Vienna and Austria Today
One of the great European capitals, Vienna was for centuries the stomping ground of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The empire is long gone, but reminders have been carefully preserved by the tradition-loving Viennese. And while time seems to stand still in vast Baroque and Rococo palaces, splendid cafes, and churches and halls resounding with the famous strains of the artistic geniuses nourished here–-Strauss, Schubert, Mozart, and Beethoven, Austria’s capital is no period film set. The city is home to just under 2 million people, who live and work in a modern city that is often hidden from the visitor's first glance. Electroswing and heavy metal are both popular in clubs; cocktails are edging into the centuries-old beer culture and pristine buildings are now filled with elaborate street art, though not all of it is authorized. A small street art passage can be found in the MuseumsQuartier.
Almost two-thirds of Austria is covered by mountains, making Vienna, which qualifies as a region, a bit distinct from the rest of the country. Over one in five Austrians live in Vienna, making the rest of the country rather sparsely populated by comparison. Graz, the second-largest city in Austria, has been growing rapidly into a smart city and tech hub, due to the number of students and young grads there.
Still Winning on Living
According to an annual index compiled by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the Austrian capital was named the most liveable city in the world in 2019 and 2020, and has consistently ranked in the top five since 2015. On the EIU’s index, which ranks 140 cities on 30 factors bunched into five categories—stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure—Vienna scores a near-perfect 99.1 out of 100. The Mercer Quality of Life Index, focused on professional relocation, has ranked Vienna at number one for 10 years in a row for many of the same reasons. You don’t have to be a local to benefit from the clean air, low crime rate, and cheap, reliable public transport that comes with this ranking.
But The Subway Smells Like a Subway
Like many cities, Vienna has been promoting public transit to reduce pollution from vehicles and reduce traffic congestion. And like all major cities, at peak times, the metro here can get crowded and a little stale, especially when the temperatures pick up. During the summer of 2019, Wiener Linien, the company that runs the city’s U-Bahn subway system, conducted an experiment to infuse the underground air with pleasing scents to improve ride quality. Green tea, grapefruit, sandalwood, and melon were piped through the train system for several months but the public turned up their noses to the perfumed trains, preferring an au naturale commute.
Music
Austria is synonymous with classical music almost to the point of obsession; therefore, changes in the musical landscape often take time. After more than 500 years in existence, the famed Vienna Boys' Choir only received their first theater all to themselves in 2012: the 400-seat MuTh (Music & Theater) concert hall, where classical enthusiasts can hear this world-renowned choir, founded in 1498 by Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I, perform music by Mozart, Schubert, and more. The theater mixes Baroque and contemporary architecture enriched with distinctive seating and panels to create some of the best acoustics in Vienna. In addition to calling on MuTh, classical devotees can listen to music (free in many cases) at Vienna's often overlooked University of Music and Performing Arts, where students from across the globe come to study.
Perhaps more than any other genre except for Austria's beloved classical, electronic music has grabbed national—and, increasingly, international—attention. Since the 1990s when Austrian duo Kruder & Dorfmeister began popularizing downtempo, which is more mellow than house or trance, Vienna has been the unofficial international capital of the cozy groove genre; visitors will find it playing in clubs, bars, and cafés throughout the city. Popular techno lounges frequently change up their playlists to keep things fresh for eager crowds, while more and more outdoor parties like the aptly named Kein Sonntag ohne Techno (No Sunday Without Techno) dot the city's new musical terrain. Record stores are also filled with electronic music produced by small labels, which have helped fuel the movement. Beyond Vienna, the Ars Electronica Festival, held every September in the northern city of Linz, focuses on digital culture with the final day devoted to electronic music, while the southeastern city of Graz—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—hosts the urban electronic arts and music Springfestival in May, drawing international crowds that bear witness to the growing popularity of electronica.
