News
How You Can Support Ukraine from Vienna
Below you will find ways you can help Ukraine, from offering accommodation to dropping off relief supplies or learning more about what you can do tha...
Books
Stefan Zweig, A Global Phenomenon
In this special exhibition, the Literaturmuseum explores how both Stefan Zweig and his stories travelled across the world.
City Life
5 European Christmas Traditions To Discover in Vienna
From sharing a royal cake to speaking with animals: Here are five European Christmas traditions to get you in the mood for holiday season!
News
Frustrations Explode Over COVID Measures
More than 40,000 took to the streets of Vienna on Saturday to protest the ongoing lockdown and the planned vaccine mandate.
Vienna News
The Latest News from Austria & Vienna: GDP in Austria Above Pre-crisis Level
All the latest news from Austria & Vienna – short, concise, and in English.
Long Reads
Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler Cancels Lobau Tunnel Construction Project
Vienna's controversial Lobau Tunnel project has been cancelled. While the mayor and others condemn the move, environmental activists rejoice.
Diplomacy
Austria (and Vienna) Have High Quality of Life But Unfriendly Locals: Expat Insider Survey
Every year, the InterNations' Expat Insider surveys thousands of expats all over the world, who score their new home countries across several categor...
News
New Polls: Majority of Austrians Against a Comeback for Chancellor Kurz
Two new polls show most Austrians don’t want Sebastian Kurz back in the federal chancellery – but the ÖVP base remains loyal.
Culture
3 Museums in Vienna You Can Go to for Free
Austria takes pride in its museums. While some only open their doors “gratis” on certain days, others even go so far as never charging.
News
The Best Halloween Events in Vienna for Adults
When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, 'tis near Halloween.
News
Spotlight on Afghanistan at Vienna Migration Conference
The sixth "Vienna Migration Conference" is all about migration partnerships and the focus of this years' discussions was Afghanistan.
News
Hollywood Star Matt Dillon at the 59th Viennale
od star Matt Dillon, who last caused shivers in Lars von Trier's "The House that Jack Built", is coming as a guest of honor.
Art
Vienna Is On OnlyFans: Our Cultural Capital Gets Naked
The Vienna Tourism Board keeps having artworks censored on social media. The solution? Now, Vienna is on OnlyFans.
Features
Practical Guide to Men’s Mental Health in Vienna
Each of us thrives on our social relationships, knowing our family is safe and healthy and having a routine and productive life. COVID-19 upended eac...
News
Alexander Schallenberg Sworn in as New Chancellor
Alexander Schallenberg (Conservative Party, VP) has been sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen as the new Chancellor of Austria.
General
ÖVP and Chancellor’s Offices Raided; Damning Texts Appear to Show Tabloid Was Paid to Run Falsified ...
Allegations are coming hard and fast in scandal already dubbed the “Ibiza of the ÖVP“: Chancellor Kurz and tabloid Österreich under extreme scrutiny
News
Finance Minister Gernot Blümel Defends Tax Reform
"This is supposed to be a positive incentive and not punishment", said Finance Minister Gernot Bluemel on television on Tuesday.
News
Signs of Live – Concerts and Fairs Return to Vienna’s Stadthalle
Austria’s largest indoor arena, the Wiener Stadthalle, re-opens for live acts and exhibitions under the 2G rule
News
“Red Box” Offers Free Tampons and Pads
Hit by "period poverty"? The Vienna pilot project "Red Box" seeks to offset the financial burden of menstrual hygiene on poor people.
General
At Noon Today, Fridays for Future Stage Climate Strikes Across Austria
Fridays for Future movements call for worldwide climate strikes. In Vienna, the demonstration is due to start at midday on Praterstern.
News
Officials Present Corona Regulations for Winter Tourism
The new Corona regulations for the winter season include few restrictions for those who are vaccinated or recovered – but decidedly tight controls for those who are not.
News
Households Pay More Than Economy for CO2 Emissions in Austria
The conservative People's Party (VP) and the Greens are currently discussing the eco-tax reform, which is aimed at reducing CO2 emissions. A CO2 tax ...
News
Clumsy Start to the School Year Angers Teachers and Parents
The corona pandemic continues to make itself felt keenly in schools. Problems with corona tests, hard-to-reach healthcare authorities, and poor communication with parents led to a rocky start of the new school year.
News
Visitor from Space: Kindberg Meteorite Found
A meteorite was found in Styria eight months after a green fireball descended over Austria. One of only eight-such discoveries for the country, the find will be displayed at Vienna’s Natural History Museum.
News
Mask Regulations in Vienna: Retail Staff Say They Are Not “Deputy Sheriffs”
Should sales employees be responsible for mask regulations in Vienna? For companies and unions, the planned regulation is unrealistic.
