to two daily departures. The dock is in the 2nd District on the Danube proper (U1 Vorgartenstraße, Dock 6 on the Danube). Sailing time 13:30 downstream 13:45 upstream. From €22 per adult, €15.50 for a kid. (updated Jul 2022)
• Twin City Liner. A fast catamaran between Vienna and Bratislava March–December with up to four daily departures. The dock is in the 1st District at Schwedenplatz. Sailing time 13:15 downstream 13:30 upstream. From €33. (updated Jul 2022)
• Mahart Passnave. Operate a fast hydrofoil between Vienna and Budapest May–October with daily departures during the peak season. The dock is in the 2nd District on the Danube proper (U1 Vorgartenstraße, dock on the Danube). Sailing time 05:30 downstream 06:30 upstream. The boat only moors Bratislava and Visegrád if arranged. Bratislava €29/€39 return, Visegrád/Budapest €89/€109 return, student discount available. 
• Donauschiffahrt Wurm + Köck. Operate ships between Vienna and Linz. Sailing is slow and expensive but the ships travel through the famous Wachau river valley. Combine tickets including return via train are available. from €12. 

Vienna has a good public transportation system, which includes rail, commuter rail, underground, trams (trolleys), and buses. The underground is very efficient and will take you to within a few minutes walk of anywhere you are likely to want to visit. The subway alone has the second highest per-capita ridership in the world, and that is not accounting for the 27 tram lines, dozens of train lines or numerous buses.

Enquiries for routes and timetables are possible with the mobile application WienMobil, that is supplied by the public transport operator. The app is available for Android, iOS and can be accessed without installation on the internet.

Fares

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Public transportation within the city proper, including most everywhere you are likely to visit (the entire subway and tram network) is a single zone (Kernzone 100). Any transportation can be used: subway, any train – even high-speed ones – as long as you are traveling between two Vienna stations, trams, buses, night buses, and an interurban railway (the Wiener Lokalbahn) within the city limits.

You must validate (stamp) your ticket if the time and date is not printed on it, before entering the subway platform or train or as soon as you get on a bus or tram. You do not need to show your ticket to the bus or tram operator. Although there are not many spot checks, the fee for traveling without a ticket is €100.

Tickets are available at machines (Visa, MC accepted) and from counters at subway and rail stations as well as at tobacco shops ("Tabaktrafik"). They can also be bought online^{[dead link]} for printout or via a mobile app to present them via the mobile phone.

• Single Trip Ticket €2.40: A single direction uninterrupted trip to anywhere, with as many transfers as needed.
• Single Trip Senior Ticket €1.50: Like the single ticket, but only for people 65 years or older.
• Discounted Single Trip Ticket: €1.20: For children between 6 and 15 years.
• Day ticket €5.80. Valid till 01:00 on the following day. Available only online^{[dead link]} or via the mobile app^{[dead link]}.
• 24-hour ticket €8.00: Valid from time stamped.
• 48-hour ticket €14.10: Valid from time stamped.
• 72-hour ticket €17.10: Valid from time stamped.
• Week ticket/7 Tage Wien €17.10: Valid for seven days, until the eighth day 01:00. Attention: On the vending machines only weekly tickets from Monday to Monday can be bought. If you want to select an individual start date you need to buy your 7-day ticket on the Wiener Linien web shop^{[dead link]}.
• 8-day Climate Ticket €40.80: Valid for an entire day until 01:00 the following day, each day you stamp the ticket (fold it and stamp a new box as needed). It is possible stamp the ticket multiple times for multiple people on a single day if traveling in a group. (For example, this ticket may be used by four people on two separate days, but four sections must be stamped each day.)

Children up to 14 do not need a ticket on Sundays, holidays and during Austrian school vacations. Children 15–23 are also exempt if they are enrolled in school in Austria.

Bicycles will be transported for free, but this is only permitted in the U-Bahn and from Monday to Friday only between 09:00 and 15:00, and after 18:30. On the weekends, you can take the bike on the U-Bahn 24 hours.

