VIENNA, one of Austria’s nine states, is also its capital.
The city is easy enough to get around and also quite compact, meaning many of the premier attractions can be visited on foot, says Susan Mourer, a senior travel guide in the capital.
It has a population of about 1.7 million (2.2 million within the metro area), and is by far the largest city in Austria as well as its cultural, econ-omic and political centre.
Vienna lies in the south-eastern corner of Central Europe and is close to Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Austria has numerous border crossings to its neighbouring countries. Border crossings to Hungary, the Czech republic and Slovenia can be congested at the beginning of national holidays.
People from African/ Arabian/ Asian countries as well as people from the CIS states generally require a visa to visit Austria.