Vienna

Vienna is the capital of Austria. It is the primate city of the country and one of the nine States of Austria. Being the capital city, Vienna is the seat of a number of United Nations offices and various international institutions and companies. It is also the seat of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law's secretariat (UNCITRAL). Founded around 500 B.C, Vienna was a Celtic settlement. Vienna is also the largest city in the country as well as its cultural, economic and political center. Earlier in 15 BC, it became a Roman frontier city guarding the Roman Empire against German tribes to the north. Later in 1804, it was entitled as the capital of the Austrian Empire. After World War I, it became the capital of the First Austrian Republic. The city, which is composed of 23 districts, is the seat of the Viennese Roman Catholic archdiocese.

Area & Location: Lies in the South East corner of Central Europe, Vienna covers a total area of 414.90 sq. km with 395.51 sq. km of land and 19.39 sq. km of water. Located at 48º13' Latitude North and 16º22' Longitude East, the city has a population of 1.6 million.

Tourist Attractions: With its age-old monuments and architectures, Vienna has become a popular tourist destination.

Transportation: Vienna is the center of rail, road, air and water transport. Its extensive tram and bus network is the third largest in the world. The city has several train stations with several train lines. The city is served by Vienna International Airport. Rhine-Main-Danube Canal connects the city with neighboring regions.

Vienna coffee houses serve light dishes, which are the traditional food items of the city. Hot chestnuts and potato fritters are the favorite dishes of the people in Vienna. Beef as well as pork sausages, hot dogs and cutlets are often served in the . The other Viennese cuisine includes Tafelspitz, very lean boiled beef, served with grated horseradish. The city has a long tradition of cakes and desserts such as Apfelstrudel, Palatschinken and Knodel often filled with fruit. It can also be considered as a vegetarian friendly city with many vegetarian restaurants. Non- vegetarian restaurants are also common in the city. Ambassador Hotel, NH Vienna Airport Hotel, Golden Tulip Wien City Hotel, Kaiserin Elizabeth Hotel, Park-Villa Hotel, Grand Sauerhof Hotel, Kummer Hotel and K+K Palais Hotel are the famous in the city. Vienna is the only capital city in the world with its own vineyard. Wines are often served in its pubs.

Places of Attraction: Inner City, Hofburg -Imperial Palace, winter residence, Kahlenberg and Parliament are the important places of interest in the city. The Albertina --a museum that has most important graphic arts collection in the world, Beethoven historic sites -historical sites associated with composer Ludwig van Beethoven, Burgtheater -federal theatre in Vienna, Deutschordenskirche -a church, Donauturm -the Danube Tower, Gasometers in Vienna, The Heldenplatz -a historical plaza, Hundertwasser House Vienna -an apartment house in Vienna and Viennese City Park fascinate the tourists visiting here.