If you are staying for a few days and hope to do tons of sightseeing and/or shopping, the Vienna Card (Wien Karte) is a good deal. It costs €29 and is good for 72 hours of unlimited public transit within Vienna. The card also gets you discounts (typically €1 or €2 at the major museums and art galleries) to many attractions and shops. You can buy it at the airport, hotels, and underground stops. The Vienna Card allows one kid aged less than 15 to travel with the owner, possibly making it more attractive. One Vienna Card allows shop/museum rebates for the whole family.

See the Vienna International Airport for details on transfer to/from the airport.

U-Bahn

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The five U-Bahn lines  U1   U2   U3   U4   U6  are the most common way of getting around Vienna (the U5 line is under construction, and is expected to be completed by 2026). These underground, metro or subway lines have trains during the day every 1½–5 minutes and cover most of the important parts of the city and sights. The system is easy to understand; none of the lines branch or share track and the direction is indicated by the terminus station, so you'll need to glance at the map to see what those are. Most stations have digital displays on the platforms which tell you the wait time for the next train. On some lines, certain trains do not run all the way to the end, the platform display will tell you at which station the train is terminating. On Sunday nights, Saturday nights, and on the nights before public holidays in Austria, all lines are running also at night (all 15 minutes), you don't need a special ticket to use the nightline.

Tram

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Tram (Bim, Straßenbahn) lines have just a plain number or letter (O, 1). There are 27 lines which stop locally, useful for taking things a bit slower and seeing more of the city.

In 2009 the yellow tourist Vienna Ring Tram^{[dead link]} was established, which travels around the Ringstraße for €9 and has an audio guide in several languages. The famous 'ring lines' 1 and 2, however, will give you the exact same view (without, of course, the audio guide) and are covered by Vienna's normal fare zone. You can take tram 1 (bound for Prater-Hauptalle) from Oper to Schwedenplatz and take tram 2 (bound for Ottakring) from Schwedenplatz back to Oper.

Night Services

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The regular trams, trains and buses run until about 00:30 (just past midnight). Most of the commuter rail is shut between 01:00 and 04:00. On Friday, Saturday and on nights before holidays, the entire U-Bahn network runs all night. Additionally, a dense network of night buses, called "NightLiners" is available every night of the year. All Regular tickets are valid. Most buses terminate at "Kärntner Ring, Oper", which allows for easy interchange. Intervals are 15 minutes (subway), 30 minutes (bus). Daytime service resumes at 05:00. The suburban-train lines S45 (Wien Handelskai - Wien Huetteldorf) and S2 between Wien Floridsdorf and Wien Liesing are also running on Friday nights, Saturday nights and on the nights before public holidays, the interval in 30 Minutes.

Motor taxis are plentiful and can normally be hailed on the street or found at a taxi stand. Fares are set to a meter price, but if you prefer, you can always negotiate a fare. Always negotiate when traveling to the airport or outside of the city limits as fares are not set to those places.

Horse-drawn taxis, considered a symbol of the city, are also available in the 1st district, although these are more expensive than the motor-taxis.

Avoid driving a car within the central ring if possible. While cars are allowed on many of the streets there, the streets are narrow and mostly one-way. They can be confusing for a visitor and parking is extremely limited (and restricted during the day). Due to the comprehensiveness of the transit system, you most likely will not need a car within Vienna, except for excursions elsewhere.

Furthermore, it might be a good idea to leave your car at home during rush hours. Vienna's streets can become a little clogged in the mornings and early evenings and the drivers are not really known for being especially polite and friendly.

Pedestrians have the right of way in crossing all roads at a crosswalk where there is no pedestrian signal present. If there is such a pedestrian crossing on an otherwise straight section of the road, there will be a warning sign: you are required to yield to any pedestrian on this crossing. Austrians accustomed to experienced local drivers will step out with little thought and force you to stop, so slow down here and be careful. When driving in a neighborhood this "right of way to pedestrians" is an understood rule at every intersection, although pedestrians will be more careful before they step out. Again, be on the lookout for this: if you see a pedestrian waiting to cross, you should stop at the intersection for him or her.

Be careful when parking near tram tracks. Make sure the side of your car does not block the path of the tram. Otherwise the tram will be forced to stop and your car may be towed.

