5 Things You Don't Know About Vienna, Austria

By Maggie Childs & Dardis McNamee

The Viennese are notorious for grousing about, well, everything, but especially about Vienna. The Austrian comic Christoph Fälbl once noted "You can only grouse about things you truly love" and in truth the Viennese are secretly proud. While Vienna has won numerous prizes for being the city with the best quality of life (Mercer Study 2010) or being the most sustainable city in the world (2010), the Viennese never forget that there is room for improvement. Don't let this bother you as you enjoy the city's charm, beauty and cleanliness, and while the Euro may be expensive, prices in Vienna will be a relief compared to other European capitals.

Photo Caption: Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. Photo by C.L./Frommers.com Community

Felicitas Matern

1. Vienna has the highest concentration of spies of any capital city

Vienna's post-World War II history of competition between former allies and its geographical proximity to the Iron Curtain made it the perfect place for rivals to keep an eye on each other during the Cold War. Today, with organizations like OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), and OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), Vienna remains full of diplomats and intelligence operatives. Austria is still considered the country with the highest density of foreign intelligence operatives in the world. For a great look into the post-WWII espionage scene, check out the Graham Greene classic The Third Man. If you have time during a visit to the city, catch the movie tour (www.drittemanntour.at/en) for a great and non-conventional way to discover the city.

Photo Caption: "The Third Man" sewer tour in Vienna, Austria.

Frommers.com Community

2. Vienna's public transit system is based on trust

The Viennese are a comfort-loving people, and the public transport system (Wiener Linien) is a clean, fast and tightly woven net of subways, streetcars, buses, and trains which gets you anywhere around the city in less than half an hour. Tickets are reasonably priced and obligatory, however you'll find no turnstile or conductor to check them. The system runs on trust and once in a while there will be random checks, however, mostly it's an unspoken agreement. So do buy a ticket and enjoy the whole city for next to nothing. On weekends, the subway runs all night.

Photo Caption: Trams in Vienna. Photo by Carolyn 72/Frommers.com Community.

Mr. G's Travels

3. The local wine is really local and stays local

Boasting over 1,700 acres of vineyards within the city limits, Vienna is the only city in the world with significant local winegrowing. The countless Heuriger or wine-taverns speckle the 13th, 14th, 18th and 19th districts and each is attached to its own vineyard. The Viennese see no reason for the local wine to stray far from home and therefore export little to none of each year's harvest.

Photo Caption: Vineyard just outside Vienna, Austria. Photo by Mr. G's Travels/Flickr.com.

ComunicaTI

4. Much of Vienna is cozy and low-key -- no stiff collar required

The MuseumsQuartier (MQ for short) is one of the ten largest cultural complexes in the world and it's celebrating its 10th anniversary up through the end of 2011 (check out events at www.mq.at). It has become a much-loved urban oasis with cafes, restaurants and bars, where you can also just relax in the lawn chairs with locals and put up your feet. This is just one of the many outdoor areas where you can relax on a summer day or sip Glühwein (mulled wine) in the winter.

Photo Caption: MuseumsQuartier (MQ) in Vienna, Austria. Photo by ComunicaTI/Flickr.com.

ma jump

5. Vienna's airport is a blessing for layovers