UNO-City, Vienna

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Paris has La Defense as a modern quarter, in Vienna it is the area around Vienna International Centre. For a long time this area across the Danube couldn`t be used properly, as there used to be alluvial soil, so actually there was only a trash dump. In the 1970ies though they solved that problem.

First there was a huge gardening exhibition, and later the Donaupark (a nice park) was opened. Also there is the Donauturm with a revolving restaurant. They started building the Vienna International Centre, one of the official residences of United Nations, in the 1970ies and the buildings were finished 1979. The UN is open to visitors, you can participate in guided tours.

In the past decades a lot of high, modern buildings, like Andromeda Tower or the Strabag building were added and a lot of international companies have their headquarters there. Now the area for me is a world of it´s own - it doesn`t feel being in Vienna, it has a very international atmosphere.

An interesting building is also the grey, modern cubus style church. Actually in Austria you hardly see modern churches, and least of all catholic ones :). There is also building dedicated to artist Bruno Gironcoli - you can admire some of his (modern) sculptures there.

The area close to Vienna International Centre is called "Kaisermühlen". In the 1990ies it was a film setting for an Austrian TV serial about working class people living in those buildings for persons with low income. Close by is also Donauinsel, which is popular for doing outdoor sports and sunbathing. Once a year in summer there is also a music festival with usually a lot of international bands. No entry is charged for this. And there is also "Alte Donau" just one subway stop away - there you can take a bath in summer and it feels like being somewhere at a lake!

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The Vienna International Centre (VIC) - or UNO-City to the austrians - opened in 1979. Four major international UN organizations set up their headquarters here. They are UNIDO, CTBTO, UNOV and IAEA. If you interested or curious to know how the UN works and see what happens during conferences or international meetings, you can visit the VIC.

Visitors can visit the VIC complex by booking a tour at Gate 1, UNO-City entrance. Security is tight and visitors are required to bring their passports or Identification Cards before given any clearance to visit the complex.

Here are some facts about the VIC:

Along with New York, Geneva and Nairobi, Vienna is one of the four Headquarters duty stations of the United Nations. More than 4,000 employees from over 100 countries work for the VIC-based organizations. About a third of them are Austrians. Operations costs are borne by the Organizations themselves. The VIC also contributes about 360 million euros annually into the Austrian economy.

Numerous international conferences and meetings are held annually at the Vienna International Centre or at the adjacent Austria Center.

Located at the VIC are:
* International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
* United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV),
* UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),
* UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),
* Preparatory Commission for Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

Other United Nations organizations and entities with offices at the VIC are:
* UN Postal Administration (UNPA),
* UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
* UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR),
* UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS),
* International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR).

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One of the MUST DO things that I warmly recommend while in Vienna is to go the Danube Park and climb into the Donauturm (Danube Tower). The tower offers the best view over Vienna and during night time the lights of Vienna are magnificent. The tower was built back in 1964 but it's still a marvel of technology. The two fast elevators takes the visitors 150m above the ground to the Observation Platform, the Restaurant and the Café, for a EUR 5.3 fee per person (3.9 children for under 14 or 4.2 dor seniors and students). The Restaurant and the Café are permanently rotating (all the floors with the restaurant and cafe is moving around), offering a 360 degrees view. The Observation platform has an inside terrace and also an outside deck, where you can feel the strong wind and if adrenaline junkie you can try the bungee-jumping facility there. Check out my second picture of this tip for the night view from the Danube Tower.

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The United Nations has four main offices around the globe, in New York, Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna. This place is worth a visit for anyone, like me, who is interested in international politics, but it also contains some great modern architecture, not only in the UNO city site itself, but in the Messe that connects to it. The Vienna site may rank behind Geneva and New York in importance, but it certainly looks impressive.

Guided tours cost 5 euros, and run from 11am to 2pm every day from Monday to Friday.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a conference at the UN office in Vienna, and thus got to see many things there. One of the first things I stumbled upon in my lunch break was the language area. I bumped into the Arabic teacher there and had a chat to him and found it really interesting that all UN members are allowed to sign up for free language lessons, in Arabic, French and many more - it is something I wish I could have joined up to!

The UN office in Vienna was established on the first of January, 1980 and is the base for the Secretary general in Vienna, as well as having offices for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization.

The UNV covers 180,000 square meters of land and is given an 'extraterritorial status'.

You can take a virtual tour of the centre here:
http://www.unvienna.org/unov/en/vtour/index.html

You are able to go on a guided tour if you wish to visit the centre in person. You can find the Visitors' centre at gate 1 of the Vienna International Centre.

These run:
Monday - Friday: 11.00 am and 2.00 pm.

Admission fee
Adults: 5 Euros
Students, senior citizens: 3 Euros
Children: 2 Euros

Opening hours:
Monday - Friday 8:00am to 7:00pm

There is also a cafe, souvenir shop, flower shop and even a hairdressers!

Vienna, along with New York, Geneva and Nairobi, is one of the four headquarters of the United Nations. Opened on 23 August 1979, the Vienna International Centre is the seat of a number of United Nations organizations and entities.

Multilingual guides from different countries inform about the United Nations and the work of the Vienna-based organizations in the field of drugs and crime, the peaceful uses of outer space, and refugees. Specialized agencies deal with industrial development, the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the banning of nuclear weapon testing.

You will visit exhibitions and a conference room and get to know the fascinating world of the United Nations. Tours are available in German, English and ten other languages. Admission fees start from 2 euro for children to 5 euro for adults

This is a new quarter in the city,it is located just next to the riverside.Vienna is together with New York and Geneva a site for United Nations Building.This building is located here on this new quarter and also other new buildings of offices,banks and a Television tower (Millenium Tower,202 meters tall)
.All these buildings are called UNO CITY.

The Vienna International Centre is one of the Headquarters of the United Nations along with New York, Geneva and Nairobi.

Among the organizations found at the VIC are
the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV),
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),
the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).
Other United Nations organizations and

Entities with offices at the VIC are:
the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA),
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR),
the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS),
the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR).