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German in Vienna

Most people visit Vienna with a vivid image of the city in their minds: a monumental vision of Habsburg palaces, trotting white horses, old ladies in fur coats and mountains of fat cream cakes. And they're unlikely to be disappointed, for the city positively feeds off imperial nostalgia - High Baroque churches and aristocratic mansions pepper the Innere Stadt, monumental projects from the late nineteenth century line the Ringstrasse, and postcards of the Emperor Franz-Josef and his beautiful wife Elisabeth still sell by the sackful.

About Vienna

Given the city's twentieth-century history, it's hardly surprising that the Viennese are as keen as anyone to continue plugging the good old days. The visual scars from this turbulent history are comparatively light - even Hitler's sinister wartime Flacktürme (anti-aircraft towers) are confined to the suburbs - though the destruction of the city's enormous Jewish community, the driving force behind the city's fin-de-siècle culture, is a wound that has proved harder to heal. The city has struggled since to live up to the glorious achievements of its past, and has failed to shake off a reputation for xenophobia. Yet for all its problems, Vienna is still an inspiring city to visit, with one of the world's greatest art collections in the Kunsthistorisches Museum , world-class orchestras and a superb architectural heritage. It's also an eminently civilized place, clean, safe (for the most part) and peopled by citizens who do their best to live up to their reputation for Gemütlichkeit , or "cosiness". And despite its ageing population, it's also a city with a lively nightlife, with plenty of late-opening Musikcafés and drinking holes. Even Vienna's restaurants, long famous for quantity over quality, have discovered more innovative ways of cooking and are now supplemented by a wide range of ethnic restaurants.

Most first-time visitors spend the majority of their time in Vienna's central district, the Innere Stadt . Retaining much of its labyrinthine street layout, it's the city's main commercial district, packed with shops, cafés and restaurants. The chief sight here is the Stephansdom , Vienna's finest Gothic edifice, standing at the district's pedestrianized centre. Tucked into the southwest corner of the Innere Stadt is the Hofburg , the former imperial palace and seat of the Habsburgs, now housing a whole host of museums, the best of which is the Schatzkammer, home to the crown jewels.

The old fortifications enclosing the Innere Stadt were torn down in 1857, and over the next three decades gradually replaced by a showpiece boulevard called the Ringstrasse . Nowadays, the Ringstrasse is used and abused by cars and buses as a ring road, though it's still punctuated with the most grandiose public buildings of late-imperial Vienna, one of which is home to the city's new cultural centre, the Museumsquartier , and another of which houses the famous Kunsthistorisches Museum . Beyond the Ringstrasse lie Vienna's seven Vorstädte , or inner suburbs, whose outer boundary is marked by the traffic-clogged Gürtel (literally "belt"), or ring road. The highlight out here is the Belvedere , where you can see a wealth of paintings by Austria's pre-eminent trio of modern artists - Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka - followed by the Prater , east of the Danube Canal, with its famous Ferris wheel and funfair. On the whole, there's little reason to venture beyond the Gürtel into the Vororte , or outer suburbs, except to visit Schönbrunn , the Habsburgs' former summer residence, a masterpiece of Rococo excess and an absolute must if only for the wonderful gardens.

Vienna

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Reasons to learn German in Vienna

City of art and culture: Imperial sights, art treasures in numerous museums and art collections, a packed cultural calendar, a long tradition of music, excellent theatres and concerts cater to a diverse and international audience.

City of music: Vienna has been synonymous with music for centuries, and was home to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Johann Strauss. With the 'Wiener Philharmoniker', one of the world's top orchestras, the international award-winners of the Vienna Conservatorium and a lively young music scene this outstanding tradition has been preserved to the present day.

High overall quality of life: Along with Zurich and Vancouver, Vienna takes pole position in a worldwide survey of quality of life in 215 cities.

Good price level: Restaurants, groceries, entrance fees, bars and coffee shops are often very low-priced. Vienna is a treat.

Security: Vienna is one of the safest capitals in the world and is probably safer than average small-town America. An excellent public transport network of underground trains, trams and buses carries you quickly and safely to your destination from early morning until late at night.

Moderate and mild climate: Vienna is a year-round location. Average summer temperatures 20°C to 30°C, average winter temperatures around 0°C.

The German School in Vienna

Since opening in 1988, the school has already gained a world-wide reputation as a language school with a successful range of courses, an ideal learning environment and modern teaching equipment.

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German classes

The school offers top standards of language tuition combined with an attractive leisure programme and outstanding accommodation with host families, in apartments or in student residences.

Read more about the school

German courses offered in Vienna:
» Business German Course (30+5)
» Intensive German Course (20+5)
» One to One German Courses (10, 20 or 30)
» Superintensive German Course (30+5)

Read about our accommodation options in Vienna

Make the most of your time in the Austrian capital by renting one of the many Vienna apartments located all around the city. Staying in an apartment will allow you to live and communicate like a local and discover the beauty of Vienna.