GENERAL INFORMATION For centuries Vienna (Wien) was the capital of a multinational empire, and to this day Vienna remains the cultural capital for central Europe. Because of its pivotal position on the Danube River, Vienna has been a prize of conquerors for centuries; every power of any consequence tried to take it, with varying success. The Celts were here, the Romans (although winters were too cold for Caesar), the Ottomans of Turkey, but it was the Babenbergs who laid the first formal plans of a city and it was the Hapsburgs who made it the center of their immense empire for centuries. In 1815 when the Vienna Congress established European Order for the next century, Vienna with two million souls was the fourth largest city in the world, head of a multinational realm of 55 million. However by the end of World War I Austria was a small destitute republic with an overblown capital. What the vagaries of fortune could not demolish was Vienna's pivotal location and the political acumen of its leaders. These traits plus the nature of geopolitics seems to ensure the city's importance. During the Cold War Austria proclaimed neutrality and Vienna hosted many meetings between warring ideologies, notably the summit between Khrushchev and Kennedy. The IAEO established itself here in 1957, followed by OPEC in 1965, UNIDO in 1967, and in 1979 the United Nations Organization made Vienna its third headquarters, today the only one in an EU capital. Above all else, Vienna is an architectural and cultural feast. Take in the Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn), St. Stephan's Cathedral (Stephansdom) and the home of Vienna Secession Museum. There’s the Sigmund Freud Museum, The Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Fine Arts and much more. And all the stars of classical and romantic music were here, before Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss and Mahler, there was Mozart. Population: city, 650,000; Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 or Central European Time. Flight times: Paris-2 hrs., London-2.25 hrs., Los Angeles-12 hrs. NYC-8.5 hrs. WEATHER Average temperature: 71°F (22° C) in summer and winter 35°F (2° C), Heaviest precipitation is November through January. Average Daily High/Low Temperature: • March - May: 60°f / 41°f, 16°c / 5°c • June - Aug.: 76°f / 59°f, 25°c / 15°f • Sept. - Nov.: 59°f / 44°f, 15°c / 7°c • Dec. - Feb.: 37° f/ 28°f, 3°c / -2°c TRANSPORTATION Situated more or less in the center of Europe, Vienna is easily reached by plane, train, automobile and even riverboat. Vienna International Airport Located 11 miles from center city. Telephone: : +43-1-7007-22233 (24 hours) http://english.viennaairport.com/ Trains CAT http://www.cityairporttrain.at/content/home.php In only 16 minutes the CAT, the City Airport Train, takes passengers nonstop from the City Air Terminal to Vienna International Airport. Daily service is provided from 05:05 to 23:35. The City Air Terminal is located only ten minutes away from St. Stephen´s Cathedral at Wien-Mitte traffic-junction, next to Vienna Hilton Hotel and can be reached by Vienna’s underground system, by bus, tram or by taxi. Services run from 05:05 to 23:35 7 days a week, 365 days a year. To the City Air Terminal you can catch the underground, bus or taxi Single-Ticket € 8,00 € 5,00 (child) Round Trip-Ticket € 15,00 € 8,00 Taxi, a trip to and from the center of Vienna costs approximately 25 euros and takes 35 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. The Vienna Metro ("U-Bahn") This is an outstanding public transit service, modernized 1976, has close to 120 miles (190 km) of tracks for information go to: http://mailbox.univie.ac.at/~prillih3/metro/english/index.html ATTRACTIONS Academy of Fine Arts Gemädegalerie der Akademie der bildenden Künste) Schillerplatz 3, A-1010 Wien, Website: www.akademiegalerie.at, U-Bahn: Karlsplatz The Albertina (Albertina) Albertinaplatz 1, A-1010, Wien, Tel: 534 830, Website: www.albertina.at, U-Bahn: Karlsplatz The Albertina houses over 65,000 drawings and one million prints in total. Art House Vienna (KunstHausWien) Untere Weissgerberstraße 13, A-1030, Wien, Tel: 712 0495, Website: www.kunsthauswien.at, U-Bahn: Schwedenplatz then tram N to Radetzkyplatz This superb museum by Viennese architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser was opened in 1991. The striking exterior prepares you for the interior designs and its contemporary collection. Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek) Josefsplatz 1, A-1010, Wien, Tel: 534 10, Fax: 534 10 280, Website: www.onb.ac.at, U-Bahn: Karlsplatz Leopold Museum Museumsplatz 1, A-1070, Wien, Tel: 525 700, Website: www.leopoldmuseum.org, U-Bahn: Museumquartier It encompasses over 5200 paintings and drawings from the period between 1880 and 1950. Among the paintings on show are those by celebrated artists Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn) A-1130, Wien, Tel: 811130, Website: www.schoenbrunn.at, U-Bahn: Schönbrunn As one of the finest and most important historical sights in Vienna. Schönbrunn Zoo (Schönbrunner Tiergarten) Maxingstraße 13b, A-1130, Wien, Tel: 8779 2940, Website: www.zoovienna.at, U-Bahn: Heitzing The zoo is one of the oldest in the world. Vienna Secession Friedrichstraße 12, A-1010, Wien, Tel: 587 53 07, Website: www.secession.at, U-Bahn: Karlsplatz The distinctive Secession building was designed and built by Josef Maria Olbrich in 1898 as a home for the Association of Visual Artists Vienna Secession. The Association, which included Gustav Klimt within its membership were pioneers of Jugendstil/Art Nouveau and their legacy. Sigmund Freud Museum (Sigmund-Freud-Museum) Berggasse 19, A-1090, Wien, Tel: 319 1596, Website: www.freud.t0.or.at, U-Bahn: Schottentor The waiting room in the museum was carefully restored in the early 1990s and is much the same as it would have been while Freud lived and worked here. Visitors can also view his study and consulting room which contain numerous photographs and documents. Spanish Riding School (Spanische Reitschule) Winterreitschule, Josefsplatz, A-1010, Wien, Website: www.spanische-reitschule.com, U-Bahn: Stephansplatz/Karlsplatz The Spanish Riding School, which is the oldest equestrian school in the world. The performances of incredible horsemanship that regularly take place are always popular, make sure you buy tickets as soon as you arrive. St. Stephan's Cathedral (Stephansdom) Stephansplatz 3, A-1010, Wien, Tel: 51552 3530 Website: www.stephansdom.at, U-Bahn: Stephansplatz This massive cathedral dominates the surrounding buildings on Stephansplatz; visit the tallest part of the structure, the South Tower (or Hochturm) and climb the tower's 343 steps for superb views of Vienna. Ê Ê