Vienna¹ in figures:
Area:
|
414 km²
|
Population:
|
1.6 million
|
geogr. Location: |
Latitude: |
48.2° N |
| Longitude: |
16.2° E |
Altitude:
|
171 m ASL
|
Avg.
Temperature in the month of August:
|
mean value
19.7° C (= 67.4° F)
max 24.7° C (= 76.4° F)
min 14,7° C (= 58.4° F)
Amendment of July 2004:
until mid-July, the temp this summer remained some 3°C below average
|
Language:
|
German
|
Currency: |
Euro² (€) |
1 € = 100 Cent
(¢) |
| Electricity: |
220
V |
50
Hz |
Why Vienna?
There are many good reasons for inviting
the PA Convention to Vienna:
The tradition of Vienna as a major conference site dates back to the year 1815, when the city hosted the peace talks following the Napoleonic Wars ("Congress of Vienna").
Since then, Vienna has established itself as a prime international conference location and ranks among
favored destinations in the world, providing all the infrastructure and professionalism required to successfully organize a convention.
Vienna is clean, green and safe. PA members
and accompanying persons will feel at ease when discovering the many facets of this metropolis.
The "Global Competitiveness Yearbook" ranks Austria as number 1 for highest security and safety.
Since January 1st, 1995, Austria is a full member of the European Union.
Orientation in Vienna:
Like most of the
larger cities in
Europe, Vienna is located at a big river (the Danube) -- initially
Vienna has been a Roman settlement called Vindobona (where the Roman
Emperor Marcus Aurelius died in 180 A.D.).
The city has expanded considerably during the 19th and 20th
century resulting in new districts North of the Danube river. What
until the middle of 19th century used to be the Walled City
is now the first of Vienna's 23 districts, and the former walls gave
place to the "Ring" (Ringstrasse) where all the
famous
buildings are located, such as the Opera
House, the Parliament, the City
Hall, the "Burgtheater" (the former Imperial Theatre), the
Museum of Fine Arts and, vis-à-vis, the Museum of Natural History, and
many more. This "Inner City" has
recently been inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage Site to the UNESCO
World Heritage List. [Links open new windows.]
(See also the Section on "The
Imperial Heritage".)
[Click on picture to enlarge] |
There is, parallel to the Ring, another peripheral street called the
"Gürtel" (i.e. the Belt) running around the districts III
to IX that used to be independent villages until mid-19th
century, the time of the enlargement of the city. |
The 2nd district is, not unlike an island, located between the Danube
river and the Canal ("Donaukanal") which is another
distinctive geographical pattern.
View On-line Maps
Further useful
Information:
Vienna-Info
1
[Link opens a new
window.]
Vienna-Info
2
[Link opens a new
window.]
Views of Vienna
[Link opens a new
window.]
(See also the Section on Public
Transportation in Vienna)
Download
Vienna Videos
[Link opens a new window.]
Austria -- Map and Country Information
[Link opens a new window.]
Austria-Info
[Link opens a new
window.]
Austria -- Consular Information Sheet
[Link opens a new
window.]
Austria --
CIA Factbook
[Link opens a new
window.]
Passport & Visa Requirements
provided by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs
[Link opens a .doc-file in a new
window.
Text available in German only:
"Visum ja" = yes = visa required,
"Visum nein" = no = visa not required which applies to most
countries PA members come from.]
Download Visa Application form
[Link opens a .pdf-document in a new
window.]
1)
Compare the respective figures of the Republic of Austria:
area 83,858 km², population 8,1 million.
2)
Since the introduction of the Euro in January, 1999, the exchange rate
to the US $ oscillated between 1.1747 : 1
(highest) and 1 : 0.8225
(lowest). Right now (July 2002) the exchange rate happens to be
exactly 1 € = 1 $.
Anyway, this 1 : 1
rate may well serve as a rule of thumb.
Currency Converter
[link opens a new window.]
Amendment
dtd Feb, 2004: things have changed since this website was launched
first some two years ago and the above rule of thumb does no more apply.
Presently, 1 EUR = 1,25 US $ approx resulting in the unfortunate fact
that a convention held in Europe became more expensive for US citizens.
Anyway, this is not an Austrian issue, this is an issue of the European
Community. It ought not to be overlooked that 10 new members will
join the EC early this year, i. e. at the time of the PA convention the
same exchange rate will apply almost all over Europe - there will be no
more 'cheap' countries.
The VISA Credit Card
is the number 1 credit card in Austria, it is accepted widely, almost
everywhere (more than 80.000 VISA merchants and businesses in Austria,
the majority of them in Vienna), and other credit cards (MasterCard, American Express, etc.) are
popular, too.
Furthermore, there are
numerous automatic teller machines in Vienna where one can get cash on the VISA
Card, other Credit Cards, or the "Maestro" banker's
card.
|