Cycling^{[dead link]} is another option for travelling within Vienna, although it is still seen more as a leisure activity. Vienna's compact size makes cycling attractive. On a bicycle you can reach most places of interest within half an hour. There are many bicycle paths and lanes along major streets, in parks, and by the rivers. However, it can be complicated to cross town because the lanes follow illogical routes. One major complaint is that bicycle facilities were an afterthought and this is very apparent, many stop lights and intersections are dangerously or annoyingly set for bicyclists and paths are very illogical: they are sometimes on-street sometimes off, sometimes shared with pedestrians, sometimes not, and can vary or end out of nowhere. You are required by law to use a bike lane or path if there is one, unless it is blocked, otherwise regular traffic laws apply. Lights are required at night as are independently functioning brakes.

Pay attention to tram tracks in the street, and when crossing them, approach them from as close to perpendicular as possible, otherwise your tires can get caught in the groove next to the rail.

If your destination is in the outer suburbs, or you want to take a relaxed ride to the countryside, you may consider taking your bike on the U-Bahn (prohibited at rush hour, and always in buses and trams) or on a train. You need a ticket for your bike in trains. On the U-Bahn (metro) it is free to transport your bike on workdays from 09:00-15:00 and after 18:30 and for the whole day on weekends.

• CityBike^{[dead link]} runs a short-term shared bike system all over the Vienna city. There are many stations in the inner districts and you can register to borrow a bike with your credit card (€1/to register) or obtain a Touristcard (€2.50/day). The first hour is free, the next €1, the third €2, etc. So always return your bike as soon as you have finished riding. 15 minutes after you return it, you can rent another or the same bike with a new free hour. Foreign credit cards work fine in the machines - but you need one credit card per person. You can't hire two bikes with one card.
• Pedal Power offers guided bicycle tours and bicycle rental. They deliver to hotels or you can pick them up at the Prater for a discount.

Walking can also be very pleasant. The inner ring is quite compact with lots of pleasant cobblestoned and paved streets. It can be crossed in about 20 min.

Bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes as this is the most common way of getting around.

Vienna is considered by many to be the spiritual home of European classical music, with many great composers such as Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss II spending a significant part of their careers in Vienna.

From May to December you can attend concerts of the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra which take place in the Festival Hall and the Redoutensäle of Vienna's Hofburg Imperial Palace. The orchestra's program is composed of Viennese waltz and operetta melodies by Johann Strauss, Franz Lehár and Emmerich Kálmán along with opera arias and duets by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Each year on the evenings of December 31 and January 1 the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra performs traditional Viennese New Year's Eve and New Year's Concerts in the Hofburg's festival halls. These concerts however, along with those that are from similar ensembles, are quite expensive for what they offer, and are intended for the entertainment of tourists.

For a more serious program, other concerts at the Musikverein and the Staatsoper can be attended for as little as €3-4 (standing room). They feature some of the best musicians in the world, including of course, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. With concerts starting at almost the price of a cup of coffee, Vienna boasts a frequent and outstanding roster that is financially accessible to all. Much of the musical scene in Vienna is absent during the summer months, with the exception of the ensembles that cater to tourists. The solution would be to travel to Salzburg, where the Vienna Philharmonic resides during the summer.

For those who wish to watch opera, the Vienna State Opera is the most famous opera house in the city.

The Vienna U-Bahn-Stars are free of charge music event, daily running in the subway stations Westbahnhof, Praterstern, Karlsplatz, Stephansplatz, Neubaugasse and Spittelau.

There are 21 markets with stands and small characteristically Viennese hut-like shops that are open daily (except Sunday). Additionally many of these have true farmers' markets, often on Saturday mornings. There is a large variety of sellers and markets, from the upscale to the dirt cheap. Each has several shops of different kinds (butcher, bakery, produce, coffee, etc.) There is another handful of weekly farmers markets around the city and seasonal markets like the Christmas Markets.

Christmas markets

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Open from November 15 or 20 to December 23 or 24, most Viennese Christmas Markets ("Christkindlmarkt", "Adventmarkt" or simply "Weihnachtsmarkt") are not so much for shopping as for eating and drinking. From midday until the late hours of the night, people gather at Christmas markets to drink mulled wine, punch, and chat to one another and the occasional stranger. Entry to all of these markets is free. While Vienna can be a delightful place to visit during the Christmas season, on December 25 and 26 the city is largely shut down.

