Vienna is the capital and the heart of Austria, and is also one of the nine states of Austria. It lies in eastern Austria, at the easternmost extension of the Alps in the Vienna Basin.  Vienna is Austria's primary city; with a population of about 1.7 million, it is by far the largest city in Austria as well as its cultural, economic, and political center. Previously the city was surrounded by a wall but later it was removed in 1857.Instead of the wall now the street of Vienna is there and is known as "Ringstrasse". Being the place where the spirit of Austria's biggest history is still alive, the city is composed of 23 districts.

 Vienna is the 10th largest city by population in the European Union and was listed by Mercer Human Resource Consulting as having the 2nd highest quality of living as of 2008. Vienna is host to many major international organizations such as the United Nations and OPEC. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

Art and culture have a long tradition in Vienna, including theater, opera, classical music and fine arts. The Burgtheater is considered one of the best theaters in the German-speaking world alongside its branch, the Akademietheater. The Volkstheater Wien and the Theater in der Josefstadt also enjoy good reputations.

Vienna is also home to a number of opera houses, including the Staatsoper and the Volksoper, the latter being devoted to the typical Viennese operetta. Classical concerts are performed at well known venues such as the Wiener Musikverein, home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Wiener Konzerthaus.

A number of museums are located in the Museumsquartier, the former Imperial Stalls which were converted into a museum complex in the 1990s. It houses the Museum of Modern Art, the Leopold Museum additional halls with feature exhibitions and the Tanzquartier. The Liechtenstein Palace contains one of the world's largest private art collections. There are a multitude of other museums in Vienna, including the Military History Museum, the Technical Museum, the Vienna Clock Museum and the Burial Museum.

Vienna possesses many park facilities some of which are the Stadtpark, the Burggarten, the Volksgarten, the Schloßpark at Schloss Belvedere, the Donaupark, the Schönbrunner Schlosspark, the Prater, the Augarten, the Rathauspark, and the Lainzer Tiergarten.