Why Vienna Was Named The World's Best Place To Live
Vienna has a thriving music and nightlife culture beneath the subway between the Thaliastrasse and Nussdorferstrasse stations with famous clubs like Chelsea and the Rhiz bar.
Its residents have access to a ton of shopping options, including one of the best flea markets in Europe — the Flohmarkt — with plenty of gems hidden among the piles of goods.
Source: The Lonely Planet
There's also the fashion-forward 7th district of Neubau that includes the MuseumsQuartier Wien. Made up of museums, concert halls, and a theater, it was constructed from the original Hapsburg stables.
Source: MuseumsQuartier Wien and Travel + Leisure
Though Vienna has a ton of global food options, its best known for its traditional Viennese fare. The restaurant Steirereck in particular is a hotspot for its selection of Viennese cheeses.
Source: The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants
Viennese cafes are legendary, claiming to have invented the process of filtering coffee in 1683. The traditional Viennese coffee is two shots of espresso mixed with whipped cream instead of milk.
Source: Wien.gv.at
Vienna residents are also surrounded by some of the world's most beautiful architecture, ranging from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period. The city was even designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Source: UNESCO
Vienna is one of the last European cities to hold carnival balls, and hosts over 450 per year in its palaces that the Viennese people may attend.
Source: Wien.gv.at
In the winter, the Viennese can go to Wiener Eistraum ("Vienna Ice World"), a gorgeous 75,000-square-foot ice skating rink located in the City Hall Square.
Source: Wien.gv.at
The quality of the Austrian police force is said to be comparable in training, efficiency, and expertise to most U.S. cities. And it really shows — Austria has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe.
Source: U.S. Department of State and OSAC
There are over 150,000 public university students in Vienna, and almost 3,000 students of private universities, making it the European-equivalent of a fun college town.
Source: City of Vienna
Austrians can vote when they are only 16 years old, and drink when they are 18 (or 16 depending on the alcohol content of the beverage).
Source: CIA World Factbook
Vienna has a high level of public utilities and transportation facilities, with almost 4,500 stations serving Vienna's daily commuters.
Source: City of Vienna
Austria is a stable democracy with extremely low potential for war or civil unrest. Though political demonstrations do occur (especially in Vienna), they are peaceful.
Source: OSAC
Vienna is a central European city and meeting point, hosting more international congresses than any other world city (a total of 181 in 2011). As a result, Viennese culture is extremely liberal and open-minded.
Source: City of Vienna
Vienna is known as the City of Music due to its music culture and the world-famous classical composers — including Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, and Brahms — who have all lived there.
Source: UNESCO and Wien.gv.at
The Viennese have access to the world's oldest zoo from 1752 in Schönbrunn Palace, with over 500 types of animals including giant pandas, Siberian tigers, orangutans, and elephants.
Source: Zoo Vienna
Vienna is the only world capital with its own vineyards within city limits. The traditional Austrian wine is served in designated taverns throughout the city (usually as a spritzer).
Source: BBC
Vienna is known for its city planning, and was even awarded the prestigious 2010 Scroll of Honour from the United Nations for reducing its sub-standard housing to less than 9 percent.
Source: UN Habitat
The Viennese can view the Emerald Unguentarium, the largest emerald in the world at 2,860 carets, in Vienna's Imperial Treasury.
Source: Austria.info
Or they can eat and drink inside one of the 15 surviving gondolas on the world's oldest Ferris wheels, the Riesenrad, built in 1897.
Source: Wiener Riesenrad
Vienna may have the highest quality of life, but what about the most expensive?
Popular Right Now
Popular Keywords
Advertisement