• Rathaus. More of a fairground than a Christmas market, this is Vienna's largest and busiest incarnation. Located on the large town square between Rathaus and Burgtheater, the Wiener Christkindlmarkt is by far the largest and probably best known Christmas market in Vienna. Large Christmas tree in front of the townhall, skating possibility, adorned trees in the park, often crowded! 
• Spittelberg. Probably the most delightful, though often quite packed Christmas market in Vienna, the Spittelberg market is scattered over a series of lanes lined with picturesque early 19th century Biedermeier houses (many of them former brothels, which is the reason the area was spared early 20th century urban renewal). Some of the stalls are extensions of the shops and bars of this normally rather sleepy area. 
• ^{[dead link]} Maria-Theresien-Platz. A relatively new market between the two museums and en route to/from the MuseumsQuartier (MQ). It is easy to maneuver than some and the quality of the goods is better than most. 
• Schönbrunn. One of the better markets with higher quality goods and a more festive atmosphere in front of Schönbrunn palace. It is easier to spread out here and the specialties are food, handmade soaps, and candles. 
• ^{[dead link]} Belvedere. Another addition to the city's Christmas markets, the market in front of the Belvedere palace is spacious and emphasizes the homespun. 
• Resselpark/Karlsplatz - A small, alternative and more rambunctious Christmas market in front of Karlskirche.
• Freyung. A fine market in the First District frequented by locals and professionals on their lunch break and downtown shoppers. Focus on handicrafts and original gifts such as hand-made Christmas decorations, mangers or objects made of natural materials. Christmas cakes and biscuits as well as hot punch and Glühwein. There are usually fewer tourists. 

Further afield a famous and overly bustling Christmas market may be found at Grafenegg castle. Entry is €7, children under the age of 12 are free.

Charity auctions are common in Vienna. Some stores give their proceeds to social programmes (often second-hand store back-to-work programs similar to Goodwill, or other charity shops).

Viennese supermarkets are not very large, especially compared with the hypermarkets covering the rest of Central Europe. However, there is practically one on every corner. They are open generally M-F 07:00-19:00, Sa 07:90-18:00, later on Sunday and on public holidays, few stores are open: three in train stations (in Westbahnhof to 23:00, in Praterstern and Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof to 21:00), three at the airport (to 23:09) and one at the General Hospital (Allgemeines Krankenhaus, AKH). Hofer, Penny, and Lidl strive to be discount stores, whereas Billa and Spar as well as the larger Merkur tout selection and quality. There is not a major difference in prices. Most regular stores have a deli where the clerks make sandwiches for the cost of the ingredients you select. Although many products are Austrian none of the chains are actually Austrian-owned. If you want to support the local economy more you can do so by frequenting independent shops or visiting actual markets.

Upscale grocers are not common in Vienna.

The traditional Viennese fast food is sausage in all shapes and sizes. You can buy hot sausages and hot dogs at snack bars called "Würstlstand" all over the town. The famous Wiener Würstel is known as "Frankfurter" in Vienna, but many inhabitants prefer Bosna (with onions and curry), Burenwurst, and Käsekrainer or "Eitrige" (with melted cheese inside). A würstlstand will typically give a choice of sausages served as a "hot dog" (not a North American hot dog, it just means any kind of sausage served in a bun) or "mit Brot" ("with bread," i.e. cut into bite size chunks and served with a small disposable fork, with a roll on the side). You typically get a choice of mustard or ketchup and (rarely) other condiments, which the server will put on for you.

Roast chestnuts ("Maroni") are a common snack during the colder months, and are sold from street stalls all over the city, especially near train and U-Bahn stations, and at Christmas markets.

In addition to this, the local snack culture also includes more ex-Yugoslavian and Turkish varieties of fast food, such as the Döner Kebap, sandwiches of Greek and Turkish origin with roasted meat, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and yogurt and/or hot sauce. Places that sell kebap often sell takeaway slices of pizza too. Good kebaps can be bought at the Naschmarkt. The lower end of the Naschmarkt (further away from Karlsplatz or city centre) is cheaper than the upper end (closer to Karlsplatz), and the right lane (facing away from the city centre) is reserved for mostly sit-down eateries. Another good place to find snacks (especially while going out) is Schwedenplatz.