News
Austrian Economy Noticeably Improved in 2021, Experts Say
Coming out of the corona crisis, economists have adjusted the forecasts for the Austrian economy upwards for 2021 and 2022.
News
Donation Campaign Set Up After Murder of Two Viennese Women From Somalia
A 28-year-old man confessed to have murdered his ex-wife and current girlfriend in Vienna while intoxicated with alcohol.
Diplomacy
Iran to Give IAEA Access to Video Cameras in Nuclear Power Plants
The IAEA and the Iranian nuclear agency are making progress on monitoring the country’s nuclear program.
News
Vienna Tackles Long-Term Unemployment With Job Campaign
The City of Vienna and the AMS start a new initiative to bring unemployed people 50+ into employment.
Coronavirus
What the New Austrian School Year Brings
As students return to school across Austria, new rules aim to keep them safe. Here’s all you need to know about the coronavirus rules and what other innovations await pupils
Diplomacy
Afghan Ambassador to Austria: “This will set our country back a century.”
Editor’s note: A few days before Kabul fell to the Taliban, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Austria, Manizha Bakhtari, agreed to an interview with Metropole, answering pre-approved questions in writing, under the condition that none touched upon deportations.
News
MA 35 Official: “We don’t pick up the phones.”
Vienna’s MA 35 is responsible for immigration and citizenships. Now, an anonymous official has shared an account of how dysfunctional and gridlocked the office has become.
City Life
Guide to Vienna’s Beaches and Swimming Pools
It will be a summer like no other. This year due to Corona, many Viennese will opt to spend a good part of their holiday in the city. Lucky for us, there are few better places for relaxing in the shade and swimming in pools or rivers than Vienna.
General
Vienna & Austria Hit With Heavy Rainfall and Flooding
Downpours this past weekend caused floods across the country, leaving Hallein in Salzburg and Kufstein in Tyrol underwater. In the capital, more rain fell in an hour than in the
previous seven weeks together.
News
Vienna Set to Open New Business Immigration Office
A joint project of the City and the Vienna Business Agency, this new service point in the 1st district for qualified professionals moving to Austria is scheduled to open by Fall 2021.
News
The Pandemic Prompts Young People to Reclaim Public Spaces
After police dispersed a large gathering on Karlsplatz with riot gear, stakeholders seek to address the needs of Vienna’s youth.
News
Vienna Appoints Its First “Scooter Sheriffs”
In response to numerous complaints
about the rentable e-scooters, Vienna’s Economic Chamber is partnering with Lime to pilot a new initiative.
News
The Wiener Zeitung – Born By Decree, Buried By Bureaucrats
After 300 years of independent reporting, the world’s oldest newspaper is likely to fall victim to EU digital democracy.
News
New High-Speed Rail Train Connection Between the Austrian and German Capitals
From Vienna to Berlin in under five hours – the Via Vindobona is part of Europe’s bid to expand railway lines and reduce short-haul flights within the region.
News
Austria’s Grand Reopening Brings a Sigh of Relief
As lockdown measures were lifted last week, the economy and population enjoy a long-awaited taste of normalcy.
News
A Train Makes Waves
Taking the slow boat to Slovakia, an iconic Swiss railway passes Vienna on its long journey to a new life in Čierny Balog.
Politics
May Day Protest Turns Violent as Protesters and Police Clash at Votivpark
A Labor Day rally promoting feminism, climate change policy and anti-capitalism ended in several arrests and police violence.
City Life
5 New Vienna Hot Spots to Track Down Post-Lockdown
From a giant whale at the MQ to a stairway to heaven in Stephansdom, several surprising attractions await those re-entering city life.
News
“Bierwirt” Charged with Murdering Ex-Partner, Spurring Renewed Calls to Protect Women from Vio...
The recent murder in Vienna’s 20th district marks the ninth femicide in less than five months.
Recommended
Up & Away: Living and Working in Vienna as a Foreigner
The best companies today have to hire from within the globally mobile workforce, but the relocation process for international employees isn't always so straightforward.
Ad
Fintech at Vienna UP’21: A Tale of Virtual Coins and Unicorns
Austria's fintech sector has recorded exponential growth in the last five years, with new startups seemingly popping up every month. These fresh and innovative companies are rapidly becoming an integral part of the financial system.
Recommended
The Rising Cost of Living in the World’s Most Livable City
Rents for private housing in Vienna are becoming increasingly less affordable, a new TU study finds.
Recommended
Winter Season a Washout for Austrian Tourism
Ravaged by lockdowns, the hospitality sector pins its hopes on the coming summer and the adoption of the Green Pass.
Recommended
Burgenland to Build Austria’s Largest Wind Turbines
The project near Neusiedl am See is hailed as a major step toward carbon neutrality.
