Today, Vienna is once again in the center of Europe. But not so long ago, Vienna was just on the western side of the Iron Curtain. Many visitors are surprised to learn that Vienna is actually further east than Prague and Berlin. Vienna was once the heart of a vast realm, the Habsburg Empire. For a time, the possessions of the Habsburgs, who ruled for more than 600 years, were so far-flung that it was said that the sun never set on its dominions. All that came to an end more than 80 years ago. Today, Austria is a small country of about eight million people. But Vienna still has heart. It is one of the most comfortable, interesting, beautiful capital cities in the world. The Vienna of today is a modern, international metropolis in the heart of Central Europe, a city with a quality lifestyle and an embraceable joy for living. Vienna caters to your needs in terms of education, social and health services and also offers a wide range of leisure and cultural activities.