By far the cheapest way to get a fast food meal in Austria (and probably the only meal available for just over €1) is buying an Austrian sandwich (sliced brown bread + ham/cheese + gherkin) from a supermarket. Supermarkets with a deli counter (Feinkostabteilung) will prepare sandwiches to take away at no extra charge. You only pay for the ingredients. There is usually a large selection of meat products, cheese, and bread rolls available here, too. You point at the combination you want, can also mention the max total you can pay, and then pay at the cash register. One of the favorites is the "Leberkäsesemmel", which is lightly spiced, very finely ground meat baked in a pan, sliced, and served on a roll. If you know a bit of German, you'll note that "Leberkäse" literally translates to "liver cheese," but it contains no cheese and the Viennese version contains no liver. Freshness and quality at the grocery stores are normally better than at a sandwich stand on the street.

Another great way to eat on a budget is at one of Vienna's hundreds of bakeries. They sell anything from cinnamon rolls to pizza for a good price. It's also a great breakfast-on-the-run alternative because they also have coffee/espresso to go. However, most places do have a couple of tables and chairs where you can enjoy your food.

Vienna's Kaffeehäuser (coffee houses) are world famous for their grandness and the lively coffee house culture. Skipping the Kaffeehauskultur is missing out a big part of Viennese culture. You should at least visit one of the countless traditional baroque 19th- or funky 20th-century coffee houses where you can sit down, relax, and enjoy refreshments.

Most cafés also serve beer, wine and liqueurs. Many serve meals, especially at lunch, and these are often cheaper than in restaurants. Most have a fine selection of Torten (tortes or cakes), some offer other baked goods. In general some are more restaurant-like, some more café-like and some more bar-like.

Coffee

[edit]

"Entschuldigen Sie Frau/Herr Ober!" Although the head waitress/waiter (Ober) of most cafés is not nearly as snooty as they might let on, there are some definite don'ts: Don't ask for coffee to go. International chains and many bakeries offer it if you really need it. Don't just order "coffee" - that's like going into a restaurant and ordering just "food". Find a type that suits your taste. Don't expect your waitress/waiter to just bring you the bill - you are supposed to ask for it when you are finished and ready to go. It is considered impolite for them to rush you by bringing it on their own. Don't forget to tip when you pay. Just round up about 10%. Say explicitly how much you wish to pay (e.g., €3.50 for a €3.20 coffee) when handing the money the waitress/waiter. Remember: cafés are a very slow-paced environment, approach them as you would a sit-down restaurant, bring a book or some friends, or make use of the newspapers on hand and enjoy your hours relaxing there!

Coffee is obviously an important part of the coffeehouse culture. Vienna was not only the center of the Austrian Empire but also the center of a much larger coffee empire, and the local roasts were sold across Europe. Today many people are still familiar with the term Vienna roast.

Vienna prides itself in its dozens of varieties of different coffees, although the Italian style and names are better known by many youth than the Viennese, the cafés are keeping the traditions alive. Most commonly:

• Kleiner Schwarzer also known simply as a Schwarzer or as a Mokka is the Viennese version of espresso. It is made with a tick more water, a Viennese roast (the point between origin and roast flavor) and it is pulled slowly allowing it to oxidize.
• Großer Schwarzer is a double Schwarzer (similar to a double espresso).
• Kleiner Brauner is a mokka (espresso) with cream, often on the side.
• Großer Brauner is a double Mokka with cream.
• Melange is perhaps the most typical Viennese coffee. Similar to cappuccino but with the Viennese style mokka and more foamy milk in equal parts.
• Verlängerter is mokka (espresso) with extra hot water, similar to a small Americano.
• Kapuziner is a mokka (espresso) with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
• Kaffee Verkehrt (or in the more modern places Kaffee Latte) is the local version of a latte.

Also consider specialties like the Kaisermelange (coffee, milk, egg yolk and cognac) on the menu. Most cafés have a house specialty (for instance, "Kaffee Central" at Café Central). Many coffee houses have a huge selection of international newspapers.

