Vienna tops Mercer's list of "Most Livable City"

Austrian federal capital Vienna has toped Mercer's list of "Most Livable City" in the world for the eight time in a row.

Each year, the international consulting firm Mercer carries out a study in order to assess the quality of life in 231 cities around the world. The survey compares the political, social and economic climate, medical care, education, and infrastructural conditions such as public transportation, power and water supply.

It also takes into consideration recreational offers such as restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports facilities, the availability of all kinds of consumer goods from food to cars, as well as environmental conditions - from green spaces to air quality.

“Vienna’s 1.8 million inhabitants benefit from the city’s cafe culture and museums, theatres and operas. Rents and public transport costs in the city, whose architecture is marked by its past as the centre of the Habsburg empire, are cheap compared with other western capitals,” says the survey.

The rest of the top 10 list includes Zurich in second place and European cities with Munich, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Copenhagen, and Basel, a newcomer to the list, in 10th place. The only non-European cities in the top 10 are third-placed Auckland and fifth-placed Vancouver.

It’s not just the high quality of life on offer in Vienna that makes it such a popular place to visit. Excellent infrastructure, forward-looking mobility solutions and smart approaches are also behind the city’s attractiveness to visitors.

Nestled between the Danube River and picturesque hills, the city reposes by woods and green vineyards, its buildings telling the story of its rich past even as its vibrant and contemporary coffeehouses buzz with activity in the present.

“Vienna provides the experiences of a metropolis without the stress factors of a big city. Vienna looks forward to welcoming 20 to 30 per cent more young Indian travellers, looking to experience the contemporary and vibrant facets of life, in 2017,” says Isabella Rauter, public relations manager, Vienna Tourist Board.