Vienna is the enlightened capital city of Austria and home to more than 1.9 million people. It is among the nine states that are found in the country and is renown for several reasons. The city serves as an administrative center, political center, economic center, and cultural music mecca.
Vienna has its location in the eastern parts of the country, along the beautiful Danube River, with the countries of Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic being some of its neighbors. Because of its strategic location and urbanite cultural leanings, the city lures people into one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the region.
The Stores of Downtown Vienna
Vienna, Cultural Capital of the Western World
From a historical perspective, the one aspect that makes Vienna prodigious is its love for music. In fact, people refer to it as the City of Music and it is widely considered the cultural capital of the western world because of its love for music, culture, and the arts. Reference any Western music, and you will find that Vienna and its inhabitants were among the front-runners in ensuring its evolution.
During the 19th century, the Viennese classical music era rocked the world with many great composers such as Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Given that Sigmund Freud, who was the pioneering psychoanalyst (though not involved in music), came from Vienna, that alone makes the city famous for all the right reasons.
Gardens of Schönbrunn Palace
Administrative and Historical Facts
Vienna is not only the cultural capital of Europe, but it is a chief administrative center as well. It plays host to some of the foremost international organizations like OPEC and UN.
As a historic center, the city boasts in creating some of the world’s finest architectural structures. The Baroque architecture, historic monuments, national parks, and abundant gardens that comprise the city provide the world with a fantastic attraction. They also play a huge role in the country’s economic revenue.
Vienna's Aristocratic Vibe
The People and Demographics of Vienna
In the European Union, Vienna ranks seventh in terms of population. With surprising demographic diversity, it has a long and rich history of accepting immigrants. People here speak fluent German, and it is only in the German city of Berlin where more people speak this language.
The Viennese people are some of the happiest and healthiest because of how habitable the city is and because of the Austrian commitment to healthy foods. In a recent study that examined social and economic conditions, health, education, housing and the environment, Vienna was named the world's top city for quality of life and managed to beat over 130 cities in the competition.
The city is ever prospering economically and even adopts the use of some of the latest agricultural technologies. Having said this, Austria has been a GMO-free zone since 1999.
"If the Americans like to eat GMO products, let them eat it then. We don’t need to do that; we have enough space and opportunities to produce organic food." - Dmitry Medvedev, prime minister of Russia