Coffee houses

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Finding a café is not hard in Vienna; Finding a particular café you are looking for is another story. Most of the baroque "top" coffee houses are on the Ring and main streets of the Innere Stadt, mostly cozier and often less formal 1970s or 80s modern-style coffee houses are hidden away on the Innere Stadt's backstreets, and distributed across the rest of the city (4th district, 7th district, 8th district, Outer West districts, ..).

Chains

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• Oberlaa. Very Viennese cafes, really delicious bakery and well known confectionery. Also some choice of soups and mains. Several locations, mostly in Innere Stadt. Melange €3.70; Slice of Torte €3.50. 
• Aida. Chic but artificial design, mediocre quality, depends on location and luck. Many cafés across Vienna and Lower Austria. Their menus have a very useful graphical design indicating the precise ingredients and proportions in each type of coffee, so it's worth visiting if you are a complete beginner. 

Rather unusually it is necessary to say some words about Vienna's drinking water.

The majority of Vienna's water comes from the three "Hochquellwasserleitungen." Meaning "high-(as in mountain) spring waterlines (as in aqueducts). Indeed the city's water flows through aqueducts from the mountains around 100 km south of Vienna (Schneeberg and Hochschwab). These were built during the reign of Emperor Franz Josef and supply Vienna with unchlorinated high-quality drinking water, with a considerably higher quality than many bottled waters.

So if you visit this city, it is not necessary to buy water. You can simply drink tap water here unless you prefer sparkling water.

Another speciality is that at typical coffeehouses a coffee is often accompanied by a glass of cold clear water. In most restaurants, you can get a glass of drinking water for free with any order, just specify tap water ("Leitungswasser").

New wine is usually enjoyed at a Heurigen (family-run vineyard bars allowed to the new vintage). Austria in general, but especially the area around Vienna, produces quite a large amount of wine each year. There are even many vineyards within the city in Döbling (19th District). The wine is not often exported and white is more common than red. Grüner Veltliner is a common tart and fresh white wine served almost everywhere. Officially the new wine season begins on November 11 (St Martin's Day), but as early as September, some partially-fermented new wine (called Sturm which is cloudy, because it has not been strained) is available around town at stands and in 2L green bottles (try the Naschmarkt – sometimes the vendors will have samples of this drink, which at about 4% alcohol is less strong than wine). Taverns can call themselves Heurigens whether the wine they serve is their own or not – for genuine in-house product look for a Buschenschank. This is a particularly Viennese Heuriger which can only be open 300 days per year or until their supply of house-made wine runs out. Heurigen can be found e.g. in Grinzing, Sievering (19th district) and Mauer & Rodaun (23rd district) areas, but also in almost every suburban area in Vienna. Even in the center, there are some Stadtheurigen. While the Heurigen of Grinzing are bigger and more famous with tourists, they are often a rip-off. If any of the year’s vintage lasts until next year, it officially becomes Alte (old) wine on the next Saint Martin's Day. The Heurigen in the South of Vienna or in Perchtoldsdorf are much cheaper and serve the same quality as the Heurigen in Grinzing. Also in the Northern suburbs, you can find cheap and somewhat authentic Heurigen. Try the areas of Stammersdorf or Hagenbrunn, for example Karl Matzka, hard to reach by public transport.

After a long day, the perfect place to relax among Viennese are the Heurigen in the suburbs. Somewhat akin to a beer garden, except with wine, these tiny treasures are the only places authorized to serve new wine. New wine is made from the first pressing of the grape and can appear a little cloudy. Be careful, it's stronger than you might think! This is why it's served in very small glasses, 0.25L and up. Some Heurigen serve food, either elaborate Viennese specialties or very simple bread and cheese platters. No matter which one you choose, you're guaranteed to enjoy yourself. Just hop on a convenient outbound tram line, take it to the very last stop, and look for buildings with large, evergreen foliage hung over the doors. Each one is unique, but all are a good bargain. Locals invariably have a favorite: ask around.

Glühwein is hot, sweetened red wine with cinnamon and cloves, served from stalls at Christmas markets. Some markets have a peculiar system where you'll be asked for a deposit on the mug the wine is served in, and when you're finished, you can return it to any glühwein vendor at that market to get your deposit back - payments are worked out among themselves through some mysterious process.

