Six interesting facts about Vienna – and why you should visit

Vienna is a very diverse city and this is what makes it such a great place. Located in Central Europe and having a great standard of living, Austria attracts many foreigners who choose this country as their home, may it be temporarily or permanently. A lot of people also come here to study in one of the many good universities, or just stay for a semester or 2 as part of an exchange program.

When you’re walking around Vienna, you’ll often people speaking languages other than German. And this is something you have to get used to because it’s what makes Vienna so special.

Vienna is probably one of the few cities in the world where you are better off without a car. Honestly, the public transportation works so well that you’re able to get from one end of the city to the other within half an hour. The underground, buses and trams are incredibly well connected, the schedules are aligned and you usually have to wait just a couple of minutes until the next vehicle comes.

The Danube is the second-longest river in Europe and it flows through quite a few countries in Central and Southeastern Europe. The river goes through Vienna, dividing it in two parts, with a little “island” in the middle. The canal is perfect for evening walks, daily sunbathing or at some spots - for swimming. You can even hire a paddle boat and enjoy some time floating around.

One of the things associated with the Danube Island in Vienna, is the Donauinselfest – the biggest open-air music festival in the world! The festival takes place each year and it attracts millions of people every time. Oh, and did I mention it’s one of the many free events in Vienna!

Vienna’s Tiergarten Schönbrunn was established in 1752 and is the oldest zoo in the world, which is still operating. If that is not convincing enough for you, Anthony Sheridan’s zoo rankings named Schönbrunn Zoo the best zoo in Europe five years in a row. The Schönbrunn Zoo is home to around 7,800 animals from 700 species - you can even see koalas here!

Vienna is famous for its ball season - a time between the months of January and March when numerous balls take place. Attending a ball is one of the things I recommend people the most when visiting Vienna, as it’s an experience for a lifetime. All you need is a ticket (it costs around €100 for adults and €30 for students) and formal attire - suit and bowtie for the gentlemen and a long evening dress for the ladies.

Vienna has been named the city with the best quality of living for ten years in a row! Each year, the international consulting company Mercer carries out a study to compare the quality of life in 231 cities around the world.

The study takes into consideration numerous factors like environmental conditions, medical care, education and infrastructure conditions such as the well-developed public transportation network, power and water supply.

It comes as no surprise that so many people choose Vienna as their home. It is not only amazing to visit - it’s even better to live here.