Vienna International Guide - Austrian Lifestyle, Travel, Arts, Culture

Get updated news about developments in Vienna's inter-cultural environment: lifestyle, travel destinations, art exhibitions, restaurant- & event-suggestions

UNESCO Celebrates "50 years of World Heritage - 30 Years of Ratification by the Republic of Austria".

At the invitation of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO, the celebrations of this year's double World Heritage anniversary took place. The motto of the event was "50 years of World Heritage - 30 years of ratification by the Republic of Austria" and took place in the historic Kursaal of the town of Baden near Vienna, itself part of the transnational World Heritage site "Great Spa Towns of Europe".

October 24, 2022

Austria's Richest Man Passed Away: What Happens to His Red Bull Imperium?

Dietrich Mateschitz passed away last weekend at the age of 78. The richest Austrian leaves behind a corporate empire and was considered one of the richest people in the world with an estimated fortune of over 27 billion US dollars.

October 24, 2022

Russian Organization in Austria Criticizes "Anti-Russian" Posters

The Coordination Council of the Organization of Russian Compatriots in Austria (KSORS) has condemned the appearance of "anti-Russian posters with unacceptable content" in Austria. The poster was on a building of the Angewandte in Vienna, the Applied Arts University. Russia is called a "terrorist state" on the poster.

October 23, 2022

Weekly Briefing: Former Austrian Chancellor Kurz Incriminated

The Find out more about this week's developments. Former ÖBAG head Thomas Schmid incriminates former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz before public prosecutors for corruption. Austria forges new partnerships with other states against illegal migration. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

October 20, 2022

Intercultural Achievement Awards 2022 Awarded by Austria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

For the 9th time, the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs presents the Intercultural Achievement Awards (IAA) to international and national projects. The award ceremony was opened by Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, at the Vienna Jazz Club Porgy & Bess.

October 18, 2022

Vienna Among Europe's Most Expensive Cities

Living in cities is expensive. A study by management consultants Mercer ranks the most expensive cities in the world. Vienna is ranked high as one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Read on if you want to know where life is most expensive.

October 18, 2022

Vienna Airport Affected by Eurowings Pilots' Strike

The strike by Eurowings pilots continues, and passengers in Vienna are also affected. After the strikes it has become known that already 18 flights have been canceled, will not be carried out tomorrow another 14 flights, the airport announced. Destinations in Germany such as Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne and Stuttgart are particularly affected.

October 17, 2022

Weekly Briefing: Reelection of President Van der Bellen

The Find out more about this week's developments. The Austrian president has been re-elected and diplomacy is in full swing in Vienna. Various diplomatic forums and conferences were held. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

October 13, 2022

Jewish Museum in Vienna Shows Political Acts of Contrition

The Jewish Museum Vienna is showing a video installation by film artist James T. Hong as the museum's first project to have more influence on social discourse. The exhibition "Apologies" displays apologies by heads of state for crimes approved or ordered by the state.

October 12, 2022

Three Austrian Universities Among the Top 200 in the World

Austrian universities are getting better. At least this can be read from the recently published "Times Higher Education Ranking", which compares almost 1,800 international universities annually. This year, a total of 3 Austrian universities reached the top 200, Austria's best result so far.

October 12, 2022

Austria's Economy Threatens to Fall Into Stagflation

After the recovery of the national economy in the previous year as well as in the first half of 2022, the Economic Research Institute and the Institute for Advanced Studies see Austria in a downturn phase. Stagflation is looming next year.

October 10, 2022

Weekly Briefing: Presidential Elections in Austria

The Find out more about this week's developments. In Austria, the presidential elections will be held on Sunday. There are new diplomatic and economic developments in Vienna. And there is new art in town! Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

October 6, 2022

What is the Role of the Office of the Federal President in the Austrian Political System?

This Sunday, eligible voters in Austria will elect the head of state of their country, the Federal President. But how exactly is the political role of the Federal President expressed in the Austrian political system? What is the story behind the office? Where exactly can the Republic of Austria be placed on the axis between Parliamentarism and Presidentialism? Read on to find out the answers!

October 6, 2022

Scrap Giant on Vienna's Schwarzenbergplatz as a Memorial Against Electronic Waste

In front of the Soviet Heroes Monument, a giant scrap metal statue stands six meters high on Vienna's Schwarzenbergplatz. An installation by German artist HA Schult was designed as a memorial against electronic waste.

October 5, 2022

Austrian Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics 2022

This year, the Nobel Prize for Physics goes to an Austrian, among others. Anton Zeilinger won the prize for his unique achievements in the field of quantum physics. The Frenchman Alain Aspect and the US-American John F. Clauser won together with him.

October 5, 2022

Austrian Foreign Ministry Issues Travel Warning for Iran

In response to the ongoing protests and their violent suppression by the Iranian authorities, Austria has temporarily issued a travel warning for Iran. The Foreign Ministry strongly recommends Austrians in Iran leave the country.