Ad
Biotech and Medtech at Vienna UP’21: Innovation That Saves Lives
Vienna is becoming an international hub for the health and life science industry, which generates €3.4 billion in revenue. At Vienna UP'21, meet the biotech and medtech players whose innovations save lives and transform public health
Features
‘Mein Kampf’ and the Troubling Artifacts of History
While formally illegal in Austria, finding 3rd Reich memorabilia in Viennese antique shops is relatively easy as the war generation passes away.
Features
Austrian Catholics Criticize the Vatican’s Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
Members of the Church are speaking out against the Vatican’s decision to bar priests from sanctifying homosexual unions.
Culture
Vienna’s Gartenbaukino Undergoes Extensive Renovation
Seeking to restore its 1960s allure, the iconic cinema is currently remodeling, partially financed by a cinephile crowdfunding campaign.
Coronavirus
Rudolf Anschober Resigns as Health Minister, Citing Exhaustion
After 15 months leading Austria’s response to the pandemic, the widely respected leader stepped down on April 13.
Ad
Creative Industries at Vienna UP’21: Where Art Meets Business
The creative industries are a leverage for the whole economy, making Austria’s creatives a competitive force on a global scale. At the innovation festival, Vienna UP'21, the sector and the people in it are front and center
Features
In Memoriam – Dr. Odette Jankowitsch-Prevor
An internationally renowned nuclear lawyer and pillar of key treaties on nuclear safety, she was “the best of Europe.”
Features
The Governing ÖVP Further Rocked by ÖBAG Scandal
Recovered chats reveal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Finance Minister Gernot Blümel’s involvement, previously denied, in the appointment of state holding CEO Thomas Schmid.
Coronavirus
“Osterruhe” in Vienna – Cooperation (Mostly) Holds as More Are Vaccinated
Public life has been halted once again by strict lockdown. But as numbers continue high, many question if the measures are really working.
Coronavirus
WKÖ and ÖGB Condemn “Easter Lockdown”
In a rare show of unity, the Austrian Economic Chambers and Trade Union Federation call the latest anti-COVID measures “not feasible” in a joint statement.
Features
5 Austrian Easter Traditions
Austrians make the most of their many religious holidays – here’s how they celebrate Holy Week.
Features
The Stadtpark – Vienna’s Living Room
As the weather improves but 'Kaffeehäuser' stay shuttered, the Viennese learn to love park life.
Features
Austria Introduces Its Own Homegrown Vaccine – Schnaps
DATELINE Vienna, April 1, 2021: Inländerrum, Obstler, Marillenbrand and Zirbenschnaps supposedly found just as effective as AstraZeneca – and so much tastier!
Features
To Speak or Not to Speak
A recent survey found that every second Austrian prefers staying silent over voicing an opinion.
Coronavirus
Every Viennese to Get Four Free PCR “Gargle” Tests Every Week
A major rollout initiated by the city government and the Wirtschaftskammer should ensure everyone can conduct PCR-tests from home
Culture
Who Was Anna Gottlieb?
Mozart’s Pamina is world famous, but the soprano who first breathed her to life has been forgotten.
Features
Erhard Busek – Lessons from Europe
March 25 marks the anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, as well as the birthday of the former Vice-Chancellor – an occasion to reflect on the European ideal.
Features
A Search for Faith
An in depth look into Vienna’s religious communities during the pandemic.
Features
Racism Complaints at Record High
The heightened debate has led to a surge in reported incidents of discrimination in 2020, with online harassment actually doubling.
Features
Vienna Welcomed 218 New International Businesses in 2020 Despite COVID-19
City officials remain optimistic as they try to find new ways to attract investors.
Features
Overwhelmed by Applications, the MA35 Improves Its Service
As the pandemic adds more strain to the system, Vienna’s immigration authority introduces new measures to combat delays.
Ad
Coaching Your Way Out of the Pandemic: Why Now Is the Best Time to Jump-Start Your Life
Vienna-based personal and professional development coach Dilek Süzal shares how coaching can get you back on track and achieve your goals.
Features
15 New German Words Coined for the Pandemic
Quarantine got your tongue? COVID-19 has left an indelible mark on language.
Coronavirus
Vaccination After a COVID-19 Infection – Yes or No?
Antibodies produced after a coronavirus infection offer some protection against future illness, but extra protection never hurts.
Features
British Citizens Living Abroad to Get “Votes for Life”
Long-term expats will regain the right to vote in UK general elections later this year – a reform preceded by years of campaigning.
Art
Joseph Beuys – Social Sculpture at Belvedere 21
A blockbuster exhibition celebrates the Fluxus artist’s 100th birthday, but offers only a fragmented view on his grand vision.
Features
In Memoriam – American Tenor Hannibal Means
Larger than life on Vienna stages, he was equally master of opera and jazz: “Walking is for losers,” he would say. “I’m gonna fly.”
Features
Despite the Pandemic, Immigration Continues
Even though borders were sealed as COVID-19 hit Europe, 2020 saw the Austrian population increase.