• Wein & Co, ☏ +43 1 743 42 00-34. A chain shop for wine lovers featuring a wine bar in every location. Shop locations include Naschmarkt, Mariahilfer Straße, near Burggarten and near Stephansplatz. 

Despite Vienna's stuck-up reputation don't be led to believe it is a quiet city. There are diverse cafés, bars, clubs, parties and festivals as well as thriving nocturnal scenes.

Indulgent

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Brothels are legal in Vienna, as is street prostitution. There are male and female prostitutes, many from Austria's neighboring countries (few from Austria), but also from Africa, Latin America and Asia offering their services. Brothels differ greatly from small to the point one-room operations to hokey grand parlors. There is no true red-light district, but there are many 'bars' located on the 'Gürtel' as well as in the 2nd District, but they can be found everywhere. Street prostitution areas exist but should be avoided due to the lack of regulation and high number of trafficked and unregistered workers. There are plenty of go-go clubs as well, though, that are not brothels. Some of these have male and female dancers dancing together and are frequented by men and women together.

Vienna has a large number of mostly free wireless hotspots in bars, restaurants, and cafés (see drink section). Wifi is known locally as WLAN or Wireless LAN. Those that are on the Freewave Wi-Fi network can be found here^{[dead link]}. MuseumsQuartier has free wireless internet. There are plenty of internet cafes except for in the first district. Touchscreen media terminals are available (including internet) in many phone booths, much of the content about Vienna is free.

If you plan to visit also places outside the city and you don't want to stay without internet it's recommended to buy a prepaid 3G-simcard (all providers offers fast 3G service, also in rural and remote areas of Austria) and put it in your smartphone or internet USB stick. Download is mostly around 5-6 Mbit/sec and upload 2-3 Mbit. (for HSDPA). The monthly cost for mobile internet is between €4 (1GB) and €15 (unlimited) (August 2011). The best 3G coverage in rural areas is from A1 A1. Vienna is covered very well by HSDPA, HSPA+ and LTE as well.

If you're a European student you can make use of the eduroam service. The University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration^{[dead link]}, the University of Technology, the Medical University of Vienna, the University of Applied Arts Vienna as well as the University of Music and Performing Arts are part of this programme in Vienna.

The local public radio aimed towards youth, FM4 used to be an English-language channel and still has much programming in English including the news. 103.8 FM or 91.0 FM.

Television in Austria is almost exclusively in German. The national public media ORF offer limited programming in several Slavic languages and Hungarian. There are plenty of international English-language channels available.

Local news, culture, events and guides are printed in English in a monthly magazine called the Metropole – Vienna in English^{[dead link]}.  International papers are widely available. There is a New York Times insert in the Monday edition of the local newspaper Der Standard which can be found quickly in coffee houses and elsewhere due to its tan color.

• 48.181216.37411 Green & Clean, Landgutgasse 25 (300m south of Wien Hbf). 06:00-22:00 daily. This large chain of self-service laundries is a good way to avoid extortionate per-piece hotel laundry charges. The combined Wash & Dry machines finish the job in 75 minutes, can easily be paid by credit/debit card and even include detergent. 17 locations around Vienna, of which this one near Wien Hbf is probably the most convenient for the traveler; there are none in the city center though. From €16 to wash & dry 8kg. 

• Fire department: 122
• Police: 133
• Ambulance/Rescue: 144
• Mountain rescue: 140
• Medical assistance: 141
• Breakdown- or traffic accident help: 120 (OEAMTC), 123 (ARBOE)
• Lock for lost or stolen creditcards: 05 990 645 00 (PayLife)

Vienna's metropolitan area is large, and its suburban rail takes you to suburbs so large that they are worth a visit in their own right. All of the following places are within the metropolitan area and reachable on an all-zone Vienna travelcard (and yes, this also applies to Sopron).

