Vienna is the federal capital, largest city and one of nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria’s primate city, with a population of about 1.9 million. It is the 7th-largest city by population within city limits in the European Union. Today, it has the second largest number of German speakers after Berlin. Vienna is host to many major international organizations, including the United Nations and OPEC. The city is located in the eastern part of Austria and is close to the borders of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Vienna is known for its high quality of life. In a 2005 study of 127 world cities, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked the city first (in a tie with Vancouver and San Francisco) for the world’s most liveable cities. Vienna continues to attract visitors with its many great historical sightseeing opportunities, its fabled collections of art, glittering palaces, and exceptional musical heritage that's still carried on in concert halls and one of the world's great opera houses.

With an unmistakably cosmopolitan atmosphere, Vienna retains a distinctive charm and flair, accentuated by its fine old architecture, its famous horse-cabs (Fiaker), as well as its splendid coffee houses with their Viennese cakes and pastries.