The City of Vienna is located in north-eastern Austria at the Danube River. It lies close to the borders to Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The nearest major city is Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Vienna has about two million inhabitants. It is the cultural, economic and political centre of Austria.

Vienna is known for its cultural heritage, including theatre, opera, classic music and fine arts. It has a number of opera houses. The most famous one is the Vienna State Opera, where the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performs. Vienna is a “green” city. About 50 percent of the city’s areas are park facilities. One of the most famous parks is Schönbrunn, which includes the world’s oldest zoo.

As an old university town it has always been a city of knowledge and research. Nine universities, five colleges and more than 900 research institutes guarantee for a diversity of research.

More than 60 museums, agencies and education facilities offer science communication services, activities and exhibits for all ages.

The city of Vienna is very active in the communication of research in science and technology to its public. Some examples are the series of Vienna Lectures, the program University meets public and a special journal for the public “Researching and Discovering”. Since 2008 the City of Vienna hosts a yearly science festival (Das Wiener Forschungsfest).