Vienna’s Liveability: What’s in a Beloved City?
Nowadays, where we decide to live or ‘settle down’ can be influenced by so many factors: work and study opportunities, family, citizenship, cost of living, dream inspiration from TV shows and movies… you name it. It might not involve a decision at all due to personal circumstances or professional relocation. Whatever it may be, it just so happens that at 14 the joint decision to move to Vienna with my mom proved to be a fruitful outcome (despite the adjustment stage) and I was lucky to spend my high school years in a beautiful city. Here are the top three things I love most about this city, and that never get old for locals and tourists alike, or if you’re a bit of both like me:
1.The Architecture
In the northeastern point of Austria lies the formerly imperial capital. Indeed, the architecture is what is most telling of the country’s grand history. The former imperial palaces of the Hofburg, Belvedere and Schönbrunn are sure to remain impressive no matter how long you’ve lived in Vienna, but what I find wonderful is how you can also stroll around in districts outside the city and be equally amazed by your surroundings. It’s not just the city centre that’s dazzlingly beautiful,and it makes your walks super pleasant.
2.Viennese Cuisine
Although many foodsare named after cities (think Buffalo wings or California roll) did you know that Vienna is the only city in the world with an official cuisine named after it? Viennese cuisine however is not limited to Austrian influence, and similar dishes can be found in places such as Bohemia, Bavaria and Northern Italy. Not to mention, the story goes that the 1683 Siege of Vienna ‘accidentally’ introduced coffee to Vienna, but I’ll leave you to your historical research if you want to know more! The traditional Viennese coffee houses spread across the city are rooted in tradition, but attract people from all walks of life, including visitors wishing to experience the iconic environment. Places such as Cafe Sperl and Cafe Hawelka serve delicious Apfelstrudel, Sachertorte and Marillenknödel, and it always feels like an experience where you step back in time.
3.The Public Transport System
Vienna’s public transport system is unique as it is one of the few that relies on the honesty of its population to pay their fare – there are no ticket barriers in subways, trams or buses. When there is the rare ticket control though, there is a costly fine if you don’t have a valid ticket to show. The affordable and flexible means of transport allow you to travel unlimited on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, which makes it very accessible and cost-effective to travel between districts, much cheaper than London’s TfL for instance. The city I sometimes nickname the ‘perfect’ city because of its cleanliness, greenery, accessibility, culture (and much more) surprisingly is not dystopian with its qualities, but is rather a lovely example of what it looks like when a city invests in its people. So, rather than trying to convince anyone to move to Vienna, I just wanted to use Vienna as a fun and conveniently familiar case study to explore the liveability index and what that means. Is there a city you think should make this year’s liveability index list?
<p>The post Vienna’s Liveability: What’s in a Beloved City? first appeared on Her Campus.</p>