October 4, 2022

Vienna Rays of Hope "Lichtblicke" 2022 Opened

Until November 27, twelve Viennese locations will be transformed into so-called Chromotopia with white light lines and light images visible from afar. Under the artistic direction of Victoria Coeln, international artists are designing light interventions that can be seen in the evening and early morning hours and invite participation. For the first time, there will also be augmented reality, which will allow virtual light objects to float in the Chromotopia and merge with the light images.

October 2, 2022

Weekly Briefing: 66th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency

The Find out more about this week's developments. Diplomacy is working at full speed and is already preparing exciting glimpses of the fall. The IAEA is holding its 66th General Conference and there are new economic developments in Austria. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

September 29, 2022

Viennese Ball Season: Every Third Viennese Plans to Attend a Ball

The Viennese ball season is just around the corner and the Viennese people can hardly wait. According to a survey, a large part of the Viennese want to visit one of the many balls. After two years of uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers can look forward to a good season this year.

September 29, 2022

Natural History Museum Vienna Returns Bones of Members of the Māori and Moriori to New Zealand

Bones of members of the Māori and Moriori people were returned to Aotearoa, New Zealand, during a repatriation ceremony at the Natural History Museum in Vienna.

September 27, 2022

Number of Holiday Trips Back to Pre-Crisis Levels

To mark World Tourism Day, today we turn our attention to tourism in Austria. After the summer, the travel activity of the Austrian population was evaluated. The pleasing result: the Austrian population is travelling more again and is back at pre-crisis levels. Among others, this pleases the airport, which recorded an increase in passenger volume.

September 27, 2022

Schools in Austria on the Path to Become European Parliament Ambassador Schools

With a full-day kick-off event with European Parliament members Hannes Heide and Thomas Waitz at the House of the European Union in Vienna, teachers from 20 schools, started the Ambassador Schools Program of the European Parliament for the school year 2022/23.

September 26, 2022

European Cooperation with Austria's Educational Institutions

During an Erasmus+ networking meeting, the new European digital hub "European School Education Platform" was presented at a gala event. Furthermore, the European Innovative Teaching Awards (EITA) were awarded to three Austrian schools.

September 25, 2022

Weekly Briefing: New Ambassadors in Vienna

The Find out more about this week's developments. In Vienna, several new ambassadors were accredited, who will represent their respective countries bilaterally as well as multilaterally at the OSCE and the international organizations in Vienna. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

September 22, 2022

Global Wealth Report: Austrian Financial Wealth Increased

A new analysis of global wealth shows that private financial assets have increased internationally, but also in Austria. In this article you can find out how strongly Austria's economy has developed in recent years and how much the average Austrian has in his or her bank account.

September 21, 2022

Why do so Many Viennese Not Apply for Austrian Citizenship?

Austria has one of the highest proportions of foreigners in the European Union. A recently published study by the City of Vienna analyses the motivations of the many people without Austrian citizenship and explains why most of them prefer to keep their old citizenship.

September 20, 2022

Weekly Briefing: Bilateral Diplomacy in Vienna

The Find out more about this week's developments. Diplomacy is back from the summer break in Vienna. The bilateral relations in Vienna produced some meetings, demonstrating that diplomacy is always present in Vienna. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

September 15, 2022

Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Women's Museum Hittisau Launch Project "Calliope. Join the dots"

With "Calliope. Join the dots", the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Women's Museum Hittisau are launching a joint project that is intended to inspire as a platform for outstanding Austrian women, as well as to promote equality and renew Austria's image abroad.

September 14, 2022

11 Tips on How to Save Electricity in Winter

The Austrian government has set a goal to reduce its current electricity consumption by 11 percent. To accomplish this, the Austrian government recently presented 11 measures for private households.

September 14, 2022

Czech Embassy Opens New Exhibition "Das musische Wien"

A vernissage was held recently to open a special exhibition at the Czech Embassy in Vienna titled "Artistic Vienna".

September 14, 2022

Greece and Austria Plan Closer Cooperation in Tourism

During a meeting between Vassilis Kikilias, Greece's Tourism Minister, and Susanne Kraus-Winkler, Austria's State Secretary for Tourism, the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in tourism affairs.

September 13, 2022

Austria's Best Wines Are Awarded

One of the most famous Austrian wine competitions has tested 275 wines this year. SALON as the competition is called has chosen 21 of them as winners. For the first time, the wines were tasted and evaluated according to their origin and not by grape variety.

September 12, 2022

Japanese Embassy Celebrates the Anniversary of the City Twinning Between Tokyo and Vienna

During a recent ceremony, the 25th anniversary of the twinning between the 22nd district of Vienna (Donaustadt) and the Tokyo district of Arakawa was celebrated.

September 12, 2022

Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg Presents the Ars Electronica Award for Digital Humanity

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg presented the Ars Electronica Award for Digital Humanity at the annual Ars Electronica Festival. The award, initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2021, honors projects that demonstrate the importance of cultural exchange for the development of a society-oriented, digital world.