• Krems, a smaller and historic town at the entrance of the Wachau valley about 80 km east of Vienna. Reachable by rail from Wien Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof, Wien Spittelau (U4, U6) and Wien Heiligenstadt (U4) with suburban trains to "Krems/Donau". There are hourly connections and the travel time is about one hour. Krems is relatively small, so you can walk there or rent a bike.
• Baden bei Wien, is a smaller historic town 25 km south of Vienna. Famous for its bathes and thermal waters. It features many beautiful buildings and parks from the Biedermeier period. There is a direct tram line going from the Vienna Opera to Baden otherwise faster trains are available too.
• St. Pölten, the capital of Lower Austria, hosts many sights. One is the Dom zu St. Pölten, a baroque church which until 1722 served as a Roman basilica cathedral. The St. Pöltner Rathaus (city hall) and the Pottenbrunn Castle (which can only be seen from the outside) are also worth a visit. St. Pölten is accessible by an hourly suburban rail service from Westbahnhof station (U-Bahn U3) which takes 80 minutes to St. Pölten (passengers for Pottenbrunn Castle should get off at Pottenbrunn, one stop before St. Pölten). Total travel time from the city centre is 100 min.
• Wiener Neustadt also has a lot to offer for tourists: the cathedral, renovated in 1975-1999, the castle and the city museum to name a few. The city is reachable by suburban train from Wien Mitte station on the S-Bahn S6 (via Ebenfurth) and S9 (via Baden) routes, and the travel time is 75-80 min.
• Eisenstadt, the capital of Burgenland, hosts several large churches as well as the Esterházy castle which offers a wine cellar, gift shop, guided tours, and concerts in the famous Haydnsaal as well as the large garden on the back. There are two suburban rail connections: the direct service Hauptbahnhof - Eisenstadt - Wulkaprodersdorf - (Wiener Neustadt) which takes 67 min to Eisenstadt, and the Deutschkreutz-bound service from Meidling to Wulkaprodersdorf + connecting service on the Hauptbahnhof route (opposite direction, towards Hauptbahnhof) to Eisenstadt, which takes 1 hour from Meidling and is thus slightly faster. However, from the city centre both routes take 80 minutes so you might as well go with the direct service from Hauptbahnhof.
• Sopron, a historic town in Hungary which is also reachable by suburban rail: from Wien Meidling (U-Bahn U1 to Südtiroler Platz and suburban train to Meidling) the hourly service to Deutschkreutz takes you to Sopron in 70 min. Total travel time from the city centre is 90 minutes.

• Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria. Its "Old Town", with its world famous baroque architecture, is one of the best-preserved city centers in the German-speaking world and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. There are direct trains from Vienna taking 2½ hours.
• Graz is the second-largest city in Austria. The City of Graz including its historic centre and Schloss Eggenberg is a world heritage site. There are direct trains from Vienna taking 2½ hours.
• Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is 55 km from Vienna and reachable by two suburban rail routes: one runs to Hlavna stanica via eastern Vienna and the other one to Petrzalka via the southeast. The latter takes 57 minutes and the former 71 minutes. Both lines originate at Hauptbahnhof station (U-Bahn U1 to Hauptbahnhof / Südtiroler Platz or suburban train to Hauptbahnhof). However, depending on your point of origin, taking U-Bahn U2 to Stadlau or U3 to Simmering and suburban train from either to Hlavna stanica may be faster than travelling via Hauptbahnhof. Travel time from the city centre via Hauptbahnhof (to Petrzalka) or Stadlau (to Hlavna stanica) is 75 min. You may also consider making the journey by ferry: The Twin City Liner makes the journey through the Danube. It takes about 75 minutes and costs €20.
• Brno, a city of around 400,000 people in the Czech Republic with close historical links with Vienna, is 1½ hours from Vienna by fast train.
• Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is a very well preserved medieval city. The city's historic buildings and narrow, winding streets are testament to its centuries-old role as capital of the historic region of Bohemia.
• Innsbruck, regional capital of Tyrol and largest city in the Alps.
• Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, is a beautiful city located on the banks of the Danube. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its cultural and architectural significance.
• Slovenia, a small but very beautiful country which offers a lot of tourist attractions (2012 European capital of Culture Maribor, charming Ljubljana, Julian Alps, gorges [Tolmin, Vintgar], caves [Postojna], coast [Piran] and amazingly beautiful Bled lake)

Melk ← St. Pölten ←	W  E	→ END
Becomes ← becomes ←	N  S	→ Baden → Wiener Neustadt
END ←	W  E	→ Vienna International Airport → Neusiedl am See
Tulln ← Klosterneuburg ←	N  S	→ END
Passau ← Tulln ←	W  E	→ Bratislava → Budapest