Vienna, Austria

In Vienna, New Year's Eve is celebrated with a spectacular programme to suit all tastes and ages, featuring 300 artists and fireworks on Heldenplatz and in Prater. The Vienna New Year's Trail marks a highlight in the Austrian capital's event calendar. The city centre turns into a one-mile street party; some 750.000 people spent last New Year's Eve here. The New Year's Trail is the main attraction for about a third of all people coming to Vienna from elsewhere in Austria or from abroad. It features various show acts and music performances ranging from waltz and operetta to rock and folk music. Austria's largest bell, Pummerin, traditionally rings in the new year from the top of St. Stephen's Cathedral. You can always go and spend a short stay of 24 Hours in Vienna and feel the rhythm of the city.

Some 50 bars and restaurants set up stalls throughout the city, offering delicious food and drinks like hot punch to keep the revellers warm. Vienna City Government member Christian Oxonitsch emphasises that everyone is most welcome to celebrate the New Year at the heart of the city: "The Vienna New Year's Trail has become a fixture for many locals and guests alike. As in every year, the programme includes highlights for all tastes and ages."

Vienna, also described as Europe's cultural capital, is a metropolis with unique charm, vibrancy and flair. It boasts outstanding infrastructure, is clean and safe, and has all the inspiration that you could wish for in order to discover this wonderful part of Europe. The capital of Austria has 2 million inhabitants, is situated on the banks of the Danube. The influx of visitors from all over the world has made Vienna the most popular urban tourist destination in Austria.

Vienna is a romantically imperial city. This european tourist attraction is a dream city for anyone with a romantic streak or an interest in history. Sightseeing opportunities are to be found in abundance. Wander along narrow, medieval alleyways or across imperial squares, view Schönbrunn Palace or the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) in the footsteps of Sissi and Emperor Franz Josef, and marvel at the majestic architecture along the Ring boulevard. Be inspired by an atmosphere steeped in history - which also boasts the comforts and infrastructure of a modern city!

Vienna possesses a lively and vast array of cultural attractions. Whether classical or experimental theatre, film or dance festivals, opera or operetta, or exhibitions and concerts - no matter when you come and how long you stay, there is sure to be something exciting for you to discover. Or if your tastes are not quite so culturally refined, then visit one of Vienna's famous coffee houses or traditional wine taverns ("Heurige") and work your way through famous culinary specialities.

Vienna has been synonymous with music for centuries, and was home to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Johann Strauss. This outstanding musical heritage has been preserved right to the present day. The Wiener Philharmoniker is one of the world's top orchestras, the Vienna Boys' Choir is triumphantly successful wherever it tours, and the Vienna Conservatorium has produced innumerable international award-winners in all musical disciplines. Yet Vienna also boasts a lively scene for young people - if you love music, you are sure to profit from Vienna.

Vienna Winter Tourist Attractions

Vienna offers the unique possibility of getting to the ski slopes by public transport from the city centre in just 35 minutes. A number of measures have been taken to ensure that the Hohe Wand Wiese - a well-known winter sports venue in Vienna for over 100 years - will become even more popular with locals and visitors alike. These include a new look image under the name of "High Hills", the modernization of the snowmaking equipment, and an attractive programme for fans of Austrian skiing.

Hohe Wand Wiese boasts a ski run that is 400 meters long and 80 meters wide. The piste is FIS-approved and licensed as a World Cup slalom slope, so it offers even more ambitious skiers and snowboarders a welcome change from everyday city life. For younger visitors there is a separate children’s world that includes a magic carpet - a conveyer belt that transports you standing up with your skis on. At the "top of the hill" freestylers will find a small park with rails and tubes of varying degrees of difficulty. 

A modernized snowmaking system guarantees snow from temperatures of –0.5 degree Celsius. The two diesel compressors have been replaced by an electric compressor, saving energy and reducing both emissions and noise levels. Thanks to the floodlights, the lift can stay open till 9 pm, making an evening excursion to the ski slopes worth while. It is not even necessary to have your own equipment: the ski and snowboard hire has been provided with new gear. Even the fun of an alpine hut is not lacking: Vienna’s only ski hut – the "High Hills Stub’n" - gives you that après-ski feeling at the heart of the city.

Vienna map

Vienna is located in northeastern Austria, at the easternmost extension of the Alps in the Vienna Basin. The earliest settlement, at the location of today's inner city, was south of the meandering Danube while the city now spans both sides of the river. Elevation ranges from 151 to 524 m (495 to 1,719 ft).