September 11, 2022

Weekly Briefing: Latest Developments in Diplomacy

The Find out more about this week's developments. Austrian policymakers are concerned with inflation and energy issues. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

September 8, 2022

Austria's Foreign Ministry Launches International Initiatives on the Topic of "Culture of the Future"

The 2022 Foreign Culture Conference on the theme of "Future Culture" was held in the Expedithalle of the Ankerbrot Factory in Vienna. It is primarily about eco-social, digital and ethical challenges and how these can be creatively solved with the help of art.

September 7, 2022

New School Year 2022/23 Starts in Vienna with New Challenges

The new school year begins in Vienna and eastern Austria. In addition to the Corona challenges and the energy crisis, which have almost become the norm, compulsory schooling for all Ukrainian children is now coming, and voices have already been heard that a shortage of teachers is imminent.

September 4, 2022

IWM’s Strategic Partnership Initiative with the ERSTE Foundation

With Europe's Futures - Ideas for Action, Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) and the ERSTE Foundation aim to understand and address challenges to democracy, rule of law and migratory pressures that threaten Europe and the European Union.

September 4, 2022

Cultural Diplomacy: Viennese Ladder to Heaven Will Shine in Münster, Germany

As already announced by the Austrian Ambassador in Berlin, Michael Linhart, on Twitter, the art installation by Billi Thanner known as Ladder to Heaven (Himmelsleiter) is now on display in Münster in Germany.

September 4, 2022

Weekly Briefing: IAEA Finally Sent Mission to Ukraine

The Find out more about this week's developments. The IAEA finally sent its mission to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and will build a continued presence at the nuclear site. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

September 1, 2022

Austrian Remembrance Service Turns 30

The Gedenkdienst or Austrian Remembrance Service is an Austrian voluntary service celebrating its 30th anniversary since its launch. The Gedenkdienst deals with the causes and consequences of National Socialism and its crimes in Austria and the world and tries to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust in a dignified way.

September 1, 2022

Vienna Humanities Festival at Vienna City Hall Focusing on Threats to Democracy and War in Ukraine

In this year's Vienna Humanities Festival, the theme is "The Age of Uncertainty – Zeitenwende" which focuses on the war in Ukraine and the crisis of democracy. The 25 lectures and talks will take place from 27.9.- 2.10. at Vienna City Hall.

August 28, 2022

Weekly Briefing: Latest Developments in and Around Diplomacy

The Find out more about this week's developments. Last week was turbulent for the most important matters of diplomacy in Vienna. The war in Ukraine, the European Forum Alpbach or the efforts of international organizations in Vienna towards peaceful solutions shows once again how multifaceted diplomacy is. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

August 25, 2022

Ars Electronica Festival 2022 on Art as a Theater of War

Together with the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ars Electronica's "Welcome to Planet B" festival offers artists who are threatened, persecuted and oppressed because of the political dimension of their works a space on its online platform entitled "State of the ART(ist)".

August 23, 2022

Low Satisfaction with Democracy in Austria

According to a survey called Democracy Radar by the Austrian Democracy Lab (ADL) of Danube University Krems and the University of Graz, Austrians' satisfaction with their democracy remains low. According to the ADL, only 61 percent of respondents believe that democracy in Austria functions very well or rather well.

August 22, 2022

Exhibition of the Biographies of Ukrainian Women in the House of Austrian History

The House of Austrian History (hdgö) presents the exhibition "My Voice Means Something", starting August 23. It focuses on the biographies of twelve Ukrainian women and their different ways of dealing with Russia's invasion.

August 22, 2022

Weekly Briefing: New Economic Developments

The Find out more about this week's developments. The war in Ukraine is also making itself increasingly felt in the Austrian economy. In Vienna, there are new developments in the day-to-day business of diplomacy. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

August 18, 2022

University of Vienna Hosts 13th International Finnougrist Congress

From August 21 to 26, 2022, the 13th International Finnougrist Congress, or CIFU (Congressus Internationalis Fenno-Ugristarum), will be held at the University of Vienna. It is the most important international event of Finno-Ugristics. More than 300 scholars from 19 countries will exchange ideas on current topics from linguistics to literature and cultural studies.

August 17, 2022

Austria Celebrates the UN Humanitarian Day

Today marks World Humanitarian Day. World Humanitarian Day, is celebrated to honour the many people who have lost their lives in the service of humanity, as well as those who, day after day, make the lives of others easier in emergency situations.

August 17, 2022

Embassy of Turkey in Vienna Participated in the Program "100 Jahre Bildung für Wien"

Yusuf Yıldız, Counsellor for Education of the Embassy of Turkey in Vienna participated in the program "Come together 100 years of education" organized by the Vienna Directorate of Education on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Vienna Directorate of Education.

August 16, 2022