Mozart. Opera. Freud. Wiener Schnitzel. All the best of Vienna. But in a city so dynamic and culturally rich as Vienna, there’s plenty hidden under the surface to uncover.
How much do you know about Wien? Some things might just surprise you.
Here are just a few amazing things that you never knew about Vienna!
1. Wine Country
When you think about decadent wines, there are some places that come to mind. Porto. Bordeaux. Sun-scorched Spanish vineyards. Hilly Tuscan vistas.
Needless to say, Austria doesn’t immediately come to mind.
But it should.
Vienna is the only city in the world that produces its own wine within the city limits. With 1730 acres of wine growing lands in the city, Vienna is a particularly large producer of white wines.
Bottoms up!
2. Climate
Usually, most places around the world have just 1 climate type. Makes sense, right?
Well, not in Vienna.
Vienna sits on the border of 2 climate zones-- the European transitional climate and the dry Pannonian zone.
The best of both worlds.
3. The German Capital
Up until the 20th century, Vienna was the largest German-speaking city in the world. Impressive.
4. Quality of Life
Looking for a happy, tranquil place to call home? Vienna is where you need to be.
Vienna is consistently ranked at the top of the list of best places to live in the world.
You can’t beat that level of happiness!
5. Odd Neighbors
Vienna has always been full of historic personalities. I mean, Beethoven, Mozart, Marie Antoinette-- the city is no stranger to the famous and powerful.
But it was freakishly full of historic figures during the early 20th century.
In 1913, Vienna was home to an array of now famous-- and infamous-- characters, including Sigmund Freud, Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, and Adolf Hitler.
In some cases, these men lived just streets away from one another, and they often frequented the same coffee houses.
It’s certainly hard to imagine.
6. Eco-friendly
If the environment matters to you (and it should!), you might want to pack your bags for Vienna right now.
They’re serious about working towards a healthy planet!
In 2014, Vienna adopted a ‘Smart City’ policy, which aims to have 50% of the city’s energy consumption come from renewable sources, as well as drastically limit the overall carbon emissions in the city, by 2050. Progressive!
7. Balls
Get your waltzing shoes ready!
Vienna’s elegant, 19th-century-style balls are still a central and important cultural highlights. This is especially true during Carnival, the city’s peak ball season in January and February.
With over 450 balls taking place each year, some with upwards of 9 different orchestras performing, Vienna’s balls-- and the opera singing that accompanies them--are certainly not to be missed.
In such an ancient and charming city bursting with character, there are always bound to be incredible, downright unbelievable facts to unearth. Vienna is clearly no exception.
Do you know any strange or interesting facts about Vienna? Tell us about them below!