A Changing Skyline
Vienna may be known for its opulent and imposing imperial palaces and its Gothic, Romanesque, Art Nouveau, and Jugendstil residential buildings and stores, but a bold and innovative new Vienna has been emerging over the past decade, with assertive statements of modern architecture expanding on the somewhat conservative skyscrapers of the 2000s. The city’s tallest building, the DC Tower opened in 2014 and features a cascading façade that reflects the neighboring Danube river. The sister DC Tower 2 will be the city’s fourth-tallest building and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023.
Schools, hotels, restaurants, and malls across Vienna are now shifting to a more modern or even post-modern look. The Hotel Topazz by BWM Architekten und Partner, completed in 2012, boasts elliptical windows and a gemlike polished facade. Completed in 2013, the Library and Learning Centre University of Economics Vienna by Zaha Hadid Architects is a sharp futuristic polygonal block that juts out over a plaza, with an interior reminiscent of a sci-fi spaceship. The Steirereck Restaurant, expanded in 2014, uses mirror-covered wooden pavilions with large windows to reflect the surrounding park and create a unique experience inside and out. Italian star architect, Renzo Piano's Parkapartments am Belvedere, completed in 2018, thrust high into the sky on daring-looking stilts to dominate the skyline from afar. The sleek and modern Wien Mitte The Mall, Vienna's largest shopping center, is just minutes from St. Stephen's Cathedral in the heart of the city and its generously dimensioned urban figure marks present-day Vienna in direct dialogue with the historic core.
Food
Austrian cuisine, like that of some of its neighbors, has long been heavy on the Wiener Schnitzel (breaded and deep fried veal), Tafelsptiz (boiled beef in broth), Leberknödel(spiced, boiled beef-liver), and Fiedermaus (pork), but it's not all meat and potatoes here. An influx of immigrants and more environmentally aware younger generations means the restaurant scene has become more inventive in recent years and many of the new entries focus on vegan or vegetarian food, sustainable practices, and less traditional experiences.
Modern Coffee Culture
Since 2011, the traditional Viennese coffeehouse culture has been classified an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Traditional coffeehouses are local institutions and lingering in one for an afternoon is an essential experience on a visit to Vienna. That said, the art of coffee hasn't stood still in Vienna. Modern iterations of the typical Viennese cafe are popping up constantly to enrich the tradition with contemporary style and innovation. While traditional cafes focus on the culture of taking coffee, these new cafes focus more on the art of coffee-making. Specialty cafes to look for include Gebrüder Gepp, a combination cafe, cake shop, and hairdresser (with a focus on sustainability) run by three brothers–-each with his own specialty. The pretty Balthazar Kaffee Bar in the 2nd District run by Otto Bayer, a former star chef from Tyrol, offers everything from slowly filtered to finely aerated flat whites. Perhaps, old meets new best in Supersense on Vienna’s Praterstrasse, the mother of all concept coffeeshops. You'll find great coffee, eclectic furnishings and decor, live music, art shows, and more, all in a stunning building styled after a Venetian palace.
What's New?
Vienna’s latest addition to the museum scene, the Albertina Modern opened its doors in March 2020. The Albertina Modern, an annex of the world-famous Albertina a few blocks away, occupies the fully refurbished Künstlerhaus on Karlsplatz. The Künstlerhaus was built in 1868, and underwent a three-year renovation to bring it back to its original glory inside and out. Murals and period terrazzo flooring were restored to create a magnificent space worthy of the most important collections of Austrian art after 1945.
The Sigmund Freud Museum reopened in late 2020 after 18 months of renovations. The building, where the famed psychiatrist worked and created his most famous works for almost half a century, has been expanded to include all of Freud's private rooms as well as his original consultation room for the first time.
Vienna International Airport is undergoing a €500 million expansion and facelift. Pre-COVID-19, the airport was handling a record 31.7 million passengers, making it one of Europe’s busiest airports. Works include a Southern Enlargement project, scheduled for completion in 2023, which will offer passengers a more luxurious experience and more space to linger, shop, and eat. In the long term, another runway is planned though that has met with opposition from locals.
