Vienna is a diverse and refined metropolis dating back to Celtic settlements. The once capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was and is home to many canonic western musicians and thinkers. The Vienna Congress of 1815 redefined European borders and nation states. The city yet remains a main stage of global diplomacy.
Vienna is an entrenched cultural home to museums, theatres, opera houses and galleries. The Burgtheater and Viennese balls are world-renowned. The city was a part of the evolution of Art Noveau led by Gustav Klimt. Austrian composers Schubert, Strauss and Schönberg lived here and Mozart, Beethoven and Mahler visited to work.
The Habsburg Dynasty had the city as capital for much of its reign and left its mark on many of Vienna’s royal parks, gardens, palaces, schools and cathedrals. A walk or drive along Vienna’s famed Ring Street, which replaced the city’s walls, highlights the typical 1860-90s architecture of the city.
Vienna is also known for luxury shopping and preeminent gastronomy. Mariahilferstraße is the longest stretch of boutiques and stores with cafés all along to experience Vienna’s famous hospitality. European coffee house culture was born in Vienna and still forms a daily part of Vienese life.
The site of ancient Vienna dates back to pre-Roman Celtic settlements of 500 BC. It remains a gateway to Eastern Europe as it was one of the capitals of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city of music is modern and classically artistic across all media. Culture and commerce comingle to produce an open brand of European citizenship.
A modern and cosmopolitan pulse courses through Vienna’s varied neighbourhoods and a high degree of western political, economic and intellectual history was made here. New interpretations of art and business are shaped by the young, international and creative workforce drawn to Vienna annually and in great numbers.