Vienna

Vienna (German: Wien) is the capital of Austria. With 1,600,000 inhabitants, it's by far the biggest city of Austria - Graz (population: 250,000) comes second. The Danube flows through Vienna.

First settled by the Celts around 500 B.C., Vienna was an important settlement in the Roman Empire, which called it Vindobona. By the 16th century, it was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by the Hapsburg dynasty, which continued to reign into the early years of the 20th-century. In the "Anschluss" of 1938, Vienna capitulated under control of the Third Reich. After WWII, the city was occupied by the Soviets for three years. Since 1948, Vienna has been the capital of the Republic of Austria.

It has one of the richest cultural histories of any city in Europe, with a particularly impressive musical tradition - the First Viennese School of composers consisted of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, whilst the waltzes of Johann Strauss Jr. came to epitomize the city.

Today, Vienna is home to several important international organizations: the United Nations, OPEC, and the International Atomic Energy Association.

Amongst its most impressive landmarks are the St. Stephen's Cathedral.