Five Benefits of Being a Student in Vienna

By Talia Dunyak

1. The immense amount of culture

The CEU Vienna campus is located in Vienna’s tenth district, Vienna’s most multicultural district. Just walking from the Reumannplatz metro stop to CEU’s Quellenstrasse building will demonstrate how diverse this area of the city is. Turkish shops, Arab bakeries, shops with Hungarian and Czech names, Serbian and Italian restaurants mix in with the lively afternoon market. The location of the campus makes it easy to find locations for a quick snack between classes or a drink once you’re done for the day. And of course, outside of the city’s tenth district, there’s even more to experience.

2. The Institutions and the Networking

Vienna is home to many international institutions, such as the United Nations, OSCE, International Atomic Energy Agency, amongst others. As an international relations students, this city offers a lot of real world connections with some of the things learned in class. There are also great opportunities such as the monthly International Relations Ladies Brunch or events from the Women in Security (WIS) Austria chapter. On top of that, there are always events, conferences and lectures happening all over the city on interesting topics.

https://ir.ceu.edu/sites/ires.ceu.hu/files/styles/panopoly_image_origina..." alt="" />

3. Easy access to nature

Vienna is home to 10 city hiking trails (Stadtwanderweg), which are all easily accessible by tram or bus. These are a great way to blow off some steam for a couple hours and explore nature without having to travel too far. The city also organizes hiking around Vienna’s many wineries on certain weekends for those who like to enjoy the view while having a glass or two. And on hot days, it’s great to cool off in the Danube or in Seestadt. In addition to the opportunities within Vienna, it’s easy to hop on a train to the countryside. Go as close as Baden for short day hiking trips or as far as Tirol and Vorarlberg for hiking or skiing in the Alps.

https://ir.ceu.edu/sites/ires.ceu.hu/files/styles/panopoly_image_origina..." alt="" />

4. Museum deals for students

Vienna has dozens of fantastic museums. Many museums offer reduced tickets or passes for students. The student (U25) pass at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) is valid for 7 different museums and allows free access to cocktail parties in the museum. There’s also special events such as the Lange Nacht der Museum (Long Night of the Museum), which is one night of late night museum hopping for one entrance fee. And if getting a museum pass is too much commitment, the Vienna City Museums are free on the first Sunday of every month for everyone.

https://ir.ceu.edu/sites/ires.ceu.hu/files/styles/panopoly_image_origina..." alt="" />

5. Great places to study

Not only does CEU have a fantastic library, but Vienna is full of great study spots. Check out other university’s libraries, such as the modernistic WU Library for a quiet place to study. If a coffee shop is more your speed, Vienna’s Kaffeekultur has you covered with tons of old traditional coffee houses or a plethora of third wave coffee shops to choose from. If you’re going to a coffee shop, be sure to grab a slice of cake, too.