In 2001, Vienna‘s city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Vienna developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a Medieval and Baroque city, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It played an essential role as a leading European music centre, from the great age of Viennese Classicism through the early part of the 20th century. The historic centre of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque castles and gardens, as well as the late-19th-century Ringstrasse lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks.
The urban and architectural qualities of the Historic Centre of Vienna bear outstanding witness to a continuing interchange of values throughout the second millennium. Three key periods of European cultural and political development – the Middle Ages, the Baroque period, and the Gründerzeit – are exceptionally well illustrated by the urban and architectural heritage of the Historic Centre of Vienna. Since the 16th century Vienna has been universally acknowledged to be the musical capital of Europe.
The core zone of the world cultural heritage covers 371 hectares with around 1600 objects. The predominant part is occupied by the 1. Gemeindebezirk (municipal district) of Innere Stadt, with the exception of the bank zone on the Danube Canal. In the 3. Gemeindebezirk Landstraße, the Belvedere and Stadtpark, among others, belong to the core zone. In the 4. Gemeindebezirk Wieden, the Karlsplatz with the Karlskirche, and in the 7. Gemeindebezirk Neubau, the MuseumsQuartier (MQ) and the Volksstheater are to be mentioned. A section of the 9. Gemeindebezirk Alsergrund, where, among others, the Votivkirche is located, belongs to the core zone as well.
The core zone of the World Heritage Site is surrounded by an outer zone. This is 462 hectares in size and has around 2950 objects. In the municipal districts of Alsergrund, Brigittenau, Innere Stadt, Landstrasse and Leopoldstadt, both banks of the Danube Canal between Friedensbrücke in the north and Ulrichgasse are part of the outer zone. On the Alsergrund, those sections of the district Rossau and the east of the district Alservorstadt belong to the outer zone, which are not already part of the core zone. The same applies to a larger area in the west of the highway. In the 4. Gemeindebezirk Wieden, a large part of the district is included, whereas in the 5. Gemeindebezirk Margareten only a narrow strip on the Wien is counted as part of the outer zone. In the 6. Gemeindebezirk Mariahilf, the eastern districts of Laimgrube and Windmühle as well as the east of the district of Mariahilf belong to the outer zone. In addition, there are areas in the east of the 7. Gemeindebezirk Neubau and the 8. Gemeindebezirk Josefstadt.