Features
7 Ways to Celebrate International Women’s Day
A chance to celebrate past achievements and promote gender equality, this year’s International Women’s day will mostly take place online – but with the third-largest gender pay gap in the EU, Austria has little to celebrate.
Politics
EU to Issue COVID-19 Vaccine Passport Amid Sluggish Rollout
The European Commission is working on a digital certificate that will enable free travel. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is an advocate, despite Austria’s slow inoculation rate.
Features
No More Hiding – Austria Set to Disclose State Information
If the measure passes, the Republic will dismantle its nearly 100-year-old Official Secrecy Laws – the last EU country to do so – and launch new measures increasing public insight into state operations.
Features
Survey – A Discouraged Public Gives Coalition Poor Marks
A year after the start of the pandemic, trust in the government has plummeted to new lows, as frustrations mount amid evidence of a new ÖVP scandal.
Coronavirus
Us & Them – Protecting Your Pets in the Pandemic
Animals are not the problem: Although this all began with a bat in a live wet market, coronaviruses rarely jump between species. And if so, it’s mostly from us to them.
Coronavirus
Dating During Lockdown
The global pandemic doesn’t just affect your physical health; solitude also poses a threat to a generation in isolation.
City Life
Preservation and the Platanus x acerifolia
In which Tree Number 1001 leaves the Café Eiles for the Justizpalast.
Coronavirus
Bavarian Borders, Tyrolean Tantrums
Concerns over virus mutations have led Germany to close its frontier to Tyrol, setting off traffic jams on the streets and brawls among top officials. Even Brussels has chimed in.
Coronavirus
The Vaccines – How They Work and Why We Can Trust Them
The Austrian vaccination program for SARS-CoV-2 is slowly but surely underway, but approximately one third would currently refuse inoculation.
Features
Lerncafés – A Place in the Coffeehouse to Study and Learn
Students of all ages and programs can find a quiet spot in some of Vienna’s traditional 'Kaffeehäuser' and the district 'Volkshochschulen.'
Features
A Hopeful Europe Gives Biden a Standing Ovation
Europeans are delighted by Donald Trump’s departure but the road ahead is bumpy. Can the Paris Accord reduce global warming? Can the Iran Nuclear Deal be resuscitated? Can NATO’s rudder be steadied? Europe hopes so. Biden does too.
City Life
Vienna’s Floral Extravaganza – a Selection of Fine Florists and Plant Shops
While spring is still only a yearning, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And in Vienna florists and plant shops in every neighborhood are ready to help you “Say it with flowers”!
Features
Nehammer’s Solutions Fall Short as Anti-Lockdown Demos Continue
10,000 maskless protestors marched on Sunday, Jan 31 against COVID-19
restrictions, despite a governmental ban.
Coronavirus
COVID Vaccine Acceptance Growing, Amid Fears and Protest
As inoculation continues, Austrians are increasingly receptive, while in Czechia and our CEE neighbors, high COVID infection rates are often accompanied by skepticism and widespread disinformation.
International
Klubrádió | Hungary Moves to Silence Last Major Critical Radio Broadcaster
Klubrádió faces being wiped off the airwaves in a matter of weeks, following a decision of Hungary’s media regulator, which was appointed by the ruling Fidesz party.
Features
Arbitrary Authorities & Police Violence – A Fearsome Deportation
In the night of January 27-28, two girls born in Austria were deported with their mother to Georgia. To the surprise of the authorities, dozens of demonstrators turned up, including some prominent faces. An eyewitness report.
Features
BioNTech: Stop Talking About Their ‘Migration Background’
What at first sounds like a compliment, in fact, builds a mental frame separating immigrants from everybody else, when such backgrounds have become a self-evident part of our lives.
Features
Construction Begins on Vienna’s New U5 Line
Set to open in 2026, excavated streets and squares will lead to traffic detours around the Rathaus and along the Alserstraße for some time to come.
Features
Austria Deports Children by Night, Triggering Outrage and Protests
Over the last few days, Austria’s immigration authorities have deported children from Lower Austria and Vienna to Armenia and Georgia. Most of them have spent the majority of their lives in Austria or were born here.
Politics
Waiting for ‘Willi’ – No-Show in Sigrid Maurer’s Suit Over Online Sexual Abuse
Pushing for clearer laws covering abuse on social media, Green Party leader Sigrid Maurer faces more delays and disingenuous.
Coronavirus
Pregnancy and COVID-19 – Greater Risks Call for Greater Care
Expectant women are particularly vulnerable to developing more severe cases of COVID-19. But it’s not all bad news.
Features
Bailing Out of London
Fleeing from the UK coronavirus mutation, journalist Daniel Harper documents his odyssey bussing with the Bulgarians back to Vienna. Fortuitous, yes, but the "scenic route" this was not.