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Vienna
(Wien) is a unique blend of the historic and the modern, so full of tradition
it can be read on the face of the city, yet with a forward-looking approach
that will surprise the visitor. Vienna's role as the seat of the Hapsburg
Empire for centuries can be seen in the wealth of architecture and in the
city's artistic and musical heritage. Many of the world's most important
composers, including Beethoven and Mozart, have lived and performed behind Vienna's
Baroque façades. In addition to this Baroque splendour, there are excellent
examples of the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture that also flourished
here.
The
fall of the Hapsburg Empire, at the end of World War I, allowed Vienna's
socialist undercurrents to come to the fore during the 'Red Vienna' period,
resulting in numerous social housing and other projects, which still play a
role in the city. Vienna's occupation by the Nazis and subsequent partitioning
by the four Allied powers tend to be forgotten, as the city instead focuses on
its post-war neutrality and the glittering remnants of its Imperial glory. This
seems to be reinforced by the image of older Viennese walking small dogs or
eating cakes in cafés but it ignores the energy of Vienna's alternative and
underground scenes, whose members react against the attachment to tradition in
a way similar to their Secessionist counterparts a century before.
Vienna
is divided into 23 Bezirke (districts). The original city that lay within the
protective walls comprises the First District of modern Vienna. The demolition
of the city walls led to the construction of the Ringstrasse and an impressive
parade of buildings along its length. The majority of the tourist attractions
lie on and within the Ringstrasse. Districts two to nine are arrayed between
the Ringstrasse and the concentric Gürtel (Belt). The other districts lie
beyond the Gürtel and extend into the foothills of the Wienerwald (Vienna
Woods), where Heurigen (wine taverns) and pretty villages are dotted among the
vineyards.
Vienna's
climate is generally moderate, although the city can experience heavy snowfalls
and low temperatures from December to March, as well as occasionally very high
temperatures in July and August. Summer, however, is usually comfortable with
an average daily temperature of 20°C, although heavy thundershowers are likely.
The
city is not only the capital of Austria but also a federal province as well,
surrounded by Niederösterreich (Lower Austria). Vienna's location on the
east-west trade route along the River Danube played an important part in its
history – an empire that once covered a large part of Europe was ruled from
here. Even today, Vienna is the financial and administrative capital of Austria
and home to a number of international organisations, including the United
Nations. And with the fall of Communism, Vienna is once again at the centre of
Europe.
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