In the city of Vienna, Austria

 “The Congress of Vienna does not walk, but it dances.”

-- Michel, 14th Prince of Ligne
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(in Austria, at the easternmost extension of the Alps in the Vienna Basin) The city of Vienna lies in the northeastern corner of Austria, between the foothills of the Alps and the Carpathians, where the Danube, Europe’s second longest river, has cut its course through the mountains. The city is situated alongside the river, most of it on the right bank. The Vienna basin was a nodal point of ancient trade and military routes. It linked north and south along the “amber route” that ran southward from the Baltic Sea and linked east and west along the Danube. Strategically, Vienna dominates the surrounding regions, which include sections of Austria’s border with Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.

+ The capital, largest city, and one of Austria's nine states, Vienna is this country's cultural, economic, and political center. It is the 5th-largest city proper by population in the European Union, and the largest of all cities on the Danube river. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Vienna was the largest German-speaking city in the world, and before the splitting of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I, the city had two million inhabitants. Today, it is the second-largest German-speaking city after Berlin. Vienna is host to many major international organizations, including the United Nations, OPEC, and the OSCE. Along with nearby Bratislava, Vienna forms a metropolitan region with 3 million inhabitants. In 2001, the city center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vienna is also known as the "City of Music" due to its musical legacy, as many famous classical musicians such as Beethoven and Mozart called Vienna home. Vienna is also said to be the "City of Dreams" because it was home to the world's first psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud. The historic center of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque palaces and gardens, and the late-19th-century Ringstrasse lined with grand buildings, parks, and monuments. It is easy to enjoy the green of springtime in Vienna; green spaces account for half of the urban area. These include parks and gardens as well as the large recreational areas in and around the city.

+ Museums filled with masterpieces, brilliant baroque streetscapes, great palaces and epicurean delights, make Vienna is a must-see destination. Now with street art, craft beer brewing, and summer "beach bars, contemporary Vienna continues to flourish as a creative cultural hub. The Volksgarten Park (shown here) is located on the Ringstrasse and is laid out in the French Baroque style and in the form of an English park. It also has a rose garden with over 3,000 rose bushes of more than 200 different varieties. The Burggarten is situated on the Ringstrasse and is laid out in the English style. It is also home to the Palm House, one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau glasshouses built according to designs by Friedrich Ohmann.