About the city of Vienna

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 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.

The city is not only the capital of Austria but also a federal province, 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.

Wien.at-Official government website